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$4 Million for a Bungalow in Katong? Screw That, I’d Rather Buy One of These!

If you had $4 million dollars, what would you buy? Sure, some of you go wild on luxury goods, while others would invest most of the funds after making some “minor” purchases… like an 84’’ 3D HD TV. One or two of you might even donate most of the cash to charity.

But I guarantee that not a single one of you would say, “Gee, I really like this rundown bungalow that I saw the other day in Katong. I think I’ll buy it for $4 million.” If you heard someone say that, you would probably look at the guy and wonder if he was an escapee from the Institute of Mental Health (IMH).

Well, it’s true. Someone (I cannot confirm or deny if the buyer was an IMH escapee) purchased a bungalow in Katong for $4 million. Why? I don’t know. Perhaps there’s buried treasure beneath the property and the buyer intends to take a Goonies-like adventure to find it.

In any case, if you had $4 million dollars in your bank account, you could buy some rather nice alternatives such as:

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s Florida Mansion

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3630750300_f1cd14cdc3_b

Don’t feel too bad for “The Rock,” having to sell his Florida mansion. He’s got 10 others like it!

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Cost: $3,792,000+ SGD

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last decade, you probably know who “The Rock” is. No, I’m not talking about that mass of solid mineral that you kick around or find inside of your shoe. I’m talking about the action movie star who’s currently making about $20,000,000 a film.

It seems that “The Rock” is doing so well for himself that he has decided to sell one of his “lesser” mansions in Florida for $3,000,000 USD. But I wouldn’t call this mansion just any “leftover” property.

Here’s what you’re getting for the measly price of $3,792,000+ SGD:

  • 1,210 square meters of property space

  • A mansion with 6 bedrooms and 7 bathrooms

  • An indoor cinema

  • A gym

  • A swimming pool

Curious about what the property looks like? Take a peek here.

Your Own Private Island in the Bahamas

I don’t know about you, but I can get used to this view of the Caribbean Sea.

Cost: $1,896,000+ SGD

If I’m going to spend millions of dollars on a decrepit property, that property better have one hell of an ocean view! Better yet, it should be on an island in some exotic part of the world, like the Caribbean. No, I’m not ranting about some fantasy destination that only exists in my thoughts.

I’m speaking about a real-life island in the Bahamas that’s appropriately named Reklusia Island.

This partially developed island, located near Harbour Island in the Bahamas, can be yours for $1,500,000 USD. That’s inclusive of a cottage that’s admittedly in worse shape than the $4 million dollar Katong bungalow – but look at the view you get with your rundown cottage (and for only half the price).

Here’s what you’re getting for the measly price of $1,896,000+ SGD:

  • Your own 3.5 acre private island getaway (electricity is available on the island)

  • A dilapidated cottage that needs work (or you can tear it down and build a new one with that $2 million you have left over)

  • Two docks (a concrete pier on the northern part of the island and a wooden dock in the southern part)

  • A Storage house for your sundries

Added Bonus: You’ll probably need some sort of seafaring vessel to travel back to civilization, unless you prefer to live the Gilligan’s Island lifestyle. A modest vessel like a Bahama 31 Custom Open will set you back about $200,000 US ($252,000+ SGD).

Curious about what the property looks like? Take a peek here.

Your Own Medieval Castle in France

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10521262895_0dbddf9b99_b

Great! Now you finally have a reason to throw that “Game of Thrones” themed party you’ve been dreaming about.

Cost: $2,991,000+ SGD

Seriously, why didn’t the guy who bought the $4 million dollar bungalow just use Google to see what else he could have purchased? If he did, he might have stumbled across this little beauty – a medieval castle in France that was built in 1570!

Located at Nord Pas De Calais in France, the Steenbourg Castle is everything that the Katong bungalow is not. It’s historical, massive, intimidating, well-built, and most importantly – worth the money you pay for it!

The best part is that you still have about $1 million left over for furnishing.

Here’s what you’re getting for the measly price of $2,991,000+ SGD:

  • A total land area of 20,000 square meters

  • A castle with a living area of 910 square meters with 6 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms

  • A spacious courtyard that’s the perfect place to set up a basketball hoop

  • A cellar with 200 square meters of space

  • A dining area with 40 square meters of space

  • A barn to place your livestock

  • A caretaker cottage for your maid to live in

  • An open fireplace (every “proper” castle should have one)

  • A moat to keep your enemies at bay

  • Electricity and broadband Internet are available in the castle

Added Bonus: No true castle is complete without a throne. So why not complete your castle fantasy by buying your very own “Iron Throne” for only $42,000 SGD! Plus, you’ll get FREE shipping with this purchase. Just don’t sit in it all day muttering “winter is coming.” You might scare your relatives.

Curious about what the property looks like? Take a peek here.

Final Note: True, 99% of us in Singapore don’t have $4 million dollars. In fact, it might take some of us several lifetimes to save up that amount. The only housing options we have are Housing and Development Board (HDB) flats, Executive Condos (EC), or private condominiums.

Yeah, they’re not exactly cheap, but that doesn’t mean you need to pay more money than you have to. If you’re looking to buy a home in Singapore anytime soon, make sure you visit SmartLoans.sg for free advice on the best home loan available.

Would you choose to buy a rundown bungalow for $4 million, or one of the options above? Tell us all about it on Facebook! And to find even more useful information on everything personal finance, visit MoneySmart today!

Images:

david_shankbone, lyng883, Vicburton, williamcho

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