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Mark, your RIGHT choice
Propnex Read More

Hi,

Moving from a landed house to an apartment can be quite an adjustment, and I think you have raised some very practical concerns that many buyers overlook.

Having assisted homeowners with different property types, I would suggest looking beyond the floor area and paying attention to how your daily routines may change.

For example:

1. **Bicycles and storage:** Check whether the development has designated bicycle parking areas and whether your apartment has sufficient storage space.
2. **Deliveries:** Find out how parcels and food deliveries are handled, particularly when nobody is home.
3. **Rubbish and bulky items:** Check the refuse disposal arrangements and whether the management provides designated areas or procedures for bulky-item disposal.
4. **Laundry:** Consider whether the service yard, balcony or laundry area is practical for your family's needs, including any restrictions on drying clothes.
5. **Visitor parking:** Some developments have limited visitor parking, so this is worth checking if you frequently entertain guests.

I would also recommend visiting the development during different times of the day to observe lift waiting times, traffic flow, noise levels and how residents use the common facilities.

More importantly, I would suggest discussing these lifestyle requirements with your agent before shortlisting apartments. A property may look attractive during a viewing but still be unsuitable for your family's daily routines.

May I know whether you have already purchased the apartment or are still exploring your options?

Also, have you engaged an agent to assist with your move? If so, has your agent helped assess these practical considerations when recommending developments?

Lastly, have you already sold your landed property, or are you planning to sell it as part of this move?

I would be happy to share some insights on making the transition from landed living to apartment living.

Geryl Lim
 9278 7772  Read More

Hi, I would walk through a normal day in the development before moving, rather than judge it only by the apartment’s floor area.

Ask the management office for the current house rules and confirm bicycle storage, parcel collection, food delivery access, visitor parking and bulky-item disposal. Check moving-in bookings, lift protection and any deposits or charges too. These arrangements differ between developments.

Inside the unit, plan where your bicycles, cleaning equipment and laundry will actually go. Check the service yard’s ventilation and the rules on drying clothes before relying on the balcony. Do not assume common corridors can be used for storage.

A visit during an evening or weekend can also show you how busy the lifts and visitor parking get. Are you moving into a condo or an HDB flat, and have you already chosen the development? Read More

Moving from a landed house to an apartment (condo or HDB) in Singapore mostly changes how you interact with **shared spaces and management by-laws**. Here is how those six everyday routines work in apartment living:

* **Bicycles:** You cannot leave bikes in common corridors or lift lobbies due to SCDF fire-safety rules. Condos and HDB blocks provide communal bicycle racks (often requiring an MCST registration decal in condos), or you can keep foldable/road bikes inside your balcony, service yard, or wall-mounted racks indoors.
* **Deliveries:** In condos, couriers typically drop parcels at the **guardhouse, block lobby, or smart parcel lockers** (like Pick Locker or Ninja Box), or buzz up via intercom/resident app if door-to-door access is allowed. In HDB flats, couriers come straight to your doorstep or riser cabinet.
* **Rubbish:** Daily bagged waste goes down a **centralized refuse chute** (located either inside your kitchen/service yard or at the common lift lobby). Recyclables go to blue recycling bins downstairs. Never leave trash bags outside your door—it attracts pests and draws MCST/Town Council fines.
* **Bulky Items:** Large items (mattresses, sofas, cardboard boxes) cannot be stuffed into chutes or left unannounced at bin centres. In condos, book the **service lift and loading bay** via the MCST app/management office and arrange private disposal or NEA’s free e-waste take-back (ALBA). In HDBs, book free bulky item removal with your **Town Council**.
* **Drying Clothes:** Most apartments have a dedicated **service yard** with ceiling-mounted laundry racks (or automated motorized drying systems with fans/heaters). Condos strictly prohibit hanging laundry over balcony railings visible from the facade.
* **Visitors Parking:** Condos require pre-registering guest car plates via the resident app; visitor lots are limited and often enforce overnight cutoffs (e.g., no parking after midnight without permission). HDBs use standard URA/HDB electronic parking (Parking.sg) across adjacent public lots.

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Gan Eng Joo Onassis 颜荣裕, REALTOR®

MSc BIT (Middlesex, UK); BBA (UniSA)

CEA Reg No: R021244C | Mobile: (+65) 8889 9918 

Email: onassis@sgagent.com

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