We bought an apartment as old as us…
And here are some things we now know to look out for!
We knew from the get go that we wanted a resale — not only was the psf more affordable, you also get to enjoy a larger living space. We’re not married, so BTO wasn’t an option for us. Neither was shoebox living since we love hosting and spending time at home. But when you purchase an older home, there are a few additional things to take note of:
1. The $100 Map — Don't guess which walls are structural. Older condos or developments may not have floor plans readily available, especially since a lot of documents weren’t digitalised before. So be prepared to pay a small fee to your MCST or BCA for the official floor plans. We spent an extra $100+ for this, and it completely changed our original hacking plans.
2. The Buffer Rule — Friends who have done renovations before will already tell you to buffer 10-20% for your VO works. For resale, I think it best to up that to 30% because electrical & plumbing works will almost always cost more than you think. Especially if you’re planning to reconfigure the layout, shift your DB boxes, or fix any latent defects that were not discoverable before. Shifting our DB box and upgrading corroded pipes set us back by at least $4k! 💔
3. Hack, don’t hide — Our first ID suggested retaining the old waterproofing and overlaying tiles to save costs, but thankfully we didn’t do that… We got a second ID, hacked, and found aging waterproofing. Glad we fixed it before we became "the leaking neighbour”.
4. Look up — On the topic of leaking neighbours, we’re currently dealing with a leak from the unit above us. It only surfaced after a few months of moving in, and it happens. Just remember to look for stains on the ceiling/walls when viewing a unit, and ask the sellers if they have experienced any complaints from neighbours too. Also find out if there are any issues with mould, insects, etc.
5. Community matters — Different households have different habits & tolerances, so I’d still recommend trying to find out as much as you can during the house hunting stage! We think that being a new kid on a floor where people may have lived for decades, it’s best to find out how your neighbours are like and how to be good ones to them too. A good way to do this after moving in is to introduce yourselves with some homemade snacks, especially those on the same floor as you. Our neighbours really appreciated that!
Some days, it feels like a lot of trouble could’ve been saved if we bought a brand new place. But we’ve never regretted going the resale route — the extra square footage, the flexibility of being able to renovate your space to your liking (wouldn’t be able to justify that if we got a new launch fully fitted with brand new fixtures), and possibility of moving in without a 3-4 year wait was well worth it.
P.S. Some older developments have really high quality finishing too — our unit came with pristine granite & parquet flooring (vs. porcelain tile or engineered wood in newer developments), and solid wood doors that we kept. We found in our viewings that developers those days tended to splurge on expensive materials, which is another plus for us!
#renovationsg #sghome #sghomereno #resalerenovation #resalecondo
Buying a resale apartment that is as old as you can be both an exciting and challenging journey. From personal experience, one of the biggest surprises was how much pre-planning and deep inspection were necessary to avoid costly mistakes. For example, obtaining an official floor plan from MCST or BCA revealed structural walls we hadn’t anticipated, reshaping our entire renovation approach. This step proved invaluable and I’d advise anyone buying an older unit to budget for this $100 map fee upfront. Additionally, budgeting beyond the usual 10-20% renovation buffer is critical. In hindsight, allocating closer to 30% gave us peace of mind, especially when unexpected issues like corroded pipes or the need to relocate distribution boards surfaced. These hidden repair costs really added up and could easily be overlooked by first-time buyers. Another vital lesson was the importance of addressing aging waterproofing rather than just layering over it. Our first renovation consultant suggested a quick fix by overlaying tiles, which would have risked future leaks and mould problems. By spending extra time to 'hack' and repair the original waterproofing, we prevented potential long-term damage and became better neighbors—avoiding the dreaded “leaking neighbor” scenario. When viewing older apartments, always inspect ceilings and walls for water stains and ask sellers about any previous leakage or pest issues. These signs can be critical indicators of underlying problems that may not be immediately visible. Lastly, adapting to the existing community is something often overlooked. Older developments come with well-established neighbors whose habits might differ from yours. We found that introducing ourselves with a friendly gesture like homemade snacks helped us integrate smoothly and foster mutual respect. The charm of an older apartment often lies in its character and spaciousness. With features like durable granite and parquet flooring, which many newer builds lack, the resale route offers both aesthetic value and the freedom to customize without the long waits associated with new developments. While it can be a bumpy ride, turning an older space into a true home offers a rewarding experience that’s well worth the effort.
Hi!! Don’t mind if I ask Wym by you’re not married and therefore you’re getting resale? Are you guys lifelong partners (ie not planning to get married at all, or are u living w a family member like a sibling)? Does your flat have more than two panel windows? Cos I find the old flats (currently living in) some of the bedrooms has two tiny windows only and not alot of light comes in 🥺🥺