The modern multigenerational home: How some Singaporean families are redefining living together

Margaret, who prefers to be known as Maggie, and her husband spent years building expansive homes for their family of four children, from a double-storey shophouse to a jumbo flat. Both grew up in landed estates, and for years, they even kept a second home in Malaysia as a weekend retreat for the family.

But as their children grew up and moved out one by one — to start their own families, or simply to live independently — Maggie and her husband became empty-nesters in a large apartment.

“It was great to have so much space to ourselves again, but we also missed the buzz of a big family living together under one roof, with laughter and conversations daily,” says Maggie, who is in her 60s and works in the fast-moving consumer goods industry.

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Maggie and her husband occasionally floated the idea of moving in together again with one or more of their adult children. “They were always open to it, but it was very hard for everyone to get the timing right,” she says.

At different points, one child was working overseas. Another wanted to take a career break but wasn’t yet financially settled. One was undecided between moving in with her in-laws or buying her own place. Another was prioritising school proximity instead.

The Covid pandemic added further uncertainty, with property prices and rents surging, and job security in flux. The turning point came in late 2025, during a casual family lunch. One daughter mentioned she was thinking of selling her property. Another said she was ready to commit financially to a joint purchase.

“We quickly ran through the numbers to make sure they made sense in terms of affordability, and also browsed the latest property listings to see whether what was available in the market would pique our interest,” says Maggie. “The stars were finally aligned.”

The household moving into a landed property together will comprise five people: Maggie, her husband, their single daughter, and their married daughter with her husband. Along with them will come a variety of pets, both feathered and furry.

The family’s priorities were clear from the outset: as much space as they could afford, a garden for the pets and Maggie’s hobby of growing vegetables, and parking for at least two cars. A large kitchen was a bonus, since the family cooks often.

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Demand shaped by long-term demographic, lifestyle trends

Increasingly, in multigenerational households like Maggie’s, it’s pets rather than grandchildren that need looking after while the adult children are at work.

“The demand for multigenerational housing is likely being shaped by several long-term demographic and lifestyle trends,” says Mohan Sandrasegeran, SRI head of research and data analytics. “Multigenerational living has become a practical solution that allows some families to share caregiving responsibilities while making more efficient use of housing resources.”

Rather than being driven by a single generation, the demand appears to reflect a mutually beneficial arrangement that supports both younger and older family members, adds Sandrasegeran.

Buying multiple units, dual-key flexibility

After Covid, more homebuyers prioritise space. This is evident at new condo launches too, with buyer preference shifting from dual-key units to buying larger four- and five-bedroom units, says Mark Yip, CEO of Huttons Asia.

There have also been more cases of multigenerational families and siblings coming together to buy multiple units during private residential project launches in the past two years, adds Yip. Reasons include shared support with childcare and caring for parents, priority in balloting queues, and investment potential.

“Priority is often given to multiple purchases of units during project launches,” notes Yip. “To secure first dibs, some families have indicated interest in buying multiple units. Some adult children have opted to live with their parents or in-laws in a larger unit as an occupant. This allows them to invest in another unit without paying ABSD (additional buyer’s stamp duty).”

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Dual-key units offer another route to multigenerational living, as adult children can have their parents live with them while still enjoying privacy. According to Huttons’ Yip, dual-key units were first introduced at Caspian, a 712-unit, 99-year leasehold condo launched in 2009.

In addition to multigenerational families, dual-key units have been popular with investors, who can lease out one unit while retaining privacy, adds Yip.

Family considerations

Singapore’s ageing population has led more families to consider living arrangements that allow them to care for elderly parents, while younger couples increasingly value the support grandparents can provide with childcare, notes SRI’s Sandrasegeran.

For example, Belicia Tan, 34, chief commercial officer of Manna Concepts, and her sister, Bettina, who both have young children, have moved in with their parents.

They are staying in a strata landed house in the east, as they have yet to begin construction on the new home which they purchased together last year. (Read below: “Sisters and business partners building a three-generation home for 11”.)

Resilient demand across public to private housing

Besides private housing, multigenerational living is also evident from the “robust” application rate for 3Gen flats. Huttons points to the five-room/3Gen flats in Teban Heights launched in October 2025, which had an application rate of 2.1 for first-timers.

Multigenerational families are given priority to choose Build-To-Order flats under the multigenerational priority scheme, adds Huttons. Meanwhile, the proximity housing grant, together with the CPF Enhanced Housing Grant, helps lower the purchase price of a resale flat for a couple living near their parents.

“While there is no direct transaction dataset that specifically measures multigenerational living, broader housing market trends suggest that demand for larger homes has remained relatively resilient over the years,” says Sandrasegeran.

Based on data tracked by SRI Research, HDB resale transactions for executive flats, which include multigeneration flats, averaged around 1,773 transactions annually between 2015 and 2025. In 2025, a total of 1,539 executive flats changed hands, above pre-2016 levels.

“Looking ahead, we expect multigenerational living to remain an increasingly important segment of Singapore’s housing market, supported by long-term demographic trends such as an ageing population, evolving family structures and rising childcare costs,” says Sandrasegeran.

While it is unlikely to become the dominant housing model, demand for larger and more flexible homes is expected to remain resilient as more households prioritise practicality, caregiving and long-term liveability alongside traditional considerations such as location and affordability, adds Sandrasegeran.

Established with long-term family needs in mind

Most multigenerational living arrangements are also established with long-term family needs in mind, and are therefore generally more stable than purely investment-driven purchases, according to Sandrasegeran.

This is evident from the multigenerational households featured here — for instance, the four generations of the Ong family who have lived in the landed housing cluster at Tanah Merah Besar Lane over the past three decades. (Read below: “How the Ongs turned three houses in Tanah Merah Besar into an extended family compound for four generations”.)

Another is Kenneth Lim, who grew up in his grandfather’s mansion in Tanjong Katong, where six families and 32 family members lived together along with three helpers. His own household has shrunk to just three — himself, his mother and the helper. (Read below: “When multigenerational living shrinks to just three: A Peranakan family’s story”.)

“Although housing needs naturally evolve over time as children grow older, elderly parents age and family circumstances change, we expect multigenerational living to remain a relevant and practical housing solution for many Singaporean families in the years ahead,” adds Sandrasegeran. For Maggie, she is looking forward to the simple things they could do together as a family once they all move in: daily breakfasts, movie nights, and gatherings with friends and extended family.

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Sisters and business partners building a three-generation home for 11

Belicia Tan and her younger sister Bettina have always been close. They work together at Manna Concepts, a multi-brand hospitality and F&B group spanning eight brands and two central kitchens, which their mother, Linda Quek, started in the early 2000s in her home kitchen.

Quek has since retired and left the business in the hands of her two daughters. Belicia, 34, is chief commercial officer of Manna Concepts, while Bettina and her husband, Alson Tan, are executive chefs who run the restaurants in the group.

Even after they both got married, the two sisters wanted to continue living together. Home was a four-bedroom condo in the east. “Our family is very close-knit,” says Belicia. “It only made sense for our spouses to move in with us when we got married.”

A change of heart

Initially, Belicia thought living together would only be a temporary arrangement, and that she and her sister would have separate homes once they started having children. With this in mind, she and her husband bought a separate four-bedroom condo at a new project launch in 2019 — also in the east, so she could stay close to her family.

However, once their children came along, the sisters had a change of heart. “We thought it would be nice for our children to live together and have people to play with,” says Belicia. “My two children are very close to my sister and her husband, as well as my parents, and they’re used to growing up with a lot of people doting on them.”

When Belicia and her husband received the keys to their new condo in 2023, they decided to rent it out instead of moving in. “It was just easier with the support at home, and more people to take care of our kids because of our busy schedules,” she says.

Accommodating an expanding household

The expanding household also meant they quickly outgrew the original four-bedroom condo they had all been living in together. To have more space, the family moved into a three-storey strata house which they rented, while searching for a new home.

The household now has 11 members — Belicia, her husband, and their two young children; Bettina, her husband Alson, and their child; Belicia’s parents; and their two helpers.

Having grown up in the east, the family began house-hunting for a new home that could accommodate all three families plus helpers. They also wanted to stay close to their workplace, with easy access to amenities such as a gym, swimming pool and convenience stores. “It was not easy to find such an accommodation,” says Belicia.

One roof, three floors

In June 2025, they bought a three-storey freehold terraced house that met all their needs for $3.7 million. The plan is for the household to share the living and dining areas, while each family has its own level, so they still have privacy: Belicia’s parents will occupy the first level, while the two daughters and their families will occupy the upper floors.

They are planning the renovation of their new home, which was built 30 years ago. “We are still in the midst of planning what to do with the house — we haven’t begun construction yet,” she says.

For the family, what matters most are the shared, everyday moments: Belicia’s parents enjoy seeing their grandchildren every day. “As we all work, my dad helps to pick up my two children, either with me or my husband, and we all have dinner together — either my mum and the helpers cook, or we eat out together,” says Belicia.

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When multigenerational living shrinks to just three: A Peranakan family’s story

Thirty-five people once lived under one roof at Kenneth Lim’s grandfather’s mansion on Wareham Road, off Tanjong Katong Road. Growing up in the 1970s, Lim lived there with his parents and younger sister. They were part of a household with six families across three generations who shared the sprawling main house. It had 32 family members in total, including his grandparents, two single aunts, and two married uncles with their wives and children. An outhouse on the compound housed three helpers, bringing the total to 35.

In the early 20th century, such multigenerational Peranakan family homes could be found primarily in Joo Chiat and Tanjong Katong in the east, as well as Emerald Hill, off Orchard Road.

Lim’s story reflects just how the multigenerational family living in a Peranakan household has changed over three generations. After Lim’s grandfather passed away, the land was subdivided and sold in the late 1990s: The main house was sold as a standalone bungalow, while the garden was developed into a pair of semi-detached houses that were subsequently sold too. With the proceeds from the sale, the remaining family members bought their own homes.

Separate household

In 1997, Lim’s parents bought a corner terraced house at Jalan Bangsawan in Opera Estate, a quiet, established residential neighbourhood in the east that was once a massive coconut and rubber plantation owned by the Frankel family in the early 20th century.

The strong Peranakan tradition continued in Lim’s family home at Jalan Bangsawan, even though the family size had shrunk. When his father passed away, Lim decided to redevelop the property in 2006.

The 2.5-storey corner terraced house came with a built-up area of 3,700 sq ft on a freehold site of 2,432 sq ft. The house has five en suite bedrooms. As Lim’s younger sister had already married and moved out, the household shrank to just three people — Lim, his mother and a helper. However, he still designed the home to be multigenerational in spirit: separate, self-contained floors for himself and his mother, connected under one roof.

Lim designed the interiors himself and handpicked the furniture, including antique pieces — some over 200 years old — that once graced his grandparents’ mansion. He wanted the home to reflect the family’s Peranakan heritage.

A high-level tech professional, Lim is also a self-taught landscape designer and horticulturist. He decided to treat the redesign of his home and garden as his first landscape design project. The living room was designed with a direct view of the garden, with glass sliding doors opening out to it. The dining room was equally spacious, as Lim enjoys cooking and entertains regularly at home.

The second level was his mother’s private space. Her en suite bedroom on that level opened onto a private terraced garden, where she could exercise and meditate.

Lim’s own private sanctum was on the attic level: a spacious bedroom, a workspace, and a private terraced garden with a jacuzzi pool. His Balinese-style bathroom featured a bathtub overlooking greenery.

Second career

Not long after completing the redevelopment and landscaping of his home, Lim began getting requests from neighbours and friends to design their gardens too.

What started as a recreational activity grew into a business — SyncScape, formed in 2007. Over the next two decades, Lim designed gardens for more than 100 properties across Singapore, from terraced houses to Good Class Bungalows.

In 2024, after 27 years in tech, Lim decided to leave the corporate world behind and pursue landscape design full-time. He felt it was also time to rightsize as his mother was entering her 90s.

Notably, when he sold the house at Jalan Bangsawan, the buyers were themselves a multigenerational family — a format that still holds appeal in Singapore, even as its shape varies widely from household to household.

“They kept the property intact and made only minor renovations to suit their lifestyle,” says Lim. He has visited the property several times since, as they have consulted him on the care of the garden.

Lim declined to comment on the sale price. However, based on caveats lodged, the sale price was almost four times the $1.45 million his father paid for the property in 1997.

Rightsizing: ‘From managing seven bathrooms to three bathrooms’

For his new home, Lim’s criteria were space to continue entertaining and plenty of greenery. After visiting the sales galleries of new launches and older resale condos on the East Coast, he settled on a three-bedroom apartment in Marine Parade with sea views.

Lim embarked on a major refurbishment of the 1,647 sq ft unit and moved in in May 2026. Most important was the kitchen, large enough for Lim, his mother, and their helper to prepare and cook Peranakan dishes for the dinner parties he hosts for family and friends.

“My cousins and friends are amazed at how I managed to retain the vibe of the house at Jalan Bangsawan in this new space,” says Lim. The balcony has been turned into Lim’s new garden. He converted a corner of the apartment into a “showroom”, where he holds discussions with his clients. These days, Lim plays the dual role of home and garden designer.

Today, at least 60% of his time is spent outside Singapore. His practice now takes him to Indonesia and Thailand, where he designs the landscapes of residences, villas and boutique hotels.

For Lim, the new condo is proof that the Peranakan tradition of multigenerational living can take root in a much smaller footprint than the mansion he grew up in. “In a way, the apartment is easier to manage than a house,” he says. “We only have three bathrooms to manage now, compared to seven in our previous home.”

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How the Ongs turned three houses in Tanah Merah Besar into an extended family compound for four generations

For nearly 30 years, Rosie Ong, her siblings, and mother have lived with their families in three semi-detached houses in the quiet landed residential enclave on Tanah Merah Besar Lane in the east.

Today, there are 36 freehold houses there, predominantly semi-detached and detached houses completed in 1997. Back in the late 1990s, there were just two pairs of semi-detached houses, with the rest built progressively over the years.

At that time, Ong and her husband, Jeremy, were living in an HDB flat in Tampines with their two young daughters. Ong’s sister, her husband and their two young daughters had just sold their HDB flat and moved in temporarily with Ong while waiting for their new condo to be completed.

“We got along very well, and Jeremy and I decided to sell our HDB flat too, and upgrade to an executive condo,” she recalls.

While house-hunting, they chanced upon a three-storey, semi-detached house that fitted their needs — with five en suite bedrooms, two of which were designed as master bedrooms, and spacious living, dining, and family rooms for their growing children. The house also came with a dry and wet kitchen, important to Ong, who loves to cook; as well as a helper’s room with an attached bathroom and a large yard at the rear.

Buying three neighbouring houses

Ong and her sister, together with their husbands, pooled their funds to buy the semi-detached house for $1.3 million in 1998. Ong’s eldest brother bought the semi-detached house next door and moved in with his family, which included three daughters.

Shortly after, her second brother and another sister, together with their mother, bought a single-storey, semi-detached house on the street behind. Their grandmother moved in too.

Living together meant accommodating each other, Ong says. “We felt it was important to give and take, and share household chores — even our husbands pitched in.”

Both families had an upfront agreement to split 50:50 when it came to bills and household expenses. They took turns paying the property tax, the helper’s salary, groceries and utilities.

Looking out for each other

While Ong, her sister and their husbands were at work, and the children were still young, Ong’s mother looked after them. The children used to run freely from one house to the next. “As we stayed close to each other, whenever there were problems, help was available just a few steps away,” says Ong.

Growing up together, and living together, also meant their children became very close over the years. “They played together, studied together and went to school together,” says Ong. “Even after getting married, they remain close.”

Ong and her siblings have also renovated her mother’s home to make it more comfortable and elderly-friendly, as her mother, now in her mid-80s, requires more care.

The families continue to gather every Saturday evening for dinner. Ong’s mother used to prepare the meals for these gatherings; the responsibility has since fallen to Ong.

“We will all eat together, chat, laugh and celebrate every event — birthdays, Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, Chinese New Year, the Lantern Festival and Christmas,” she says.

The sisters have passed on the tradition of family togetherness to their children. “We’ve kept the tradition for almost four generations,” says Ong. “And we want to see the next generation continue the tradition.”

Ong notes that family sizes are shrinking, and increasingly, people don’t even have any surviving family members in old age. “I see so many people die alone these days,” she adds. “I hope their relatives and the community can do more to care for them.”

Empty-nesters downsizing

Recently, Ong’s younger daughter moved into her new Build-To-Order flat with her fiancé; the couple will marry next year. Likewise, Ong’s nieces have married and moved out.

Her eldest brother’s oldest daughter had also lived with the family in the home next door after having children of her own, bringing a fourth generation into the household. She has since moved out.

Ong’s eldest brother, in turn, sold his semi-detached house next door as well, as his own household emptied out.

The Ong sisters, now empty-nesters themselves, found their own house had also become too big to maintain. “We are also getting older, and can’t really climb stairs every day,” says Ong.

The two sisters and their husbands decided to put the property up for sale last year, and found a buyer for $4.26 million in October 2025, according to a caveat lodged then.

Only the single-storey, semi-detached house on the street behind — which continues to be home to Ong’s mother — remains in the family today, and it’s there that the family’s Saturday dinners continue to be held.

Since the sisters sold their joint home, they have each bought their own condos: Ong purchased a 1,044 sq ft, two-bedroom-plus-study unit at a freehold condo in the Changi area for $1.42 million. Her sister is also moving into a condo in the east, to be near her daughter.

“Our course in life is always changing, and as we age, our needs and plans change,” says Ong, who is now 63 and retired a decade ago from a global toy and entertainment company. “Our children have grown up and are getting married, so our next phase is to downsize.”

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