SINGAPORE: A couple’s plans to tie the knot have hit a stumbling block after they found themselves at odds over whose HDB flat would have to be given up.

On Saturday (Jul 4), the man shared his story anonymously in the ‘Complaint Singapore’ Facebook group. He explained that he and his girlfriend, both in their early 50s, each own a four-room HDB flat from their previous marriages.

He lives in Clementi, while she owns a flat in Redhill. They also each have children from their previous marriages, making them a blended family with five children altogether.

According to the man, he is perfectly happy with their current arrangement. 

His girlfriend, however, wants to get married and is unwilling to continue the relationship without making it official.

“I’m happy like this, but my girlfriend will only be only satisfied if we get married, but that means we need to dispose one of our HDB.”

Under HDB rules, a married couple is regarded as a single household, or family nucleus, and is generally allowed to own only one HDB flat at any one time.

The problem is her

The man believes keeping both flats is the more practical option.

He pointed out that having two homes gives the blended family more space and flexibility. 

“I told her marriage is paper only; having 2 HDBs is important. Because how to accommodate our combined 5 children in only 1 HDB?” he wrote.

“She’s still angry at me and demand I need to give her what she wants. I don’t want to kena forced into marriage like this. The problem is her.”

“Don’t sell your HDB, give it to your kids”

In the comments, many users agreed that the couple should prioritise keeping both HDB flats over getting married.

One pointed out that squeezing a blended family with five children into a single four-room flat was hardly realistic.

“It seems like it is quite impossible to stay together with 5 children from different marriages… when they grow older, they all want to have their own room… how to get a house with 6 rooms?” they wrote. 

“And what if there is a quarrel between your children and her children? You know, even blood siblings have serious arguments, what more when they ...