"Oversized air-con ledges - some almost the length of a bus - in a newly built condominium in Sengkang have cast the spotlight on a loophole that allows developers to build them without having them counted as part of the gross floor area (GFA). Yet, they are allowed to charge home buyers for that same space. Each year, Singapore's private property owners pay $780 million for air-con ledges, estimates consultancy International Property Advisor chief executive Ku Swee Yong"....Read the rest of the Straits Times article here.
Seems like La-fiesta condominium project is plagued with many issues that homeowners really have to grapple with. For the curious, the complete La-fiesta floorplan can be found here.
Private Property Developers strike again!
Other unusable areas or features that homeowners have to pay (but is free of charge for the developers) include bay windows and planter boxes. However, ever since the unscrupulous property developers have exploited these features to maximise their profits (for instance, around 15 per cent of a 24 sqm apartment of Suites@guillemard was taken up by bay windows and planter boxes), the authorities have stepped in to close the gap. Finally, these features have disappeared from the condominiums of late. Nevertheless, it is unsurprising that the property developers are now exploiting the air-con ledges.
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SourceWhat this means to you? |
1. Avoid these private property developers and projects
Based on these bad press coverage, these are the private property developers and projects which you should avoid.
Image from eldev
EL Development
[Condominium] La-fiesta
[DBSS] Trivelis
Oxley Land Pte. Ltd.
Projects:
[Condominium] Suites@guillemard
2. Be cautious if you intend to purchase based on floor plans
A general rule, the bigger the condominium units, the bigger the balconies and the AC ledges are. So, you should study the floorplan carefully. Beware if the air-con ledge seemed to be larger than necessary, like the one below.
Source: lafiesta
3. Avoid purchasing units based on floor plans; go for resale properties instead
One of the advantages of purchasing a resale property is that you get to see the unit physically. Therefore, you will not be caught by surprise and can make an informed decision before you purchase the condominium unit.
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