Guides

An Introvert Renovates: 3 Key Steps To Prepare For Before Renovating (Part 1)

When one journey ends, another begins, so says every motivational poster with a picture of an endless highway. In late 2020, I ended a two-year journey as a solo, introverted property buyer, only to start the following year as a…

• 25 Apr 2022
• 6 min read
• 0

Inside An Incredible $15K Renovation Of A Bidadari 3-Room BTO: How This Couple Did It On Their Own

For most adventurous homeowners, bypassing the interior designer and designing their own home is as far as they would ever go.  So it was quite astonishing to learn of a couple that not only designed but took on the jobs…

• 22 Apr 2022
• 10 min read
• 1

Making Your First Overseas Real Estate Purchase: 8 Tips By An Ex-International Property Marketer

“Let me make cars. You stick to making tractors.”  Just these 9 words uttered by Enzo Ferrari changed the course of supercars forever.  He was speaking to none other than the now world-famous founder of Lamborghini.  The story goes that…

• 20 Apr 2022
• 10 min read
• 5

The Case Of A “Matrimonial” Bukit Timah Home: Why A Woman Was Denied A Share

There was a bit of a surprise this February, when a lady was denied her one-third share of a property after a divorce. This was after an appeals court ruled that the house did not constitute a matrimonial asset; an…

• 20 Apr 2022
• 7 min read
• 2

Are Property Valuations A Hidden Culprit In Rising Property Prices?

An often overlooked, but important, element of home loan financing is the valuation. For anyone buying a resale private property, the valuation can impact the initial cash outlay, the stamp duty, and which bank gets chosen. But is the hunt…

• 15 Apr 2022
• 4 min read
• 0

23.8% Senior Citizens By 2030: How Singapore’s Ageing Population Will Affect Physical Real Estate

We recently came across this article in Straits Times with quite eye-opening statistics on Singapore’s ageing population: The proportion of Singapore residents who are seniors is estimated to double from 16 per cent in 2021 to 33 per cent by…

• 13 Apr 2022
• 6 min read
• 0

A $48,000 HDB Renovation Breakdown: A Couple In Their 30s Shares Their Renovation Journey

This story is part of our new reno series, which details renovated houses in Singapore and a breakdown of their reno costs. At the end of 2020, Jessica and her fiancé found themselves in the same boat as many other…

• 13 Apr 2022
• 13 min read
• 1

Resale HDB Flat Prices Reach A Record High For Q1, But There’s Hope For Buyers Yet

Let’s start with a bit of bad news for homebuyers: resale flat prices ended Q1 2022 at a record high. This is, in fact, the highest we’ve ever seen in around a decade – we’ve even beat the previous peak…

• 11 Apr 2022
• 5 min read
• 1

7 Real Life Examples Of How Property Data Can Be Used To Mislead Home Buyers

Singaporean home buyers have an innate trust for graphs, charts, and anything that suggests “serious hard data”. But while it’s unlikely that any seller will outright lie to you, some will use selective presentation of data to mislead you. They…

• 8 Apr 2022
• 7 min read
• 0

What To Look Out For At A Resale HDB Viewing: A Step-By-Step Walkthrough (With Pictures)

I know the pains of the first-time HDB homebuyer in Singapore. It’s true that information on resale flats can be a bit scant, and a lot of it comes down to legwork. But the bigger problem is really that you…

• 6 Apr 2022
• 20 min read
• 0

The Crafty Ways IKEA Gets You To Buy More Stuff: Here’s Why Singaporeans Are Addicted

Did you know that IKEA is currently the most valuable furniture brand in the world?  (It’s valued at over $21 billion USD).  It also employs over 220,000 people around the world and sells over a billion meatballs per year. Yes,…

• 6 Apr 2022
• 10 min read
• 2

Are Executive Condominiums A Better Investment Now With The New Cooling Measures?

Executive Condominiums (ECs) are more in demand than ever, given peak home prices in 2022. We’re expecting at least four EC launches before the year is out, and a big question now is how they’re impacted by new cooling measures….

• 5 Apr 2022
• 6 min read
• 1

The Most Expensive HDB Is Now $1.39 million: Here’s Why It Doesn’t Matter

HDB resale flat prices climbed slower in Q1 this year; news that’s overshadowed by a flat at Pinnacle @ Duxton, which sold for around $1.39 million ($1,388,888.88, to be exact). This is a new record for HDB resale flats –…

• 4 Apr 2022
• 5 min read
• 0

Don’t Be A Noob First-Time Homebuyer: Here’s How To Deal Direct With Experienced Seller Agents

Just last week, I brought my car for servicing and found out that my in-car camera that came originally with the car was spoilt. The cost to replace it? A cool $1,400. I quickly Googled the price of an in-car…

• 1 Apr 2022
• 10 min read
• 2

Fab Or Fail: We Rate These 7 New Condo Trends Of The Past Decade

Every now and then, a developer tries something new that takes off – then before you know it, every other developer is following suit, and you have the makings of a trend. But how practical are these? Will they go…

• 30 Mar 2022
• 8 min read
• 0

Living On-site While Renovating? Here Are 6 Points That Will Help

Renovation delays are common due to Covid, and more buyers are unwilling to extend the date of vacant possession. For families waiting on the contractor, there may be a strong temptation to try and live with ongoing renovations – that…

• 30 Mar 2022
• 6 min read
• 0

Is Housing In Singapore Still Affordable To The Average Singaporean In 2022?

Home prices are at record highs in 2022, and now we face the threat of higher interest rates; we’re not surprised that home buyers are starting to get anxious. This leads us to that old battleground of divisive opinions: how…

• 29 Mar 2022
• 7 min read
• 0

66 New Launch Condos Near Their ABSD Deadline In 2022/23

With home prices at an all-time high, buyers are looking in every possible nook and cranny for a better deal. Here’s a flicker of hope for them: developers close to their ABSD deadline are highly incentivised to move their last…

• 26 Mar 2022
• 6 min read
• 1