Soon, HDB flat applicants may be able to pay public housing prices but receive condominium-style fittings.
HDB, Upper Serangoon Road. Picture: iProperty
HDB to absorb costs of condominium-style fittings
HDB flats which have been launched after February this year will now come with condominium-style finishings and fittings at only a fraction of the cost.
HDB will absorb the extra costs for these sleeker fittings so that prices are not affected.
What finishings can new HDB flat owners look forward to?:
- Steel entrance gates in modern designs will replace the old wrought-iron gates in older flats
- Thumb-turn knobs which will allow residents to open the door from inside without a key to facilitate leaving the flats in emergencies will replace the traditional key-insert style flats
- Glazed porcelain tiles which are more resistant to wear and tear in kitchens and bathrooms will replace the old ceramic ones
- Larger floor tiles in kitchens and bathrooms to make cleaning easier and provide a “visual continuity”
- Water-efficient toilets and taps which are also more modern in style
- Blended tile floor traps will replace the obvious old white plastic ones
- Ramps leading to the bathrooms will have only a less-obvious 2cm drop
- Kitchen windows will match the door leading to their service yards
- Top-hung windows will replace the previous louvred vent windows
While the costs for putting in these finishings will push the cost marginally higher, the HDB will be absorbing these costs with affecting home pricing.
See more: 6,753 HDB flats launched over 3 estates
Feedback from residents collected when planning for improvements
HDB has worked closely with HDB flat residents to come up with this list of improvements and new buyers are pleased with the new suite of enhancements.
These changes will make living in a unit more wheelchair friendly and aesthetically pleasing. These new fittings may also mean that fewer renovation enhancements need to be made, thus saving new homeowners time and money.
Will this, however, affect the renovation and interior design industries?
Will flats with these newer fittings also command higher prices when they eventually sell in the future; or will pricing of older resale flats be affected?
Some residents may also be concerned about the durability of these new fittings as some residents of newer flats in recent years have had issues with defects in their new flats such as tiles popping and water leakage.
There are also concerns about renovation wastage as some owners may still want to design the flat to their liking and may remove all these new fittings which the HDB will have already paid for an installed.
See more: 4 great loft ideas – learn how to maximize that vertical space
