Six months free condo living in Lion City

SINGAPORE: A property developer is offering a family the chance to live for free for six months in a fully furnished condominium unit in Kovan.

But it is not really a marketing gimmick to whip up interest in Fiorenza, launched last year, as all but two of its 28 units have been sold.

Rather, it is a test bed of sorts for Koh Brothers, which hopes to gather useful feedback on “lifestyle living”, as opposed to just selling an unfurnished unit.

Touted as a “concept home”, the two-bedder has space-saving, tech-savvy furniture suitable for smaller homes.

Smart features in the fifth-floor unit include a dining table that converts into a coffee table, a foldable bed which can double as a study table, motorised sun shades and multi-room surround sound.

The successful family who will not be obliged to purchase the unit should be a family of three, including a child, and be able to give fair feedback and comments about their experience.

To apply, they will also have to submit a 100-word essay on why they deserve the “best experience in life”.

Utility bills will be paid by the developer but the family will have to bear costs such as cleaning the apartment.

The flat, fitted with everything from a washing machine to cutlery, measures 1,367 sq ft, of which nearly 500 sq ft make up the rooftop garden, leaving about 872 sq ft of indoor living space.

Units at Fiorenza have been sold at an average price of S$1,000 to S$1,100 per sq ft. The “concept home”, with all its furnishings, will cost some S$1.6mil; the unit alone costs about S$1.4mil.

Koh Brothers managing director and group chief executive Francis Koh said the idea for the “concept home” was conceived nine months ago.

“It's a passion for us, to improve the living conditions for the dweller ... so that they can experience what is ambience, nice avant-garde furniture, at the same time optimise the space,” he added.

He said the feedback he gathered would be used as tips for future developments.

By The Straits Times/Asia News Network