These “mutant” HDBs HAVE to be featured on reality TV
Sometime in June 2016, that celebrity home-invading MTV Cribs finally returns in all its overly decadent glory, but this time as a Snapchat series. While Cribs might only feature celebrity homes, we realize we’ve got some MUTANT Snapchat-worthy HDBs of our own. And no, we’re not talking about the three-leaf clover shaped HDB at Blk 259 Ang Mo Kio Street Avenue 2, or the U-shaped HDB with three addresses. We’re referring to some true oddballs of HDB flats.
Today we present to you monster homes hidden behind the more monotonous HDB exteriors. These are inconspicuous HDB hybrids that you’ve definitely never seen before. So when it’s your time to bid, you know what kind of “BTO-beast” you’d like for a home.
1. Get 1 flat for the size of 2 apartments with Jumbo HDBs
There are Marvel mutants with stunt doubles, but here you really see double with these jumbos. Kids driving you up the wall, pestering you to watch X-men for the 52nd time? Hack down those walls and put some between you and your kiddos.
Take a tour of these massive flats here:
This flat in Yishun is a seven room flat! Bet Snow White and the seven dwarves never had such luxury of room in their landed cottage. And these massive home improvements have been made with HDB’s full approval.
Jumbo flats are actually just two adjacent units which were converted into jumbo flats when hundreds of new flats went unsold in Woodlands and Yishun. This phenomenon happened in the early 1990s, and a total of 485 such special units were sold.
2. Fulfill your loft-y dreams with these spacious double storey lofts
These are the HDBs of the next generation and we’re guessing the developers are huge fans of tetris! These blocks have “L” and “I” tetrominoes all over them. But no triple line combos here, because SkyVille and SkyTerrace flats are only joined at a few major floors by sky bridges!
Within these tetris-y blocks are lofts with high ceilings like these.
These “mutant” apartments are built with zero columns and beams, allowing room for loftier home modification schemes. With their smart design, every inch of these 3 to 5 room lofts can be maximized. We’re totally convinced they’ve incorporated Wolverine’s adamantium claws into these walls.
3. Paired Units for Young Couples + Parents
Leaving the nest can induce a ton of separation anxiety, so if you’re not keen on parting with the parents just yet, these loft + studio paired units are something you could get.
Unlike the regular lofts, these paired units come as a set. One unit’s for the parents and the other is for the young couple. Like getting your first family pet, you have to make sure everyone is on board with applying for this paired unit, or the HDB will take it back.
In this paired unit, you and your parents are approximately 2 seconds apart, always – because that’s how long it’ll take to get from your parent’s upstairs studio to your downstairs loft. But with two homes, you can get two balconies. With these paired units, you can push creative boundaries.
We’re not sure why HDB would designate that parents stay upstairs. Perhaps it’s to encourage stair-climbing activity or give young homeowners some privacy.
4. Live in your own space, but also within HDB’s with Landed HDBs
Semi-D or HDB, it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what species these “freaks of nature” are. There’s the familiar HDB block number on a two-story building, but the roof doesn’t have the flat top. These landed HDB homes in Queenstown and Jalan Bahagia will completely throw you off.
Behind these striped walls, is another striking surprise. You’re on first floor, but that doesn’t mean your home’s personality has to be grounded. Nothing screams originality, than an HDB terrace transformation that is bold and funky.
These landed units were actually built bt the Singapore Improvement Trust (SIT) – the HDB’s predecessor – just after Singapore’s independence. While these units can technically be taken back by the government at any time and were sold on a 99-year lease, they are still very popular, and can cost upwards of $1 million!
5. Be your own upstairs neighbour with Duplex Penthouses
Located on the top storey, this penthouse duplex is the definition of high living – this particular one has gone with the “London look”. We wonder if the view tops that of the London Eye. But one thing’s for sure, you’re living life on the literal edge with these full-length windows.
This mezzanine mutation offers enough room to install TVs for each family member to watch their favorite Korean Dramas. That’s right, you can finally get to host all the entire extended family, even second cousins twice removed. Nothing makes for closer families like HDB penthouses with two stories.
Don’t be fooled by this nondescript disguise. The gorgeous Bishan and Punggol penthouses will catch you by surprise. The prices can also send you into shock, with one of these going for a million bucks.
We hope you enjoyed this episode of Mutant HDB Cribs
A break from homogenous HDBs, these mutant cribs offer some refreshing novelty. With 780 new flats coming up in Yishun and 2,760 in Tampines, we can’t wait to see the exciting new developments HDB has got up their sleeves. Mutation is the key to evolution, so brace yourselves for more mutants in the future HDB population.
Cover image adapted from (L-R): Home and Decor, Home and Decor