Our house-hunting journey: our search for resale flat

Japandi
HDB (Resale)
~1,000 sqft
3 br
Couple Living

Our house hunting journey occurred during the pandemic when there were tight restrictions on home viewing. We discussed on the factors that were important to us in our new home. One thing we learnt through the process is everyone has their own unique circumstances and criteria in choosing their home - to each their own!
There will be factors that are negotiable and others which are not. These were the criteria for our first home. We were preparing to get married by the end of the year, so we needed to have a ready-to-move-in home by the time of our wedding.
Proximity to Parents: This was a huge factor for us as we visit our parents every week. We stay relatively close to our parents (15 mins drive, 45mins public transport) Location: We wanted an area we were relatively familiar with. We grew up in the east, so it made sense for us to look in the area. Ease of public transport: We decided early on that we did not plan to own a car (taking into account the costs of owning a car + how often we would use it). So we really invested in staying within a 5 min walk from a major MRT station (with 2 lines). We also stay beside a main road with many convenient buses.
Availability of amenities: We stay in the Central-East, so we are 1 MRT stop from a major heartland-shopping area. We are also relatively close to town (10 min from City Hall). Condition of the house & amount of renovation required: We chose a house that was bare-enough with minimal built-ins so that we could custom the house to how we want it to be. Floor: Purchasing a higher floor would provide more wind & ventilation. Higher floor units can fetch a higher resale price. Lease-life/Age of house: How much lease is left and how old the house is. It affects how easily you can sell your house.
Budget: Not just the cost of the house, but the cost of renovation required Availability of grants: We had around 80k in grants.