The size of show flats may have shrunk in recent years, giving the impression that units are becoming smaller. This is partly due to our perception of size being relative to what we are used to. In the 1990s and 2000s, the homes we grew up in, whether HDBs or condos, were generally larger. For instance, the average size of a new condo was 1,272 sq ft in 1995, 1,286 sq ft in 2005, and 858 sq ft in 2015. However, household sizes have decreased over the years, with the average household now being 3.1 people compared to 4 in 1995. This means that on a per-household-member basis, the average space has actually increased from 318 sq ft in 1995 to 357 sq ft in 2005 before dropping to 252 sq ft in 2015. It has since rebounded by 19% to 300 sq ft in 2024.
Over the past 29 years, the average size of condos on a per-capita basis has decreased by 5.7%, which is impressive given the limited land in Singapore. This would not have been possible without the government’s intervention. In 2008, several condo projects in the Rest of Central Region (RCR) introduced small units of as little as 24 sq m (258 sq ft), equivalent to two parking spaces. This reduced the barriers to property investment, with units selling for as low as $375,000 and leading to the proliferation of such units in subsequent years.
To address this concern, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) issued guidelines in 2011 to control the maximum number of dwelling units (DUs). Developers were required to use the average size of 70 sq m for projects outside the Central Area. Some areas had a more stringent requirement of 100 sq m. While the guideline was effective, the average DU size continued to decrease, reaching a low of 804 sq ft in 2018. To counter this, the URA revised the guideline in January 2019, leading to an 18.8% increase in the average DU size to 935 sq ft in 2024.
However, this created an imbalance, with smaller units being built in the Central Area, contrary to the URA’s aim of making it an attractive place to live, work, and play. To address this, the URA extended the guidelines to the Central Area in 2023, requiring 20% of DUs in all projects to have a net internal area of at least 70 sq m.
In addition to these guidelines, the URA also harmonized the definition of strata area and gross floor area (GFA) in June 2023, which resulted in a 6% decrease in the average DU size due to developers omitting aircon ledges.
Overall, the RCR saw the most significant increase in average size (19.5%) since 2015, while the CCR witnessed a decline of 11.7%. With the harmonization of GFA definition, the average DU size may decrease further in the coming years. However, with better provisions such as smart home features and high-end appliances, buyers are getting better value for their purchases compared to a decade ago.