Buying a multi-million dollar condo in Singapore usually comes with sweet perks: a shiny infinity pool, a state-of-the-art gym, and bragging rights at family gatherings. But for some residents at The Tre Ver in Potong Pasir, their modern sanctuary came with an unexpected, unwanted, wood-munching bonus feature: a full-blown drywood termite infestation.

If you’ve ever had to deal with pests in your home, you know how jialat it is. But when your brand-new, built-in carpentry turns into an all-you-can-eat buffet for bugs? That is a true-blue Singaporean nightmare.

🍽️ Welcome to the Bug Buffet

It all started when residents began noticing mysterious sawdust piles, hollow-sounding cabinet doors, and tiny unwelcome guests making themselves a little too comfortable.

The culprit? Drywood termites. Unlike subterranean termites that crawl up from the soil, drywood termites live, eat, and party directly inside the timber. And where did they set up camp? Right inside the developer’s built-in wardrobes and sleek kitchen cabinets.

How widespread is this insect house party?

• Official Count: Developer UOL Group reported that around 15 units were affected.
• Resident Gossip: On the resident WhatsApp groups, owners claim at least 50 units are battling the bugs.

Hey, if there’s one silver lining, nothing unites a neighbourhood quite like a shared hatred for wood-eating pests. Who needs a Management Corporation Strata Title (MCST) meeting when you have a 200-person chat group dedicated to bug hunting?

♨️ They Treated Pest Control Like a Day at the Sauna

You’d think a quick spray of pesticide or a blast of professional heat treatment would do the trick, right? Think again.

These termites are built different. Residents who tried spot treatments found out the hard way that the bugs treated high heat and chemical sprays like a relaxing day at the spa. A few weeks later? Surprise! They’re back.

In the end, residents realized the brutal truth: The only way to win this war is total destruction.

Owners have had to completely hack down and rip out their expensive built-in wardrobes and kitchen cabinets down to the bare concrete. RIP carpentry. Pour one out for the pristine interior design board on Pinterest.

🔄 Deja Vu? What Happened at Avenue South Residence?

If this story sounds suspiciously familiar, that’s because this isn’t the first time.

Before Potong Pasir hit the headlines, another UOL project—Avenue South Residence over at Silat Avenue—suffered the exact same fate. Multiple units there were also invaded by drywood termites, leaving owners tearing their cabinets down and tearing their hair out!

What do both condos have in common?

1. Both were built by UOL Group.
2. Both were completed around the COVID-19 pandemic period.

While Singaporeans were staying home, wearing masks, and mastering sourdough bread during the Circuit Breaker, it seems the termites were busy executing their own hostile property takeover inside imported timber stockpiles. Delayed supply chains and humid storage conditions likely created the absolute ultimate breeding ground for these stubborn critters.

At Avenue South Residence, affected owners also had to go through the traumatic process of stripping out their carpentry. The developer stepped in to manage the fallout, but for residents, the headache of turning a brand-new home back into a dusty construction site was unforgettable.

🛠️ So, Who Pays for the Damage?

Here’s the sticky part: technically, a condo’s official Defects Liability Period (DLP) only lasts for one year after handover. Since both developments are around three years old, that warranty window has long slammed shut.

By right, the developer could just point to the contract and say, “Not my problem anymore.”

By virtue of good PR and customer care, UOL is stepping up to help.

Even though the warranty period is over, UOL announced that they are taking responsibility and assisting affected homeowners to fix the issue. Here is what the developer is doing to help manage the crisis:

• Free Inspections: Conducting professional pest management audits for affected units to trace the root of the infestation.
• Carpentry Replacement: Helping to replace the infested built-in cabinets and wardrobes for verified cases at no extra charge to the owner.
• Supply Chain Audits: Investigating their timber suppliers and pest-treatment protocols to prevent this from happening in future projects.

The Takeaway: Inspect Before You Invest!

It’s reassuring that the developer isn’t leaving residents stranded to fight the bug army alone. But at the end of the day, paying millions for a dream home only to get free, furniture-chomping “pets” is a pill nobody wants to swallow.

If you’re moving into a newly TOP-ed condo—especially one built during those chaotic pandemic years—take a closer look at your built-ins. Tap the wood, check the corners, and if you see tiny brown pellets… call the pest busters immediately!