Best district in Singapore for larger family

[Ausmum]

We are looking at a job offer in Singapore and we are wondering which district would be the best choice.

We have a large family with children aged 2-16, our children are homeschooled so school location is not a factor for us.

We will not be purchasing a car (at this point) and preference would be for MRT.

We don't mind being in a complex, we would not need 4 bedrooms, although would need to fit 2-3 children in some rooms so they would need to be larger rooms.

I would like to be in an area with parks/playgrounds and other expat families that homeschool.

If you can give me some good links and recommendations I would appreciate it.

My husband will be relocating before the rest of us so he will have a chance to check areas first.

[singapore eagle]

There's a decent-sized Australian expat community in the Serangoon Garden and Braddell Heights estates, due to the proximity of the Australian International Schools.

Perhaps look at the houses within walking distance of the Lorong Chuan MRT station?

[nakatago]

We are looking at a job offer in Singapore and we are wondering which district would be the best choice.

We have a large family with children aged 2-16, our children are homeschooled so school location is not a factor for us.

We will not be purchasing a car (at this point) and preference would be for MRT.

We don't mind being in a complex, we would not need 4 bedrooms, although would need to fit 2-3 children in some rooms so they would need to be larger rooms.

I would like to be in an area with parks/playgrounds and other expat families that homeschool.

If you can give me some good links and recommendations I would appreciate it.

My husband will be relocating before the rest of us so he will have a chance to check areas first.

Look at the map for these stations: Ang Mo Kio, Bishan, Holland Village, Botanic Gardens, Paya Lebar and look at the surrounding properties.

Not sure about the homeschooling families though but the residences around those areas have that vibe that you may be looking for.

[Ausmum]

Thanks,

We aren't being offered a housing allowance, are rentals hard to organise without an agent?

[nakatago]

Thanks,

We aren't being offered a housing allowance, are rentals hard to organise without an agent?

Agents here are severely biased against tenants; search the forums for threads about them. Summary: they're rarely helpful since their commission is a percentage of the rental price. You may want to use them since you're new* but if you're willing to fill and submit some forms personally, some research is in order.

*A tactic that seems to work is to arrange with the agent such that their commission is based on how much they can take off the rental price.

[singapore eagle]

Thanks,

We aren't being offered a housing allowance, are rentals hard to organise without an agent?

Not really. If you're willing to trawl through the classified ads on the popular property websites.

That said, if it's your first time here, there can be some benefit in getting an agent to act for you as tenant. I remember that when I first arrived I had lots of questions about Singapore life, both in relation to housing and general stuff, and the agent was very helpful in helping me navigate.

I believe the convention here is that the landlord pays the tenant's agent if the rental is more than $2,500 per month and you take a standard 2-year lease. Nothing is set in stone, though, so it is worth clarifying this upfront so as to avoid misunderstanding later.

[zzm9980]

What's your budget? That is rather key.

[Addadude]

^^^ This. Without knowing your budget any advice we could give you would be almost worthless.

[PNGMK]

You might want to look for a 'cluster house' or 'cluster home' - they are single family homes built a bit like a terrace around some facilities (pool etc). They would be better for a larger family but they are more expensive.

[Ausmum]

Ok, our monthly housing allowance is $5000SGD

Would still love good advice on what areas we would get 4-5 bedrooms, would prefer larger bedrooms and MRT access.

Also what is the best value medical insurance there, we will be on an employment and dependant passes and if there is one that includes all dependants it would definitely suit us

[movingtospore]

If you are willing to live a bit more in the sticks (including by the Aussie school) 5K can get you a fair bit, and older house even. Don't let the agents sucker you towards the newer condos unless you prefer that. Do some research on the various property sites.

Medical insurance...well you really need to research that on your own...so much varies depending on where you're from, what your package is and what you want. We used Expat Insurance who were quite good and didn't try to push a bunch of crap we didn't need.

Good luck with the move.

Home schooling...there are a few people doing this in Singapore but not a lot. I think there is a FB page for the homeschooling community but I'm not sure.

[The Ref]

I believe the convention here is that the landlord pays the tenant's agent if the rental is more than $2,500 per month and you take a standard 2-year lease.

You still end up paying the agents fee. My current place I got for $100 less per month than another offer as I didn't use an agent and explained that the landlord would be getting between $150 and $200 extra per month by not having to pay another agent. This means I saved $100 per month and the landlord gets over $50 per month extra. win win

[JR8]

^^^ This. Without knowing your budget any advice we could give you would be almost worthless.

Don't even know number of family members.
Where any workplace is...


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flying totally blind...