The Home Game

Home on the Dot

Buying your first home can be a daunting experience. It requires a long-term commitment and a tolerance for risk, not to mention a willingness to compromise if you buy with a partner. Many young Singaporeans buy their first home through the Build-to-Order, or BTO, scheme. These are flats in towers that have not yet been built. Applicants must meet strict requirements and wait years between application and the handover of keys. This birth of a home requires planning and patience. Unfortunately, even the most organized couples may fail in their first or second attempt, thus delaying both a couple’s marriage and the moment they can step into their first home. In this episode of Home on the Dot, we hear from two young couples navigating the bureaucratic, social, and financial complexities of realizing the dream of their first home, and we learn how society’s expectations surrounding marriage and home ownership cause some young Singaporeans to feel left behind in the home game.