SINGAPORE: Having to put up with kaypoh neighbours, loud television and other inconveniences, a family which recently switched from a condominium to an HDB flat is considering going back to their condo life due to the drastic difference in privacy and security. “We realised that neighbours tend to be a little more kaypoh here and talk loudly when walking past corridors, letting their kids run about at corridors, [and there are even] people looking at your delivery parcels,” the post read.

On Thursday (Oct 31), a family took to an online forum to share their sentiments on their recent switch from condo living to HDB life. Almost right away, the family noticed the “big difference in privacy and security”.

“Realised that in HDBs as there are bigger families here, it tends to be noisiest during evening and weekend compared to condos where it’s always quiet until you go down and use the amenities,” the family shared. “Neighbours tend to open their front door understandably to air their houses but [it] also means that any sound from inside does come out like when they’re watching TV  [or] cooking — the smell lingers in the corridor — slamming of the metal gates, and oddly it’s not really soundproof because sounds from above and side are so much obvious compared to condos.”

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The family also shared how installing a doorbell camera has helped change their neighbours’ busybody behaviour. “We installed a doorbell camera, which is legal and helps a lot when we have deliveries or unknown loitering at the front door,” they said. “Since then we stopped having them slowing down or looking into our house when we open the door just for a bit (so weird, why would you look into someone’s house..).”

The post included more of their key observations about HDB living, such as their next-door neighbour’s loud television sounds heard from the room next to it. “We utilise the room next to it as a store room instead, can’t imagine sleeping in that room with the muffled TV noise,” they wrote.

“One time we had friends come over, they were entering the house and greeting us and the neighbour had the audacity to come out and stare at us, which I did not appreciate, so I asked ‘Do you wanna join us? Do you need something?’ She then said we were noisy, and of course, we had sound recordings of her TV noises from 8 pm to 12 am daily because we have an in-house camera to check on our cats.

“I pulled out a few and told her ‘, Like your daily TV noises?’ Then she just went into her house, muttering stuff. I’m so sorry, but is this normal in HDB? Just genuinely curious, or we’re just in the wrong neighbourhood.”

The family then shared that due to all these factors, after only three months of HDB living, they are already considering switching back to their condo life by the end of the year.

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In response to the post, a handful of  netizens pointed out that such incidents can happen anywhere. “You are just in the wrong place,” said one. “My neighbours in my current HDB are amazing. Very friendly, quiet and considerate. They leave their doors open, which is quite nice actually….makes our floor feel more lively. When their doors are closed, it feels kinda weird. But there are no loud TV sounds or anything like that. Just sounds of everyday life and a polite greeting when we see each other while waiting for the lift.”

“Nothing to do with condo or HDB.,” another pointed out. “My parents stay in a condo, and each weekend, the pool is so noisy with kids screaming…it’s all a matter of luck.”