The recent debate on affordable housing has brought up several possible alternatives, but we don’t think all of them will go down well with everybody. It’s beginning to look a bit like a zero-sum game, where someone – be they…
Commentary
If you are a design-inclined or a hands-on person, designing your own home would naturally be something that you’d want to do. But it’s not always just about the design, but being able to effectively communicate what you want to…
Design
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…
Property Stories
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13 Feb 2023
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12 min read
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2
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When was the last time that you went to a new launch show flat and found that you were actually impressed by the floor plan? Given how new launches are getting increasingly smaller today, there definitely always seems to be…
Buying
This week, we join homeowners Qin Hui and Janice as they take you through their recently renovated 5-room HDB resale flat in Boon Keng. They moved in 6 months ago and were determined to create a modern minimalist space that…
Living In
Dear stacked homes, I would like to seek your kind advice on housing matters. I am 32 and married. I do not own any existing properties and have a budget of 950k. Have sought an IPA to confirm that I…
Advice
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11 Feb 2023
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14 min read
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0
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2021 and 2022 both saw record numbers of million-dollar flats; and while these are still outliers, they are becoming almost expected in some areas like Tiong Bahru, Queenstown, and more specific projects like Pinnacle @ Duxton. But is this a…
Commentary
In 2023, mortgage interest rates are a key concern. This is a steep difference between the tail end of 2008 to 2021 when the average interest rate seldom broke past two per cent (it’s three per cent and climbing at…
Finance
This week, we visit an HDB home in Tampines North. It’s a 5-room Improved home with quite an intriguing layout of 116 sqm. The main bedroom has a balcony that’s narrow but it is actually very usable (which is very…
Insider Tour
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and to be completely honest, this gift guide could have also come at a more opportune time (some of these products may take a bit longer to ship). Nevertheless, it’s better to give…
Design
While many Singaporeans have been adjusting their lifestyles to the unavoidable effects of inflation as of late, it’s hard to compromise on space and budget when it comes to your home (especially if you’re living with a big family). Continuing…
Units Of The Week
When it comes to right-sizing, the assumption is that homeowners will sell their private property to move into a resale flat. However, that isn’t always the case. Some right-sizing homeowners actually opt for a smaller or older (and hence cheaper)…
Buying
I’m continuously fascinated by how IKEA has managed to stay on trend for so many years despite its ubiquitous nature. From its Swedish House Mafia collaboration, to the recent VARMBLIXT collection with Sabine Marcelis (yes, that orange donut lamp is…
Design
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…
Property Stories
Let me start by saying that this isn’t like most Valentine’s Day gift guides out there. For one, you’re not going to find any generic mentions of chocolates, flowers, or perfumes (although I do have the odd candle here). So…
Design
Resale flat prices in 2023 are still high, although the last quarter of 2022 showed the slowest price increase of the year for resale HDB flats so far at 2.3 per cent. The rate of growth in prices has slowed too,…
Resale HDB
When it comes to buying a home, most people would have certain non-negotiables such as price, or the size of the home. For Grace and Hao (@haosofgrace) they had just 2 that were somewhat unconventional – it should be a…
Design
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…
Property Stories
