New Home Owners Find Kampung Spirit on BTO Telegram Groups

Resident-run groups serve as information hubs and avenues for members to socialise

- Savanna Tai

Mr Thomson Lim designed the interiors of his two-room flexi Build-To-Order (BTO) flat in Tengah's Garden Vale project, and would periodically share pictures of the carpentry in the estate's chat group on Telegram.

When the renovations were done in June 2024, other residents were curious about how his flat looked, so he hosted an open house for around 20 neighbours.

The 50-year-old had met his fellow Tengah residents through Telegram and was keen to share his experience with them, so they could make decisions about their own renovations.

"I enjoy bonding with the residents from our chats. I believe sharing is always a good thing to do in life," said Mr Lim, who works at a fast-food chain.

He has since become close friends with the neighbours he met on Telegram, going for meals and exercising with them. They even volunteer together at the Tengah Community Club, helping out at events such as family day, award ceremonies and workshops.

Mr Lim and his Tengah buddies are among an estimated tens of thousands of Singaporeans who are members of resident-run Telegram groups for BTO estates here.

There are no official numbers of BTO Telegram groups, but they can be easily found by searching on Telegram or BTOHQ, a community-run website sharing information on local properties. The size of each of these groups can range from a few hundred to thousands.

Such groups started to gain popularity over the last few years when demand for BTO flats surged in 2020. Around the same time, Telegram also gained traction here as a messaging platform.

While residents of BTO projects also form chat groups on WhatsApp, another popular messaging platform, such groups have proliferated on Telegram, likely because it allows up to 20,000 members, compared with WhatsApp's 2,000 members.