Singapore's experiment with 13 DBSS developments. Government pulled the plug after 2012 onwards due to runaway pricing where some units can cost a Million dollars then & now

[Cecil Lee]

A. Singapore has only 13 DBSS developments in it's history. These are still considered as HDB flats.

Just that they were developed by private developers & to some viewed with reservations as some have EC/condo type of prices. 

Another feature was that key collection is from these private developers. Not HDB.

I was equally lucky to visit each and every one of the 13 DBSS in due part to being invited by clients for their Feng Shui during the various T.O.P. 

B. They provide a combined total of 8,649 housing units.

L = Launch Date
T = T.O.P. (HDB calls this Lease Commencement Date or Lease Start Date)

1. L2006 The Premiere @ Tampines T2009 - Condo type of balcony.

2. L2008 Park Central @ AMK T2011 - Like this site.

3. L2008 City View @ Boon Keng T2011 - One of the biggest balconies. Today, million dollar prices.

4. L2008 Natura Loft @ Bishan T2012 - Like this site.

5. L2009 Parc Lumiere @ Simei  T2011 - "Straight line / Pencil Thin"

6. L2009 The Peak @ Toa Payoh T2012 - Thinking more of the activities surrounding Blocks 126, 127 & 128. LOL And yes, Front door opens directly to the kitchen/yard.

7. L2011 Adora Green @ Yishun  T2013 - During launch a block directly facing Khoo Teck Puat Hospital was the most costly. LOL

8. L2011 Belvia @ Bedok T2014 - Fair. 

9. L2011 Centrale 8 @ Tampines T2015 - Dense.

10. L2011  Trivelis @ Clementi T2015 - "Hilly." Still sticks with me... dark coloured external facade.

11. L2011 Lake Vista @ Yuan Ching @ Jurong West T2015 - Some units ... hmm.. had a few "spiritual encounters"

12. L2012 Parkland Residences @ Hougang T2014 - Nice views? Expect to face the afternoon sun-:(

13. L2012 Pasir Ris One @ Pasir Ris T2015 - Narrow corridors: be considerate when one leaves the grille gate open. LOL

[Cecil Lee]

Case Study 1A: Why has this experiment failed? First Impressions, Count!

1. When the Prices of the 1st completed DBSS = The Premiere @ Tampines, there were many who were concerned with the unattractive (costly) prices at this development! 

 

Case Study 1B: Unfavourable comments on the final DBSS = Pasir Ris One

1. When Pasir Ris One's Lease commenced or when residents collected keys, some were truly disappointed with the width of the common corridor.

2. Even if the width was within the minimum of the current guidelines of around 1.2 metres... this created unhappinest with the residents.

3. A distinctive feature of most of these DBSS was that majority came with a balcony. With City View's giving a generous balcony space. But - this is also added as part of the square foot area of the unit even if often it is not a liveable space.

4. Today, the government restricts the percentage of balcony/PES to unit ratio. LOL 

5. Equally, I can still vividly remember visiting clients who had just collected their keys at The Premiere @ Tampines. And ever since then had at least visited each of the thirteen DBSS and up to the very last at Pasir Ris One. Wow! How time flies...

[Cecil Lee]

Good Bye, Sayonara, Mampost!

[Cecil Lee]

1. Frankly don't need to be designed or managed by a Private Developer.

2. Many Private Developers like Sim Lian also started previously as a Main Contractor.

3. For e.g. Sim Lian in the late 1999's did projects for Hong Kong MCL Land.

4. A good example of HDB managed site is the existing HDB SkyTerrace@Dawson:-

5. HDB SkyTerrace@Dawson could easily have passed for a private estate. (Other than of course no fencing / guards and pool / club-house facilities. Unfortunately previously the quality of workmanship was found to be poor for this development. Quite a waste.

[Cecil Lee]

Trivia: Is the DBSS the fore-runner of Executive Condos (ECs)?

No, not true.

The fore-runner of ECs were the Housing and Urban Development Corporation flats or known simply as HUDC flats as opposed to HDB flats. During that time, these flats cater to the middle-income who were not eligible for HDB flats due to their salary ceiling).

The first batch around 1976 was: Laguna Park (Laguna View was for civil servants); Farrer Road, Amber One and Braddell Heights.) Farrer and Amber One were already enbloc.

 

[Cecil Lee]

Do you know that from Key collection till maximum of 2023, luck sectors will change locations especially on/from 2024 till 2043:-

 

[Cecil Lee]

The Premiere @ Tampines Site Plan:

It is two parellel rows of a total of 8 blocks. Where each row has 4 blocks each:- 

A safe design. Many of my clients who first got their keys in 2009 have since moved out. A few I last met several years ago bought an actual condo unit. The last was at Waterview at Tampines Condo.

A Sample of the 2009 generation Feng Shui Worksheet:-

Samples of our latest Worksheets for discussion shows much more details:-

 

[Cecil Lee]

Related:

 

[Cecil Lee]

DBSS Belvia @ Bedok Reservoir