Daily Archives: 6 Aug 2009

Don’t write off old bungalows

You can always ask an architect to see how rooms and spaces can be transformed with simple changes

WHEN one buys a landed property, it is more than likely that it will come with a house attached.

Quite often, however, new owners will demolish the existing house and build a new one from scratch, adding to the money invested in the property. And at an average of $500 psf for construction cost, this can add up to quite a hefty sum. So it may pay to consider the potential of the existing old bungalow instead.

Anyone with a good eye for architecture should be able to see how rooms and spaces can be transformed with simple changes. But for those without, the best person to ask is an architect.

Transforming old buildings is something architect Mink Tan has had experience with, having won the URA Heritage Award for the Waterboat House on Fullerton Road in 2004.

By reconfiguring the spaces and adding some new ones Continue reading

Update law to deal with recalcitrant condo residents

I REFER to last Saturday’s report, ‘It’s my condo and I do what I want’. I am perturbed to hear about a council member refusing to pay the monthly $65 fee levied on those who park their second car in the estate.

I am the chairman of another condominium’s management council, and we have faced a similar problem in the past two years. Our estate has about 50 owners who own more than one car. In 2006, it was decided at an annual general meeting that the management council would determine the terms and conditions and fees on issuance of carpark permits in the estate. In 2007, the management council imposed a monthly fee of $15 for parking a second car in the estate.

Although we sent numerous letters and got council members to persuade one resident to pay up, the issue is still n Continue reading