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2012 sep 27 SAN FRANCISCO - Lawmakers here have postponed voting on a proposal that would make the city home to some of the smallest apartments in the country. The city's Board of Supervisors had yesterday been expected to consider a building code change to allow apartments as small as 220 sq ft, or 20.4 sq m. Current regulations require apartment living rooms alone to be that size. The tiny, efficient units would include a bathroom, kitchen and closet. Supervisor Scott Wiener, who drafted the new legislation, asked to delay a preliminary vote on the issue until Nov 13 so that he could continue discussions with critics who fear the apartments would increase population density, strain city services and further crowd out families. They are calling for a pilot project to test the new units before fully opening the door to construction. According to the Associated Press, the construction of shoebox apartments was aimed at residents who are being priced out of the housing mar...

2012 sep 13 http://www.rmi.nus.edu.sg/aboutus/_files/rminews/The_rise_and_rise_of_shoebox_units.pdf (click to read report) LAST week, the Government announced new rules to cap the supply of so-called "shoebox" units - tiny residential units - in the market. The move suggests some discomfort with the proliferation of such units in recent years. The Government projects an increase in the number of shoebox apartments from the current 2,400 to 11,000 by 2015. But why has this sub-sector of the housing market boomed? And what are the issues that arise if more such units are built? The recent mushrooming of shoebox apartments has raised some concerns about the liveability and sustainability of such apartments, which generally refer to units having a gross floor area of less than 50 sq m. Are shoebox units inhumane?

2012 sep 11 http://www.propwise.sg/sayonara-shoeboxes/ On September 4th, 2012 the URA announced new guidelines that will effectively curb the future development of shoebox units, typically units smaller than 500 square feet... (click URL link above to read more)

2012 sep 8 It's not the fix for parking woes by Conrad Raj 04:45 AM Sep 07, 2012 While the latest curbs on "shoebox" apartments are not as restrictive as some earlier feared, regular interference with market forces is not altogether welcome or a good thing. There are already caps on the number, height and plot ratio for any development plot. Now the proposed new rules, which come into effect on Nov 4, essentially limit the number of units in a development by applying a minimum average dwelling site on any plot. In non-landed private developments outside the central area, the average home size needs to be at least 70 sq m. Although the Government has not set a minimum size for any dwelling, developers are probably expected to have to stick to the current minimum of 50 sq m for any dwelling unit. In areas like Kovan and Joo Chiat/Jalan Eunos, which "face more severe infrastructure conditions", a more stringent cap is supposed to apply. The stringency is ...

2012 sep 6 http://www.myplace.sg/make-your-shoebox-apartment-look-larger/ Love it or hate it, there's no way around it, but the shoebox apartment could certainly get some help in looking and feeling spacious. A shoebox apartment is defined as one that comes in 500 sq ft or under. They may come with one bedroom at most, as well as compact kitchen and living area. So what can you do with your shoebox apartment to make it appear more spacious? Often, it is about adopting simple visual tactics. Check out these interior design tips. Refrain from dark colours on large surfaces Dark colours are a big no-no when dealing with compact living spaces. The theory that dark colours tend to make the body looks slimmer also applies to interior spaces, as dark colours tend to close in on a space. Instead, adopt light or neutral colours such as white, cream or very light grey tones on your walls. You can also go a step further by adopting a similar palette for your furniture, so that the pieces b...

2012 sep 5 http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390443847404577630974280936612.html Singapore Cracks Down on Shoebox Homes By CHUN HAN WONG SINGAPORE—Singapore's government will curb the development of small "shoebox" apartments in the city-state's suburban areas, as part of an effort to temper the local property market and encourage developers to build larger, family-friendly homes. The move, announced Tuesday by the Urban Redevelopment Authority, comes after officials in May expressed concern over "heated activity" in the so-called shoebox segment that has grown rapidly in the past year. Shoebox apartments have floor areas of 500 square feet or less and are popular with investors seeking rental incomes. Under new guidelines that take effect Nov. 4, the URA will cap the number of apartments of any size that can be built in nonlanded private-residential projects outside the city-state's central area. Nonlanded housing are generally high-rise, ...

2012 sep 4 http://business.asiaone.com/Business/News/Story/A1Story20120904-369547.html Government to intervene in market for shoebox apartments The number of units which can be developed on non-landed suburban private residential developments will soon be restricted, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) said today. From November 4, new guidelines to curb the development of shoebox units outside the central area will take effect. The decision to impose guidelines on the development of shoebox apartments stems from the need to prevent a disproportionately large portion of small units in the housing market, URA said. In a statement released on Tuesday, the authority added that it had been monitoring public feedback on the development of shoebox units in non-central areas of Singapore. According to URA data, the number of shoebox units will increase by more than four times from 2,400 at the end of 2011 to about 11,000 units by the end of 2015. In its survey, URA found that shoebox...

2012 sep 4 http://sg.news.yahoo.com/singapore-reins-shoebox-apartments-132446688.html Singapore reins in 'shoebox' apartments AFP News – Tue, Sep 4, 2012 Singapore on Tuesday said it will restrict the growth of "shoebox" private apartments in the suburbs to ease overcrowding concerns and encourage couples to have children. The new cap will come into force on November 4 to "discourage new developments consisting predominantly of 'shoebox units' outside the Central Area", the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) said in a press release. Shoebox units in Singapore typically measure 50 square metres (538 square feet) or less, about half the size of an average public housing apartment. Singapore developers ramped up the construction of shoebox units to boost sales as land and other costs shot up in recent years. Such units will increase more than four-fold from about 2,400 at the end of 2011 to about 11,000 units by the end of 2015, the URA said, add...

2012 sep 3 Property Ramblings Part VII: 10 Reasons Why Anyone Would Want to be an Agent In dedication to one of our dear forummer bro/sis who sent me a note of appreciation on my past articles, I shall once again touch on the age old sensitive career choice. Short of being placed on the same scale as a convict (or are they already??), real estate agents are often labeled fiends rather than friends. Maligned or misaligned, these accusations, you think? Let's find out. TOP TEN REASONS WHY YOU WOULD WANT TO BE A PROPERTY AGENT: 1. I Love I Love I Love Houses, Homes and Meeting People I grew up in a happy family with happy memories of childhood days spent learning and having fun with my siblings. This same house is the house I am still living in after 30 years. A house is not just bricks and mortar. A house is also a home. A home is where joy and laughter surrounds everyone close to me. To be able to be invited into strangers' homes and share in the bliss of living and l...