Results 1 to 3 of 3

Thread: More can be done to curb showflat tricks

  1. #1
    mr funny is offline Any complaints please PM me
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Posts
    8,129

    Default More can be done to curb showflat tricks

    http://www.straitstimes.com/Singapor...ry_641188.html

    Mar 4, 2011

    URA guidelines will help home buyers make informed choices


    BUYERS of new homes will soon get a better idea of what their properties will actually look like once they are built.

    Developers could be required to draw their site plans to scale and ensure the show-flats they put up reflect accurately the actual size of the units being sold.

    National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan yesterday revealed some of the new guidelines the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) is considering to give buyers better data about the properties they are buying.

    Mr Mah was addressing the concerns of MPs including Ms Jessica Tan (East Coast GRC) and Mr Ong Ah Heng (Nee Soon Central), who asked if home buyers here were being given enough information about new properties that have yet to be built.

    Ms Tan was particularly perturbed by the recent proliferation of 'shoebox-size' units in the market.

    'Many Singaporeans are rushing to buy these small units despite the substantially high price per square foot of these units,' she said.

    'Purchasing a house is not a trivial investment. While recognising that individuals should make their own buying decisions, can more be done to help Singaporeans make informed choices?

    'Do buyers fully understand what they are buying?' she asked.

    For buyers of uncompleted properties, show-flats are constructed to give them an idea of what the actual unit will look like. But these show-flats 'are typically shown in their best conditions without showing the shortcomings of the property', said Mr Ong.

    'These new buyers may not know exactly what they are buying,' he added.

    As most buyers are not trained architects or surveyors, they would not be able to assess the size of the flats by reading blueprints, he noted.

    Mr Mah assured both MPs that the URA is looking into the matter.

    He went on to describe the sorts of misleading practices that the URA is seeking to prevent, recalling a visit to a show-flat in Hong Kong where the developer had employed creative tactics to make the unit look bigger than it actually was.

    Apart from the 'usual tricks' such as removing walls or replacing them with glass partitions, this developer 'went one step further' and put a smaller-than-usual bed in the bedroom.

    'So when you walk into the rooms, here's a master bedroom with a bed, and there's plenty of walking room.

    'Lo and behold, that is actually a sub-standard bed, and if you had put in a full-sized bed in there, you would not be able to close the door,' he said to laughter from the House.

    'So our guidelines aim to pre-empt such practices from emerging here. I'm not saying it has happened here, but let's pre-empt such practices.'

    FIONA CHAN

  2. #2
    mr funny is offline Any complaints please PM me
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Posts
    8,129

    Default

    http://www.straitstimes.com/PrimeNew...ry_642207.html

    Mar 7, 2011

    More can be done to curb showflat tricks

    New guidelines should see an end to illusions used in display homes

    By Esther Teo, Property Reporter


    THE Government is planning to introduce new guidelines on promotional materials for new homes, to help buyers make better decisions.

    National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan announced in Parliament last week that tougher rules are on the cards to ensure that showflats built by developers to market new homes look like the apartments that eventually get built.

    Mr Mah's statement follows an announcement from the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) last month that it was reviewing the Housing Developers (Control & Licensing) Act and Housing Developers Rules to provide 'more accurate and transparent information on housing projects'.

    One area of concern relates to showflats. There are currently no guidelines for these display units built by developers to market new projects.

    With no hard and fast rules, developers here sometimes take artistic licence with display homes by removing structural walls and columns and raising ceilings to make the unit look bigger.

    The space housing the air-conditioner ledge and planter box is sometimes included as part of the showflat area.

    The Housing Developers (Control & Licensing) Act does list certain requirements for print advertisements, stipulating that a print ad must include details such as the developer's name and licence number and the date when buyers can get their keys.

    These rules, however, do not touch on the truthfulness of marketing material, such as accurately drawn maps. Nor do they seek to prevent embellished artists' impressions.

    Maps in advertisements are thus often not drawn to scale, with MRT stations and other amenities placed closer than they actually are. Stunning views are included in artists' impressions while unsightly landmarks are omitted.

    It seems timely then that the Government has decided to nip a nascent problem in the bud. As was noted in Parliament, developers elsewhere have been known to build smaller-frame beds and place them in a show unit to make the bedroom appear spacious.

    In Singapore, the Advertising Standards Authority of Singapore - an advisory council under the Consumers Association of Singapore (Case) - said it received 20 complaints relating to property advertisements over the past two years. Since 2009, Case has also received one complaint relating to discrepancies between a showflat and the actual apartment.

    The numbers are still small, but there are undoubtedly others similarly aggrieved who may not know who to turn to: the Real Estate Developers Association of Singapore, the URA or possibly even Case? This is in fact one area the guidelines can spell out - how aggrieved buyers can seek redress.

    There is a need for more transparency in marketing properties with the sale of tiny 'shoebox' homes of less than 500 sq ft booming in recent years.

    Shoebox flats made up 12 per cent of new non-landed private home sales last year, up sharply from 2 per cent in 2007, according to data from property consultancy Cushman & Wakefield.

    Buyers of these homes - many with Housing Board addresses - are often attracted to the low total price of the tiny units. This group may consist of less savvy, or first-time property investors.

    Showflat tricks could lead to buyers stretching their life savings to pay for a unit they later find out is so small it is hard to live in or rent out. In shoebox units, where every inch of space counts, a small discrepancy can make the difference between cramped and comfortable.

    Some simple guidelines will help give buyers peace of mind.

    As Mr Mah has noted, there should be requirements for site plans to be drawn to scale. Showflats should also represent the actual size of the units.

    The guidelines can go further to prevent developers and their marketing agencies from getting away with visual tricks.

    For example, if a project says that it is 10 minutes away from the city, it should stipulate whether it is by foot, car, or MRT, and make sure the claim is credible. And if Marina Bay Sands or other stunning city icons will not be visible from any of the development's windows, then artists' impressions should not be allowed to feature them.

    Developers should also be encouraged to showcase flat types that make up the majority of their development's offering, not an atypical unit, such as a ground floor unit which may make the area look larger since it comes with a private enclosed space.

    Another issue requiring guidelines is that of Soho - or small office, home office - units, which are gaining popularity with investors.

    In fact, the term 'Soho' is a marketing term used by developers and their agents. It does not refer to a specific development type that the URA grants approval for. Marketing agents will say Soho units can double as office space, and can fetch higher rent, in order to justify the higher sales price.

    When the project is completed, however, the developer might not provide adequate support for the units to be converted into offices. Some buyers may find that their application for home office use is rejected depending on the nature of the business they want to register, or if approved, later reversed if the business receives complaints from neighbours.

    Rules governing the marketing of Soho projects should be clarified to ensure that agents do not overpromise or overstate the merits of their products.

    Penalties for flouting the new guidelines should also be severe enough to deter misrepresentation.

    Developers and their marketing agents will have to realise that promotional materials to market properties are aids to help buyers make sensible decisions on million-dollar investments - and not occasions for marketing gurus or designers to indulge in wild flights of imagination.

    [email protected]

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Posts
    7,482

    Default

    The sub-standard size bed has been practiced here, and I brought it up a few months ago. Good thing they're picking it up and stopping such practices.

Similar Threads

  1. URA acts to curb use of 'SoHo' by developers
    By reporter2 in forum Singapore Private Condominium Property Discussion and News
    Replies: 1
    -: 26-11-13, 14:26
  2. Should we curb hiring of foreigners?
    By minority in forum Coffeeshop Talk
    Replies: 3
    -: 29-03-13, 17:54
  3. Mah Bow Tan- Curb your Enthusiasm
    By avo7007 in forum Singapore Private Condominium Property Discussion and News
    Replies: 61
    -: 29-03-11, 22:22
  4. Common TRicks Used by Property Agents
    By dingding in forum Singapore Private Condominium Property Discussion and News
    Replies: 54
    -: 25-03-11, 14:19
  5. Other dirty tricks some agents play
    By mr funny in forum HDB, EC, commercial and industrial property discussion
    Replies: 1
    -: 09-02-09, 01:15

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •