Private Housing
Decades of strong economic growth combined with the more or less continues influx of wealthy foreigners, and relatively limited supply of land, have led to many years of private residential property appreciation. This in turn has made Singapore a hotspot for real estate investments, a phenomenon, which in turn feeds into the property appreciation. This has led Singapore to host a dynamic and diversified private housing sector and ensure higher prices for these types of properties.
The different types of private residential property can mainly be subdivided into two main cadres: landed property and non- landed.
Non- Landed Property
Condo/condominium
Private developments, ranging in size, where the separate units/apartments are individually owned but the amenities (like tennis court, swimming pool, gym, function room, BBQ pits) are shared.
Apartments
Apartments are similar to condominiums yet they tend to be part of smaller developments and are home to less generous provisions of communal facilities. Apartments are generally more affordable.
Walkup
Any type of property, which doesn’t have an elevator. Usually found in smaller, older blocks which often come without facilities. Can also be used to refer to converted shophouses.
Landed Property
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.
Due to the limited land available, there are restrictions of foreign ownership of landed properties (except Sentosa Cove).
Landed houses are mostly 1-3 storey properties that may include features such as pools, gardens or garage. Landed houses usually require you to be responsible for a lot of the maintenance.
Good-Class Bungalows
Class Bungalow is a type of landed property tailored to the top-tier of the best-offs. With a land plot of minimum 1400 sqm, the Good Class Bungalow has a wealth of space, often encompassing large gardens, swimming pools and other luxury. Stressing their exclusivity in space-scarce Singapore, there are approximately 1000 Good Class Bungalows spread out amongst the authorized strips of land.
Detached houses
The smaller (and mostly cheaper) brother of the Good Class Bungalow. With a minimum plot size of 400 sqm, the Bungalow House is still one of the larger estates, even amongst 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.
Semi-detached Houses
Semi-detached houses are like two detached houses connected together (usually by a single wall). The physical layout of both houses is usually a mirror image to each other, just like twins.
Terrace Houses
Terrace houses are rows of landed houses connected together by a common boundary. While joined, each Terrace House is a property in its own respect and has its own walls and roof
