Just had a conversation with Cheryl and I was just sharing about the 'ideals' of proposing first before everything else - like applying for flat. I mean if a couple is applying for flat, like it or not: that is already somewhat a soft proposal. Cheryl kind of agreed and was quite shocked when I told her that this phenomenon is pretty much the norm these days (you got to excuse her startling revelation considering the fact that she has been living overseas for quite a while).
Pragmatic concerns may be important, but then again, even from a pragmatic point of view - if your relationship were to be terminated before you get your flat, the harsh penalty of 5% of purchase price will set you back easily by 20k - 30k, as compared to a proposal ring alone (unless you decide to blow a greater insane amount on a ring).
Hack, if your relationship is not yet secure but your flat is - it actually carries more risk than having to propose first and to plan out everything else later. After all, proposing itself IS already a commitment that you are taking this relationship a little bit further. It is pretty much the same as getting a flat together.
Also, planning does not necessarily mean getting the flat immediately after the proposal - you can decide what the relationship needs so that both of you can be more emotionally prepared for marriage. Being emotionally ready IS an important prerequisite.
Some people argued about the lack of time period to wait - my take is that if you are planning to live with this person for the rest of your life, your decide if this small fraction of time spent is worth the while in view of say a 40 - 50 years lifeline.
A relationship is more likely to succeed, even without a well-planned registration of BTO flat if its foundation is robust, as compared to having key to your BTO flat, but with a cui (feeble) relationship.
