The dream starter home for most young couples in Singapore isn't just any Build-to-Order (BTO) flat.

It’s a flat with an unobstructed view, on the highest floor the block has to offer.

Bonus points for somewhere centrally or conveniently located close to one or more MRT stations.

When it turned out that my first home was set to be a second-floor flat with a view of the neighbouring housing block, my partner and I were met with some well-meaning criticism — not just from friends and family, but from members of the public responding to a column I penned on the subject.

HIGH MORALE FOR LOWER FLOORS

For some, living on the lower floors comes with its perks.

Beyond being cheaper than higher-floor apartments, several pointed to the safety and convenience aspects.

These include being able to escape fast in case of dangerous emergencies such as a fire, and not worrying about lift breakdowns.

At any rate, it would certainly make moving in much easier.

One Reddit user also noted that if you were to forget something at home, like your wallet, someone could simply throw it down to the first floor.

"Lower-floor living means you can wait in comfort until your hailed ride arrives, then casually walk up to it," said another.

A friend reached out after reading my piece, noting that it isn’t “as bad as people say it is”.

For him, living on the second floor for years was “alright”.

“The best part was being able to see when the bus was on the way before running down since my old place faced the bus stop,” he said.

Some also noted there are several ways to mitigate some of the common downsides that deter most Singaporeans from purchasing a low-floor flat such as getting black-out curtains.

"On the bright side, it’s as close to landed living as you’ll get," joked one person.

INSECTS, DUST, NOISE GALORE

But on the other side of the fence, several commented on the disamenities lower-floor flats face.

Many said that when it came to managing asking prices and buyer pools, my second-floor home would pale in comparison to high-floor flats.

Lower floors particularly bear the brunt of noise and smoke from passersby as well as people gathering for community events such as weddings and funerals, commented one person who said they’d lived on the third floor of a public flat for years.

Another drawback? Easy access for pests.

“You’re so scared of cockroaches but you still chose a second-floor flat,” said a good friend. 

While one Reddit user, Krazyguylone, said pests were not a big issue for them, what they found to be annoying was the lighting from public pathways that shone into their house at night.

"I’ve had to tape my windows up with aluminium foil because at night, even with the windows closed, a bunch of light gets through with the curtains closed," they said.

People in the same camp of opinion noted several other downsides, including less breeze, that can make it difficult to sell the flat later or get a good profit from such a sale. 

“All the other young couples get nice homes, why you go choose this one,” said a relative. 

“Hope you can sell and still earn a bit,” they added. “Don’t know anyone who wants to buy a second-floor flat.”

BUILDING A HOME, NOT AN INVESTMENT

On the whole, much of the responses I received from my friends, family members and readers seemed to stem from an assumption that everyone is looking for the same thing: To cash out on the flat after the minimum occupancy period has been fulfilled.

In land-scarce Singapore, any property is indeed more likely to be considered as a financial asset rather than a home.

But should this be the reigning assumption we make when young couples clinch their (often long-awaited) BTO flats?

It always peeved me when property agents and other couples told me that getting a good BTO matters so that I can “flip” the home and buy a private property later on in life. 

Maybe I’m an outlier, but I have always hoped that my BTO could be my forever home.

I loved the public flat I grew up in as a child, and moving out in my 20s was an emotionally exhausting process. I felt like I lost so much: The neighbourly camaraderie, the friends made, and the stability and comfort of a physical sanctuary that held and sheltered me during the defining years of my life.

For most young Singaporeans today, property investment is a lofty dream that only seems to be getting loftier each year as prices continue to skyrocket. 

My BTO flat cost slightly less than half a million, almost double the price my parents paid for their first home in the late 1990s. Depending on the location of a flat and the size, BTO prices today can go upwards of S$700,000. 

To enter the private property market, let alone purchase a second property, seems out of reach for the average young Singaporean like me.

When choosing a BTO nest, does it matter that much if its resale appeal is not on our list of immediate concerns?

While the five Cs have evolved much in recent years, it seems clear that their roots remain strong in the Singaporean mentality. 

Yes, there are always gripes with property in a limited market like Singapore’s. Many have profited off their properties, and many young couples plan to do so as well.

But for many other young Singaporeans like me and my partner, this isn’t just a “property” but a first home together.

Sure, the downsides will remain a practical concern — but for my partner and I, after eight BTO attempts, this may be the only opportunity for us and other young couples in the same boat to finally begin forging our new life as a family.

Regardless of the five Cs or any other prevailing cultural norms, buying a home is a personal choice. No one can tell you what’s important to you or not.

And if some homeowners are more concerned about how to furnish their flats for their own comfort rather than for maximum appeal to potential buyers, perhaps that shouldn’t be cause for controversy.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Loraine Lee is a journalist at TODAY.