Why people flock to residential shophouses

Singapore’s residential shophouses are having a moment, and not because they’re shiny or new. They’re the opposite: character-rich, human-scaled, and stitched into neighbourhoods where life happens at street level. 

As condo towers race upward, more buyers and tenants are choosing to live in conserved shophouses for one simple reason: they offer something modern blocks usually can’t: soul, plus a city-first lifestyle.

Below, we unpack what’s driving the shift, the real benefits (and trade-offs), who’s moving in, and how to choose and shape a shophouse you’ll actually love living in, while respecting its heritage.

Why people are choosing shophouses now

Character that isn’t manufactured.

Original timber floors, plaster cornices, Peranakan tiles, timber shutters, airwells, and other details that cost a fortune to fake are already there, and legally protected so they’re not lost to “value engineering.”

Shophouse in Geylang (Image credit: Samuel Isaac Chua/EdgeProp, 2025)

Prime, walkable locations.

Most conservation rows sit in mature, amenity-rich districts: Joo Chiat/Katong for cafés and schools, Emerald Hill for Orchard access, Blair Plain/Tanjong Pagar and Telok Ayer for CBD proximity, Little India and Kampong Glam for culture and food. MRTs, markets, gyms, and galleries are typically within minutes.

Live-work possibilities.

The vertical split, public at ground, private above still works. Depending on zoning and approvals, residents can run a studio or office downstairs and keep bedrooms up, or simply enjoy a generous ground-floor living zone with bedrooms on top.

A real neighbourhood feel.

Shophouse streets are social. Five-foot ways, corner kopitiams, and local trades create daily rhythm. You know your barista and your neighbours. That sense of place is hard to find in lift lobbies.

Shophouses in District 14 (Image credit: Samuel Isaac Chua/EdgeProp, 2025)

Benefits vs. challenges

The upside

• Distinctive spaces: High ceilings, long sightlines, courtyards/airwells that bring light and air into the middle of the plan.

• Privacy by level: Natural separation between social and sleeping floors.

• Long-term appeal: Conserved streets hold their identity, which supports demand and values over time.

• Neighbourhood convenience: Real street life at your doorstep, food, services, transport.

The trade-offs

• Linear layout: Traditional plans are long and narrow. Without smart design, the middle can be dark or stuffy.

• Stairs, always: Vertical living isn’t for everyone. Steeper flights are common in older units.

• Heat and noise: Party walls help, but front and rear can transmit street or alley noise. Heat gain on west-facing façades needs addressing.

• Conservation rules: Façades, roof profiles, and key heritage elements must be retained. Interior changes often require approvals, more time, and specialist contractors.

• Maintenance: Old timber, waterproofing, plumbing/electrical upgrades—expect periodic capex. Budgeting and a proactive maintenance plan are essential.

If you go in with clear eyes and the right team, these constraints become design prompts, not dealbreakers.

Who’s moving in (and why)

Young professionals & creatives

They want authenticity, not cookie-cutter. Proximity to MRTs and lifestyle clusters matters, but so does the backdrop for life and work. A well-detailed shophouse photographs beautifully and doubles as a creative studio or WFH base.

Expats and design-led tenants

Shophouses deliver the “only in Singapore” experience. Think rentals in Joo Chiat or Blair Plain: period shell, modern comfort, walkable everything.

Entrepreneurial couples

Ground-floor studio or gallery; bedrooms above. The plan supports a compact business and home in one address, subject to zoning and approvals.

Multi-generational families

Two or three floors allow separation without distance. When space is organized well, quiet bedrooms up, gathering spaces down, everyone gets what they need.

People flock to residential shophouses because they offer what most new builds can’t: history, intimacy, and a walkable life, all within reach of the city’s best districts. The challenges are real, but solvable with good design and planning. 

Get the zoning right, respect the shell, upgrade the core, and you’ll have a home that feels deeply Singaporean and future-proof at the same time.

Considering a move into a residential shophouse?

Talk to the PropNex Shophouse Elites (PSE) team. We’ll help you shortlist the right streets, assess the structure, and plan a smart, heritage-sensitive upgrade that fits how you live.