Dry Wall Partitions

The 2014 budget contained measures to increase the productivity level in the construction industry. One of the consequences of this was that the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) subsequently announced a raft of changes to Building Control (Buildability and Productivity) Regulations. These were predominantly designed to simplify and increase the efficiency of construction techniques on the island. One such stipulation is that all non-landed residential developments now need to use dry wall as internal partitions for dry areas.

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The Short Term Stay Issue

When traveling and holidaying abroad, Airbnb offers a cheap and convenient alternative to hotels and traditional b and b’s. The idea is that a home owner offers their apartment or room out for rent on a short term basis. It is fast becoming not only the preferred option for many Singaporeans, but also for many visitors and tourists when visiting the island. A quick search of the Airbnb website shows there are in the region of 6000 separate Singapore properties listed, and similar home sharing sites such as Roomorama and PandaBed are not too far behind.

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The Rise of the Mortgagee Sale

There is a new player on the Singapore housing landscape, one that has always been there but in recent months has started to become more and more evident. The mortgagee and auction sale. So exactly what are these, how many properties are actually being sold this way, and why are they on the rise?

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Could Property be Next?

It isn’t very often that the property market is led by developments and trends in the car market but after the Monetary Authority of Singapore eased the curbs on car loans there has been heightened speculation that they may do the same for property in the near future. Is that likely, and if it does go ahead, what are the likely consequences?

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Mapletree Business City

Located on the site of the ill-fated Alexandra Precinct, Mapletree Business City, and the currently under construction MBC II is a very welcome addition to Singapore’s tech business space. It is an industry that is ever hungrier for good office space, and one that Singapore is keen to encourage.

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A Perfect Storm

Those thinking the property market in Singapore is going through tough times should take a look at what is happening in Hong Kong, where the situation has been described as being in free fall. In what appears to be a perfect storm for a property crash, the former British colony is facing the biggest crisis since 1997, with some experts predicting this will have even greater consequences. In the 1997 crash, property prices were slashed by almost half in just 12 months. So how bad is it in Hong Kong, what has caused it, and what are the hopes for the future?

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Creative Ways to Boost Sales

The slow housing market, coupled with the looming spectre of the additional buyers stamp duty ABSD), has meant that many developers have been employing ever more creative methods to shift their empty units. Not all of these bend the rules, but some certainly do and occasionally go further and break them completely. The URA (Urban Redevelopment Authority) is very much aware of the situation, and is keeping a close eye on developments, stepping in to put a stop to those practices that have – in its opinion, gone too far to entice new buyers to part with their cash. Here we look at some of the successful – and unsuccessful methods developers have tried.

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