I WAS surprised to read that buyers of built-to-order (BTO) flats at The Premiere@Tampines will be getting apartments several notches better in terms of design and fittings and yet have to pay only slightly higher prices than those of resale flats.
From a fleeting glimpse of the showflat on television, and a study of the pictures in The Straits Times, I was amazed: the flats certainly match or even surpass some entry-level condominium apartments in design, a far cry from the standard Housing Board box design.
To top it all, there are teak flooring, Italian hobs, floor-to-ceiling wardrobes and other fittings.
I almost had to pinch myself when I heard that the prices will only be a notch higher than resale run-of-the-mill HDB flats, and even lower than those at The Pinnacle@Duxton which, apart from distinctive design, do not come with any fittings.
And buyers of flats at The Premiere do not have to pay a premium even if they are buying an HDB flat a second time. Buyers of flats at The Pinnacle have to. This is beyond comprehension as government policies are usually applied equally to all.
The Premiere is indeed an eye-opener. Perhaps public housing should be outsourced altogether.
Richard Ho Wai Chui
