The post-Covid era is generally regarded as a good time for sellers. Home prices were at a high, so those looking at property gains for retirement (or other investments) would theoretically have done well. But as we’ve found out, not all downgraders who rushed to capitalise on their gains have been totally happy. This is where real estate differs from other financial investments, in that it tends to go far beyond money:

1. Some belongings are not worth giving up, even for the money

YK is in his mid-forties, and he just right-sized from a large, 2,000+ sq. ft. condo unit, which was handed down from his late mother. YK and his wife moved into a smaller two-bedder unit. This meant lower maintenance fees, as well as savings on transport and necessities: the couple’s previous home was quite far from malls or MRT stations, causing the couple to spend excessively on food and grocery deliveries.  ...