.Condo investments in Singapore offer a lucrative opportunity for capital appreciation. As a major global business hub with a robust economy, Singapore maintains a constant demand for real estate. Over time, property values in the country have consistently risen, particularly in prime locations where condos are situated. The potential for significant appreciation makes it a wise investment for individuals who enter the market at the opportune moment and hold onto their properties for an extended period of time. Through investing in a condo in Singapore, investors can reap substantial capital gains.
When considering investing in a Singapore Condo, one must pay careful attention to financing options. The country offers a variety of mortgage choices, but it is crucial to understand the Total Debt Servicing Ratio (TDSR) framework. This framework sets a limit on the amount of loan a borrower can take, based on their income and existing debt obligations. To make informed financial decisions and avoid becoming over-extended, investors should familiarize themselves with the TDSR and seek guidance from financial advisors or mortgage brokers. These professionals can assist investors in exploring various financing options to secure the best deal for their Singapore Condo investment.
As we enter the year 2025, Singapore’s built environment will go through significant changes. The facilities management (FM) sector will face numerous challenges, including increasing regulatory demands, rising costs, and technological advancements. However, three key factors will drive the future of FM towards sustainability: the mandatory energy improvement regime, the impact of rising temperatures on energy costs, and the growing trend of adaptive reuse in construction.The Mandatory Energy Improvement regime, set to begin in the third quarter of 2025, will require existing energy-intensive buildings to undergo energy audits and implement energy-efficiency improvement measures. This mandate applies to large commercial, healthcare, institutional, civic, community, and educational buildings with a gross floor area exceeding 5,000 sq m. These buildings will be required to reduce their energy usage by 10% from pre-energy audit levels – a target that can be achieved by implementing the right strategies.Asset owners are urged to take a long-term approach to investments in energy-efficient systems, despite the high initial cost. The energy audits will provide valuable insights into energy consumption patterns, identify areas for improvement, and guide asset owners in developing strategies to prolong the lifespan of assets, reduce operating costs in the long run, and contribute to a more sustainable built environment. Building owners can also take advantage of grants to cover the costs of energy efficiency upgrades.Read also: Surbana Jurong opens new global headquarters in Jurong Innovation District AdvertisementTemasek Polytechnic, Singapore’s first smart campus, has taken on the challenge of digitizing its campus operations in 2021. Their experience offers valuable lessons for the future of smart and sustainable FM.At the heart of Temasek Polytechnic’s smart campus is a suite of solutions that digitizes campus operations, such as facility booking, automating repair and maintenance work, crowd management, and temperature control measures. These systems are integrated into a common data environment that generates data, which is then visualized, monitored, and managed at a control center on campus. This data helps the campus operations team make informed decisions to keep the building’s systems healthy for as long as possible, maximizing the return on investment and reducing operational carbon levels. This experience serves as a model for other facilities to adopt sustainable and digital practices, ultimately driving sustainability, reducing costs, and ensuring long-term operational success.Another driving force for sustainability in the FM sector is the mandatory climate disclosure requirements for all listed companies and large non-listed companies with revenues exceeding $1 billion and total assets of at least $500 million by 2027.Rising temperatures and energy costs will also create a demand for investments in predictive technology. Air conditioning and mechanical ventilation (ACMV) systems are already major contributors to operational costs, accounting for about 60% of total energy expenses in many buildings.Optimizing these energy systems is crucial in mitigating rising energy costs. Building owners can achieve this by implementing energy-efficient solutions like energy recovery systems and thermal energy storage. Additionally, optimizing the operation of chiller plants to match changing weather conditions can reduce energy waste and costs.Read also: Lendlease and Surbana Jurong partner on digital platform Podium for DevelopmentAdvertisementAdvertisementAt the city and precinct level, extreme weather risks, such as flooding and urban heat, pose a threat to the health and performance of critical infrastructure, including drainage and plumbing systems. To mitigate these risks, building owners and city planners can leverage web-based geospatial IT tools to identify flood-prone areas or heat-exposed spaces. This information can then be used to develop a comprehensive operational plan that predicts extreme weather events and mitigates the risk of equipment failure and downtime. They can also optimize chiller plant operations to match changing weather conditions.The rising cost of construction is pushing developers towards adaptive reuse, with Singapore seeing an increase in redevelopment projects over the last five years. Surbana Jurong (SJ) estimates that the costs of mechanical and electrical systems have risen by about 30% compared to pre-COVID levels. This increase can be attributed to a 77% rise in logistic shipping costs, a 9% increase in labor costs, a 15% increase in construction material costs, and a shortage of mechanical and electrical (M&E) contractors. This trend is driving the adoption of smart design and engineering practices, such as using collaborative common data environments to benchmark construction and operational costs.Adaptive reuse is a response to the rising costs. By integrating data from multiple sources, stakeholders can track key performance indicators like time, cost, quality, and safety, across the various stages of the building cycle. This information helps in making informed decisions about retaining structural elements or implementing new design and construction practices. By using this approach, building owners can save on material, time, and labor costs. Post-construction, platforms like Podium can integrate with other operational systems to track building performance metrics like energy, waste, water consumption, indoor air quality, and occupancy trends. This helps in reducing operational carbon levels and managing the utility costs of cooling systems, which typically account for 60% of total operational costs.Read also: Mitbana and Intiland launch township development in Tangerang, IndonesiaAdvertisementAdvertisementSmart buildings also help mitigate cost pressures by maximizing the lifespan of capex-heavy equipment, like ACMVs, lifts, and air handling units. This is done through a data-driven, long-term lifecycle approach that prioritizes energy savings to offset energy costs. The insights provided by this data help in making informed decisions about procurement, replacements, and retrofits that can optimize the efficiencies of equipment, maximize return on investment, and ensure compliance with regulations and sustainable financing requirements. Sensors can be used to monitor and track the performance of each component in a piece of equipment, enabling predictive maintenance and reducing downtime. For example, vibrations in chiller systems can indicate wear and imminent failure of equipment, while thermographic testing can detect abnormal temperatures or heat build-up in the system.AI-powered monitoring systems can be used to monitor different components of a building’s M&E system, providing granular details about their performance. This information can then be used to determine replacement schedules and retrofit options to save on costs. By leveraging technology and data, building owners can make informed decisions to reduce costs and ensure the sustainability of their assets.