HDB Flats --- Are they becoming less affordable?

[jedamum]

daisyt:

I am very puzzled why they keep saying HDB flats are affordable. 10 years ago, my five room flats in Woodlands cost $285K. Now, 10 years later, its $380K. So can I predict, in another 10 years, it would be about more than $500K ? For working couple, ALL the monthly CPF would be wipe out for the mortage loan. By the time they reach 65, they would sell off their flat or downgrade to a super small one, take the money for retirement.

value of hdb flats have to appreciate, else the retirees will not be able to have a tidy sum for retirement after downgrading and if that happens, gahmen will be forced to take care of them and that will cost the country money. see yesterday's Dawson BTO launch...ridiculously high pricetag just for the location and you can see working young adults happily joining in the balloting and willing to slog for their dream home. affordability is not an issue if you are willing to adjust your expectations.
for the relatively clean, secure environment and amenities/schools we have in the estates, we should not complain much right?

[daisyt]

mrswongtuition:

It's not nice at all. Trust me.
The tiles crack easily, the wooden flooring is worse than putting raw wood, the windows give all sorts of problems & we've only moved in April this year!

Thankfully, I bought mine at 200k, now it's valued at 400k. Will definitely increase once shopping centre at MRT & waterway is ready!

Oh .... that bad ... I didn't know that.

My curent flat, old flat, ceiling problem, the paint can never stay. When raining days, the paint would peel and drop off. Complained, the HDB sent a blanga worker, to \"patch\" up the ceiling, everything still the same. Sigh .... I am just too tired to bother with it now.

[jedamum]

dunno where to post this, so i just tag along here.

any recommendations of where to get a good/durable sofa set that is not too ex? i heard that Ikea ones are not so lasting…

also, any ‘brands’ to recommend? so far, i only heard of cellini…

[autumnbronze]

jedamum:

dunno where to post this, so i just tag along here.

any recommendations of where to get a good/durable sofa set that is not too ex? i heard that Ikea ones are not so lasting....

Hi jedamum,

I beg to differ. But I can only vouch for the 'klippan' series in Ikea, which is v long lasting. We bought ours when we moved in almost 10 yrs ago. I think its a 2 and 1/2 seater for $300 plus. Anyway, it is still in a good condition and my mom/ILs like to sit on it cuz its straight back and the seat is not too wide. Think now its abt $299 if not wrong. Haven't been updated yet.

BTW, ours is the fabric kind but now I think they have it in pvc.

Hope this helps

[MMM]

kiasimom:

I for one will not want to live in new flats which is small and pricey.


I still prefer older flats as they are bigger

Yes... look at those developers creating more and more mickey mouse flats.

We visited a relative's house. Cluster house at YCK area. The bedrooms were terribly small.... The master bedroom can only accomodate a queen size bed with little walking space. Don't have to mention about the other bedrooms (which they have 5). It was worst. This appeared to be the trend for all new houses. :roll:

[jedamum]

autumnbronze:

But I can only vouch for the 'klippan' series in Ikea,

oo...thanks. will keep a look out for this brand.

[autumnbronze]

MMM:

kiasimom:

I for one will not want to live in new flats which is small and pricey.


I still prefer older flats as they are bigger

Yes... look at those developers creating more and more mickey mouse flats.

We visited a relative's house. Cluster house at YCK area. The bedrooms were terribly small.... The master bedroom can only accomodate a queen size bed with little walking space. Don't have to mention about the other bedrooms (which they have 5). It was worst. This appeared to be the trend for all new houses. :roll:

MMM,

I too prefer older flats

My personal opinion is that better to live in such flats than in cluster houses.

Not longer ago, we were house hunting and decided to recee these 'houses' near Seletar area.

What you said above is true, and some of them have what you call a spa pool - so impractical with young kids ard. Also the stairs leading to the upper floors were so steep and the workmanship was terrible too.

In the end, because of bad timing (px are atrocious), new MRT just opened, plus shopping centre going to be ready nxt yr, we decided to stay put in our 'older' flat. Recent good news is that we may be going to have lifts at evry floor - bad news is that we have to pay ....

[MMM]

......... Yes and the part I don't understand was that they paid $1.6MM for that. :? Dunno what drove that decision. At that point as mkt is not too hot, they could have spend $1mil buying a original state house with a reasonable size land and rebuild their own house. I am sure they would have gotten a significantly bigger size house.


We saw some of those cluster houses with incredibly small pools too. Good for kids only :shock: Have a pool for the sake of having one. Like a enlarge bath tub.

[autumnbronze]

MMM:

......... Yes and the part I don't understand was that they paid $1.6MM for that. :? Dunno what drove that decision. At that point as mkt is not too hot, they could have spend $1mil buying a original state house with a reasonable size land and rebuild their own house. I am sure they would have gotten a significantly bigger size house.


We saw some of those cluster houses with incredibly small pools too. Good for kids only :shock: Have a pool for the sake of having one. Like a enlarge bath tub.

Very true, plus land area also not worth the px !!!

Sorry, digressing abit...

What is also irritating is that these landed property areas are being marred by the construction of these houses and pte flats ... so you drive past the lane, you see nice old terrace or semi-D or bungalows, then suddenly :!: cluster houses or worse one block of pte flats, then continue with the former ....

There is no sense of consistency at all ...

[ooptimizer]

MMM:

]


We visited a relative's house. Cluster house at YCK area. The bedrooms were terribly small.... The master bedroom can only accomodate a queen size bed with little walking space. Don't have to mention about the other bedrooms (which they have 5). It was worst. This appeared to be the trend for all new houses. :roll:

The older cluster houses like Horizon Gardens, Shaughnessy, Springhill, etc have bigger rooms.