A million-dollar 'dream' come true: How this Woodlands HDB flat sold for $1.01 mil

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When Ming Yen and Sandy put their HDB executive apartment on Woodlands Street 81 up for sale, the couple and their property agent Sidney Lin had a target in mind: to cross the million-dollar mark.

They eventually sold the 1,582 sq ft flat for $1.01 million this year, placing it among the highest-priced transactions for resale flats in Woodlands — even above the prices fetched by some larger executive apartments and maisonettes in the town.

Originally from Taiwan, Sandy is now a Singapore citizen, while Ming Yen is a permanent resident.

The couple had bought the flat in 2019 as their first home together in Singapore, and spent about $200,000 renovating and furnishing it.

Read also: What's moving the market: Singapore's biggest property deals and hottest searches (Sept 4)

"We really, really love this house," Ming Yen tells EdgeProp Singapore in an interview.

They also credit Lin for his role in their home ownership journey: helping them buy their Woodlands home in 2019, selling it six years later, and securing their next home.

One of the priciest flats in Woodlands

At $1.01 million, the couple's flat stands out among HDB resale transactions in Woodlands in a few ways.

For executive units of the same 1,582 sq ft size in the town, the transaction set a new price high, based on data as at Sept 6.

The sale price also works out to about $638 psf. At the time of the transaction in May, this was the top psf price among executive units of a comparable size in Woodlands.

That psf-price benchmark was surpassed in August, when a slightly smaller 1,518 sq ft executive apartment changed hands for $988,000, or $651 psf.

The $1.01 million quantum of the couple's flat also exceeded that of many larger executive units transacted in Woodlands over the past year. These included executive apartments and executive maisonettes measuring around 1,800 to over 2,000 sq ft, several of which changed hands for $1 million or less.

Read also: What's moving the market: Singapore's biggest property deals and hottest searches (Aug 28)

The lease for the couple's flat started in 1994, leaving about 66 years and eight months at the time of the sale. Even so, it still fetched a higher price than some similarly sized, newer flats in Woodlands with longer remaining leases.

How the $1.01 mil sale compares with other Woodlands executive flats:

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Note: Selected comparable resale transactions in Woodlands from July 2025 to September 2026, based on data as at Sept 6, 2026. Source: HDB, EdgeProp Research.

The story behind the seven-figure deal goes back six years, to 2019, when Ming Yen and Sandy were house-hunting and first began working with Lin.

Bigger home than planned

Back then, they were not looking for an executive apartment. The couple were renting in Woodlands and had focused their search mainly on standard four- and five-room resale flats in the vicinity.

Woodlands was convenient for them, with Ming Yen working nearby in the education sector. Sandy, who is in the banking and finance industry, could easily commute to the CBD.

After speaking with a few real estate agents, the couple were introduced to Lin through a former colleague of Ming Yen’s.

Read also: Why this long-term renter has called co-living home for four years — and counting

The Woodlands executive apartment was the first property Lin took them to view.

"Initially, we thought, wow, this might be too big for just the two of us," says Sandy. "We weren’t planning to get such a big unit."

The couple did not have children then, and were wondering whether they would really need that much space.

But they decided to buy it after a second viewing. "We actually loved it very much because there's so much space," says Ming Yen.

The size of the flat also felt familiar to the couple, who had grown up in larger homes in Taiwan.

Sandy recalls Lin encouraging them to keep an open mind despite their initial reservations about the size.

"Sidney told us there’s no harm to see," she says. "He opened a new world to us."

Designing the flat for the future

At first, Ming Yen and Sandy designed the home around just the two of them, with largely independent living spaces on either side of the flat for each person.

Sandy took the right side, where the original master bedroom was reconfigured to include her 138 sq ft bedroom with a super-king bed, a 145 sq ft walk-in wardrobe and home office, as well as the 72 sq ft master bathroom.

Her bedroom also has custom floor-to-ceiling padded wall panels, which cost around $7,000.

Ming Yen's space was on the opposite side of the flat. It comprised a 151 sq ft junior master bedroom with a 39 sq ft en suite bathroom, and a 126 sq ft common room that served as his home office.

Between the two individuals' living spaces were the shared areas. These included the 315 sq ft living room, a wet kitchen that was extended to 172 sq ft, and a smaller dry kitchen and coffee bar with a custom marble countertop.

At the heart of the dining room is a custom marble dining table with built-in electrical power points, so it can double up as a work-from-home desk.

A slatted wooden partition cuts through part of the living room in the middle of the flat, creating a natural dividing line between the two sides.

The open passage through the partition was planned so that a door could be added later if they wanted to separate the flat to create a dual-key layout.

This was part of a longer-term idea suggested by Lin: that the couple could potentially reconfigure the flat into a dual-key unit later in life, so they could live in one section while the other side could be for their parents when they visit from Taiwan, or to rent out in retirement.

The renovation included an extensive overhaul of the kitchen, bathrooms, flooring and carpentry. The home was also fitted with smart devices and cameras that could be accessed remotely.

These works coincided with the Covid-19 pandemic, which pushed up construction material costs and delayed the renovation.

In total, it took about six to seven months to complete and furnish, costing an estimated $200,000.

When two became three

Halfway through the renovation, their plans took an unexpected turn: Sandy became pregnant.

Both break into grins and laughter as they recall the news, which Ming Yen describes as a "blessing". "That's when everything went haywire," he quips.

With their family about to grow, the duo adjusted some of their original plans for the home.

One of the main changes was to the common room that Ming Yen had intended to use as his study and gaming room.

After learning that Sandy was pregnant, they cleared the room entirely so it could be adapted to whatever their child might need.

They deliberately kept the room free of built-in fixtures, with furniture that could be moved around as needed. Electrical power points were also positioned higher on the walls to keep them out of a young child’s reach.

As their son grew older, a single bed was added, and Ming Yen reclaimed a small corner for a pared-down study and gaming setup.

The child's play area has also spilled from the common room into the adjoining living area, furnished with a child-sized table and chairs, an easel and drawing paper, as well as shelves of books, toys and plushies, with ride-on toy vehicles parked next to the entrance foyer.

The couple also hired a live-in helper after their son was born. They converted what had been meant as a yard and laundry area into a dedicated room, with an adjoining bathroom, for her.

The door to the helper’s space is integrated into the vertical wall panelling, allowing it to blend into the dining area while giving the helper more privacy.

"We made some changes here and there, but most of the layout and main concept remained the same," says Ming Yen.

Lin adds that the flat's size was what gave the couple enough flexibility to adapt for a growing household.

"Because it's such a huge space, they can have the lifestyle they want while also welcoming a newborn into their family," Lin shares.

Enjoying the home while they could

Even before the renovation was completed, the couple knew that with a child on the way, they would eventually have to leave Woodlands.

Ming Yen had in mind a primary school in Toa Payoh for their son, and commuting there daily from Woodlands would have been impractical. They thus planned to move closer to the school.

"We already knew that six years later we were going to move," Ming Yen says. "So we tried to enjoy ourselves for six years."

That did not make them any less attached to the home.

Over those six years, the family had plenty to celebrate in the apartment. Sandy's pregnancy was one of numerous milestones, and she later received a promotion at work after giving birth.

The spacious flat also became a favourite gathering place, with the couple hosting social get-togethers and their son often having his friends over.

The view was another highlight: they were able to watch fireworks light up the sky during National Day and New Year's Day celebrations.

"Our son is also very happy about this home. All his friends love this place," says Sandy.

Ming Yen adds: "This house has treated us very, very well. So we really have no complaints."

When the six years were nearly up and the family began preparing for their next move, they turned again to Lin.

The agent first helped the family secure their next resale HDB flat in Toa Payoh, before putting the Woodlands executive apartment on the market.

Setting their sights on a seven-figure dream

For the Woodlands flat, Lin and the couple decided to test whether it could cross the million-dollar mark.

"We had a dream. We wanted to cross $1 million," says Lin. "I suggested a strategy I thought was worth a try, and they were on board."

The unit was listed at around $1.15 million. A steady flow of enquiries after the listing went live gave them confidence that their goal might just be achievable.

Chief among the flat’s selling points was its potential to be reconfigured into a dual-key layout.

As planned during the renovation, the two sides of the home could be separated in the future, giving the next owner more options for how the space could be used.

The flat's extensive renovation and its well-maintained condition also meant a buyer could move in immediately.

Lin estimates that a "decent" renovation for a flat of this size today could easily cost upwards of $100,000 to $150,000.

"Even if you were to spend $50,000 to touch up, it’s still a lot of cost savings," he continues.

The flat also benefitted from its transport connectivity. A bus stop sits at the foot of the block, while a sheltered pathway leads directly to Causeway Point mall, Woodlands MRT Interchange and the Woods Square mixed-use development.

Moreover, the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) has shortened journeys from Woodlands to the city.

Connectivity is set to improve further with the upcoming Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link, which is slated to open in January 2027 and will allow passengers to travel across borders via a mere five-minute train journey. Singapore’s Woodlands North RTS Link station, which connects to the TEL, was completed on Sept 4.

Another factor in the group's favour was that they had already secured their next home and did not need an extension of stay after selling the Woodlands flat. This gave the agent more room to negotiate with prospective buyers.

"As I had all these trump cards in my hand, to the credit of my sellers [Ming Yen and Sandy], the negotiations with buyers were just about getting a very good price at the end of the day," Lin says.

During the marketing period for the executive apartment, Ming Yen and Sandy accommodated viewings around their work and family schedules, and always kept the home presentable for prospective buyers.

"We were very aligned in our goals throughout the whole process," highlights Lin. "That's how we managed to pull off this record. We are proud to achieve it together."

For their part, the couple were happy for Lin to take the lead on key decisions during the sale process.

Finding a buyer who saw the same potential

Several offers came in for the executive apartment. The couple initially issued an option to purchase to a prospective buyer, but he later withdrew due to concerns over the potential cash-over-valuation amount.

The eventual buyer first viewed the HDB flat on a Sunday before returning the next day for a second look.

The potential dual-key configuration turned out to be particularly important to him, as he was planning for retirement.

By then, his children would be older and likely have moved out, which would allow him to rent out the other half of the flat.

"The buyer wants a unit that can give him that flexibility to convert into a dual-key format in the future," Lin says.

It was a notion that resonated with the sellers too. "It's quite similar to our retirement plan," says Ming Yen.

Less than a month passed between the flat being listed for sale and the couple receiving the $1.01 million offer — even with the waiting period arising from the previous option to purchase.

"Sidney also got us a very good price for this one," says Ming Yen. "We were amazed after checking other transactions in Woodlands."

Sandy considers themselves "so lucky to have Sidney". She adds: "We trust him a lot, and just let him handle everything."

Settling in closer to school and city

The family has since moved to a slightly smaller HDB resale flat in Toa Payoh.

Their new home is on a high floor and close to the primary school they are enrolling their son in.

The family also values the proximity to MRT stations and bus stops as they do not own a car.

For Ming Yen and Sandy, leaving Woodlands is bittersweet.

During viewings for the Woodlands flat, they often told prospective buyers about their time in the apartment and why they felt fortunate to have called it home for six years.

The eventual buyer visited several times, giving them the opportunity to share their story with him as well.

Sandy says: "We love this house very, very much. It has really treated us well, so we hope it will treat the next owner well too."

Property Diaries is a new series that goes behind the scenes of real estate transactions, featuring homebuyers, investors and renters sharing their search journeys, decisions and lessons learnt.

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