The “open kitchen” concept has gained popularity, with 60 percent of Built-To-Order (BTO) flat buyers going for the said option, reported the media.
Notably, the choice of having an open kitchen was piloted in September 2012 during a BTO exercise at Teck Ghee Parkview, and about 70 percent of house buyers opting for the open kitchen concept (pictured).
The option of not having a wall to separate the kitchen from the rest of the house comes under the HDB’s Optional Component Scheme, which was introduced in 1989 to provide flat buyers more options when customising their units.
Kelvin Tan, co-founder and interior designer at Celsius Ink, noted that said options help new home owners save costs.
“Without the open kitchen concept, they have to knock down walls, remove tiles, and a lot of submissions are required in order for them to achieve this new design…With the savings, if this option is provided, they’re able to use their funds in some other areas for renovation,” he said.
“I think you can save a good amount of money, because if you’re talking about hacking, on a high price side, you’re looking at anywhere between $400 and $500. Touching up might cost you about $300 to $400 if it is a big wall. Easily, you can save up to $700 or $800,” added Alvin Chan, Managing Director of i.Haven Design Consultants.
The first batch of HDB flats offering the open kitchen concept are set to be completed by Q1 2017.
Image source: HDB
Muneerah Bee, Senior Journalist at PropertyGuru, edited this story. To contact her about this or other stories email muneerah@propertyguru.com.sg
