Single Orphan Buying 1St Home

[Mullane86 0]

Hello, welcome to my first post!

Edited August 15, 2012 by Mullane86

[Mullane86 0]

History

During the March Exercise for BTO and Sales of Balance Flats, there were about 4000 units from BTO and 4000 for Balance Flats.

Who doesn't want new flats? But the thought of waiting another 3-4 years for completion, is not favourable.

So I chose Balance Flats. Balance Flats, some are really new, cause nobody picked them during BTO.

But some are repossessed units.

Which Estate?

Tough decision. So what I did was to wait until last day of application exercise before I sent in mine.

I did all the ratio. Number of flats vs how many applications received for all the estates.

There were 10 units in Bukit Batok, but only 34 applications. That's not a bad ratio, I thought.

So I took the chance. A month later, I got my queue number. Couldn't believe my eyes. Magic number 7.

I already have the unit numbers and blocks. Like I said, there were 10 units. But only 9 units that Malays are eligible to take up.

Don't mistake this as only Malays are allowed to take. Chinese and Indians could too.

eg.

Malay-1, Chinese-1, Indian/Others-1.

This means any race can get the flat.

Malay-0, Chinese-1, Indian/Others-1.

This means only available to Chinese and Indian race.

By the time I go to HDB for the flat selection, I am left with a handful of units.

And I know which unit was the best among them. Cause I went to the units and talked to the neighbours!

I know, very kaypoh for someone my age. But no choice bah. Have to stay there for many years down the road.

The unit I wanted, the neighbour said the owner couldn't afford to pay for the installments.

So HDB repossessed it back and placed it under Sales of Balance Flats.

Future plans, that didn't happen

So my original plan was to hack 2 new doorways to the bedroom. And convert my store room to become Walk-in Wardrobe.

Also wanted to make 2 bathrooms to become 1, since the toilets are bloody tiny.

And for the wall between my kitchen and living room, to be hacked, to make open concept.

But unfortunately, HDB declined the permit. Store room is a fire hazard.

And I cannot hack the walls to make 2 new doorways. Quite upset with the turn of events.

But hey, there is always a reason behind everything.

Timeline

March 2012 - Application of flat under Balance Flat

May 28th 2012 - Selection of unit

July 18th 2012 - Collection of key

July 20th 2012 - Application of renovation permit for hacking

July 26th 2012 - Application of renovation permit the 2nd time since hacking of walls and conversion of Walk-in Wardrobe not approved.

July 27th 2012 - Renovation permit approved

July 30th 2012 - Renovation starts

August 13th 2012 - Renovation ends

The future that did happen in the end

So actually the only renovation works I'll be doing will be the kitchen and also flooring for 2 bedrooms, 1 store room and living room.

Toilets not allowed to hack too, if I forgot to mention.

$13000 loan taken up from RHB Bank, loan tenor of 5 years.

Lucky for me, the unit already done up by HDB. They changed both toilet bowls.

They changed the kitchen and toilet floor tiles.

They also changed the wall tiles for kitchen and toilets.

They did the electrical re-wiring for the whole unit.

Changed all doors in the house, including the toilets.

So $13000 just for laminated flooring and kitchen.

[mikeyong500 4]

Welcome fellow Bukit Batokie~

Hahaz congrats on getting your home~ And your are a 3roomer too~

,

Mike

[restlessfeet 0]

Congrats, your unit is in very nice condition!

[May_dream1 14]

Congrats!! I didn't know orphans can buy direct from hdb. Happy you can get your own place.

[onions2hot 0]

Me also orphan leh,they told me I cannot buy new flat,muz wait til 35 years old to buy resale flat.

Nvm lah,I buy a resale flat liao. Under single scheme..

[RemyLebeau 0]

welcome, hope to see ur pics soon.

[MrsLoo 1]

Congrats! And ur house is the perfect condition, no need hack a lot like resale flat, can really save a lot in Reno.

Edited August 15, 2012 by MrsLoo

[Charlenebth 0]

Congrats! And hope to see some pics soon.

And why can't singles buy direct from HDB too?! HMPH!

[Nexer 1]

Good deal you got there!

My 3rm is only 65sqm and i paid $336k for it.

No choice, i prefer certain location so got to pay a premium for it.

Post more of ur reno photos!

[Nexer 1]

Good deal you got there!

My 3rm is only 65sqm and i paid $336k for it.

No choice, i prefer certain location so got to pay a premium for it.

Post more of ur reno photos!

[casa 0]

Welcome another 3 roomer to the wild wild west

Hope to c your reno pics soon

[Mullane86 0]

Welcome fellow Bukit Batokie~

Hahaz congrats on getting your home~ And your are a 3roomer too~

,

Mike

Hello Mike! Thank you thank you. 3 room for now... Just a stepping stone...

Congrats, your unit is in very nice condition!

Hi Restlessfeet,

that is because Town Council already did up the place before HDB sold it off. But the work is not exactly nice. Only single coat of paint. And the rest quite 'chin chai'.

Congrats!! I didn't know orphans can buy direct from hdb. Happy you can get your own place.

Hi May_dream1,

Year 2007 - Year 2010. I emailed HDB to let me rent directly from HDB because paying rent in the open market is expensive and not really for long-term. HDB reject my application.

Because my pay is more than $1500. Ask me to continue renting from open market. Applied a few more times, but all got rejected.

Year 2011 - Instead of asking HDB to let me rent from them directly, I asked for permission to let me buy my own place.

HDB replied and approved. But only resale. Come on lah, orphan where got money to pay COV and buy resale?

Oct 2011 - I sent an email to PM, Lee Hsien Loong. I went to look for his email. lee_hsien_loong@pmo.gov.sg

Told him I cannot be paying rent until I'm 35.

Or afford a resale flat with high COV.

Long story short, I got a reply and my appeal was approved!

I don't believe in going to MPs for help. So I went to the source instead

Me also orphan leh,they told me I cannot buy new flat,muz wait til 35 years old to buy resale flat.

Nvm lah,I buy a resale flat liao. Under single scheme..

Hi Onions2hot,

How old are you? You should have emailed to PM Lee for help.

welcome, hope to see ur pics soon.

Hi Remy,

Sure... Will post whatever I have

Congrats! And ur house is the perfect condition, no need hack a lot like resale flat, can really save a lot in Reno.

Hi Mrs Loo,

I wanted a walk in wardrobe and 1 big toilet. Reading so many blogs on Renotalk makes me want all this. But in the end only hack 1 wall.

No choice. My reno budget is really very low. Sent out 20 enquiries for quotes, only 3 came back to me. These IDs only want to do projects with big budget

Congrats! And hope to see some pics soon.

And why can't singles buy direct from HDB too?! HMPH!

Hi Charlene,

to encourage people to get married bah... When I first appealed to HDB to let me buy a flat, they actually told me to get married. Quite pissed off la

Good deal you got there!

My 3rm is only 65sqm and i paid $336k for it.

No choice, i prefer certain location so got to pay a premium for it.

Post more of ur reno photos!

Hi Nexer!

Where are you staying? Okay will try to post more pictures

Welcome another 3 roomer to the wild wild west

Hope to c your reno pics soon

Hi Casa,

Not much reno pics. My contractor lazy to take photo and send me. Could be he scared I will ask him alot of questions.

But really, not much photos during the reno itself.

After reno got photos that I took myself

[May_dream1 14]

Year 2007 - Year 2010. I emailed HDB to let me rent directly from HDB because paying rent in the open market is expensive and not really for long-term. HDB reject my application.

Because my pay is more than $1500. Ask me to continue renting from open market. Applied a few more times, but all got rejected.

Year 2011 - Instead of asking HDB to let me rent from them directly, I asked for permission to let me buy my own place.

HDB replied and approved. But only resale. Come on lah, orphan where got money to pay COV and buy resale?

Oct 2011 - I sent an email to PM, Lee Hsien Loong. I went to look for his email. lee_hsien_loong@pmo.gov.sg

Told him I cannot be paying rent until I'm 35.

Or afford a resale flat with high COV.

Long story short, I got a reply and my appeal was approved!

I don't believe in going to MPs for help. So I went to the source instead

ya lah, some more you so young. where got so much COV to pay for resale? you are really lucky that they approved you buying direct. i should have appeal harder... hahaah....

[Mullane86 0]

After my selection of flat, I already started looking for IDs.

Sent plenty of enquiries. Only 3 replied.

Maybe the rest don't want to waste time doing 'small projects.'

Tell you all something.

I engaged the first ID that replied to my query.

*CRAZY*

PM me if you want to know which company and who is my ID and contractor.

I have all kinds of ideas for my place. Who doesn't, right?

I want good quality, cheap and fast. Who can offer this to me?

Good and cheap, is not fast.

Cheap and fast, is not good.

Good and fast, is not cheap.

Heard of this?

I want smooth and sleek.

I want open concept kitchen

My personal favourite. But I cannot do this for my kitchen because then I'll have to move all the water pipings.

Don't know what colour to pick. So thought go for lightest brown.

But look like ah-ma colour. It's a nice colour. Very safe.

This one also look like first photo. But a little boring because of the single colour.

So if I want 2 colours what is the other colour?