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29-01-14, 17:33
http://www.straitstimes.com/archive/thursday/premium/top-the-news/story/smaller-flat-supply-years-first-bto-launch-20140123
Smaller flat supply for year's first BTO launch
3,139 units on offer; new public housing to come with green features
Published on Jan 23, 2014
By Janice Heng
THE first launch of new Housing Board flats this year was a step down from last year's bumper offerings, as the supply of public housing begins to slow.
Yesterday's Build-to-Order (BTO) exercise had 3,139 units on offer, compared with an average of 4,190 in last year's launches.
But the launch was also a step forward: All new public housing developments will, henceforth, have eco-friendly features. These include LED lighting with motion sensor controls in public areas and recycling chutes.
"Our vision is for all new HDB towns to be clean, green and healthy," National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan said in a blog post yesterday.
The 3,139 BTO units are across five projects in four non-mature towns - Bukit Batok, Jurong West, Punggol and Woodlands - and a sixth project in Serangoon.
The green features are "not expected to increase the pricing significantly", the HDB said in response to queries.
Prices this time range from $73,000 for a two-room flat in Woodlands to $433,000 or more for a three-generation flat in Punggol - these are four-bedroom flats for couples applying with their parents.
After three years of high supply, which helped stabilise the housing market, the HDB is cutting overall supply of new flats by 3 per cent to 24,300 units this year, with significantly fewer new three-room and larger flats.
But more two-room flats are on the way: 5,000 this year, almost double last year's figure to meet demand from singles, who, since last July, are allowed to buy such units in non-mature towns.
Yesterday's launch included 604 two-room flats in Punggol and Woodlands, which were the most sought-after units that day.
As of 5pm, there were 647 applicants for 304 flats in Punggol, and 251 for 300 units in Woodlands.
"Singles have shown strong buying interest for two-room BTO flats in the various last rounds," noted R'ST Research director Ong Kah Seng, who expects this demand to continue.
Also launched were 455 studio apartments in Jurong West, Serangoon and Bukit Batok, representing almost two-thirds of 700 such units planned for this year.
The rest of the year will see "a good mix of BTO flat types across various towns", said the HDB.
Mr Sebastian Steven, a freelance performer in his 60s, said eco-features were a bonus, but what mattered more was whether he could get a flat. He applied for a studio apartment.
Applications close next Tuesday.
[email protected]
Additional reporting by Rachel Au-Yong
Smaller flat supply for year's first BTO launch
3,139 units on offer; new public housing to come with green features
Published on Jan 23, 2014
By Janice Heng
THE first launch of new Housing Board flats this year was a step down from last year's bumper offerings, as the supply of public housing begins to slow.
Yesterday's Build-to-Order (BTO) exercise had 3,139 units on offer, compared with an average of 4,190 in last year's launches.
But the launch was also a step forward: All new public housing developments will, henceforth, have eco-friendly features. These include LED lighting with motion sensor controls in public areas and recycling chutes.
"Our vision is for all new HDB towns to be clean, green and healthy," National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan said in a blog post yesterday.
The 3,139 BTO units are across five projects in four non-mature towns - Bukit Batok, Jurong West, Punggol and Woodlands - and a sixth project in Serangoon.
The green features are "not expected to increase the pricing significantly", the HDB said in response to queries.
Prices this time range from $73,000 for a two-room flat in Woodlands to $433,000 or more for a three-generation flat in Punggol - these are four-bedroom flats for couples applying with their parents.
After three years of high supply, which helped stabilise the housing market, the HDB is cutting overall supply of new flats by 3 per cent to 24,300 units this year, with significantly fewer new three-room and larger flats.
But more two-room flats are on the way: 5,000 this year, almost double last year's figure to meet demand from singles, who, since last July, are allowed to buy such units in non-mature towns.
Yesterday's launch included 604 two-room flats in Punggol and Woodlands, which were the most sought-after units that day.
As of 5pm, there were 647 applicants for 304 flats in Punggol, and 251 for 300 units in Woodlands.
"Singles have shown strong buying interest for two-room BTO flats in the various last rounds," noted R'ST Research director Ong Kah Seng, who expects this demand to continue.
Also launched were 455 studio apartments in Jurong West, Serangoon and Bukit Batok, representing almost two-thirds of 700 such units planned for this year.
The rest of the year will see "a good mix of BTO flat types across various towns", said the HDB.
Mr Sebastian Steven, a freelance performer in his 60s, said eco-features were a bonus, but what mattered more was whether he could get a flat. He applied for a studio apartment.
Applications close next Tuesday.
[email protected]
Additional reporting by Rachel Au-Yong