2011 jun 26 Is leaving things to the market a good move? It seems like National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan is doing just that, in terms of defining apartment size. There are no plans to impose a minimum size on increasingly popular shoebox flats, according to National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan yesterday. Mr Khaw wrote on his blog that he is inclined to let market forces determine if such flats, which are smaller than 500 sq ft, have a place in the property spectrum. A standard HDB three-room flat is about 700 sq ft. ‘Some analysts wonder aloud if buyers know what they are in for. Some have suggested that the Government should step in to impose a minimum size,’ the minister noted. ‘My instinct is not to second-guess the market. Some shoebox units do add to the diversity of housing options here. But we are closely watching its development.’ But he did sound a warning, urging buyers to ‘go in with eyes open’. Mr Khaw wrote that while 1,100 flats have already been bu