Buying Recess Area

[kow123 0]

We have just bought the recess area and thinking of fence up with either wall with window or wall only. However, HDB only allows us to put up grills. Does anyone know any good and reliable contractor that can help us to appeal and renovate our recess area with wall?

The renovation work include the following:

1) Supply Wall approved by HDB

2) Supply a Fire-rated wooden door

3) Restore the metal gate ( We already have one )

4) Provide flooring tiles for the recess area.

5) Provide paint for the recess area.

No electrical work is required.

Water meter and Electrical meter already shifted outside during upgrading.

We just need to simple renovation work. As long as the contractor can get approval from HDB for above requirements and meet our budget of approximately $4,500, we will let him do the job.

[tempus 0]

ya apparently so cause my permit to just install a gate at my recess area is rejected by HDB. Need to build a 1 hr fire rated wall and a 1/2 hr fire rated door at the recess area. cannot just install a gate anymore if your unit is near or next to the stairs.

anyone has done this already and roughly how much would it cost ?

[snowflake 0]

I have the intention to buy the recess area outside my apartment but mine is quite a complicated case that I need advice from someone out there. I am currently based overseas and my whole unit is rented out. I will be returning in Oct and would like to renovate my whole unit including the to be purchased recess area. I intend to start renovation immediately upon my return and have started looking for ID firms. The big concern I have is the time it takes to buy the recess area and being overseas make things more complicated. I will be returning to S'pore in April for a short 2 weeks to meet the ID companies and I am also looking at what I can do to purchase the recess area so that I can get it in time to renovate immediately when I return.

Questions:

1. If I do online application now, roughly how long will I receive the HDB letter informing me about the procedures that I need to do?

2. I understand that I need to arrange the meter, lights to be shifted from the corridor. Do I get my contractor to do it or HDB? If HDB, which department is in -charge and how long will they take to complete the shifting taking into account all the ding dongings?

3. Can I just get the moving of the meter done first without renovating the recess area until I return in Oct (that is assuming the purchase can be completed before that)

3. I am currently holding a bank loan, so how long will the whole process take including getting the lawyer, bank and all other necessary admin things I need to do?

4. I'm just wondering if I can start any action now so that I can sign any legal doc when I am in S'pore in April?

5. Any other advice please?

Much appreciated

[ugoh 0]

Why don't you phone up your HDB branch office and check with them directly?

[knightskid 1]

ya apparently so cause my permit to just install a gate at my recess area is rejected by HDB. Need to build a 1 hr fire rated wall and a 1/2 hr fire rated door at the recess area. cannot just install a gate anymore if your unit is near or next to the stairs.

anyone has done this already and roughly how much would it cost ?

Hi, it is correct that those unit beside staircase need to build-up wall and 1/2 or 1-hr fire rated door.

I jus bought mine together with my completion. The cost for my additional 3sqm cost $800+ frm Hdb but legal docs frm law firm is $2.5k which is very ex...no choice but hv to pay as check out frm many law firm, ard tat pricing.

Total add-up is $3.3+k. So per square metre is 1.1+k which is equivalent to $100+ psf....still consider cheap....lol...

[snowflake 0]

Hi, it is correct that those unit beside staircase need to build-up wall and 1/2 or 1-hr fire rated door.

I jus bought mine together with my completion. The cost for my additional 3sqm cost $800+ frm Hdb but legal docs frm law firm is $2.5k which is very ex...no choice but hv to pay as check out frm many law firm, ard tat pricing.

Total add-up is $3.3+k. So per square metre is 1.1+k which is equivalent to $100+ psf....still consider cheap....lol...

Hi knightskid,

Can you pass me the contacts of your law firm? Thanks!

[knightskid 1]

Hi knightskid,

Can you pass me the contacts of your law firm? Thanks!

Pkwa - 6397 6100

By right they don't take up for cases on recess area alone as I was told very troublesome becos lots of paper work to do. But for my case is different becos mine is purchasing together with my flat.

U can call up to try.

[snowflake 0]

Pkwa - 6397 6100

By right they don't take up for cases on recess area alone as I was told very troublesome becos lots of paper work to do. But for my case is different becos mine is purchasing together with my flat.

U can call up to try.

Ya, I used them when I refinanced my home loan a couple of months back and they say they don't do recess area. Do you know of any other law firms who do this?

[issues 0]

About HDB residents who had bought the recess area directly outside their main door, I recalled watching a chinese documentary programme sometime this year (or was it last year?) on Channel 8, about this group of residents in Singapore who were being asked to remove all their wrought iron fixtures that cordoned the recess area.

HDB wanted them to install firewalls around that recess area in view of fire safety reasons. HDB's rationale was that if the existing recess area is simply cordoned with wrought iron grilles, and when the area catches fire e.g. cigarette butts or unforseen fire hazards/ attacks, those folks staying inside the flats will have no escape route. So for safety reasons, they would have to build up a proper fire-rated wall such that their "main" door is now situated at the recess area - to seal up & prevent such possibilities. That new "main" door will also have to be fire rated.

With the entire recess area to be walled up with fire-rated walls in that documentary programme, the residents have got to pay alot of $$, I think it is close to $10k per unit (not sure if it's before or after subsidies). The residents were very very unhappy & angry, and appealed against HDB's mandate. Many of them had already spent alot of $$ to install beautiful, intricate wrought iron grilles at the recess area & to build a firewall there would be very stuffy as there is no ventilation inside that recess area. One English-speaking resident even told the press that they had already spent close to $10k on wrought iron.

The programme also featured another unit in the same block who had been newly bought by another resident, & who was smart enough to get his contractor to build up a fire rated wall & fire rated door to seal up the recess area. They even had an expert in this field to inspect the unit's newly constructed recess area - and his verdict was thumbs up.

So for those who have bought the recess area recently or who have intention to do so, it's preferrable that they verify with HDB is it's ok to just fence up the recess area with just wrought iron grilles or must they construct a proper fire-rated wall to encase the entire recess area. Cost alot of $$ to construct fire rated walls & doors...

hi i happen to came across this forum, i need some clarification if anyone can help. i am currently affected by the fire-rated door due to exisiting recess area.

My currently main door is already fitting with a fire-rated door by HDB, and now their rationale is to fit a fire-rated door at the recess area. Isnt this contradicting? Anyone here facing similar issues?

[salavanun 0]

hi evryone

my unit recess area was bought and gated by previos owner. now new lift is coming and hdb want ask to remove the gate. They going to box up with wall and install a fire rated door in front of my existing main door FOC. however i m not keen coz as it will darken my house. but no choice as it is fire safety requirement. now i m going to have 2 doors in less than 1 meter apart . going to be awkward

[kristernM 0]

hi evryone

my unit recess area was bought and gated by previos owner. now new lift is coming and hdb want ask to remove the gate. They going to box up with wall and install a fire rated door in front of my existing main door FOC. however i m not keen coz as it will darken my house. but no choice as it is fire safety requirement. now i m going to have 2 doors in less than 1 meter apart . going to be awkward

If they install 2nd door FOC, then keep this 2nd door open 24hr.

I roughly guessed where your stay. I am nearby.

Edited March 15, 2011 by kristernM

[steveong 0]

Why don't you phone up your HDB branch office and check with them directly?

Folks,

I just came back from HDB brand office. I was told that there's an island wide review on the sale of recess area. All existing and new applications are pending for this review. In other words, they might stop the sale of recess area totally in view of lift upgrading and other concerns. Have anyone talked to HDB brand office lately concerning recess area? Thks.

[snowflake 0]

Folks,

I just came back from HDB brand office. I was told that there's an island wide review on the sale of recess area. All existing and new applications are pending for this review. In other words, they might stop the sale of recess area totally in view of lift upgrading and other concerns. Have anyone talked to HDB brand office lately concerning recess area? Thks.

yup, you're right. Just spoke to the branch office and he doesn't know when this review will be completed. I've wrote in to HDB and hopefully they can give me an idea of when this will be done. This will have severe implictions to my reno plans as well as the timing to start. what a bummer.

[steveong 0]

<!--quoteo(post=627396:date=Apr 8 2011, 03:51 PM:name=steveong)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (steveong @ Apr 8 2011, 03:51 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=627396"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Folks,

I just came back from HDB brand office. I was told that there's an island wide review on the sale of recess area. All existing and new applications are pending for this review. In other words, they might stop the sale of recess area totally in view of lift upgrading and other concerns. Have anyone talked to HDB brand office lately concerning recess area? Thks.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

yup, you're right. Just spoke to the branch office and he doesn't know when this review will be completed. I've wrote in to HDB and hopefully they can give me an idea of when this will be done. This will have severe implictions to my reno plans as well as the timing to start. what a bummer. <img src="http://www.renotalk.com/forum/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="sad.gif" />

Received a letter from HDB on the recess area. The new regulation now is to relocate the gas meter within the kitchen area. Have anybody received letter from HDB on their application to purchase recess area?

[snowflake 0]

Received a letter from HDB on the recess area. The new regulation now is to relocate the gas meter within the kitchen area. Have anybody received letter from HDB on their application to purchase recess area?

Umm, still waiting for my letter. I am just wondering how the purchase of the recess area will make any difference to the gas meter than beofre purchase. So did they allow the purchase now?