When you hear about your friends, family or colleagues moving homes, it’s usually an “upgrade”. Whether they’re shifting from a smaller to larger HDB flat or from an HDB flat to a condo, you rarely hear someone “downgrading” to an HDB from a private property.
But is moving from a condo to an HDB flat really a step down? From having better financial peace of mind to enjoying more space, here are some reasons why those who have made the switch don’t miss condo living.
Note: The quotes in this article have been edited for clarity and brevity only.
1. Space is more important than perceived status
When you’re comparing psf costs, condos are much more expensive than HDB flats. That’s why many who upgrade from an HDB flat to a condo choose a smaller home, but one with the same number of bedrooms.
A A 2-bedder condo is often about 700sqft which is the size of a 3-room HDB flat. Meanwhile, a 4-room HDB flat (which also has 2 bedrooms) gives you close to 1,000sqft of living space. And when you have a growing family or are caring for elderly parents, the lack of elbow room can be a make-or-break.
But it’s not just about square footage. The layout, storage space, and functional design in HDB flats often feel more livable. Another common complaint is how condos today seem to be built smaller.
A Singaporean redditor shared that “All the newer condos I’ve been to all seem so much smaller than my own family’s 5-room HDB flat. We’re talking about claustrophobic bedrooms that can only fit one single bed and have no place for a study table. Moving back to an HDB flat feels more spacious than living in my old condo.”
Space is arguably one of the ultimate luxuries in land-scarce Singapore. That’s why it comes as no surprise that many who ‘downgraded’ back to an HDB flat luxuriate in it.
Another redditor “Condo is just for feels. It’s like people buying branded goods for ‘feels’ even though the branded and the non-branded goods both do the same thing. Some people get more ‘feels’ with the money saved in their bank.”
2. Lower mortgage when financing an HDB flat
Image credit: The Smart Local
Speaking of money saved in your bank account, the monthly mortgage costs for a condo are likely higher than those for an HDB flat.
One previous condo owner shared: “My HDB flat’s mortgage was $2,700 a month. Since moving to a condo, my mortgage became $4,100 a month. After living in the condo for a few years, I realised I didn’t really feel any difference in lifestyle.”
For some, paying hundreds or even thousands more each month just to feel the same can be a hard pill to swallow. The same condo owner then sold his property and bought a smaller HDB flat fully paid in cash. Afterwards, he still had $200,000 left which he put into investments and his business.
With a smaller mortgage, you’ll have more liquid cash. Instead of spending a big part of your monthly salary to keep up with loan payments, you have more breathing room and flexibility to focus on other financial goals.
For HDB homeowners who can just afford to upgrade, consider: are there better ways to improve your quality of life?
Some former condo owners agree that the extra money spent financing a private home could be put into fun luxuries like travelling. You could even splurge on the renovation of your HDB flat and give it a luxe condo vibe.
3. No longer having to pay high maintenance fees for condo facilities
Image credit: Lakeshore Condominium
When moving from an HDB flat to a condo, the pool and on-site gym are the two main perks many look forward to. Taking an evening dip in the pool and being able to work out without leaving your home sounds great. But how often do most people really use them?
One person shared that they don’t swim or play tennis, so they hardly used the condo facilities. Their children used to “love splashing around the pool”. But as they got older, the kids preferred heading out with their friends or watching TV at home.
For other ex-condo owners, their issue was that too many of their neighbours were using the facilities.
“Many young families were living in my condo. On the weekends, there are screaming children in the pool and playground and the sound echoes into all of the houses. The worst thing about my condo is the BBQ smell on the weekends. I feel like I am staying in a chalet at Downtown East.”
Regardless of whether you and your family make full use of condo amenities, you have to fork out a monthly condo maintenance fee. Most owners fork out $300 to $500 a month, with high-end projects hitting the thousands. As condo age, upkeep costs tend to increase. One retiree put it bluntly: “Maintenance went up to $460 a month. That’s around 16% of my income.”
It doesn’t help that not all Management Corporation Strata Title (MCST) will choose to update the facilities for an old condo. What happens is you end up with poor facilities with increasing costs you don’t use and still have to pay for.
In comparison, most HDB Service & Conservancy Charges hover around $70 or less, depending on the size and location of your home.
4. HDB living for better community living & ties
Image credit: The Smart Local
While condos offer more security, privacy, and exclusivity, they can also feel isolating. Condo developments also tend to have a higher proportion of foreigners who rent. This means you may be changing neighbours often and have to deal with the noise that accompanies tenants moving in and out.
We know there’s no guarantee you’ll find a strong sense of community in every HDB estate. But it is a common experience for many HDB flat dwellers to have stronger neighbourly ties. One homeowner adds that “My BTO community is really tight-knit. We always help each other and share food. Like the neighbour I stayed next to for two years? She will cook food for us randomly and I will return the favour. There is the kampong spirit. I even travelled with my BTO neighbours.”
5. Affordable condos may be further away from MRT stations & amenities
When upgrading from an HDB flat to condo, growing families may opt to buy homes further away from the city centre and/or properties not close to MRT stations. These wallet-friendly properties usually hit the sweet spot for size and price.
But you’ll have to contend with paying more for a car to get around easily or spending more time accessing public transport nodes. Staying in a private home enclave could also mean kopitiams, grocery stores, and other shopping options may not be easily accessible.
Image credit: City Hall Singapore
“When I got my condo, there’s nothing to do here. If I’m sleepless at 2am, there’s literally nothing to do except stare at the pool in the dark.”
“I don’t drive and the nearest MRT station was a 15-minute walk away. Plus, my old condo wasn’t even in the central part of Singapore, so travel was troublesome. Since I’ve moved back to an HDB flat, the travelling time to Orchard and Shenton Way is less than 30 minutes via MRT.”
“We’re a 3-minute walk from the nearest hawker centre and market. The kids can go to school, tuition class, or head out to meet their friends on their own easily because of the proximity to the MRT station.”
Moving from a condo to an HDB flat
Living in a condo offers more privacy and security. Often, many condo homeowners who upgraded from an HDB flat also feel the premises are cleaner and quieter. These improvements to a person’s quality of life are a big push factor to purchasing a condo too.
But as Gen Zs and millennials come of age, the reverence of the ‘5Cs: cash, car, credit card, condominium, and country club—as success markers has slowly begun to change. From the above homeowners’ experiences, it’s clear that moving from a condo to an HDB flat is not always ‘settling for less’.
Sometimes, living in an HDB flat also results in deeper connections to a neighbourhood and a stronger sense of belonging to Singapore. As one homeowner puts it:
“I prefer living in an HDB flat for my identity. Condos make you feel like you could be in any part of the world. When you step in or out of an HDB block, you know you’re in Singapore. It’s worth staying in HDB just for that.”
If you’re thinking of making the switch too, here are some articles to help:
- Cheapest 4-room HDB resale flats under $520K
- Most exciting HDBs reaching MOP in 2026
- Cost of renovating a 5-room BTO in 2025
Cover image adapted from: Phoenix Residences
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