Landed Property versus Condo Living in Singapore

In this article,  Treasure at Tampines share Landed Property versus Condo Living in Singapore.

If you are still on the fence as to which way to go between condo living and buying a house and lot in this part of the world, this quick guide breaks down this comparison based on key selection criteria. We are talking about amenities and facilities, accessibility and location, maintenance issues, privacy, space consideration, security, related costs, resale value, and long-term costs.

First, the amenities. Condos are designed to either directly deliver all the amenities that you are looking for in a modern facility like gyms, tennis courts, swimming pools, and instructional areas and possibly even libraries.

On the other hand, landed properties like flats, townhouses, and houses and lots can only deliver some of these facilities, but they are not as comprehensive as the more modern condo towers are in Singapore.

Keep this in mind. If you want maximum convenience and comfort without having to go from your location to another place to access certain amenities, the modern Singapore condo wins this comparison hands down.

Accessibility and Location

Keep in mind that a lot of traditional single-family homes in Singapore were torn down and converted to high-rise condominium units. This is a very strategic decision that benefits a lot of people in Singapore, and it is no surprise then that condos tend to be located in the prime parts of town. They are readily accessible. Public transport is easily available. You cannot walk several streets without it at least being accessed by at least two forms of public transport. Condos are also strategically located near public places like shopping malls, schools, public transport spots, and others.

House and lot or townhouse units, on the other hand, tend to be located in suburbs and the outskirts. They are a bit further away from the main action, so your transport accessibility takes a little bit more effort.

Again, Singapore is well laid out, so you can pretty much access any part of town from anywhere, but some places do take a lot more effort. So, if you do not like walking long distances, condos win this comparison easily.

Maintenance

This comparison is quite simple. You have to understand that when you buy a condo unit or you rent one, you become a participant in the homeowners association (or at least your landlord is) and, as such, every single month or every quarter or every year, you contribute to the upkeep and maintenance of the common areas.

This way, all the gardening, physical plant repair, and replacement are split by all residents. So, instead of you having to pay through the nose for all the repairs, which is nearly impossible for most people, everything is split up into bite-sized pieces. Accordingly, a lot of condos are kept up in the best shape possible thanks to this pooled cost-sharing.

None of this is true if you have your own place. If you own a townhouse, you are on the hook for everything and anything that needs to be replaced, upgraded, and maintained.

Privacy

Condos, unfortunately, lose this comparison because you are sharing not only a floor with many other families and individuals, but also there are tons of other people on all floors. So, it is a high-density area and living environment.

On the other hand, if you live in the suburbs or outskirts in a townhouse or a house and lot in Singapore, you have peace and quiet because you have your own private space.

Space Issues

Condos are intended to be compact. If you want to walk around, the idea is to go to a common area like a pool area or recreation area. Do not expect wide-open spaces in your condo unit.

If you own a house and lot, on the other hand, provided you had the budget to buy a large piece of real estate, you can move around. Also, if you live in an area of homes in the suburbs, there is a lot more open space as far as walking around and moving around are concerned. The same applies to townhouses.

Security

The great thing about security in a condo setting is that all your costs are split up and shared so that the condo unit as a whole can afford more robust security features.

On the other hand, if you live in your own home, your security is pretty much based on what the city will provide as well as what your budget can afford in terms of closed-circuit TV cameras and other standards of home security features that you buy.

Resell Value

Condos appreciate very fast. This is because foreign ex-pats sent by multinational corporations come in every year. Singapore has one of the highest foreign direct investment inflows on the planet. Given that reality, condo prices go up quite a bit.

On the other hand, landed properties tend to be very expensive coming in. However, if you are looking for an investment that goes up in value as fast as or faster than condos, you might have a tough time with landed properties because you have to select the right house and lot or townhome in Singapore, and not all of them appreciate at the same rate.

With condos, on the other hand, it is a relatively uniform appreciation with some districts appreciating faster than others.

Long-Term Costs

If you are looking for long-term costing, at least in terms of 10 years, condos win hands down because condo costs are shared, and they also are located in more packed areas of the city, so there is an efficiency of scale as well as scale economies.

With landed properties, it depends on your location. Some suburbs or outskirts are more expensive than others.

Keep the discussion above in mind if you are still on the fence, deciding between landed property and condos in Singapore. The info might lead you to an answer that might surprise you.

Hope this post shared by Treasure at Tampines, will get you prepared if you want to know Landed Property versus Condo Living in Singapore.