Property Stories

I Bought My First 1 Bedroom New Launch Condo: 9 Surprising Things I’ve Learnt That No One Tells You

No matter how prepared you feel, buying at a new launch can bring issues that catch you off guard. From inaccuracies in estimated costs, down to defects at key collection, there are a lot of steps where the unexpected can…

• 31 Mar 2023
• 6 min read
• 0

Disgruntled About My Walk-Up Apartment: A Homeowner’s Cautionary Tale

Walk-up apartments are a niche type of property that isn’t for everyone. While you do often have more interior space (and more freedom to renovate as you wish), the downsides are very obvious too. Alternately praised and derided for their…

• 30 Mar 2023
• 6 min read
• 2

Touring Cambridge Estate: Affordable Freehold Landed Homes In An Old School Neighbourhood (District 8)

When people say Singapore city centre, what comes to mind (or my mind at least) is usually high-rise buildings, super modern facilities and, well, sometimes a rather soulless environment. Hence, I was very pleased to re-discover the Carlisle Road landed…

• 26 Mar 2023
• 12 min read
• 0

“My Client Refused To Pay Me” The Realities Of Being A Property Agent In Singapore

Contrary to popular expectations, the life of a realtor isn’t just “potentially unlimited income” and getting to browse homes all day. In fact, we’ve done a detailed breakdown before of how much an average property agent probably makes, and if…

• 24 Mar 2023
• 6 min read
• 0

Our Painful $1.8 Million Condo Investment Regret: 5 Key Lessons We Learned

Almost everyone knows the old property rule of “location, location, location,” but that’s an oversimplification. It’s possible to have a property that’s in a great spot, but of the wrong layout or block to draw the best resale value. This…

• 21 Mar 2023
• 6 min read
• 0

Touring Jalan Senang: Attainable Freehold Landed Homes From $3 Million (But Near Industrial Area).

A while back, we toured Jalan Kembangan and some of its surrounding areas, but I guess readers just love the East, as the requests for landed tours of the area kept coming in! So today, we’re off to Jalan Senang…

• 19 Mar 2023
• 11 min read
• 0

We Paid Off Our HDB Loan In Cash: Here’s Why We Did It

Most people take 20 to 25-year loan tenures to pay off their flat, and they aren’t in a rush to do so. We’ve even encountered financial professionals who counsel against paying off the home loan faster than necessary, as it’s…

• 16 Mar 2023
• 5 min read
• 0

Touring Pasir Panjang Gardens: Affordable Freehold Landed Homes From $2 Million+

Note: the $2 million sales were in 2022 and 2021. Earlier when I did the tour of Elliot Road, a reader left a comment asking for more tours of smaller landed estates so when I passed Jalan Mas Kuning, also…

• 12 Mar 2023
• 10 min read
• 0

I Had To Evict A Troublesome Tenant: Here’s Why It’s So Important To Screen Your Tenants

If you’re an experienced landlord, you’d know that sometimes it isn’t always about the highest rent that you can get, but getting a suitable tenant that’s fuss-free. After all, what’s the point of having more money, but more headaches and…

• 11 Mar 2023
• 5 min read
• 0

Touring Greenwood/Hillcrest Landed Estate: Freehold Landed Living Near Good Restaurants

Quite a while back, a reader asked for a tour of the Hillcrest area so today we’re headed to the Hillcrest and Greenwood estate for a look. It is part of a well-connected landed enclave between Dunearn Road, Eng Neo…

• 5 Mar 2023
• 12 min read
• 0

I Bought My Parent’s Condo (For A Higher Price): Here’s What I’ve Learnt

Buying a property from your own parents should be less stressful; but as one reader shares with us, it’s also a very unsettling experience. This sort of transaction goes outside the usual financial boundaries: it makes you also query things…

• 27 Feb 2023
• 5 min read
• 0

Touring Century Woods And Woodgrove Estate: Landed Houses From $2.2 Million In An “American” Suburb

A while back, a reader asked for a tour of Century Woods, which is an enclave of ninety-nine 99-year leasehold properties located at Woodgrove View, Marsiling (97 terraces and 2 detached homes, to be exact) that was built in 2002….

• 26 Feb 2023
• 9 min read
• 0

My Tenant Passed Away At My Rented Property: My First (And Hopefully Last) Experience As A Landlord

Of all the things that can go wrong during a tenancy, the least expected is death. Most landlords have never had to deal with this, but it’s good to keep in mind that – touch wood – it may happen….

• 23 Feb 2023
• 4 min read
• 0

How We Got “Lucky” With Our Dakota Crest BTO: Why We Chose A 3-Room Over A 4-Room

The Dakota Crest BTO launch was one of the most desired sites to date. Who would want a place that’s around five minutes walk from an MRT station, and on the city fringe to boot? As you can imagine, it…

• 21 Feb 2023
• 6 min read
• 0

Touring Jervois Ville: Freehold Landed Living In A GCB Neighbourhood (More Affordable Than You Think)

Today, we’re at the Jervois neighbourhood, which is my favourite out of all I’ve toured so far. The first time I realised there were more “affordable” terrace houses in the area was when I visited a work colleague (She actually…

• 19 Feb 2023
• 11 min read
• 1

Touring Serangoon Landed Homes: Freehold Living In How Sun Drive Near Bartley MRT

A few weeks ago, I toured Tai Keng Villas and Paya Lebar Crescent. After which, a reader expressed interest in the How Sun/Bartley enclave across Upper Paya Lebar road, so that’s where we’re headed today! If you want to get…

• 13 Feb 2023
• 12 min read
• 2

I Moved House Because Of Eng’s Wantan Mee: Not Everything Is About “Making Money”

People move to a new home for all sorts of reasons: work, being close to parents, right-sizing, etc. But this week we spoke to BC, a young single who recently sold his one-bedder and bought another, older resale unit. His…

• 7 Feb 2023
• 6 min read
• 1

Touring Jalan Kembangan: Freehold Landed Homes Near Kembangan MRT For $3m+

A few weeks back, I covered Frankel Estate in East Singapore and readers asked to see more of the area: specifically, Siglap, Dunbar as well as Kembangan. I didn’t want to bombard you guys with too much of the East…

• 5 Feb 2023
• 11 min read
• 3