BRIDE-TO-BE, who bought a $1.58 million executive condominium loft unit, has to contend with rain coming in through the home's open-concept kitchen courtyard, which does not have proper windows nor grilles.
The 25-year-old, who bought her four-room Heron Bay apartment at Upper Serangoon View Road in 2012, claimed the kitchen's "window" - an opening - was not a proper window with glass panes and lacked grilles, Chinese newspaper Shin Min Daily News reported yesterday.
But the Heron Bay's developer told Shin Min that the owners' "claim of a purported missing window at their kitchen yard area is untrue", adding that the yards usually come with "just a parapet wall, and no windows, to allow for natural ventilation".
Shin Min visited the unit and found that its kitchen was unlike those of regular apartments, which have windows with glass panes and grilles. Instead, it resembled an open-concept balcony.
The bride-to-be's mother, Xie Meiying, a 55-year-old tuition teacher, told Shin Min that her daughter, who is getting married next month, got the keys to the apartment in November last year.
She had planned to move in last year, but rain entered the house through the open kitchen "window" during a heavy downpour on Christmas Eve, which left the living room wet.
Ms Xie, who added that a kitchen should rightly have a proper window, complained to the developer about the issue and the latter set up a covering with a metal rack and plastic sheet.
However, as it was unsightly, she requested for the developer to install proper windows.
Ms Xie's daughter has bought all the furniture for her new house, but has yet to have them delivered due to several unresolved issues.
Heron Bay's developer told Shin Min that open-concept kitchen courtyards are "very commonly found in private condos and executive condos".
The developer added that the owners had agreed, under the Sale and Purchase Agreement, not to affix or erect any shades, blinds, aerials, awnings, grilles, exhaust fans and the like to the exterior areas of the unit without the developer's prior written approval.
"Nevertheless, in view of the different needs of the owners, the management has given them the option to install their own windows and grilles," said the developer.
This option comes with detailed guidelines on the installation method. Such installations are considered part of the owners' own renovations.
Ms Xie also alleged that there are cracks on the unit's master bedroom walls, but the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) checked and verified that there are no structural cracks.
Ms Xie said that BCA, along with the developer's structural engineers, visited the house twice to perform checks.
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