Is square footage all that matters?

With the current pandemic, many have come to realize the importance of space in their homes. They seek for bigger units, started factoring workspace as one of their consideration. However are all square footage made equal?

Take example, the two floorplans below are from the same condominium. 

If you, as a buyer, decided that you will not consider any unit below 800 sqft, you will probably miss out on Unit B at 786 sqft. What exactly is the difference between these two units? 

Look slowly and you will realize that most of the extra square footage in Unit A went to the longer entryway which does not increase much of your usable space. On the other hand, you would have paid extra for these square footage. 

Unit A: 829 sqft

Unit B: 786 sqft

What about square footages from bay window, balcony, air space etc? Of course, if you are an avid gardener or a fan of lofts, these are square footages well spent. 1200 sqft sounds great on paper but how the space is distributed makes the world of a difference.

Below is a comparison of two properties located in the same neighborhood. Unit C is at 1259 sqft and Unit D is at 1237 sqft. Although almost identical in size, the two 5 RM HDB flats are vastly different in their layout. With all else being equal, which flat would you choose? 

Unit C   

                                                                               Unit D

Can you imagine the exhaustion of searching estate by estate, floor plan by floor plan, to locate the property that is perfect for you? This is where professional help is important. Contrary to popular belief, agents are not there just to facilitate the paperwork and not all agents are the same. We are there to provide a bespoke housing solution based on you and your needs. 

A good realtor asks the right questions, taking time to understand you and your family's  lifestyle, future aspirations and financial goals. With that, a plan will be tailored specifically just for you. Curious to know more? Contact me at 90085752 for a non-obligatory chat!

Fengshui Snippets For Your Home

An ancient practice in the modern society, Fengshui remains as relevant now as it was thousand of years ago. Philosophically, it is about striking a harmonious balance between our living spaces and the natural world. examining the placement of objects and their effects on the environmental as well as your energy flow. It is believed that this affect your thoughts and actions, therefore how well you do in life personally and professionally.

Given I am no expert in this field, here are a few tips I got from my Fengshui Educational Consultant, Lynn of One BluePrint (@oneblueprint.sg), that I want to share with you today.

Sofa placement
As you know, object placement can make or break your Fengshui. The sofa position affects the head of the household; for married couples, this will be the husband and if you are single, this applies to you regardless your gender. Whenever you can, do lean your sofa against the wall as it serves as a support for your career and wealth. Avoid having windows or mirrors behind your sofa as this potentially expose yourself to backstabbers and "poison arrows" from your enemies.

Kitchen door
A big taboo is to have your main door facing the kitchen door directly. As your kitchen represents the overall luck of the household and also the family's wealth treasury, such facing may lead to the loss of wealth. Also, the kitchen symbolises the female head of the family and with its location being very near the main door, this may result in the female owner having to be out often, working hard for the family.

Fridge
Your fridge represents your wealth aka your family's treasure chest. To avoid having an empty bank account, never leave it empty. This is certainly not hard to achieve for us food hoarders! Also, if your fridge faces a window or door, this leaves your money to be "flowing" out of your house. In such cases, one of the mitigation methods is to integrate your fridge to the kitchen cabinets, thereby making it enclosed.

Toilets
The centre of the house is considered the heart of its space. As such it is bad fengshui for a toilet to be located there. Another taboo is to have the kitchen and toilet to be in opposite directions. As kitchen represents fire an the toilet represents water, this means that the "qi" (energy) will always be in flux.

These are just some snippets to the vast knowledge of fengshui. In the end, there is no one size fits all solution for everyone as it is very much dependent on your personality chart and the energy of your home. Nothing beats getting professional advice to have an in-depth customised analysis for you and your family.

The Million Dollar View $$$

So it is worth paying for a high floor unit?

In the population dense city such as ours, everyone craves for a sanctuary in their homes. A place where you can proudly call your own. A place with a view like this! But is this worth it?

With the recent trend of HDB resale prices crossing the $1M mark, these lucky owners possess flats with common factors of a central location and a high floor level. Most of us know that for HDB BTO flats, it is usually the higher, the better. However this is less evident in private residential properties. What are the possible reasons?

1. Price Quantum At Play

Currently the most expensive high floor HDB flat ever sold is in Boon Keng City View DBSS, transacted at $1.2M. Jaw dropping no doubt, however this is still a sum within budget for a good number of buyers in the market. Conversely, for a private property of a similar size, location and view, it is likely to be exceeding $2M no less, a less attainable sum for the average folks.

2. Initial Cost
For HDB BTOs, the incremental dollars for each floor level is usually not as significant as compared to the gain in resale prices upon MOP. However in private residential launches, you can be paying a hefty increment for a higher floor that may not necessarily translate into higher profit when you sell in future. Unlike HDB, low floor unit is not always a bad purchase if you have someone to help you spot the good buys. If you are curious to see actual examples, drop me a note and I will send some data over.

3. Better View At Lower Floor?
Interestingly in my recent viewing with a client for his purchase, he was specifically looking for a unit no higher than 10th floor. His take is that views of the condominium landscaping from the balcony and rooms are better from a lower level than a higher one. This is unconventional thinking but very true!

In the end, if you are getting a brand new HDB BTO flat, choosing a high floor unit is pretty much a no brainer. However for resale HDB or private properties, the answer is not as clear. This is when getting the right subject matter expert really makes it a difference.

Go West....!

For most Singaporeans it is certainly a no-no to choose a west facing unit. Heat is the eternal enemy of us folks living in the tropics, so having west sun in a property does affect its perceived value. But do you know that west facing homes are prized in cold climate countries? One man's meat is another man's poison indeed!

Should we dismiss all West facing units? In my opinion, it is not necessarily so. Here are the reasons why:

Brighter rooms

In life, there is always two sides to a coin and same goes for properties. East or west facing units are usually brighter and make cheerier homes.

It's cheaper 😁

Its all about demand and supply. Given most buyers perceive that west is bad, this gives you a bigger bargaining leverage for such units. In new launches, west facing units are typically priced lower too.

Not all west units are made equal

Developers are aware of buyers' concern so west directional units often have an angled facing which makes a significant difference as compared to direct west ones. Furthermore, if there are other buildings in front of your unit, you are unlikely to get the full blunt of the heat. There are other factors to take note on like the unit level, surroundings etc that will vary the impact of the west sun.

Technology to the rescue!

With smart technology, many home issues can be easily mitigated. Window films can be installed to reduce up to 78% of the sun's heat while letting in natural light. You can use smart home system to automatically switch on the air-con 30mins before you reach home. Reflective curtains can help to keep the heat away too.

Sun dance
The sun does not rise and set in the direct east-west orientation. The direction is actually slightly angled and the sun changes its path throughout the year. As such, a North-South oriented apartment does not necessarily means you will not get any morning/ afternoon sun during the year. Other factors like the surroundings that the unit faces, the stack, the exterior design of the building, the unit layout, make a difference as well.

Want to know more? Feel free to drop me a line.
Do you have a west facing unit to sell? Let me share with you the best way to position your unit!

What's in a house?

Property. A word close to many Singaporeans' hearts. We have seen how it prosper our parents' generations and created a comfortable retirement for them. We have also seen how others fumbled, making purchases that they lived to regret for years to come. One may ask, real estate investing, is it all science or there's an art to it?

For most Singaporean folks, this investment is also a home. How do you balance your personal likes and dislikes to the preferences of the general market? Take me for example, I value quiet over convenience and am happy to live somewhere with little amenities in exchange for sounds of birds chirping cheerily in the morning. However for others, convenience is often king. A unit in the centre of actions fetches a higher price than one in an obscure corner of this tiny island.

Over the weeks, I will do a series of short write-ups covering one topic each time on factors to consider for your next home. I hope they will give you insights and help you make a better decision.