Guides

5 Interesting 5-Room HDB Layout Ideas To Cater For Different Lifestyles

For those looking for a bigger living space but are a little tighter on their purse strings, an older resale 5-room HDB is still going to be the best bang for your buck.  Since the last 5-room and 4-room layout…

• 4 Nov 2022
• 6 min read
• 0

Beware Rising Home Loan Rates In 2022: We Breakdown Exactly How Much It Will Cost You As Interest Rates Increase

The era of cheap home loan rates has ended. From the Global Financial Crisis, through the turbulent Trump administration, and through Covid, Singaporeans have managed to enjoy low-interest loans for over a decade; but what are the practical implications of…

• 3 Nov 2022
• 6 min read
• 0

6 Gorgeous Korean Aesthetic Interior Instagram Accounts To Get Inspiration From

It seems that everything coming out of Korea can do no wrong. From music to food, to Netflix shows (who can forget the wildly popular Squid Game), and even movies – everything from South Korea is taking the world by…

• 2 Nov 2022
• 4 min read
• 0

HDB Rental Rates Are Up A Crazy 20.9% In 2022: Could It Still Go Higher?

In recent news, the Straits Times reported that the Singapore rental market may be “going bananas”. It’s certainly true that 2022 has been a better year for landlords, but is the rental market as “crazy” as reported? We did some…

• 1 Nov 2022
• 6 min read
• 0

Inside A Cosy $45k Renovation Of A Tiong Bahru HDB: How A Couple Self-Designed Their European/Jap-Inspired Home

“Funny story with our furniture is that unlike most homeowners, we moved into our home with no furniture… only a bed.” It takes a brave soul to move into a newly completed home with practically no furniture, but for Marcus…

• 29 Oct 2022
• 8 min read
• 0

Singaporeans Share Their Frustrations About “Affordable” Public Housing: Here Are Some Of The Best Points From Reddit

There have been some split opinions on the affordability of HDB housing, following an infographic in the Sunday Times. Of late, the topic seems to hold two divergent opinions: the first that HDB is too expensive and these infographics are…

• 26 Oct 2022
• 6 min read
• 1

IKEA x Swedish House Mafia OBEGRÄNSAD Collection: Our 7 Top Picks For The Minimalist Lover

I have to say, IKEA is one of the best when it comes to collaborations. For a company that was founded in 1943, they’ve managed to stay remarkably relevant in such a fast-changing world. (Remember the time when Oakley was…

• 26 Oct 2022
• 5 min read
• 0

A Condo Built Specifically For The Elderly In Singapore? 5 Features We’d Like To See In Such A Development

Let’s face it: Singapore’s unofficial senior care body has become HDB. When it comes to housing for retirees, there’s an overwhelming assumption that most people can sell their private property and move into flats. That’s why HDB constantly has to…

• 25 Oct 2022
• 8 min read
• 2

Upgrading From A BTO To A 1,550 Sqft Executive Apartment: How A Couple Carefully Planned With A $50k Reno Budget

For some people, their first home may just be their forever home. But for others, the unpredictabilities of life can really change, and you can outgrow your existing house more quickly than you might think. This is what Alfisyah (@nurfish)…

• 24 Oct 2022
• 8 min read
• 0

“My HDB Landlord Is Threatening To Kick My Family Out” How High Rents Have Created Greed And What Tenants Can Do

Some time ago, we mentioned a possible loophole that HDB landlords might use to drive out tenants. That’s especially worrying in the current high rental environment, where some landlords may feel “stuck” with a cheaper lease signed a year or…

• 22 Oct 2022
• 5 min read
• 5

A 23-Year-Old HDB In Bukit Panjang Gets A Unique Makeover Into A Spanish Country Style Home

Rach and Sam (@casagangsa) are a newlywed couple who bought a 5-room resale flat in Bukit Panjang that’s already 23 years old. Like most homeowners who choose an older HDB, their reason for doing so was space. “We knew we…

• 21 Oct 2022
• 8 min read
• 0

Is A HDB Flat Oversupply Inevitable In The Future? What Happens When Our Parents Generation Passes On

Given the demand for HDB flats over the pandemic period, HDB has ramped up production of new flats in 2021/22, and we’ve seen flat prices reach their highest in close to a decade. In light of the present situation, it…

• 20 Oct 2022
• 6 min read
• 3

4 Ways URA’s New Move To Curb Shoebox Units In Central Areas Could Affect The Singapore Property Market

The last time URA moved to curb shoebox units (one-bedder units, generally defined as 510 sq. ft. or smaller) was back in 2018. At the time, the impact was only for developments outside the central area. If you want a…

• 19 Oct 2022
• 5 min read
• 0

10 Illegal HDB Renovations You May Not Be Aware Of (Beware A $5,000 Fine)

It’s always fun to see how creative HDB homeowners can get with their homes. But while it’s fun to be creative on the various aspects you’d like to have installed in your home, it’s important to know the guidelines to…

• 18 Oct 2022
• 8 min read
• 0

The Real Effect Of Loan Curbs On The Singapore Property Market: A Quick Look Back At History

One of the most dreaded policy tweaks by MAS is loan curbs – restrictions on how much you can borrow. In almost every round of cooling measures, we’ve come to learn that nothing makes buyers shrink back more than a…

• 18 Oct 2022
• 4 min read
• 2

Are New ECs Still Attractive After The New Cooling Measures?

After the December 2021 cooling measures, the general consensus was that Executive Condominiums (ECs) would be more attractive. At the time, we broadly agreed with the sentiments (even though it was more to do with rising prices across the board…

• 17 Oct 2022
• 6 min read
• 2

“I Ended Up A Tenant Of My Old Home” How 3 Singaporean Homeowners Are Dealing With The New Cooling Measures

The 15-month wait-out, from the September cooling measures, was one of the most stunning last-minute shifts we encountered. Several Singaporean homeowners were caught unprepared; these range from those who had just sold their condo units (and are now forced to…

• 12 Oct 2022
• 5 min read
• 1

A Record 45 Million Dollar Flats In Sept 2022: But All Eyes On 4-Room And Smaller Flats

The cooling measures on 30th September seem timely, after the latest results. September 2022 has seen a record number of million-dollar flats sold in a single month, and rising prices reveal December’s cooling measures had little to no impact. Despite…

• 11 Oct 2022
• 4 min read
• 0