icky 0 Report post Posted February 9, 2009 SINGAPORE: No playgrounds or covered walkways in new HDB estates. Nor any barbecue pits. New flats should have very basic floor tiles, meanwhile. It is hardly the usual call from Members of Parliament (MPs), who tend to push for upgrading in their constituencies. But two among their ranks are making the call for “no-frills” housing. According to Dr Lim Wee Kiak and Ms Lee Bee Wah, this should be an option for home buyers and one way to provide more affordable housing. Dr Lim’s residents in Sembawang, for example, have told him HDB flat prices are high and younger residents who want to move out of their parents’ homes after marriage find it hard to do so. “Many of them have just started work and may not have so much cash,” he told TODAY. “You’re giving them a chance to build something simple, and over the years when their salaries increase, they may want to improve their homes.” When he first raised this in Parliament on Friday, Dr Lim gave the example of flat prices in the 1970s: S$15,000 and S$20,000 for a three-room and four-room flat respectively. A graduate with a starting salary of S$1,000 could pay off his apartment with 15 to 25 months of his pay, he said. But today, though their starting salaries are three to five times higher, the prices of new flats have shot up “10 to 30 times”, he added. “A high cost of housing has many repercussions as it results in higher costs of living, reduction of resources for other pursuits such as education and investment,” he said. His solution, he envisions, would lower construction costs and allow flats to be sold for “well below S$100,000”. But covered link-ways, playgrounds and other upgrading works can be done later when the estate is more mature, he added. Echoing his views, Ms Lee (Ang Mo Kio) said HDB “should avoid building flats with too many value-added features”, which should be left to private developers. When contacted, other MPs had mixed feelings, however, about whether there is a place for no-frills flats in Singapore’s public housing spectrum. Mr Teo Ser Luck (Pasir Ris-Punggol) said the biggest gripe, instead, among couples he has spoken to is the long waiting time for a new flat. The no-frills idea may also not appeal to younger buyers, who aspire more and are more demanding. “They’re more well informed and have specific demands for the quality of life they want,” said Mr Teo. Mr Zaqy Mohamad (Hong Kah) was concerned that owners who do not like having the bare minimum might “start hacking and doing it up all over again”. “I don’t think people are saying ‘give me no-frills’, but they’re asking for cheaper alternatives,” he said, and suggested that three-room flats - with quality - would be good for younger couples. “I think we should create more supply in that segment,” he said. “They can always look at upgrading options later.” In his Parliamentary reply on Friday, National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan said HDB will launch about 3,000 flats for sale in the first half of this year, of which 1,400 will be studio apartments, two- and three-room flats. There will be 4,000 of such flats launched over the next two years. “We’ll increase the supply of smaller and lower-priced flats further if necessary to meet the demand from the lower income group,” he said. Dr Lim had other suggestions as well: Price homes based on cost rather than matching them to market conditions, and shorten the lease from the current 99 years. Some home hunters welcomed his call for no-frills flats. Technician Chen Yi, 29, got married in November and is staying in a Woodlands executive flat with his wife, parents and two siblings. Mr Chen has been looking for a matrimonial home but has been unsuccessful because prices of resale flats have been out of reach, and he does not want to wait several years for a new flat. “I don’t mind if my home has just one bedroom and a hall,” he said. “Even if it’s cramped like those apartments in Hong Kong, I don’t care. I just want a place where I can have privacy.” - TODAY/yb Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
forgotten 1 Report post Posted October 15, 2009 Newly weds how to afford babies? We basically become bankrupt after wedding and house purchase! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
merryman 0 Report post Posted October 15, 2009 Newly weds how to afford babies? We basically become bankrupt after wedding and house purchase! Sounds like my wife... haha... That depends if you want to have a family with simple living means or stay a couple with means to enjoy life a little if you're an average income (4+K total) family... I know of someone with 5 children and survives... it's all about what to spend on... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pinklady 0 Report post Posted October 16, 2009 Sounds like my wife... haha... That depends if you want to have a family with simple living means or stay a couple with means to enjoy life a little if you're an average income (4+K total) family... I know of someone with 5 children and survives... it's all about what to spend on... how to survive with 5 children? unless the couple is earning more than 10k per mth per person lor. Babies are so ex to maintain nowadays Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
merryman 0 Report post Posted October 16, 2009 how to survive with 5 children? unless the couple is earning more than 10k per mth per person lor. Babies are so ex to maintain nowadays Guy is a taxi driver, not sure about the wife... Ex to maintain?! Again, it depends on what is really needed to be spent on right? Then what are wanted by parents to spend on.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
charemme 0 Report post Posted October 16, 2009 not surprised, its a choice between quality of life and kids. Some couple who are not highly paid, but have 3-4 kids..and still survive very well. which means sacrificed other aspects of their life. Cheap clothings and bags(no branded)... no shopping, cannot go holiday and no restaurant. basically its back to basics. That is how i grew up.. n believe the same for some others here. But if given a choice, i dont think i want to go through it again.... So cant blame us if birth rates falls, how to support a kid if the parents literally became a 'bankrupt' after getting a house and wedding. We could barely survive. Back to the point of no frills housing, I dont mind if HDB can sell me a cheaper house with no facilities such as BBQ pits etcs. with the extra cash save on the housing itself, it can use for other stuffs. I have bbq and parks down my house, but no use for it at all Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
merryman 0 Report post Posted October 16, 2009 not surprised, its a choice between quality of life and kids. Some couple who are not highly paid, but have 3-4 kids..and still survive very well. which means sacrificed other aspects of their life. Cheap clothings and bags(no branded)... no shopping, cannot go holiday and no restaurant. basically its back to basics. That is how i grew up.. n believe the same for some others here. But if given a choice, i dont think i want to go through it again.... So cant blame us if birth rates falls, how to support a kid if the parents literally became a 'bankrupt' after getting a house and wedding. We could barely survive. Back to the point of no frills housing, I dont mind if HDB can sell me a cheaper house with no facilities such as BBQ pits etcs. with the extra cash save on the housing itself, it can use for other stuffs. I have bbq and parks down my house, but no use for it at all Or the heaps of study area, nicely tiled tables/floorings in void deck?! Sometimes when I walk past some neighbourhoods, I'll be thinking that the void deck has better tiles than my living room which wasn't even tiles but laminates Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
charemme 0 Report post Posted October 16, 2009 yeah... there are not even meant for study.. only for a bunch of rowdy kids to gather and make noises. I also do not understand... my friend just gotten a unit at fernvale court. when we went in first time, saw the bathroom wall tiles and kitchen tiles.. almost want to faint. Its so freaking ugly and cannot hack. End up my frd spend extra to overlay the bathroom floor tiles. See, spend so much extra on the HDB tiles, and cant get get a decent looking design. Its really hor.. give free also no body dare to use it type. For what right? even the tiles at the lift lobby (void deck) look better. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
merryman 0 Report post Posted October 16, 2009 yeah... there are not even meant for study.. only for a bunch of rowdy kids to gather and make noises. I also do not understand... my friend just gotten a unit at fernvale court. when we went in first time, saw the bathroom wall tiles and kitchen tiles.. almost want to faint. Its so freaking ugly and cannot hack. End up my frd spend extra to overlay the bathroom floor tiles. See, spend so much extra on the HDB tiles, and cant get get a decent looking design. Its really hor.. give free also no body dare to use it type. For what right? even the tiles at the lift lobby (void deck) look better. precisely, was talking about good looking tiles for lift lobby etc, not tiles in units... and even bus stops has nice chairs to sit on... haiz... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
charemme 0 Report post Posted October 16, 2009 therefore... paying extra for the exterior of the block.. not the interior of your own unit... blah Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pinklady 0 Report post Posted October 16, 2009 MM & Charemme, u all so cute! i had a good laugh at your replies, indeed true true u do have to sacrifice a lot in order to have a lot of kids. but the thing is, even if sacrifice also dunno can make it or not. back to the same q which has been argued to death, inflation is forever higher than the freezed dead salary. then how? that's why many young couples choose to only have 1, or none at all. btw, i do agree that certain HDB newer towns reno looks better than mine! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
charemme 0 Report post Posted October 16, 2009 correct, and even if im willing to sacrifice, i also do feel sad thinking that i cannot afford to provide for my kids. Been through once is enough liao.... just last wk, i was at the same frd new unit.. reno almost complete... but really clashes with the existing HDB tiles... n can imagine.. she haven move in, reno still got another 1wk + to completion She already counting down to hack it off in another 3 years.. So if HDB can just give "naked" unit to use.. the extra can be use to funish according to our liking right? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
forgotten 1 Report post Posted October 16, 2009 (edited) not surprised, its a choice between quality of life and kids. Some couple who are not highly paid, but have 3-4 kids..and still survive very well. which means sacrificed other aspects of their life. Cheap clothings and bags(no branded)... no shopping, cannot go holiday and no restaurant. basically its back to basics. That is how i grew up.. n believe the same for some others here. But if given a choice, i dont think i want to go through it again.... So cant blame us if birth rates falls, how to support a kid if the parents literally became a 'bankrupt' after getting a house and wedding. We could barely survive. Back to the point of no frills housing, I dont mind if HDB can sell me a cheaper house with no facilities such as BBQ pits etcs. with the extra cash save on the housing itself, it can use for other stuffs. I have bbq and parks down my house, but no use for it at all Same views here. I grew up in an environment in which my mum had to worry about the utility bills every month, whether we have power and water supplies cut off etc. Even young kids have eyes to see what their parents go through. When my siblings and I were as young as 7 year olds, we already knew how to feel sad, seeing our mum scrimp so much on her needs and worry everyday about $$. I wouldn't want my kids to go through what I went through. Edited October 16, 2009 by forgotten Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
