Black-and-white houses in Singapore have piqued people's curiosity and attracted a lot of interest.

These properties, also known as colonial bungalows, as they were built and utilised by the British mostly before the 1940s, occasionally come with sprawling grounds.

Those not used for commercial purposes or as embassies are open to the public for rental for residential use, and the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) has taken to showcasing some of them recently by providing access to their interior and surroundings to demystify these spaces.

Video of colonial bungalow close to Orchard area

In a recent video on Sep. 4, SLA hosted a walkthrough of a colonial bungalow at 3A Goodwood Hill, which is off Stevens Road and a stone's throw from the Orchard area.

The single-storey house's unique selling point?

Seen from the street, the exterior of the house has "minimal decorative embellishments", according to SLA.

However, the interior is "elegant" and "bears all the artistic hallmarks of these heritage properties", SLA wrote.

The total land area the house sits on is 42,291sqft, while the gross floor area is 3,035sqft.

Gross floor area measures the entire covered floor area of a property, such as the house, as well as other quarters, garage, or buildings on site.

Non-symmetrical layout

The video also mentioned that the unit has a "non-symmetrical layout", which is unlike most colonial bungalows.

The bathroom and kitchen were also revealed to be upgraded and refurbished with modern fittings, likely the work of the previous tenant.

There is even a sheltered walkway that leads to another building on the compound.

The area this particular property is in houses a collection of bungalows with such unique designs, SLA noted.

Latest bidding results

According to the latest bidding results, a colonial bungalow at 24 Mount Rosie Road with approximately double the land area (83,066sqft) and two-and-a-half times the gross floor area (7,862sqft) in the Bukit Timah area was recently rented out for S$28,650.

Prospective tenants keen on the 3A Goodwood Hill colonial bungalow can visit the SLA website.

Background

During colonial times, black-and-white bungalows were residences of the rich in Singapore, including British government officials.

As they can be found in central areas like Scotts Road, Goodwood Hill, Malcolm Park, and Bukit Timah, as well as rustic areas like Alexandra Park, Sembawang, Changi, and Seletar, they appeal to tenants who love nature.

However, there are challenges associated with living in such properties.

Due to Singapore's tropical and humid weather, black-and-white houses -- with their abundance of wood -- require a robust maintenance regime.

Renovation works to the property must be subject to approval by the authorities.

Building exteriors cannot deviate from the classic black-and-white look.

The number of air-conditioning units to be installed can easily surpass the number needed for other private properties.

Tenants can make changes to the interiors but at the end of the tenancy period, the house must be returned in the state it was handed over.

Air-conditioning units, for example, would have to be taken out when the tenancy ends.

According to SLA, a tenant's average monthly income should be at least three times the offered rent, or else, the prospective tenant must be assessed by SLA to be of sound financial status.

Interested parties have to submit an application form, as well as supporting documents that indicate their income.

These take the form of payslips or income tax statements or employer letter.

An application deposit equivalent to one month's offered rent must also be submitted.

This deposit can be forfeited should the tenant back out of the rental after emerging as the highest bidder during a closed bidding process.

There is also no lowering of the rental after it has been revealed that the second-highest bidder had put in a much lower bid than the highest bidder.

If the tenant wins the bid, a security deposit equivalent to at least three months' worth of rent must be put up.

Top photos via SLA