Singapore Housing Culture Shocks SG vs USA| Since moving to Singapore more than four years ago,
I've stayed in a few HDB flats. HDBs are what more than 80 percent of the resident population
in Singapore lives in. In this video, I want to share some things that surprised me when I
first moved into a HDB, so let's get started!
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in Singapore! One thing that surprised me has to do with the water heater switch. In Singapore,
if you want to take a warm shower you need to make sure to turn on the water heater switch.
In Singapore, the instant heaters (also known as on-demand heaters or tankless heaters) that are
usually powered by electricity are very common. In the U.S., the large storage heaters that are
usually powered by gas are more common although the tankless heaters have gained popularity in
the U.S. in recent years. In Singapore you definitely would not find the large storage
heaters you would find in the U.S. It makes sense because space is so limited in Singapore. Since we
are on the topic of bathrooms, another thing that surprised me has to do with the shower area here.
The showers here don't usually come with an enclosure. In the U.S., you would
usually find the shower area enclosed with a glass door or curtains. Here in Singapore,
once you walk into the bathroom. you'll see the instant heater. Right next to the instant heater
with a shower head will be the toilet and the sink, so there's no separation between the toilet
area and the shower area like there usually is in the U.S. Something else that's different is that
the switches for the bathrooms are placed outside the bathrooms as opposed to the U.S. where the
switches are placed inside the bathrooms. At least for the places I stayed in, the switches
were inside the bathrooms. It makes sense because there's no enclosures in the shower areas here,
but it is another difference I noticed. Another thing that surprised me has to do with the
flooring. Carpet is not a common type of flooring you'd find in Singapore. It is however in the U.S.
In Singapore there are various types of flooring. One of the most popular is ceramic tiles. Another
thing that's different is that the light switches are reversed. In Singapore, when you toggle down
on the light switch you turn the lights on. When you toggle up on the light switch you turn the
lights off. In the U.S. it's the exact opposite. Also in Singapore you would often find a smaller
switch next to the bigger switch. You need to make sure to turn on the smaller switch as well
in order to use your devices. You wouldn't find that smaller switch in the U.S. Another
thing that's different has to do with the voltage. Standard voltage in Singapore is 230v and standard
voltage in the U.S. is 120v. Another thing that surprised me has to do with the windows here.
The first time I saw a window that was open in a HDB flat I was really surprised that there
wasn't a window screen. When you open a window in a HDB flat, it may look something like this.
In the U.S. windows screens are much more common. When you open a window, there'll still be a screen
there. Another difference has to do with the air conditioning. In Singapore, the individual AC
units are used. In the U.S., the centralized air conditioning system is used.
In Singapore people usually install the individual AC units in the bedrooms or
in the living room. They turn on the AC for that particular room to cool down that particular area
whereas in the U.S. the centralized system where the entire home is cooled down is used. Another
thing that surprised me has to do with the closets. In Singapore, homes don't come with
built-in closets like they do in the U.S. You do have the option if you're a homeowner
to hire someone to install a wardrobe system for you or to purchase a portable wardrobe from
a furniture store but homes usually don't come with built-in closets like they do in the U.S.
Another thing that surprised me is that if someone says they live in a 4-room HDB
that means there are three bedrooms. If someone says they live in a 3-room
HDB that means there are two bedrooms and if someone says they live in a 2-room
HDB that means there is one bedroom. The reason for that is because the kitchen area and
the living area is considered one room in a HDB. In the U.S., you would just say it's a three
bedroom home, a two bedroom home or a one bedroom home depending on how many bedrooms there are.
Another difference has to do with the laundry. In Singapore, people wash their clothes in a washer
and dry their clothes by hang drying them. People usually hang dry their clothes on these poles
that are made of bamboo or plastic. What they would do is put their wet clothes onto the poles,
clip them and dry them outside their HDB window. Something that looks like this.
In the U.S. people wash their clothes with a washer and dry their clothes with a dryer.
Thank you so much for watching. If you have any comments, please leave them down in the
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Have an amazing day! Stay safe! I will see you in the next video.
Bye-bye.