Home (not so) sweet home: The Singapore edition

Popping tiles, shoddy skirting, shattered glass shower walls – these are some of the public housing woes that have gotten Singaporeans red-faced and sputtering after moving into their brand new BTO or DBSS flats in the past year.
 
These stories have inspired the setting up of angry Facebook groups demanding compensation, roping in Members of Parliament, the Housing Development Board (HDB) and even a Minister.
 
One instance saw Singaporeans complaining even before foundations were built – after they discovered they could be staying next to a columbarium.
 
Here are the top five public housing sagas that made headline news in the past 12 months.
 
1) 'Nightmare defects' at The Trivelis – May 2015
 
Touted as superior to regular flats at its launch, with built-in appliances, finishes and fancy fittings – the Trivelis instead became so far 2015's biggest public housing defect saga after 500 residents complained of serious problems.
 
These complaints included shattered glass shower panels, scratched tiles, exposed sanitary pipes and corridors prone to flooding.
 
Built-in appliances were allegedly of poor quality, including defective stoves, rusty dish racks and wardrobes with no shelves.
 
A committee was formed to present the residents’ concerns to its developer, EL Development. At one point, Member of Parliament Sim Ann organized a town hall meeting with disgruntled residents to address and communicate their concerns.
 
Along the way, Singapore’s housing board issued a statement saying that it would provide "oversight and ensure that the objectives and policies of public housing are preserved".
 
The latest on The Trivelis is that ELD has offered a "goodwill package" to residents. Local media reports say this package includes having sanitary pipes relocated, and will be offering a free installation of safety films on glass shower screens, among other measures.
 
“I guess this is better than nothing, but this whole experience has left all of us with a bad taste in our mouths after weeks of being stressed,” Trivelis home owner Linda Tan, 27, whose unit is one of those affected by poor drainage, told Yahoo Singapore.
 
2) “Columbarium saga” at Fernvale Link – 2014-2015

Residents at Fernvale Link in Sengkang kicked up a stink last December when they found out that they would have become neighbours to a commercial columbarium.
 
Demands for refunds streamed in, with residents asking to cancel their Built-to-Order flat bookings. Local media reported that a total of 95 requests were made to the HDB.
 
Buyers said that the columbarium, housed in a Chinese temple, affected their religious sensibilities and raised concerns over the resale value of their homes.
 
The issue hogged headlines for days, sparking debate on how land was designated and leading National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan to agree to “try to unwind” the issue.
 
The saga finally drew to a close in May this year, when the Ministry of National Development announced that it would terminate its agreement with Eternal Pure Land, the company which had intended to build the columbarium on the site.
 
3) 'Hairline cracks' on walls in Punggol’s  Waterway Banks and Waterway Terraces flats – May 2015
 
Local media reported in May 2015 that residents in new Built-to-Order Punggol flats were finding “hairline cracks” on the walls of their homes.
 
Home-owners said they were worried for their safety. The Straits Times reported that in one case, there were at least 15 hairline cracks on the walls and ceilings of all the rooms of a four room flat in the development.
 
Its owner said that repeated attempts to plaster over the cracks had failed as others would rapidly appear, and other residents reported similar experiences.
 
A HDB spokesman said that less than twenty per cent of the development’s 850 households reported the cracks and clarified that the homes were still structurally sound.
 
4) “Poor quality skirting” at Tampines GreenLeaf – June 2014
 
A group of  about 300 Tampines GreenLeaf residents set up a Facebook group and approached their MPs to highlight their issues with their new homes in June 2014.
 
They complained about the skirting in the homes, claiming that it was of poor quality unlike what was represented in the development’s show flats.
 
Others said that there were gaps between their skirting and their walls, as well as uneven tiles and rust stains.
 
These horror stories have prompted new homeowners to circulate check list information on public forums such as Renotalk, Facebook and private groups for upcoming BTO or DBSS projects, with the most popular being the self explanatory  “How to check your BTO for defects list”.
 
And here it is (obtained from Renotalk):

In general, USE every thing in there. And only run checks during the afternoon with full natural light.

1. Check that all your keys opens your main door properly. Don't forget your letter box key.

2. Turn on all the lights (if it comes with), make sure they're working perfectly. Make sure none of the lights are blown or any of the starters are faulty. If your wiring are hidden as some new flats are, pray that everything is wired properly.

3. Turn on all the taps, faucets, showers and let the water run. If water chokes in your sink, something's in it's way. Could be plaster etc.

Since BTOs do not come with showers installed, bring a hose along with you, stick it into the sink's tap and flood your floor. If water collects on the bathroom floor and takes forever to drain, your floor isn't slopped properly to encourage proper drainage.

4. Taste the water. It might sound silly, but it should taste... clean, and free from corrosion. Not that stainless steel pipes corrode easily, and this being a new flat and all. But just because the pipes are newly installed doesn't mean the pipes are new (they're not). Bring along a clear drinking glass. Fill it up and see if there are any unnatural particles.

5. Open ALL the windows to their fullest. Check to see if they function properly. Pay attention to the handles to ensure they're not loose. Also check that they all turn and lock properly. If you have to force the handle into lock position, the handle will loosen up within a short time. This is a problem because most handles are dead bolted onto the frames. And once they are loose, there's nothing to be done but re-bolt them onto another area, leaving unsightly holes on your frame and your handles will not be level with your other windows.

6. Use all the toilets. Just flush them and ensure they work properly. Don't just walk away - see how long it takes for the water tank to fill up and flush again. Faulty water tank plumbing may hinder replenishment of the tank's water.

7. If your unit comes with a fancy accordion pole hanger for drying clothes, play around with it to ensure everything is bolted properly and its mechanisms are functioning smoothly.

8. If your walls are tiled, take a thick (50c works) coin or marble and start tapping on each of them to check if any of the tiles are hollow or loose.

9. You won't be able to confirm this within 7 days, but be on a constant look out for water leakage\damage on your ceilings after your upstairs neighbor has moved in.

10. Always remember that just because it's a newly built flat doesn't mean everything in it is new. That means piping, gates, windows etc. Check for rust, LISTEN for defects, look for cracks (on the toilet bowls and sinks), and ensure window rubber linings are not dried or rotten.