Property Stories

My Journey As A Single Homebuyer In Singapore: Why I Bought My 3-Room HDB & Spent $29k To Renovate It

We all know what it’s like for singles to buy a home in Singapore. Other than the prohibitive, and quite frankly, arbitrary minimum to be 35 years of age, the other problem is that you don’t have unfettered access to…

• 3 Sep 2022
• 12 min read
• 2

Touring Frankel Estate: Freehold Living In The East For Foodies Next To A Park Connector

This week, we’re back in the East at Frankel Avenue. My first thought on seeing the area was “Hmmm, this reader has a bigger budget!” If you’re wondering why, the tour of Frankel Avenue was actually requested by a reader…

• 28 Aug 2022
• 11 min read
• 4

Touring Eastwood Landed Estate: Affordable 99-Year Landed Living With An Upcoming MRT & Good Amenities

Another week, another reader’s request! This week, we’ve had someone ask for a tour of Eastwood estate so off to the East I went. I had previously shortlisted Eastwood but, after viewing a couple of other 99-year landed estates and…

• 21 Aug 2022
• 9 min read
• 4

Confessions Of A Property Agent In Singapore: Why I Had To Drop My Worst Client Ever

We’ve all heard the terrible agent stories. Cheating unsuspecting buyers, always pushing for new launches for the high commission, hiding details that could break the deal – it’s no wonder many feel that an agent’s job is akin to one…

• 15 Aug 2022
• 7 min read
• 3

Touring Windsor Park Estate: Freehold Landed Living Close To Crazy Rich Asians, Nature, And Amenities

Windsor Park Estate made the news in 2020 when 2 Good Class Bungalows (GCB) in the estate were sold for over $20 million during the circuit breaker. In fact, one sold for $21.68 million for a house without the buyer…

• 14 Aug 2022
• 9 min read
• 4

57 Incredibly Interesting HDB Facts To Know On Singapore’s National Day

We wish all our readers a happy National Day. On this 57th year of independence, we can congratulate ourselves on having one of the highest rates of home ownership in the world – at almost 90 per cent. A lot…

• 9 Aug 2022
• 13 min read
• 0

You Can Buy A House In Italy For Just €1. Is It Too Good To Be True?

The idea to sell homes for €1 (approx. $1.40) supposedly began in Southern Italy, sometime in the 2010s. Since then, however, the trend has spread, and there are offers for these even in the north of Italy. We’ve also seen…

• 8 Aug 2022
• 8 min read
• 1

Touring West Coast Landed Estate: 999-Year Landed Homes That’s Less Crowded And Near Many Schools

In response to another reader’s request, I went down to West Coast to tour the landed houses there. This is an area that I’m quite familiar with, as my Mother has been working there my entire life. I remember when…

• 7 Aug 2022
• 11 min read
• 0

Touring Gerald Mugliston Estate: A Freehold Landed Estate With No Parking Problems (Spacious Too)

Gerald Mugliston Estate is a popular area, as it’s had the most requests I’ve received to tour it so far! And, after visiting the estate, I can see why: it is a nice, spacious and quiet landed enclave in between…

• 31 Jul 2022
• 13 min read
• 3

I Spent 24 Hours With Migrant Workers In Singapore: A Behind The Scenes Look At The People That Build Our Homes

Buying, renovating, and moving to a new home can be one of the most stressful periods of your life. The uncertainty of securing a BTO or even a resale condo, to the anxiety of working with a renovation ID (oh,…

• 25 Jul 2022
• 10 min read
• 3

Touring The Springside: A Freehold Self-Contained Landed Estate With Not A Tall Building In Sight

This week, I headed over to the Springside area to have a look at the freehold landed houses there. A 532-house enclave developed by Kallang Development, it is located along the beginning of Sembawang Road (right after Upper Thomson Road…

• 17 Jul 2022
• 10 min read
• 4

From EC To District 10 Condo: How A Couple’s Property Investment Decision Evolved

Would you pay off an Executive Condominium (EC) in full, or buy a District 10 condo on loan? They’re vastly different approaches to real estate, and you might think we’re talking about two different buyer profiles. However, that’s the journey…

• 11 Jul 2022
• 5 min read
• 0

Touring Yunnan Gardens: Attractively-Priced Freehold Terrace Houses At $1,000 Psf

In Singapore, the smallest landed houses (usually terrace houses) are often the cheapest if we look at price quantum, but they can be pretty pricey when we look at the price per square foot (PSF.) For example, at MacPherson Garden…

• 10 Jul 2022
• 10 min read
• 0

Touring Pavilion Park: More Affordable Freehold Landed Living With Great Protected Views In Bukit Batok

The freehold landed houses at Pavilion Park have been on my watchlist for a while, as Pavilion Park is one of the few freehold estates in Singapore where you can still get a semi-D for around $4 million. A few…

• 3 Jul 2022
• 9 min read
• 4

Single, Under 30 And Renting: Why And How These 2 Young Singaporeans Are Making It Sustainable

In a previous piece, I explored why we seemed so averse to renting and it was really interesting to see the widely differing opinions on Facebook and Instagram. It was the clearest indication of the different age groups on these…

• 27 Jun 2022
• 7 min read
• 5

Buying An HDB At 24: The Inspiring Story Of Lisa And Her Struggle To Provide For Her Family

Adulting is never easy, especially when circumstances don’t give you much choice. Today’s story is a really special one as we’ll be touching on a Singaporean’s journey and the challenges she faced when she bought her first HDB flat at…

• 25 Jun 2022
• 11 min read
• 1

Why I Bought A 3Gen HDB Flat Instead Of An Executive Maisonette For My Family

In a perfect world, everyone will have a generously-sized home, affordable, and maybe even the capacity to practice filial piety, all while planning to grow our family within budget. It’s every Singaporean’s dream, right?  But here’s the reality: big homes…

• 17 Jun 2022
• 6 min read
• 0

Why I Chose To Rent Instead Of Buying A Home In Singapore

Growing up, I lived in a HDB flat my parents owned. During all the social studies lessons we had (you can probably tell my age from this!), I was taught that a home you owned was always an asset to…

• 13 Jun 2022
• 6 min read
• 0