Types of property in Singapore

Housing Development Board
(popularly known as HDB)

This is local housing in Singapore managed by the Housing and Development Board (HDB). The majority of the residential housing developments in Singapore are publicly governed and developed and home to approximately 78.7% of the resident population. These flats are located in housing estates which are self-contained satellite towns with well-maintained schools, supermarkets, malls, community hospitals, clinics, food courts and sports and recreational facilities. Every housing estate includes MRT stations and bus stops that link residents to other parts of the city-state. Some estates are also complemented by smaller LRT stations which act as feed service to the MRT.

An iconic landmark of local housing in Singapore. It is possible to find a 2-bedroom unit for less than SGD3000 per month. There are strict government regulations on the leasing of these properties. To ensure that the guidelines are met, the realtor must conduct the proper checks with the Housing Development Board.

Private housing

Condominiums, cluster housing and landed houses fall under this category of housing type. Most condos and cluster housing would have facilities.

Location/districts of the private housing is the main factor of the rental prices. In addition, the location of an international school, the rent tends to be higher in popular expat areas where the children might attend one of the many international schools in Singapore.

Condominiums/Condo

The condominium is one of the most common type of private estate in Singapore. Compared to public housing, it is recognised by its provision of common facilities such as private swimming pools, tennis courts, gym and the presence of security guards on duty. Basement parking space are available for both residents and visitors, parking space falls under the management fee that is paid by the Owner. Depending on the size of developments. Low density developments may just have pool and gym, average/mid density developments would have pool, gym, children playground and tennis and high density developments would have added facilities like mini-mart, hair salon, badminton court, 50m lap pool etc.. Condominiums are available in all districts. Hence, this gives good options for the tenant to look for suitable homes that would match with the requirement and budget.

Clustered Houses

Cluster houses in Singapore is a bit of a hybrid, combining the privacy and spaciousness of landed properties, with the convenience of condo facilities such as swimming pools and gyms. Cluster houses represent a growing market in Singapore, particularly with families after a bit more space, but without the maintenance hassle. Typically, it is built three storeys with a roof terrace and basement. Each unit minimum one or two private parking spaces.

Landed – Terrace House

A terrace house is a dwelling house with its own land title that forms part of a row of at least 3 welling houses abutting the common boundary party walls. Terrace houses can be built in designated mixed landed housing areas, if the development site area meets the minimum plot size and width requirements. Landed houses in Singapore has no facilities. It is usually Tenant’s responsibility to take care of the garden (if it has garden space)

Landed – Semi D

This is short for semi-detached and refers to a house which is joined on one side to another property. Two homes sharing a common wall make up one building. Originally they are mirror images of each other in layout and facade. Semi-detached houses are usually called “semi-d” here. In other countries, they are identified as duplex. Corner terrace houses are also considered semi-detached houses as they share only one party wall. The land space is generally bigger than Terrace houses, hence, there will be garden space and/or built in lap pool which falls under the Tenant’s responsibility to maintain.

Landed – Detached OR Bungalows

In Singapore, a detached house is commonly called a bungalow, this is a detached standalone house on its own land, it does not share a common wall or roof with its neighbours. It is usually one or two stories high but occasionally it consists of three floors. Some are extremely large with built up areas exceeding 10,000 square feet. The land space is generally bigger than semi-detached houses, hence, there will be large garden space and/or built in sizeable pool which falls under the Tenant’s responsibility to maintain.

A sub-section of Detached Houses

Good Class Bungalow, or GCB, is the most luxurious type of landed residence. According to government guidelines on landed housing, GCBs must have a minimum land area (also called plot size) of 1,400sqm (15,070sqft). Built-up size is usually 10,000sqft, with space for a car porch for 3-4 cars, a swimming pool and garden. GCBs are designated within the prime residential districts 10 (for example: Nassim Road, Cluny Road), 11 (Eng Neo Avenue, Swiss Club Road) and popular districts 21 (Binjai Park) and 23 (Chestnut Avenue).

A sub-section of Black & White Houses

Colonial bungalows (also fondly known as black-and-white houses) that are not big enough to be GCBs, or not located in designated GCB districts, are also considered detached houses. Singapore’s black and white houses are colonial bungalows built between the late 19th century up until the pre-war era of the 1930s. They get their name from the dark timber beams and whitewashed walls that were prevalent in their construction. The black and white houses were originally built by British colonial families. The design, sometimes referred to as Tudorbethan Style, combines tropical and art deco elements with a traditional Victorian style home. Inspired by the Malay practice of building homes on stilts, the black and white houses sit on elevated platforms – this was popular with British expats who wanted to distance themselves from dangerous tropical insects and also alleviated concerns about flooding during the rainy season. Other elements that are characteristic of the black and white houses are large verandas and overhanging roofs. The houses were designed with high ceilings, shutter-style windows and open-concept layouts in order to amplify any breeze that passed through the house. These homes continue to be very popular, especially among British and other expat families, despite sometimes having a dark past. For example, the Black and White houses in Adam Park were used as POW camps during WWII. Regardless, their scarcity and extravagance keep them in high demand. Rentals are available for some of these properties and start around $5,000/month on the low end and can go as high as $35,000/month for high-end properties in central locations

Serviced Apartments
(known as Corporate Housing in US)

For those who are here for shorter assignments, then a serviced apartment is usually the best option. There are located in strategic locations. Fully apartment with housekeeping and breakfast. Just move in with luggage!