Despite what the name suggests, the 3 – room HDB flat is actually quite a bit more than just a one room upgrade from the 2 –room HDB flat. It comprises of a living area, a master bedroom plus attached bathroom, another bedroom, a common bathroom, a kitchen, a service yard and a storeroom. While still a little compact it is a viable living option for families with a child that are on a budget.

Ideal for young couples starting a family, the 4 – room flat offers an cozy living experience. Basically, it’s the 3 – room flat plus one bedroom, This flat type is available in a huge variety of layouts tailored to individual preferences.

Covering 110 sqm, the 5 – room flat is more spacious ,and it includes an additional dining area.

This type of unit is currently piloted at Yishun where 84 units are built. And alas, there are not yet any visual tours available.

This mammoth of a HDB flat has an estimated 130 sqm of floor area. The highlights include an extra space, ideal for a study room or alternative television corner. Additionally, some of the executive flats come with a balcony.

It offers a  greater choice and wider variety to meet the housing aspirations of higher income flat buyers. HDB introduced the Design, Build and Sell Scheme in 2005. While put under review in 2011, a total of 13 DBSS sites were launched.

The DBSS falls somewhere in between the larger HDB flats and an Executive Condominium. It caters to  those  that are affluent enough to buy or rent the better HDB flats, yet are not ready to make the jump into the private market space.

Both the HUDC flats and executive condominiums are special in that they both share in public housing characteristics and private housing qualities.

The Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDC) flats are the dinosaurs of public housing in Singapore. Originally built in the 70s and 80s, the HUDCs were phased out after 1987, and today still 18 estates comprising 7,731 residential units remain. In the mid-90s a wave of popular demand for privatization made the government consider phasing in privatization of the HUDC estates. Up to date all estates have been privatized.

The executive condominium started off as a public housing unit, then phases into private housing after 5 years of ownership. It is tailored to young professionals who can afford more than an HDB flat but find private properties still a little out of reach, the executive condominium shares most of the design and facilities of a private condominium yet has the cheap edge of being HDB issued.

Condominiums can be regarded as the liberated, and relatively unrestricted  brother of the executive condominium. Home to recreational facilities such as swimming pools, security, gyms and at times tennis courts, basketball pits, and well-maintained gardens, condominiums are the go-to option for those who are looking for private housings yet find landed properties either too expensive or too much maintenance.

Apartments are similar to condominiums yet they tend to be part of smaller developments and are home to less generous provisions of communal and recreational facilities. Apartments are generally more affordable than both landed property and condominiums yet more expensive than the subsidised HDB flats.

Brilliantly coined the “walk up”, this particular type of dwelling is a condominium or apartment that has been specified for not including a lift. Naturally, such dwellings are low-built so that even though a lift is absent no extensive trekking is required to reach one’s unit.

Landed Property is by many Singaporeans viewed as the housing equivalent of reaching the top tiers of the society’s social ladder. While admittedly high maintenance, landed properties are unrivaled in terms of  their sheer size, spacious living quarters and privacy.

Terrace houses are properties which are part of a row of similar houses joined together by a common boundary. While joined, each Terrace House is a property in its own respect and has its own walls and roof.

Rather self-explanatory, conservation house constitute historically significant houses in Singapore which have been renovated and are conserved to fit within the urban fabric of modern Singapore.

The bulk of the conservation houses in Singapore are known as Shophouses. In stark contrast to the modern and at times futuristic architecture that marks many of Singapore’s buildings Shophouses are a reflection a traditionally rich mix  of Chinese, Malay and European architecture.

The smaller (and mostly cheaper) brother of the Good Class Bungalow caters to the near-top-tier of the better-offs. The Bungalow House is still one of the larger estates, even among landed properties. By definition, a bungalow is also detached, in that no other estate is in some way linked to it, adding to its privacy and exclusivity.

Semantically understated, the good Class Bungalow is a type of landed property tailored to the top-tier of the best-offs. This is the type of dwelling you may see in a Singaporean version of MTVs cribs (you know, that program with rich people, big houses and lots of bling). The Good Class Bungalow has a wealth of space, often encompassing large gardens, swimming pools and other luxurious facilities 

A semi-detached house is not really a type in itself, rather it denotes a category of different houses, all of which abide by a series of criteria. For a dwelling to be semi-detached, it has to be partially attached on one side to any number of other units. Common examples are semi-detached bungalow houses and semi-detached terrace houses (also known as a corner terrace).

The townhouse is a bit of a hybrid between a condominium and a landed property. While it has the characteristics of a landed terrace house, the town house shares common facilities such as swimming pools, gyms and other recreational facilities with other houses. Either part of a lager condominium establishment or an entire estate, Town houses offer both privacy, spacious living, and convenience of facilities.

Singapore’s government has been pushing for the use of sustainable energy. Hence, there is and increase in solar panels over the years. Currently, about 176 HDB blocks are using solar power to light up common areas. The Government will progressively expand solar panels installation to other blocks.