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3 kids all squeeze into 1 room https://qanvast.com/sg/articles/familys-executive-apartment-in-tampines-gets-a-staggering-sgd325k-reno-2944 Family’s Executive Apartment in Tampines Gets a Staggering $325K Reno No expense was spared in this lavish home, where even the tiniest detail was chosen with great care! Going into a renovation, most homeowners tend to have a fixed budget – for resale flats, that usually hovers around $40,000 to $80,000. But for the homeowners of this executive apartment in Tampines, their desire for a spacious, luxury-themed home culminated in a home that cost a whopping $325,000 to renovate. “The owners actively made the choice to upgrade their materials,” says Shawn, the designer from Style Elements Studio. “Some of them – like the large-format floor tiles – are about $800 a piece, while the laminates we used are triple the price of regular ones.” This renovation, however, isn’t just the sum of all its materials. From embedding rockwool within the ceiling to customising doors, cabinets, and even mirrors, every element in the house was was carefully curated by the owners and designer – all in the effort to create the desired lavish home. To see how the house turned out – and to learn about the design process – we got Shawn to tell us more! Shawn (S): This home belongs to a couple and their three kids. They were previously staying in a 4-room BTO flat – and as we know, BTO flats are very small, so they lacked space and wanted an upgrade. For the new house, they had quite specific criteria – like having distinct living and dining spaces, an entertainment room, and so on. So, they had a rather different house-hunting approach – after seeing one they liked, they’d immediately consult me to ask if the layout could incorporate what they wanted. This was pretty helpful actually, because to designers, the layout is quite important. Before this, the other houses they looked at had odd layouts – the kind with the kitchen and living room in the middle, and the bedrooms on either side, which isn’t really ideal. Eventually, we agreed that this house was best. They fell in love with the space and location, and for me, I felt that the layout had a lot of potential. On planning the renovation S: To me, renovations aren’t just about the budget – it’s about the concept that the clients want to achieve. Technically, I can renovate any house within a given budget, but that limits the material choices for the clients, which may not be what they like. So, I tend to be very transparent with my clients, where I’ll educate them on the different materials and their prices to fit a client’s expectation. I was glad that my clients understood that the materials they wanted were more expensive than average, and were willing to pay more just to achieve their desired aesthetic or quality. About the dining room S: The husband has always been an avid collector for Bearbrick figures – he used to keep his collection in his office since his old house was too small. Since he hosts quite often, we saw the dining room as a potential area to show off his collection, and gave him the space he needed to do so. Other than that, I think the large-format homogenous tiles stand out. I selected 1.5m by 1.5m tiles, which are sizes that are usually only used in commercial or landed properties. Of course, they’re more expensive than your regular tiles – and on top of that, it takes about 2-3 workers to layer it on, so there’s a high labour cost as well. We also used epoxy grout, which is more resistant to fading and discoloration than regular grout. They’re very hard – you can’t just use a pen to scrape it out. You won’t have kids accidentally scraping them out with their toys. Oh, and all the laminates are from Lamitak’s Protak series, which have antibacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-fingerprint properties.They’re triple the price of regular laminates – but we figured that this was a worthy investment since it keeps the space clean for the children, and reduces the need for clean-up. On renovating the living room S: Since the dining room was designated as the husband’s area, we designed the living room more for the wife. She likes the luxury theme, so we thought it was fitting to create the TV feature area out of bookmatched quartz, with a bottom console made with quartz of a matching colour. All the lights in this house are from Sol Luminaire, who only supply warm lighting. So, behind the TV feature area, we put up a copper-tinted mirror – which complements the warm lighting better than a regular mirror, and adds a cosier vibe to the space. As the owners are fond of fluted panels, we erected a wall with this design to conceal the bedroom and entertainment room doors. From my perspective, I see it more as a way to contain everyone within the communal area – I guess you could say it separates the public area from the private. About the kitchen S: Compared to the rest of the house, I think the kitchen design was quite straightforward. There’s a lot of natural light coming in from the kitchen, which I wanted to take advantage of. But at the same time, the clients brought up a Chinese superstition that says we shouldn’t be able to see the stove from outside. So, the natural choice was to use a fluted glass door. We had it custom-made as there aren’t a lot of choices out there – and honestly, it was a really long wait, because it took six weeks from fabrication to installation (laughs). Regular HDB kitchens use wall tiles, so I wanted to go against that. I used outdoor weatherproof paint – which doesn’t absorb oil, grime, and cooking smells like regular paint does. The wooden area you see is actually a niche. Rhythmic flow is important to designers – if the whole area has a similar colour theme, it’ll be overkill. This way, there’s a smooth transition between the marble, the black sintered stone surfaces, and the wooden tones, all of which complement one another. About the entertainment room S: The couple loves singing, so we needed to soundproof the area to avoid complaints from the neighbours (laughs). We embedded rockwool within the ceiling and fluted walls to dampen the sound. If you noticed, the room looks smaller than usual – it’s because we had to make the walls thicker to accommodate the rock wool. Since there are a lot of elements in this room, we had to find ways to accommodate everything while keeping the space neat. The cabinet next to the SMEG fridge is actually where the subwoofers are – it has a customised door with a perforated bottom half and a top half covered with black-tinted glass. This way, it helps to reduce the visual clutter, while still allowing infrared connections to pass through. About the master bedroom and ensuite S: The wife wanted to incorporate more marble designs in the master bedroom. I was against this at first since the rest of the house already features marble – but as she really wanted it, I counter-proposed using marble-look laminates as accents around the fabric headboard. The his-and-her bedroom wardrobe was another thing the couple really wanted. Creating it was a bit challenging as we had to ensure there was enough walking space – if you realise, the wardrobe is slightly angled to ensure that they can walk to and fro comfortably. Oh, and fun fact: this wardrobe is four times the usual length of a HDB built-in wardrobe. Typically, they’re about six to seven feet, but this one is over 24 feet! I think it takes up almost the whole wall – which, in a way, looks more luxurious. Like the bedroom wardrobe, the master ensuite features his-and-her sinks. They’re integrated sinks made out of Quartz stone – I never really liked the regular freestanding sinks as their silicon edges are prone to mould. Also, the mirrors were a challenge to obtain. They’re not the type that you can just buy off the shelf – I had to look around to find someone to fabricate them. I think I took about two weeks just to find the right supplier. To sum up S: This house was renovated around October last year, and like a lot of 2021 renovation projects, it was affected by the pandemic – I know it sounds like an excuse, but it did affect manpower and logistics. There was a lot of back-and-forth between myself and the contractors, and I made sure to be as detailed as possible to minimise misunderstandings. Actually, I’m not really sure what else to say about the house without sounding cliche (laughs). I understand that the renovation price has piqued people’s interest, but from a designer’s perspective, all I wanted was to create a home that my clients are happy with. To me, it was more about educating the clients about the different materials out there, and letting them make the choice. And if they’re happy with what they chose, then so am I!

No no no, Ford is not going to build our HDB, but adopting the Build-to-order business model. BTW, KYM stands for Ke Yi Ma (coined by EDMW?), not Kuan Yin Mah hor... Ford Wants To Move Away From Dealer Stock And Toward Build To Order The ongoing pandemic and an unprecedented chip shortage have created a terrible car market right now. Unlike before, where you could walk onto a lot at any time and find over 100 cars with three other back lots with hundreds more cars, inventory is tight and dealers are greedy. The pandemic forced an industry to adapt quickly to customers wary of visiting a showroom with a potentially deadly virus going around. Ford is trying to read the room and as Car and Driver noted, wants more buyers to custom order their vehicles rather than choose from dealer stock. The move comes amid long wait times and delays for buyers and their vehicles. Speaking on a conference call last week, CEO Jim Farley noted that he wants to keep dealer inventory low while simultaneously moving to an order based system: “We are really committed to going to an order-based system and keeping inventories at 50 to 60 days’ supply.” Speaking to Reuters, Farley also admitted that building too many cars hurts them. Throwing cash on the hood, aka incentives, to move vehicles that have been sitting has always been a win for customers. But it hurts the company’s bottom line with Farley saying “I know we are wasting money on incentives. I don’t know where.” Ford has started to move toward that car buying future, introducing services like Ford Express Buy. But dealers have the option to participate in it. See the problem? Ford wants to move in the right direction, but dealers have the option to participate. And, right now, the service is available at select dealers and only on the Mach-E. Will other auto manufacturers follow suit? Even if they don't follow the same business model but cutting production volume while raising sales price (so that their P&L are not affected), buyer like us will still be impacted, especially after taking into consideration of the high vehicle taxes we have been paying...

Over 900 flats to be built in Sin Ming; first new HDB project in the area in over 30 years SINGAPORE - More than 900 Housing Board flats will be built along Sin Ming Road in Upper Thomson, the first new units to be launched for sale in the area since 1988. The project – slated for completion in the second quarter of 2027 – will offer 984 flats across five residential blocks ranging from 22 to 28 storeys. There will also be a seven-storey carpark, social communal facilities and roof gardens, a signboard at the construction site showed. Photos of the site were posted to social media platform Reddit on Tuesday. When The Straits Times visited the site next to Block 25 Sin Ming Road on Wednesday, construction work was under way. ST understands that the Sin Ming flats will be launched as a Build-to-Order (BTO) project. BTO launches typically occur in February, May, August and November. The Sing Ming project comes under Bishan, and a check on HDB’s website showed that there will be no BTO launches in the area in the upcoming May and August launches. Property analysts said the last HDB blocks completed in Sin Ming were in 1988, when 945 units were built in Sin Ming Avenue. Huttons Asia senior director of research Lee Sze Teck said there could be pent-up demand for BTO flats in the area. He expects the application rate for the Sin Ming project to fall between two and four – referring to the number of applicants vying for each of the units. “It appears that HDB is building BTO flats in mature estates in advance so as to deliver it within a shorter time,” he added. OrangeTee & Tie senior vice-president of research and analytics Christine Sun noted that the site is located near schools such as Catholic High School and Ai Tong School, as well as Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park, which would contribute to demand. “There is a lack of new flats in the area, and prices of new private homes in nearby districts such as Upper Thomson, Bishan, Ang Mo Kio, Marymount and Lentor are quite high,” she said. The project could have a mix of two-room flexi, three-room and four-room flats, but bigger units like five-room and three-generation flats may not be offered to keep prices affordable, she added. Mr Lee said four-room units at the project could be priced between $525,000 and $650,000, based on resale prices. Other four-room flats in Sin Ming, which are more than 30 years old, have transacted at $600,000 to $750,000. Mogul.sg chief research officer Nicholas Mak said the new estate could include amenities such as retail shops and childcare services, as the former industrial estate currently does not have many existing amenities to serve residents. He added that the project is located near the Upper Thomson and Bishan MRT stations, which will give future residents access to three different lines - the North-South line, Thomson-East Coast line and Circle line. The analysts said the Sin Ming project is unlikely to fall under the prime location public housing model, in which owners are subject to criteria such as a 10-year minimum occupation period. https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/housing/over-900-hdb-flats-to-be-built-in-sin-ming-first-hdb-project-in-the-area-in-over-30-years wow, this location brings back memories. my uncle and I both go Yew Lip before, my friends and I fixed our first cams at Chuan Sing. and the food selection at Blk 22 is another attraction. and I recall there is a popular engine or gearbox overhaul shop there too.

Singaporeans spooked by eerie red-themed HDB lift lobby, one says her daughter dares not take lift alone Source: https://www.asiaone.com/singapore/singaporeans-spooked-eerie-red-themed-hdb-lift-lobby-one-says-her-daughter-dares-not-take?utm_source=a1home&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=A1+trending&utm_content=c1 Receiving the keys to a new flat is usually a thrilling experience, but some residents in a new Build-To-Order (BTO) flat in Tampines weren't too pleased with what they saw. One of the residents took to TikTok to document her creepy-looking lift lobby at block 640B of Tampines GreenVines — complete with red tiles and red walls. The resident, who goes by Zelia2702, also included a picture of the block's mailboxes, which had the same eerie red tiles. Zelia isn't the only one who found the lift lobby's interior design unacceptable. Her video has garnered more than 100,000 views on TikTok, with several comments from residents who concur with her displeasure towards the design. Another resident, surnamed Fu, told Zaobao he found it rather gloomy. "In the day it looks like [it's] Chinese New Year, but at night it looks like a temple," remarked the 30-year-old engineer. This particular block has also attracted the attention of other residents in the estate. Yan, who owns a unit at 639B with the same colour scheme, told Zaobao that he and his wife went to take a look at the eerie block out of curiosity. "We'll only get our keys in end-March, but we came down to take a look after finding out that our block has the same colour scheme. "When we come out of the lift it feels like our hair is standing, I hope that the authorities will change the design," shared the 32-year-old, who is self-employed. Wah, really look like those scene from Hong Kong ghost movie woh! 😱

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/politics/first-timers-must-select-bto-flats-when-invited-by-hdb-or-lose-priority-for-a-year-from-august-launch SINGAPORE - First-timer applicants who do not select a Build-To-Order (BTO) flat when invited to do so will be considered second-timers in subsequent flat applications for a year, starting from the August sales exercise. The tightening of the rule is meant to reduce the number of people who decline to pick a flat and ensure more efficient allocation, so that those who need a flat can secure it more quickly, said National Development Minister Desmond Lee on Thursday. Currently, first-timers will only be moved to the second-timer category for a year when balloting for flats if they do not book a BTO flat twice. Far fewer flats are set aside for second-timers - 5 per cent of four-room and larger flats, versus at least 95 per cent for first-timer families. Mr Lee also announced other measures to help first timers secure their home during the debate on his ministry’s budget, including setting aside more flats for a new subset of first-timer families - those with Singaporean children aged 18 and below as well as married couples aged 40 and below. From the August BTO exercise, up to 40 per cent of the flat supply will be reserved for this group of applicants, up from 30 per cent now. Up to 60 per cent of Sales of Balance Flats (SBF) units will be set aside for them as well, an increase from the current 50 per cent. SBF flats are typically either completed or in various stages of construction. Applicants under this new First-Timer (Parents & Married Couples) priority category will also get one additional ballot chance in their BTO and SBF applications, for a total of three ballot chances. Various MPs including Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim (Chua Chu Kang GRC), Ms Foo Mee Har (West Coast GRC) and Mr Seah Kian Peng (Marine Parade GRC) asked if more support can be given to help Singaporeans buy their first home amid the strong housing demand and elevated resale prices. Help will be provided on several fronts, starting with the ramping up of flat supply in the next few years, said Mr Lee. Close to 100,000 homes are expected to be completed between 2023 and 2025 across both the private and public housing markets, he said. Of these, almost 40,000 homes will be completed this year - the highest in the last five years, including pre-Covid-19 years of 2018 and 2029, he added. This increased supply should help to alleviate some pressure in the rental market as those who have been waiting for their keys will stop renting, and new homes will provide additional rental supply, said Mr Lee in response to Mr Louis Chua (Sengkang GRC). On tightening the rules for BTO flat non-selection, Mr Lee said it strikes a balance between considering the interests of flat applicants with urgent housing needs and being fair to those who successfully balloted for a flat. He noted that the drop-out rate for BTO flats has hovered around 40 per cent in the past few years, even as strong housing demand pushed up application rates. This means that four in 10 applicants either do not turn up or decline to book a unit at their flat selection appointments. Some reasons include people wanting only flats on high floors, trying their luck or the remaining flats being out of their budget, he said. “Understandably, some would rather give up the opportunity to select a flat now, and wait longer for a better flat. But whatever the reason, such applicants do crowd out other homebuyers who may have more pressing needs,” he said, urging Singaporeans to only apply for flats if they really intend to purchase one. The rules will also be tightened for second-timers from August. Those who do not pick a BTO flat when invited to do so will have to wait one year before they can apply for a flat again. Currently, this only kicks in after they fail to book a flat twice. Mr Lee said HDB will only waive the rule if applicants have 10 or fewer BTO flats, or five or fewer SBF flats, to choose from. “We understand that some applicants may have genuine reasons for not selecting a flat. Buying a home is a large financial decision, so we want to be fair to applicants who have very limited options when they are invited to select their flat,” he said. Where there are extenuating circumstances, HDB may exercise flexibility to waive the rule, he said. Mr Lee said the new First-Timer (Parents & Married Couples) priority category is targeted at those buying their first home and to help young families settle down more quickly. The current first-timer category covers a wide range of applicants, including those who already have their own homes but have not previously received housing subsidies. About 10 per cent of all first-timer applicants fall into the new category, Mr Lee said. To qualify, families must not have owned or sold a local residential property before, or did not have a chance to book a flat in the past five years before their application. This is on top of having at least one Singaporean child or meeting the age limit of 40 for married couples. Applicants do not need to submit additional documents to qualify for the new category. In addition, those under the new category will get first priority when applying for four-room or smaller BTO flats in non-mature estates, Mr Lee said. He said these applicants will be shortlisted ahead of all others who come under the expanded Family and Parenthood Priority Scheme - previously known as the Parenthood Priority Scheme. They thus stand a substantially higher chance of being invited to select a flat, he added. On why the measures will only take place from August, Mr Lee said: “We are announcing the changes early to give everyone some time to understand how these changes may affect them. And HDB will also need some time to stress-test and implement the system changes.”

Read here: https://stackedhomes.com/editorial/3-surprising-upcoming-changes-that-may-affect-property-prices-and-en-bloc-in-2023/#gs.vq6f0g

Another big carpark in Ang Mo Kio to be developed into BTO! This is the best carpark with lots of spaces to park if you are going to COURTS or Jacks Place as well as the hawker centers. Without this carpark, not sure where to park with lots liao. August 2022 BTO venues

https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/trending/tampines-greenvines-bto-red-colour-scheme-349641?fbclid=IwAR0FFHzW1z24amnwOThy9099y054LBB5vijmcmabvRK74Ba0YEu3G1ljo14

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/housing/hdb-launches-over-4501-bto-flats-first-prime-location-project-in-rochor-comes-with

Anyone going for it? Quite a few good areas this time!

utterly disappointed with HDB (whats new?!) Long story short: collected BTO flat keys Feb 2016, punggol along waterway area recently spotted master bedroom toilet door starting to split at the edges from the bottom. first noticed in July 2017. called HDB and was informed past warranty period. nothing can be done. gave me contractor's contact for quote, contractor bo huh me. fine few days ago, spotted common toilet door starting to split at the edges from the top. emailed into HDB feedback. received call from the same officer who spoke to me the first time and regurgitated the same "out of warranty" story. when i refused to budge, another lady spoke to me and said it may be due to the owners not doing proper maintenance and due to usage issues. seriously? how to use until the edges split? bang the door daily as a hobby? if its only one door, fine, i suay. now its both doors. obviously its quality issues! we topup for optional components for inferior products! kaos. (no idea why after attaching the picture was rotated) any bros encountered anything similar and managed to get HDB do something about the issue? can share? im so sorry for starting in the wrong section.. how can i move it to non-car related! sorry!!

Dear bros, I have a question here that needs some inputs.. Currently I have a 3 room bto that is waiting to be completed. Around 2017. Thinking of getting private condo which is of bigger size which is also completing around same time. Which one will be a better choice in the future? Any opinions or comments?

what was your deciding factor when you chose your HDB flat in your block ? not talking about location as in road, but how you made your choices on the level and either corner or center of beside lift or staircase ? all this - if you had a choice during your selection ? I would hope to get a corner flat so only the door is the only accessible point of entry. so that I can keep my hall or room windows opened all the time without worry of my neighbors/stalkers walking past my unit and looking inside.

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/hdb-flats-housing-grant-income-ceilings-higher-11891818 Bto income ceiling increased to 14k. EC up to 16k. Increased grants depending on income levels. 👍

last night during our weekly gathering, my uncle told us my cousin moving into her new BTO flat. she got an installer to come to her flat to fix up the flat TV on the wall. however, when the installer came, he told her cannot .... and then he knocked on the "wall" and it turned out to be hollow !! as such, he explained it will not be able to sustain the weight of the Tv over time. in the end, he installed the bracket on the outlining solid wall instead of the partition inside the flat. anyone else got new flats and the "walls" inside the house separating the bedrooms are plasterboard walls ?

Hi all, Needed some advices as me and my wife couldn't decide which way to go. I shall tell my story in point form. 1. Currently living in a 5 room flat in woodlands. 2. Bank loan left 8 years to clear about $52K. 3. Applied for a 4 room BTO flat and was lucky enough to have slected a flat next to Bedok Mall and opposite Bedok MRT. 4. We had paid the the $2k option fee. 5. Pending to pay $52k(10% downpayment) + $15k(3% stamp fee). These 13% going to cost us about $67K. 6. We have $50k cash on hand. Another $15k from my wife CPF. 7. Wife just became PR 2 years ago. Therefore her CPF OA was little. 8. My CPF OA was used to service the bank loan of our current flat. 9. The amount was just enough to service the monthly loan. 10. New BTO flat in Bedok TOP 2021. 11. Selling our current Woodlands flat in 2021 need to pay HDB $50k levy. 12. Expected bank loan left around $30k in 2021. 13. I am using a safe amount to calculate. Let's say we only managed to sell our Woodlands flat for $400k in 2021. Minus levy and leftover bank loan. we can get back $320k from our Woodlands flat. 14. I knew out of the $320k that i get back. About half need to goes back to my CPF OA. But these money that went back to CPF OA will be used to pay for our New Bedok flat in 2021. 15. New flat left $470k after the downpayment. HDB able to grant us about $150k loan. 16. Therefore we have no problem for the new flat. We only need to save another $50k - $70k to renovate our new flat in 2021. Option 1 1. Thinking of investing our $50k cash on hand on oversea property. Wife is from china Hainan Dao. 2. We are thinking of buying a small condo unit about 40 square meter that cost about 400k - 500k RMB. 3. Why small unit? We only have $50k SGD on hand. Plus small unit maybe easier to rent out to single professional. 4. Downpayment needed about 30%. Therefore downpayment for an average 40 square meter condo unit about 120k - 150k RMB which is about $24k - $30k SGD. Option 2 1. Shall we go ahead with the Bedok BTO flat? (We like the location very much as it is next to Bedok Mall and opposite Bedok MRT). Capital gain from the new flat will be much better as compare to other flat that is not near to mall and mrt. OPtion 3 1. Apply for another 4 room BTO in other location which cost around 280K. I believe after selling our current 5 room flat in Woodlands. We should have enough cash for other investment. Hope that the expert here will give us some advises. Thanks in advance!

Was planning to get a 5-room BTO this year as my current flat will MOP soon. Was thinking that the new income ceiling came in just nice... until my boss just suddenly gave a pay increment which puts my wife and me just a couple of hundred of dollars over the salary ceiling for BTO. Can I still appeal and has anyone in my circumstances successfully appealed to HDB before?

"Dear All Singapore Stuff, I just got my Punggol BTO flat and not long after I moved in, I noticed that the wooden door started to grow tiny white specks. After a few days, I start to see white "shitake" mushrooms growing out of my door! What is this rubbish that HDB installed in my house? Do they not know that mushroom have spores that can cause asthma and other respiratory ailments? Why is the quality of BTO flats now so poor, pathetic to the extent where mushrooms or fungi can grow at home. For those who are getting their new BTO flats, please check all your wooden doors for such growth. It is unhealthy for you and you need to complaint to HDB for them to change a new door for you!" Source: http://www.allsingaporestuff.com/article/mushrooms-are-growing-out-my-new-punggol-bto-wooden-door