eduardomi wrote:Hello all,
This is our first post in these forums and we are very glad we found them. We have been reading for the past week and we have found lots of useful information to prepare for the change.
I will start with a bit about us:
We are a young couple (26-27) working and living in Los Angeles, CA; legally married.
I was recently offered a position in Singapore as Project Manager with a salary of approximately S 91,000/yr before taxes + bonuses. We have no kids or other ties to the US (Except for a lovely persian cat that we want to bring along).
Anyways, we are doing our due diligence investigating where to live and how to live. We are currently paying around $1,200 USD (approximately S $1,600) for a 1 bedroom apartment here in the States (Los Angeles is expensive!!!) and would like to spend the same (if not less) in Singapore. We are looking for a quiet, clean and SAFE place to live.
First of all, 1 bedroom apartments are hard to find and rather expensive considering. The stand is a 2 bedroom which is okay as it gives you some breathing space and also room for guests (who will show up when they find out your are in the "Far East"!) Having said that, I don't think you will find a condo for that price (look around 2500 to start). You can however, find HDB flats and usually there are good bus & MRT links in HDB estates. It's possible to find a 2 BR HDB for around 14-1600/mo and maybe even as low as 1200/mo (Sing Dollars). The further out of the CBD you go the cheaper you can find them. Almost any place in Singapore is "Safe" but quiet is a relative term I guess. Most of Singapore is clean but only because of the multitude of Foreign Cleaners that have to constantly pick up behind the locals.
Our perfect place would be a 1 bedroom apartment for no more than S$1,600 per month in a good area. What neighborhoods/districts should we be looking at? (Most likely, I will be working at the OG Albert) I have read that owning a car is expensive so this place would need to be close to public transportation (referred as MRT?).
American fellows, please post your experiences, what difficulties did you have to go through and what your recommendations are to make the move easier. The company is trying to get me there by Mid February.
Somebody else can fill you in on the difficulties (few) to make the move (although the cat may pose a problem at short notice). Do a search here as there are a number of thread on the importation/quarantine of pets here. This yank made the move 27 years ago and arrived with a single suitcase, briefcase & a KBM diving mask with no other baggage. (Single)
I appreciate everyone's help and we hope to receive helpful feedback.
Thank you very much!!!
e+r+c
some websites:eduardomi wrote: MRT (Trains?)
Mass Rapid Transit - that's the train/metro
you can get easily everywhere using MRT
and or buses - you don't really need a car here in SG
CBD (Business District?)
Central Business District
where all the major businesses/banks are located
MOM (No idea)
Ministry of Manpower
all the information you need about work passes and how to apply
HDB (Real estate company?)
Housing and Developing Board
(to put it simple) HDB apartments/building are built by the gov.
PR (I read somewhere someone's wife applied for this)
Permanent Resident - self-explanatory
check the ICA website for details
So, if my office will be in the OG Albert and we cannot afford to spend more than S$1600; what district/neighborhood should we be looking for?
with 1600 SGD you can find a 2+1 HDB furnished apartment, you don't need
to go far from your office, just search for apartments nearby
use google maps and any real estate website, http://singapore.gumtree.sg will help
Important question: Is the offer I was presented fair? or will we struggle to get through the month? I know this depends on our own living habits but say we only spend necessary; would it be enough?
cannot really help on average salaries but with that salary you both pay the bills, get out and have fun, save some money
taxes are very low here in SG and the cost of life can be quite cheap compared to western countries
Where can I look for HDB flats? and is here anyone living in one of these flats? Whats is a HDB Flat? (to start with...)
I'm Italian and I live in an HDB apartment, you won't have all the facilities you can find in a condo; the layout and the interior can be quite poor but there're many of them renovated or built recently, that means they will be
more cozy and with bigger spaces.
Clearly depends on what you're looking for, with the salary they have offered you, I think you can afford a condo.
Personally I prefer to save money since I find the prices too expensive, regardless if you can afford it or not: I prefer to save money for travelling and other things...
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