- Colin Yong and his wife bought a $444,000 public housing apartment in Singapore in 2021.
- The five-room apartment, completed in 1986, was already 35 years old when the couple bought it.
- They have transformed their home into a cozy and relaxing space, perfect for relaxing with friends after work.
It's been more than a year since Colin Yong, 34, and his wife moved into their home. The house is a cozy five-room public housing apartment in Hougang, a district in northeastern China. Singapore.
Singapore is home to 80% of its resident population. public housing— known as HDB apartments — were built by the Housing Development Board.
The 1,302-square-foot apartment is the couple's first home, but the road to homeownership hasn't been smooth.
Like many Singaporean couples, Mr Yong and his wife applied to buy a build-to-order, or BTO, apartment. BTO Apartment is a new apartment sold by HDB. 99 year lease.
Yong, who works in the food and beverage industry, told BI: “I applied for BTO and flat balance sales nine times, but after that no one contacted me and I didn't have a queue number.”
of balance apartment sales This is where people can apply for apartments left over from previous BTO launches.
Couples in Singapore often face obstacles when applying for a BTO apartment. That's because the average waiting time for these apartments is three and a half years, and demand far exceeds supply.
Those who are unsuccessful bidders, or who do not want to wait long for a home, will instead look for alternatives on the resale market or the private real estate market. Consider Joy-O and Eddie Carr, a millennial couple who have been together since 2015. They applied for a BTO apartment three times, but changed their plans two years later and bought a $345,200 resale apartment instead.
Yong and his wife eventually decided to look for HDB flats for resale on the open market, but it took some time to warm his wife to the idea.
“I've always preferred resale apartments because they're spacious and you can choose your location, but she wasn't necessarily keen on that because she preferred a new house,” says Yong. Told.
This is a spacious apartment on a high floor.
Fortunately, his wife changed her mind after seeing the first resale apartment on the same block as their current home.
“We wanted that unit, but it wasn't available, so we kept looking in the same area,” Yong said.
They already knew what they wanted. It is a spacious north-south facing apartment on a high floor. Location-wise, it needed to be in a quiet area with amenities nearby.
Thankfully, third time's a charm. The couple considered other units on the same block before finding their current apartment.
They made an offer the same day they saw the house.
turn a house into a home
The apartment was priced at S$595,000, or $444,000. But thanks to government subsidies, the couple ended up paying S$545,000, or about $407,000, Mr Yong said.
This apartment complex was completed in 1986, so it was 35 years old when it was purchased.
Instead of designing the apartment themselves, the couple decided to work with an interior designer.
Aesthetically, they were looking for something cozy and classy with a wabi-sabi influence.
“I just wanted something timeless. I didn't want something trendy. I wanted a place where I could come back from work and rest,” Yong said. “Realistically, it's me. But her wife wanted more shelving and stuff, so we learned to meet in the middle.”
For example, a kitchen island was non-negotiable for my wife, but he really wanted a custom terrazzo dining table and a vanity in the master bathroom.
The couple also wanted the kitchen to be an important part of the home.
“She baked bread professionally and I cooked professionally. That's how we met and we studied at the same culinary school,” Yong said.
As a result, the interior is cozy and comfortable, with carefully selected furniture and decorations neatly placed throughout the space.
Warm, dim lighting creates a calming atmosphere that makes people feel at ease. Stepping into their home feels like sneaking into a quaint cafe away from downtown to escape the crowds. A place where all chaos and noise melts away.
“We have completely different lifestyles in terms of working hours, so we wanted a place where we could invite friends and relax,” Yong said.
Mr Yong said the couple had initially budgeted S$80,000 for the renovation, but due to the size and age of the apartment, they ended up spending closer to S$90,000.
That being said, they looked for the cheapest option possible.
One of the faucets I wanted for my sink cost over $1,000 in a store in Singapore, but I found the same item for a cheaper price on Amazon in Germany.
“I got it for almost half the price,” Yong said. “But her wife had to spend three days translating her product information to make sure it all fit correctly.”
enjoy the process
Having an interior designer by their side has helped them think about what they want and need in their home, Yong said. Since then, the couple has become friends with the interior designer.
Despite this, Yong and his wife consider their home still a work in progress. Their apartment will continue to change with new ideas for decorating the space.
“I think it's important to enjoy the process, that's for sure,” Yong added.
I won't settle for anything less
The couple has one piece of advice for other first-time homeowners. That is, don't compromise if it's cheap.
When Yong and his wife toured the apartment, they had already decided that they wanted their home to be their forever home, not just an investment property.
That determined how they searched for a home and their approach to design.
“Find an interior designer that you're really comfortable with and choose something that you really like,” says Yong. “To create this house, I think we traveled all over Singapore to find what we wanted.”
“It's definitely tiring, but it's worth it if you get a satisfying result at the end of the day,” Yong added.
Have you recently built or renovated your dream home in Asia? If you have a story to share, please contact us at: agoh@businessinsider.com.
