When cybersecurity specialist Daren (now 39) got married, the couple moved into their first home – a 4-room BTO in Punggol. It was a nice location and they got their apartment within the budget they wanted then.
However, as time passed, they became a family with three children – “4 kids with their toys, if you include me,” said Daren jokingly. They soon realised they needed more space and began house-hunting with a set of criteria.
“My wife was very clear about what our second home should have – good surroundings, amenities, brightness, windy, accessibility, no windows along the common corridor, favourable flat layout and cannot be overly renovated. For a simpleton husband like me, I just wanted more space.”
Their house-hunting began two years before their eldest turned seven (which meant starting primary school) and one additional criterion they had was to be closer to their parents, who live nearby.
“We toyed between upgrading to a condo or a bigger HDB unit. For me, I’ve always been attracted to the thought of a home with private amenities. So my wife and I began our search across both private condos and HDB resale flats. Honestly, property agents we met were perplexed as we didn’t seem to know exactly what we wanted.”
Thankfully, Daren and his wife leaned on the side of prudence (a trait that got them their initial 4-room) and dropped their condo plans. They narrowed their search to 5-room or larger HDB flats in Punggol so their eldest wouldn’t need to travel far for school.
The HDB Executive Apartment that initially didn’t impress
Two of the units Daren and his wife viewed were Executive Apartments. While EAs don’t have double floors like executive maisonettes or a mezzanine level like HDB lofts, they are still considered one of the largest flats built by HDB.
Executive apartments were first built in 1984 and phased out in the early 2000s. They are usually four-bedroom units with additional balconies and study rooms.
However, Daren and his wife weren’t impressed when they first previewed one of the units.
“The previous homeowner merged the additional space (ie. the study room area) into adjacent rooms which created a very long and dark corridor to the last room at the end. My wife didn’t like it. Not only was it dark, we felt we were losing usable floor space.”
The second EA they saw – a 1397-sqft HDB Executive Apartment (EA) at Punggol Oceanus – was on a high floor (bright), untouched (“literally, BTO key collection stated 18 years ago”), and best of all, a huge foyer (“almost like a living room”) outside their front door.
“Unlike the previous executive apartment we saw, this particular EA had an interesting layout where instead of an extra room, it had an extra living space outside the bedrooms.”
According to Daren, the apartment had been listed for a very long time, but with no takers. When they saw the unit, it was in total disrepair.
“The whole floor was covered up – tiles had popped and cracked. The kitchen was literally unused (no gas connection, no cabinet base built). Power points were still labelled with HDB “New” sticker from 18 years ago.” It was as if the previous owners didn’t bother renovating the EA when they first got it decades ago.
“Our agent was just as surprised by the state it was in. My wife freaked out and wanted to move on. But I really liked the place (or its potential). So we arranged for a second preview with my wife and my mother-in-law. That helped change her mind and we signed our Option-to-Purchase thereafter.”
All in all, Daren spent no more than S$600k for the resale apartment and less than S$80k for renovations.
The overhaul and anxieties that came along
Then came the renovations.
For an executive apartment, not to mention a resale HDB flat, that had remained untouched for around 18 years, Daren had his work cut out for him. It really felt like he was renovating a new BTO flat all over again.
Undaunted and undeterred, he got the help of a reliable ID and started with the foundational necessities, including tiling, wiring, and anything that required “thinking ahead”.
“For example, we planted more power points than usual because someday our children may need to use their computers at certain corners of the house. You want to pay a bit more now than regret it later.
“Also, do not underestimate the number of trips you need to make to the same tiles shop, to look at the same tiles or toilet fittings. Because every trip will yield a different outlook. Do it with your significant other (my wife). Her intuition matters!”
Daren shared that throughout the house-hunting, purchase and renovation process, there were periods of uncertainty.
“As one of your life’s biggest purchases, you’re moving your wife and three kids out of their comfort zone with neighbours and friends to a new area. Will we regret the move? Is this the right move? Did we put the right price? Should we spend so much money on the home? How should we finance it? Will the kids like it – (they lamented about leaving the old place)? Will we like it? Should we move out of the estate? Do we really need that bigger space?”
But as a father of a big family, Daren knows it’s a necessary step in their home-buying journey. “You need to map out what is important to the family, not just now but in the many years to come.”
This includes having a good financial plan and budget and finding the right partners to meet your vision.
“Finding a good renovation partner in a highly unregulated industry was one of my many anxieties at the time. I’ve read multiple scary stories of failed renovations and the high costs involved. So a good ID is important – one who can manage the project well. My wife and I had lofty ideas for our new home and we are thankful we found a good ID who was able to walk with us throughout our journey.”
Despite the advanced lease decay (81 years left), smaller-than-expected kitchen space and the common toilet next to it (part of the old design), there are still some plus points that Daren didn’t see a need to change, which he communicated with his ID.
While the living room wasn’t “squarish” in design, its elongated design offered a much bigger living area (besides being partially used as a dining space). The silver lining is that it allowed Daren’s three kids to run around and play hide and seek.
The huge foyer outside their front entrance was also ideal for them to decorate with potted plants, park their bicycles and occasionally put out an inflatable pool for water games (“our nice neighbours didn’t mind.”).
“The fact that the apartment’s condition was bare meant we could renovate the place to our heart’s content. Not only that, it has a bright outlook and was within our budget.”
Daren’s family love the elongated living room (11 metres long), the additional living area outside the bedrooms and the privacy it offered. The master bedroom’s toilet was also huge at 2-metres long, which allowed Daren to install a double-tap 1.2-metre sink.
“The good thing with resale is that we were able to buy first, renovate it, shift in and then sell our old place. We didn’t need to rush.”
Advice for HDB upgraders
Beyond having a reasonable budget and a good cash flow, one piece of advice Daren gave is to secure a home loan earlier.
“Our agent (who stuck with us throughout our 2-year search) advised me to get a Home Loan Eligibility (HLE) ready before looking for a house (which I didn’t).
“When we found our first potential home, we couldn’t secure an offer as I couldn’t get the loan in time. The loan process had unexpected challenges – for example, if you’re switching jobs, or your contract has unforeseen employment terms. Thankfully, after some time, we eventually got our HLE approved. Lesson learnt: always make sure you have your in-principle loan approval!”
As for Daren’s next home-journey steps, he’ll continue to maintain his dream of moving to a private property someday. “Space is a premium in Singapore. If I can give my kids nearby facilities they can enjoy or a nice garden for them to express themselves while they’re still young, I would. We will continue saving up for it.”
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