Advice for relocating

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Gaffers
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Advice for relocating

Post by Gaffers » Wed, 25 Jun 2014 3:54 am

Hello
I am relocating to Singapore with my husband and newborn son. I'd really appreciate tips & advice for our move...

- should we ship all of our furniture to Singapore? Or if not what should we bring?
- shipment companies
- good areas to live that don't cost the earth!
- things to consider for babies...I'm still getting used to being a new mum!
- anything we should try to bring from Europe

Anything else worth knowing!

Thanks!

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Post by Hannieroo » Wed, 25 Jun 2014 10:51 am

There's loads of recent threads, try searching your questions individually.

I bring my furniture where ever I go. property here is slightly smaller than the UK but apart from ikea the furniture available is either ugly or very expensive. Beds here are shorter so if you are tall you'll need your own.

If you are nursing then stock up on bras and bra pads. Not easy to get and expensive. I'd also buy ahead for things like high chairs and sterilizers. Clothes are expensive here so go a bit crazy for baby in the summer sales.

I like bukit batok, it's very convenient for most of the island and gas loads of amenities. The prices are very reasonable. The estate I live on has 5 bed houses going for 6k. Although with a baby and the whole socializing thing you might want a condo. Prices are soft, bargain. Friends just got 25% off the asking price.

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Re: Advice for relocating

Post by AngMoG » Wed, 25 Jun 2014 10:59 am

Gaffers wrote:Hello
I am relocating to Singapore with my husband and newborn son. I'd really appreciate tips & advice for our move...

- should we ship all of our furniture to Singapore? Or if not what should we bring?
- shipment companies
- good areas to live that don't cost the earth!
- things to consider for babies...I'm still getting used to being a new mum!
- anything we should try to bring from Europe

Anything else worth knowing!

Thanks!
- Don't ship all your furniture. Places tend to be a bit on the small side, and how do you know everything will fit? Second-hand furniture market is almost non-existent.
- Google is your friend
- JB. Also, places that are far away from central SG areas like Woodlands, and places that are not that accessible by public transport but not rich-expat territory.
- Can't help you there. Except to think about getting a maid ;)
- Maybe stuff you think you cannot live without? Most things are available, though some hard to get and/or expensive (e.g., mulled wine, cheese).

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JR8
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Re: Advice for relocating

Post by JR8 » Wed, 25 Jun 2014 11:04 am

Gaffers wrote:Hello
I am relocating to Singapore with my husband and newborn son. I'd really appreciate tips & advice for our move...
1 - should we ship all of our furniture to Singapore? Or if not what should we bring?
2 - shipment companies
3 - good areas to live that don't cost the earth!
4 - things to consider for babies...I'm still getting used to being a new mum!
5 - anything we should try to bring from Europe
6 - Anything else worth knowing! Thanks!
You should browse through this 'Relocating [etc]' sub-forum, as this kind of thing is regularly asked, and people who have done no research themselves don't tend to receive much help. I.e. Most of the info you require is already here, if you care to spend a little time looking.

With that in mind -
1) As mentioned, see previous discussion on this point.
2) No idea. I don't think there are any Dutch 'regulars' here. Try Google.
3) Your budget $1,000/month, or $50,000/month?
4) Can't help with this one.
5) As suggested see previous discussions of precisely this question.
6) Spend some time reading any relevant looking previous topic, then you will feel super-informed.

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JR8
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Post by JR8 » Wed, 25 Jun 2014 11:27 am

p.s.

Search the website (top right) using the string 'What to bring'. You will find several hits right there on Page 1.

I seem to recall writing up a list of all the 'extra' stuff I brought over with us this time. Maybe I should write an update, now a year later, on what has been used up, and what we perhaps shouldn't have bothered with.


... The last (of maybe 20?) roll-on antisperspirants got finished last week, after a year. So now I face paying not euro0.29 cents, but about S$5 a time! :( Bathroom consumables all seem to have worked out well, all are used up, or getting used ... even simple stuff like euro0.25cent bars of soap, 200 stick boxes of cotton ear-buds (under 1/2 euro).

What is being used less than expected is pantry staples, tubes of mustard, mayo, tomato paste, jars of pesto, tetrapacks of tomato passata and so on. That said we brought a lot of Barilla pasta, and I think we're through all of that.

Maybe that's a useful observation, your bathroom habits/requirements won't change much, but your culinary ones probably will. Focus on what consumables you might need over say a year, AND which ones you can get from a discount shop (Aldi, Lidl etc).

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rajagainstthemachine
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Post by rajagainstthemachine » Wed, 25 Jun 2014 12:47 pm

JR8 wrote:p.s.

Search the website (top right) using the string 'What to bring'. You will find several hits right there on Page 1.

I seem to recall writing up a list of all the 'extra' stuff I brought over with us this time. Maybe I should write an update, now a year later, on what has been used up, and what we perhaps shouldn't have bothered with.


... The last (of maybe 20?) roll-on antisperspirants got finished last week, after a year. So now I face paying not euro0.29 cents, but about S$5 a time! :( Bathroom consumables all seem to have worked out well, all are used up, or getting used ... even simple stuff like euro0.25cent bars of soap, 200 stick boxes of cotton ear-buds (under 1/2 euro).

What is being used less than expected is pantry staples, tubes of mustard, mayo, tomato paste, jars of pesto, tetrapacks of tomato passata and so on. That said we brought a lot of Barilla pasta, and I think we're through all of that.

Maybe that's a useful observation, your bathroom habits/requirements won't change much, but your culinary ones probably will. Focus on what consumables you might need over say a year, AND which ones you can get from a discount shop (Aldi, Lidl etc).
try mustafa for these things!
To get there early is on time and showing up on time is late

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JR8
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Post by JR8 » Wed, 25 Jun 2014 12:48 pm

rajagainstthemachine wrote: try mustafa for these things!
And how much are the quoted things there... ?

Gaffers
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Post by Gaffers » Wed, 25 Jun 2014 3:36 pm

Thanks everyone...your comments are very useful, especially about negotiating on rent... 25% is a big saving!

I've read through previous posts, lots of information to get through :-)

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