Category Archives: Rental / Lease

6 ways to make your rooms look bigger

Like money, we will never complain that there’s too much (room) space at home, and these local homes that have found ways to make rooms look bigger at pocket-friendly prices.

Space is a form of luxury on our densely-populated sunny island. With shrinking square feet in new homes, we take a look at how these HDBs and condominiums effectively incorporate design, colours and nature to make a small space seemingly larger at pocket-friendly prices.


1. Natural Light

Let natural light seep in to create depth. Take a step further and replace the curtains with blinds or shades if you need privacy.

If your house isn’t blessed with a good layout in capturing solar energy, opt for glass partition to allow light to permeate and light up the darker corners of the room.

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2. Mirrors

A common method is to make use of mirrors and other reflective surfaces to create the illusion of a bigger space.

Opt for large full-length mirrors or position smaller mirrors opposite windows or in front of a light source to amplify the lighting.

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3. Trade overhead lights for smaller lamps

Top-down lighting can be harsh and draws attention to one space. Instead, set up smaller lamps at different corners of the house to spread light around the area and draw the eye around the room. Then select warm lightings to add on to the cosy factor.

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4. Show some legs

…for your furniture that is. As boundaries between rooms blur, reduce the chunk by choosing less bulky furniture with their sleek legs and contoured body.

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5. Get rid of clutter

Clutter is the nemesis of space. Minimise the sight of clutter with multi-purpose furniture or hidden storage display; or try disposing off your unused items for a cheaper alternative.

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6. Light-coloured walls and floorings

A no-brainer; light-coloured floorings and walls are common ways to make the room feel airy as opposed to dark colours. If pristine white isn’t your preferred choice of palette, add a dash of colours in your furniture or try pale-coloured wallpapers or tiles.

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How to prepare your condo for rental

Demand for private rental units has increased of late, but so has supply. Here’s how to spruce up your condo and set it apart from the competition.

1. Before you can rent out your condo, consider all the pros, cons and legal implications of being a landlord. What are the rules and regulations regarding renting out your condo? Do you need permission from condo management? It is advisable to engage a property agent to help you perform background checks on potential tenants, as well as to draw up legally binding tenancy agreements. Once you have spoken to your agent and assessed all the factors involved, you can proceed with the rest of the rental process.

2. Prior to your tenant’s arrival, inspect your entire home thoroughly to see if there are any defects. If there are, be sure to repair them as soon as possible. Problems such as leaky faucets or pipes, cracked tiles, faulty plumbing, exposed electrical wiring, burnt-out lights and so on should be fixed in advance, so your tenant feels confident and at ease upon moving in.

3. Apart from ensuring everything in your home is in working order, remember that safety is also of utmost importance. This is especially so for the room in which your tenant will be sleeping, so do see to it that features like smoke detectors and electrical wiring are working as they should be, and that no part of your house poses any safety hazard. Installing fire extinguishers in your home is a good idea, as is making sure all your kitchen appliances are in good condition.

4. It has been said that cleanliness is next to godliness, and rarely is this truer than when opening your home to someone. It is important to make your tenant as comfortable as possible, and keeping your home clean is quite possibly the best way to do so. A dirty house is an instant turn-off, so be sure to keep floors and carpets free from dust and dirt, and repaint your walls if you must. Appliances and fixtures should remain grime-free; disinfectant wipes and sprays, as well as home fragrances, work well to keep dirt and odours at bay.