Property Stories

My Experience As A Child Moving From A Landed To An HDB And Back To Landed: Why I Preferred HDB Living Anyway

When it comes to choosing our housing, our children often don’t get a vote; even though we like to think we factor them into the considerations. This week, we spoke to R who has been in the unusual situation of…

• 17 Dec 2022
• 7 min read
• 0

I Moved From A Landed Home To An HDB, And I Wouldn’t Go Back Given The Choice

A while ago we interviewed someone who right-sized from a landed home, and stayed in an HDB flat for a time. This time, we spoke to another person who moved out of a landed home, who had a different experience….

• 13 Dec 2022
• 6 min read
• 0

Touring Spring Park Estate: Freehold Landed Living On Elevated Land Near East Coast Park

Today, we’re touring Spring Park Estate and its neighbours in East Singapore – namely, the houses in between Evergreen Avenue, Bedok South Road, Sennett Road and Upper East Coast Road. (Despite the similar name, the area is not to be…

• 11 Dec 2022
• 9 min read
• 0

We Moved From A Landed HDB To A Regular Flat: What We Miss About Living In An HDB Terrace

HDB landed homes were big on the news last year, where there were several units that were sold at a price of over $1 million. This has led to a lot of speculation, such as whether this might be smarter…

• 6 Dec 2022
• 5 min read
• 2

Affordable Freehold Landed Homes Under $3 Million? Touring Tai Keng Estate: Landed Homes In The Largest HDB Town In Singapore

Can you recognise this park? Hint: it’s in the largest HDB town in Singapore and 3 of the last 5 sales were under $3 million. The area we’re visiting today is actually Tai Keng Gardens, as a reader requested a…

• 4 Dec 2022
• 10 min read
• 2

We Waited 5 Years For Our BTO At Dakota Breeze: Our Review Of What It’s Like To Live There

Everyone wants a BTO, but you aren’t guaranteed one due to the luck of the draw of the balloting system. Plus, there’s always the wait time of the construction as well, which was made worse by the pandemic.  Mrs. Leong…

• 3 Dec 2022
• 5 min read
• 0

I Regret Getting A BTO: We Share 5 Uncommon Regrets Singaporeans Have

To many Singaporeans, a BTO flat is the default “first home.” If there are any complaints about this most affordable form of housing, it’s usually about how difficult it is to land one (balloting takes some luck). Some buyers we…

• 1 Dec 2022
• 6 min read
• 0

“I Lost Over $165,000 By Selling Early” 6 Common Regrets Of Homeowners Who Sold Their Homes In 2021/22

2021/22 is widely considered a seller’s market, with property prices – across all segments – reaching an all-time high. But while we might assume all sellers made of like bandits, it’s not universally true. We spoke to some people who…

• 30 Nov 2022
• 6 min read
• 0

How A Singaporean Couple Saved $30,000 Per Year Living In A DIY Van In The US

In a country with nearly 90 per cent home ownership, even renting is considered unusual by some Singaporeans – but what about living in a van instead? This week, we talked to a couple who live in a van in…

• 29 Nov 2022
• 6 min read
• 2

Touring Chwee Chian Estate: Freehold Landed Living At The Greater Southern Waterfront

When news of the development of the Great Southern Waterfront was released, there was a lot of buzz about properties in the Pasir Panjang area, such as Kent Ridge Hill Residences. However, did you know that there is also a…

• 27 Nov 2022
• 11 min read
• 2

A $6 Million Landed Home Nightmare: Owning A Landed Home But Struggling To Make Ends Meet

Homeownership is a sensitive and emotional issue for many, but the consensus is that owning a pricey landed property can only be a good thing. In one case that we’ve heard of, however, things have turned out quite the opposite….

• 26 Nov 2022
• 5 min read
• 10

We Moved To A 38-Year-Old Executive Maisonette: Here’s What It’s Like To Stay In An Old EM In Jurong West

When Winnie (*not her real name for privacy reasons) and her husband were looking for a home for their future family years ago, their top priority was a place with at least three bedrooms as they wanted to have kids….

• 25 Nov 2022
• 7 min read
• 0

Touring Gentle Villas: District 11 Landed Living From $3 Million (Near Novena MRT)

Imagine living with this cityscape just a few minutes walk from your main door! Gentle Villas is a landed enclave in District 11, built by Far East in 1995, that first came to my attention during the COVID lockdown. It’s…

• 20 Nov 2022
• 10 min read
• 2

Touring Paya Lebar Crescent Landed Estate: Freehold & Leasehold Homes From $2.3 Million

This week, we’re doing a tour of Paya Lebar Crescent and its nearby streets. I’d actually been to the area a few years ago, when taking my Mom on a jaunt down memory lane (she lived nearby when she was…

• 13 Nov 2022
• 10 min read
• 0

Touring Elliot Road: A Freehold Landed Estate Very Close To Siglap MRT Station

East Singapore seems to be rather popular with our readers, given the number of requests we have had for tours of the area. To date, we’ve seen Bedok Walk, Siglap, Frankel Avenue, Eastwood and Opera Estate, just to name a…

• 6 Nov 2022
• 11 min read
• 2

I Regret Selling My HDB To Upgrade To A Condo: 4 Homeowners Share Their Story

To most Singaporeans, upgrading is seen as the “natural” thing to do if you start earning more, or your flat appreciates. We probably don’t need to go over the reasons, as there are hundreds of agents waiting to explain to…

• 5 Nov 2022
• 6 min read
• 8

I Regret Moving From A Condo To A HDB: 5 Elderly Homeowners Share Their Biggest Regrets

As the Singapore population ages, comfortable accommodation for the elderly will be a crucial issue. To date, however, the one-size-fits-all solution we’ve applied is “let them sell their property and buy a smaller flat.” But it’s good to look deeper…

• 1 Nov 2022
• 6 min read
• 0

Touring Braddell Heights Estate: Freehold Landed Homes Near 2 MRT Stations

Have you ever seen a property ad that is in, say Holland Village, but is marked as Lorong Chuan on PropertyGuru? Well, I’ve seen, like, hundreds of such ads and always wondered why Lorong Chuan was the default address when…

• 30 Oct 2022
• 9 min read
• 0