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Giving An Old Home A New Life

PropertyGuru Editorial Team
Giving An Old Home A New Life
"I love the scenery, airiness and feel good factor about my home."
"It’s every Singaporean’s goal to own your own place, so you can have autonomy," says Chris, a Retail Area Manager.
The property journey of Chris and his wife, Sandy, was like every other Singaporean couple. Before getting their first flat in Lakeside, they stayed with their family. But once they had kids, they embarked on a search for a more family-centric home.
Their two-year search wasn’t easy. "We wanted something that was within our budget. Somewhere that was central, convenient, and near our parents," says Sandy, a Financial Analyst.
They began their property search in Redhill. "My husband works in the retail industry, so the working hours are long and irregular. This made it difficult to schedule a house viewing. At that time, I was also pregnant with our second child and would travel down with my eldest daughter to meet both Chris and our agent at different locations.”
Their house-hunting journey became even more challenging because a lot of people were competing for the same properties, and the sellers didn’t want to bargain. “Most of the properties were way overpriced,” says Chris. As their house-hunting journey dragged on, it became more frustrating for the couple.
Thankfully, one of Sandy’s colleagues recommended a place in Queenstown. With the help of the PropertyGuru app, Chris could quickly find properties within the area. He found the user-friendliness of the app extremely beneficial.
This couple renovated their HDB flat in Queenstown to support their growing family
"It’s a super easy-to-use app. I’m not an IT guy, so a handy app like this certainly helps," he says. "I could filter properties via pricing, street, and even block."
As Queenstown is situated in central Singapore, it made it all the better for them because it was convenient to commute to work. On top of that, the property prices in the area were also within their means.
After much searching, one particular four-room HDB flat caught their eyes. However, it was a real fixer-upper. But despite the bad state of the resale, Sandy saw the potential of the unit.
"It was quite run down. When I decided this was the place, Chris could hardly believe it," she recalls.
Chris admitted he was baffled at first. "I was very affected by the appearance," Chris says. "However, Sandy knew there was more to this unit than meets the eye."

Green oasis

"I had a good feeling about this place, especially the scenery. One thing I told Chris was, ‘you know you work in a very stressful environment, very fast-paced,’ so I said ‘why don’t we have a home with lots of greenery around that we can come home to?’"
Once they made their decision, the couple, who now have a three-year-old and a one-year-old daughter (and two dogs), knuckled down to renovate.
This couple renovated their HDB flat in Queenstown to support their growing family
"We spent a huge chunk of money on the renovation because of the children. We had to work our asses off!" Sandy says with a laugh. "A lot of things in this home revolve around our kids. The house is child-friendly, close to schools, and close to where my mum lives."
Now, their home is a cosy place to relax, and has become a point of interest among their friends.
This couple renovated their HDB flat in Queenstown to support their growing family
"Our friends say that the area is really nice. We share with them a little bit about our home-searching journey and how we found out about this place," Sandy says.
"There are plenty of markets here, it’s close to the Commonwealth MRT, and more importantly, the popular Ghim Moh market is nearby, so there are plenty of options for good food!”
This couple renovated their HDB flat in Queenstown to support their growing family
"Being in the Queenstown area, there’s a lot of greenery around and it’s quiet. It’s a very nice place to call home — where we can relax, be comfortable, and spend quality family time. Sometimes when I watch the sunset from my home, I can catch a rainbow." she says.
Aside from this article, you might want to read more stories of people and their home journeys. If you’re planning to get your own home, browse our resale HDB flats or private condos for sale or rent.
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