A woman was shocked to find the four-room Design, Build and Sell Scheme (DBSS) flat that she bought at Pasir Ris One was too small to accommodate her family of seven, reported Shin Min Daily News.
“I planned to occupy the master bedroom with my mother, give one room to my brother and his wife, and the guest room to my two nephews and the maid,” said Tracy Tan.
However, when she visited the 86 sqm flat for the first time after receiving the house keys, she was appalled to find a “shoebox” sized guest room that could only accommodate one single bed, while the master bedroom was just large enough for a queen-size bed.
“I’ve checked with an interior design company. I was told to dismantle the built-in wardrobes to make space and custom-make double-decker beds that fit the rooms, if the house is to take seven people,” shared Tan, who works as head of claims and operations at an insurance company.
She believes that she has no other choice but to spend more money to have the apartment redesigned, which could go up to $40,000, after already having spent over $590,000 for it.
Tan also worries that her family would have to take turns eating their meal in the living room, which had little space left after taking in a television set and a sofa.
She noted that the proportions between the rooms were “illogical” and “strange”, with the two bathrooms and the balcony taking up too much space compared with the kitchen.
Pasir Ris One spokesman Dennis Lim, however, revealed that the agent who sold the unit to Tan had provided her with all the necessary information before she bought the property, which include the room sizes.
“She was fully informed,” he said.
He underscored that the development, located at Pasir Ris Drive 1, had been issued with the temporary occupation permit in May after it was verified that all the construction rules and requirements had been met.
Nonetheless, he said that he would meet Tan to discuss her issues with the unit.
“I understand it’s not easy for someone who has lived in a private apartment to adjust to living in a four-room flat,” he added.
Image: Artist’s impression of Pasir Ris One DBSS.
Romesh Navaratnarajah, Senior Editor at PropertyGuru, edited this story. To contact him about this or other stories email romesh@propertyguru.com.sg
