Having lived in a “so much smaller than a one-room HDB Flat” during my university days, the small “shoebox” units seem reminiscent of good old times, in my bright and airy hostel room. I had everything that I needed (in fact my small little room was able to house about at least 200 books at each time, and I use shopping carts to bring books from the university library back to my room (which unfortunately was on the 4th floor of a walk-up building). Everything was within easy reach.

I was in fact surprisingly able to entertain my friends who came over for study groups (of about 4 of us). My room had a 14′ TV, VCR, electric airpot, rice cooker, oven toaster, a 4-foot long study table, a single bed, a fridge and a built-in wardrobe.

I didn’t cook much except for chicken rice, porridge, noodles, toasted sandwiches, grilled chicken, nuggets and other junk. Another compatriot who was living a few doors away cooked and fried food on her portable electric stove – just because she prefers the comfort of her room to the common kitchen 15 steps away.

But I digress…

What I am trying to do is paint a picture that living in a less than 300 sqft apartment the size of a “shoebox” is quite all right for young upstarts. I would love to move out from my parent’s place and live in a place just like that again, and live life as if I was still in university (yes I do love spending long nights cooped up with my books).

And to those comments by people who think living in “shoebox” apartments is detrimental to family life – I think not. In fact, giving young upstarts like us the freedom, may just push us in the right direction of setting up a family. It may just give that young couple much needed private space away from annoying and “nagging” parents (and perhaps grandparents).

What was shocking for me to read in The Business Times this morning was the comment by an analyst – here it is:

If ‘normal’ tenants like expatriates, foreign students and Singaporean yuppies do not wish to live in such small units, shoebox unit owners may push their properties to those who prefer shorter-term usage, including those in ‘hourly-rate businesses’, as one analyst put it.

Small units in the CBD or along the fringe of the CBD is very common in all metropolitan cities around the world. Many small families start out in such small units before they are financially ready for a bigger unit.

The main gripe by most observers is that the trend towards smaller units may continue to fuel more property investments as the quantum of such units is lower (despite a higher $psf). As statistics have proven that small units around 500sqft and below tend to get sold out first. Prior to the smallest ever apartment unit – at 258 square feet – being put on the market at the Suites@Guillemard project, most developers built units from lofts, to studio units around and about 450 – 510 sqft, and in limited quantities, normally making up less than 10% of the total number of units in the development.

It will take some 3 years before we can see these “shoebox” units at the Suites@Guillemard.