Home, through every stage of life: A National Day 2026 special

Every National Day, we return to the same word: home. It anchors our national anthem, our heartlands, our sense of belonging on this little red dot.

But ask 10 Singaporeans what the word means to them, and you will get 10 different answers — because home isn’t a fixed idea.

It changes as we do: from a newlywed couple’s first Build-To-Order (BTO) application, to parents hoping to live near a sought-after primary school, to a young high-earner exploring alternatives to homeownership. For seniors, it could mean ageing in place, retiring overseas, or moving in with their adult children and grandchildren.

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This week, EdgeProp Singapore’s newspaper brings together stories and commentaries that trace those different chapters of home in Singapore.

We begin with the choice at the heart of nearly every young Singaporean’s first home: which BTO flat to buy, and where.

With new flats classified as Standard, Plus or Prime, buyers must sort through the push and pull of location, size, price, flexibility and upgrading aspirations. Where do you want to build the next five to 10 years of your life?

The public housing story doesn’t end there. We also take stock of the HDB resale market, which has moderated after a multi-year run-up.

But the recent dip in the price index may not signal a repeat of the prolonged slowdown seen in previous years. Resale volumes are still healthy, upgrader demand is holding steady, while buyers are entering the market better informed and under less pressure to pay above valuation for a resale flat.

From there, we turn to a distinct, if still niche, segment of high-income, young Singaporeans who are intentionally turning away from the traditional property ladder. Who are they, and what are they doing instead?

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Some are renting for the foreseeable future, swapping ownership for flexibility. Others favour co-living, serviced apartments, or staying put in the family home, while a number split their time between Singapore and elsewhere as digital nomads.

Their choices challenge assumptions about the housing ideal that generations have followed, and reflect changing household and family structures. In Singapore, it turns out, owning a home is not the only answer.

We then look at how the definition of a desirable address is evolving. Up-and-coming precincts such as Bayshore, Turf City and Berlayar are transforming into compelling options, each with its own strengths — be it waterfront living, greenery, heritage or future upside.

Gen Zs and millennials are also showing a strong preference for Tengah, Jurong Lake District and Punggol. Buyers, it seems, are looking past location labels alone and paying closer attention to an estate’s liveability and character.

Then come the family years. School proximity often drives buying decisions for parents with school-going children, with certain condos usually in high demand and quick to sell out. These projects may also see prices appreciating more quickly than their counterparts in the vicinity.

Recent policy changes have further stoked buying interest. Competition is intensifying for school placement, prompting more families to move within 1km of their preferred educational institution.

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Family ties run deep in our cover story this week, as the rise of multigenerational living takes centre stage.

Buyers are going for bigger and 3Gen HDB flats, snapping up large-format or multiple condo units at new launches, and moving into landed properties that can comfortably house the whole family.

Their reasons range from shared caregiving and childcare support to balloting priority and investment potential. But at the heart of it is a shared desire to grow old, and grow up, together.

On the other end of the spectrum, we explore why some buyers are drawn to smaller condos in the Core Central Region.

It is a diverse crowd: young professionals, small families and empty-nesters — each weighing city living and long-term address value against a more compact footprint. Thoughtful design does the rest, turning a modest space into a liveable home.

And we arrive, too, at what it takes to grow old at home. Ageing in place starts at the estate level, long before you reach your front door, with barrier-free access, intuitive wayfinding and communal spaces that keep everyone active and socially engaged.

Inside the home, unit layouts are increasingly planned for flexibility so they can adapt as residents move through life stages and living arrangements. Senior-focused interior designers also work hand in hand with occupational therapists to design around each individual.

And for those looking outside of the city-state’s shores, we speak with Singaporeans retiring in Johor Bahru, drawn by lower living costs, the ability to stay close to Singapore for work or family and, soon, greater connectivity via the RTS Link. Other retirees are casting their net farther, to cities like Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Melbourne and Perth.

Read together, these stories are about how Singaporeans, at every stage of our lives, keep answering the same question: Where, and how, do I want to live?

It is fitting to ask, on the day we celebrate all the ways we call this island home.

Here’s wishing Singapore a happy 61st birthday.