Tag Archives: Suites@Guillemard

Lure of ‘shoebox’ flats

Posted on 18 Oct 2009 | Comments Off on Lure of ‘shoebox’ flats

Affordability of such units – some the size of 21/2 carpark lots – is the main lure
Vutton is a 21-storey condominium in Akyab Road whose smallest flat is a 1-bedroom 484 sq ft flat. — PHOTO: HUTTONS REAL ESTATE GROUP

What do you call an area equivalent to 21/2 carpark lots?

An apartment, covering 258 sq ft.

Such units were among apartments of various sizes put up for sale at the Suites@Guillemard pro-ject in Guillemard recently.

The cost of the small unit? $374,000 or $1,450 psf – and all four such units were snapped up.

They might well be Singapore’s smallest private apartments, beating out a 312 sq ft unit at Kent Residences near Farrer Park, which made the news in June last year. Continue reading →

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‘Shoebox’ units may wilt under URA’s gaze

Posted on 15 Oct 2009 | Comments Off on ‘Shoebox’ units may wilt under URA’s gaze

Recent applications for apartments below 300 sq ft understood to have been rejected

The new breed of ’shoebox’ private apartments may have caught the imagination, but don’t expect them to invade the housing landscape. Some may not even get the planning authority’s approval, going forward, if recent decisions are any guide.

Earlier this month, Singapore saw its smallest ever apartment unit – at 258 square feet – being put on the market at the Suites@Guillemard project. While this made headlines, BT understands that the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) recently turned down some applications involving apartments below 28 square metres (or about 300 sq ft).

Apart from the size, the layout of the proposed micro units may also have been a factor. For instance, if an apartment does not adequately provide for a kitchen, it may resemble a hotel room rather than a residential development.

When contacted, URA said that it does not stipulate that private housing units should be of a minimum size or that a development should have a certain mix of unit sizes. However, it said: ‘We have observed that some developers have been building smaller apartment units. Continue reading →

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