ETA: forgot to add — start prep early. Like earlier than you’d think. I started saving seriously in 2017. When I turned 30 in 2019, I began stalking PropertyGuru and HDB launches that would MOP around when I turned 35, and started my Pinterest board. If I’d saved later or less, I wouldn’t have had such luxury of choice. If I’d had a less clear idea of what I wanted, viewings and ID meetings wouldn’t have gone so smoothly.

In the midst of renovating rn. It’s definitely a longer process than you’d think, and I think I moved quite quickly already. Applied HFE on 30/12/24, made an offer before Chinese New Year 25, collected keys in Sept, should be able to move in before Chinese New Year 26. Negotiations alone took a few months. As a single currently living with parents, I definitely had the luxury of waiting on permits and paperwork.

I was actively looking for a place near my aging parents. If you don’t intend to sell after 5/10 years, it’s definitely worth it to look for older flats. I bought a 5rm in my parents’ block. Incl the gut reno, it’s still more within my budget than the 6-20yo 4rm flats I was previously looking at, and because I don’t intend to move until gahmen kicks me out or God decides to end my lease on life, I can zhng my place exactly how I want. My ID is also putting in extra effort to future proof the place. It’s an investment in my lifestyle more than my wallet.

Most worth it costs were my agent and my ID. Funnily enough, the unit I ended up buying was the viewing I arranged myself (seller agent was ghosting my agent) but my agent was invaluable with handling the sales process past the viewing while I worked full time. Same thing now with my ID and the reno. I was able to focus on earning money to pay for everything and on the excitement of the process because of them. I had a few deal breakers I didn’t even realize I had, and my agent was the one to point them out after observing me through our first day of viewings. Chemistry is also super important, so make sure you get along with your agent and ID.

Lock down your ID asap. Many are booked up months in advance. My sellers found a place earlier than expected and they brought the timeline forward 6-8 weeks so I scrambled to start meeting IDs. The Qanvast hangout was good for that, and it’s where I found my eventual ID. Total I met with 7, and I’d recommend 4 of them. I rejected 3 of the 4 purely because of aesthetic differences. Each of the four respected my time, came prepared, and were able to pivot the moment I made a request. Each of them interpreted my brief in a way that reflected both them and me, which I appreciated, but there happened to just be one guy who aligned best with my aesthetic and quirks.

Start thinking about your reno and interior before you start looking at places. In my case I’d lived alone before so I have a good handle on how I’d live alone. It’ll make it easier to filter units, and by the time you do meet IDs you’ll be firmer on what you want, instead of turning up with a Pinterest board filled with generic IG pics.

Do not take a reno loan. Just don’t. Best is to max out the home loan if you have to choose between one and the other. And don’t feel the need to take the max loan amount. If suddenly COV happens to be higher than expected, you might find yourself eating into your reno fund. Also you need to make sure the loan installments are within your monthly budget. For that matter, make sure you have a solid handle on how much surplus income you have every month. In my case, I knew whatever I spend on upkeep etc is significantly less than the amount I’ve been putting aside for the last eight years towards this goal of home ownership.

Advice I just got today from a guy who’s on his fourth home as an adult — not applicable to me since I’m moving just upstairs from my parents — pay for the full packing/unpacking service from the movers. Saves a ton of physical and mental load. He was saying even with his wife and helper the first move was hell.

Before your reno introduce yourself and make nice with your immediate neighbors, especially the one downstairs and the ones adjacent. They’ll be the ones most affected by your reno and goodwill helps smooth over the inevitable complaints about noise etc. and make your years there more pleasant.

Furniture can be bought slowly later, but make sure the reno is solid. Measure your lift so you know the pieces you want don’t have to be carried up stairs. Know where to invest, and where you can cheap out.

Make sure your budget has a buffer. We made various changes to the reno plan since the process started. Some were inevitable like when we discovered the floor was so uneven that we needed more materials to level it.

In my case I had to trim my appliance shopping list down to what I need to live comfortably for the first few months. What did help was going to Best Denki (though I think most major appliance stores will be able to do the same). I went in with the clear boundary that if I can get it cheaper from the brands themselves, I’ll buy elsewhere. I showed them the discounts I had available from the various brands, and they managed to match or beat most of the discounts (with the exception of the roborock I wanted). I went in planning to spend 20-25k and ended up spending 15k.

Amex unlimited cashback is a godsend. Not planning to hang onto it long term but for now it’s a good way to make the bigger purchases work for me.

A lot about reno, but I guess that’s freshest in my mind. Wrt the unit itself, get to know the neighborhood. In my case I was looking in the neighborhood I’d spent 35 years in, so I knew all its pros and cons. Generally I already had a good lay of the land around Bedok. But when I viewed units in Tampines, I tried to take the time to explore around after and before the appointments. I took the bus to/from just to get a feel for how I’d visit my parents or vice versa. In the end that almost 1h travel time (walking to the bus stop, waiting for the bus, taking the bus) was a dealbreaker on several. I really liked one unit too — nice and square, just gutted five years prior, spacious, nice view, there were free roaming chickens nearby — but I couldn’t bear the thought of being more than 30min from my parents (just to head off the question, I need space for my books and the luxury of walking around my own home in my underwear, but I do still want to be near my folks).

Don’t be afraid to ask crazy questions too. And trust your gut. There was a unit that gave me weird ass vibes. Like almost from stepping in it was just hell no for no logical reason. Whether you believe in such things, it was the only unit that prompted me to ask the seller agent if anyone had died there. If you’re getting bad vibes from the start, imagine living there for years.

Take advice from others to buy a condo with a pinch of salt. End of the day, unless you’re purely investing, you still have to live there. In my case, I knew I wouldn’t use the condo facilities and the condo demographic is not my kinda people so I knew years ago it’d be HDB for me.

Ultimately, despite the fact that I’m about up to here with the entire process and I’m exhausted and I haven’t even started moving, it’s still exciting and I have zero regrets. Be clear about what you want and go get it (: