Like to find friends before I move!

[samsidd]

Hello everybody - I am due to move to Singapore in July and wanted to reach out to you all - I am 26, British Born and will be working in the CBD. It's going to be a big move so wanted to see if anyone had any advice for a single expat moving abroad. I also wanted to see if I could make some friends before I join so I can get to know people and have some guys in Singapore before I am actually there. Feel free to contact me and I look forward to hearing from you.

[the lynx]

Hello everybody - I am due to move to Singapore in July and wanted to reach out to you all - I am 26, British Born and will be working in the CBD. It's going to be a big move so wanted to see if anyone had any advice for a single expat moving abroad. I also wanted to see if I could make some friends before I join so I can get to know people and have some guys in Singapore before I am actually there. Feel free to contact me and I look forward to hearing from you.

What kind of advice are you looking for?

(By the way, welcome to the forum!)

[samsidd]

Hi ! and thank you for the welcome - I guess everything - not sure where to start. Where to live maybe? How often do you guys all meet and socialise? What do you guys tend to do? Do you guys group travel? Etc. I think I have a fear of going into the unknown...

[the lynx]

For questions about choosing a place to rent, our fellow regular JR8 did a fantastic job coming up with a template to help newcomers identify their needs and requirements in choosing a place to rent.

'The below are a basic set of criteria that will help determine the answer to the subject question. The more points you are able to answer, the better able people will be to interpret your situation and guide you.

If you are at an early pre-relocation stage, you might not yet know specifics (precise budgets, whether you’ll have a car, and so on), but answering as much as possible below is a good starting point, and the input data can be refined and added to later on.

Priorities:
- your budget (approx range)
- your workplace/s (don't name names, just approx neighbourhood)
- the size and/or type of property that you are seeking (#bedrooms, on-site facilities etc)
- will you have a car here?
- proximity to transport required. MRT-subway/buses/the airport/Malay border post (if so, which one).
- will you have any accompanying children needing to attend school? If so, age/s?
- are you looking at private (international/fee-paying, or local schools?)
- will your employer being funding any fees; or will you, 'out of pocket'?
- is remaining within a national curriculum important; if so what nationality are you?
- have you identified any such schools yet?

Nice to have:
- will you need to be able to say walk to the local shops, a library, your doctor, a market, and so on?
- access to any specific sport, social, and recreation facilities?
- are you considering bringing any pets. If so what kind, and will they require outdoor access and/or exercise?
- are you considering bringing any parents/in-laws etc? Do they have specific needs (for example difficulty climbing stairs?)

Your current home and commute:
- are you already a city dweller? i.e. Are you used to city-centre hustle and bustle, or would you hope for a bit more peace and quiet?
- what is the size and type (apartment, house+garden etc) of your current home?
- what are any current commute times like?

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Note: It can be best starting by casting a broad net. I.e. if you answer that you need to be able to walk to the shops, this alone might exclude several areas/options that otherwise could work well for you if say taking a taxi/bus/MRT to the shops once or twice a week would suffice.

As for social stuff, I see that you've discovered some gems in this forum, notably Akimbo's The Weekenders thread. He organises activities for locals and expats to meet and mingle. Other than that you can check out Friday Night Drinking Club and Wednesday Night Drinking Club in this forum as well.