| THE cost of doing up this HDB showflat is about the same as what you would pay for a semi-detached house.  | | -- CHONG JUN LIANG | And the $1.7 million showflat in Tampines Avenue 5 by developer Sim Lian Group will be pulled down once marketing for the privately-built HDB flats is completed next month. It's money well-spent because most people can't visualise how the unit will look like without a proper showflat, said Sim Lian's managing director, Mr Kuik Sing Beng. 'Buyers have to feel that the quality is there. These days, more private developers are building nicer showflats. It's a fixed cost for the developer and it's necessary,' he added. The group spent about the same amount on setting up a showflat to market one of their posh projects, Viz@Holland off Holland Road, last year. The cost of building a showflat in private developments ranges from $1m to $2m. As this is the first time a developer has been able to design, build, price and sell the project with minimal input from the HDB, the Sim Lian Group has given it the same marketing glitz as a private property. The 8,000 sq ft showflat - about the size of three tennis courts - looks more like a condominium showflat in Bukit Timah. Embroidered drapes hang from the ceiling, while designer wallpaper, expensive lamps and plush carpeting give it an upmarket look. It's all about projecting the right image and targeting the right crowd, said Mr Colin Tan, head of research and consultancy at Chesterton International. 'Spending on the showflat is a worthwhile investment for the developer. 'If this project is a test case, the marketing part is quite important, and the showflat is one of the marketing tools. 'The marketing may help to break down barriers and create the perception that the product is good,' he said. HIGHER PRICE And since prices in this project are higher than other HDB flats in the area, the developer must create the distinction between this and the others, added Mr Tan. 'It's a touch-and-go situation. The developer has to get people to cross the threshold to pay a bit more premium for these apartments and they've to pitch it like a private property project,' he said. Prices are expected to range from between $138,000 and $450,000 for the two, four and five-room units at the eight blocks to be built along Tampines Avenue 5. There will be 616 flats in The Premiere@Tampines. The official sales launch is tomorrow. The average valuation of a five-room HDB flat in Tampines was about $300,300 between April and June this year. That means you will be paying close to suburban condo prices for a high-floor five-room flat in this new development. CONDO-LIKE EXTRAS But you will get some of the condo frills - floor-to-ceiling wardrobes, air-conditioning units in every room, plus kitchen cabinets and Italian hobs, to name a few. The usual HDB eligibity conditions, such as ethnic quotas, still apply. For home-buyer Davinia Seah, the condo frills may have just won her over. She went for a sneak preview yesterday . Said the 25-year-old nurse: 'I was quite impressed - it looks just like those condo showflats with nice interior design, furnishings and flooring. 'The good thing is that it will be in almost move-in condition and will be fuss-free when it's ready. 'The price is fairly okay too, especially when you consider the location.' | 
