Need suggestions for housing

[HappyHippie]

My family of four is looking to relocate from the US in June, 2015. We have two children who will be attending middle and high school at SAS. We're hoping to live in the Tanglin, Holland , Orchard areas. Needing a condo with a minimum three bedrooms and two baths. Our requirements are first that there are many other students that attend SAS in the condo community. Would prefer close by or on-site bus service to SAS. We would also like tennis courts (covered if available) and fitness center. One year lease and furnished would be nice but unfurnished also works. Any suggestions or tips that will aid us in our search will be appreciated. Thanks!

[sundaymorningstaple]

My family of four is looking to relocate from the US in June, 2015. We have two children who will be attending middle and high school at SAS. We're hoping to live in the Tanglin, Holland , Orchard areas. Needing a condo with a minimum three bedrooms and two baths. Our requirements are first that there are many other students that attend SAS in the condo community. Would prefer close by or on-site bus service to SAS. We would also like tennis courts (covered if available) and fitness center. One year lease and furnished would be nice but unfurnished also works. Any suggestions or tips that will aid us in our search will be appreciated. Thanks!

Good Luck. You are going to need it. SAS is on the north side of the island (Woodlands) and Tanglin, Holland & Orchard areas are on the south side of the island. Most condo communities on the South Side of the island house only those American type of expats who have either no children or pre-school ones. The vast majority have moved to the north side in order to keep the kids from riding buses for 1.5 ~ 2 hrs EACH WAY twice a day. Do you want your kids to suffer long travel times or is the SAHS going to be a "Soccer Mom" and transport the children to woodlands on a daily basis. Cars are notoriously expensive here. Of course if you are letting your children use public transport you could live in the south, but you probably wont find a condo "full of SAS students" down there as most now use their heads and have shifted to the north. So catch of of the maps and the train tables and check where the job location is, the school and the area you want to live. Start from there and then check the various methods and travel times.

[the lynx]

My family of four is looking to relocate from the US in June, 2015. We have two children who will be attending middle and high school at SAS. We're hoping to live in the Tanglin, Holland , Orchard areas. Needing a condo with a minimum three bedrooms and two baths. Our requirements are first that there are many other students that attend SAS in the condo community. Would prefer close by or on-site bus service to SAS. We would also like tennis courts (covered if available) and fitness center. One year lease and furnished would be nice but unfurnished also works. Any suggestions or tips that will aid us in our search will be appreciated. Thanks!

SAS unfortunately is not close to any MRT station. Chances are that you will be able to find families of SAS students living in condo around Woodlands, Admiralty or Sembawang, where they can make do with short combined MRT + bus rides or just bus ride alone depending on location. Shuttle bus is provided for those who live farther with premium but it is a super long commute. The farther you live, the earlier the child gets picks up for school and the later the child gets dropped off after school.

Yes if you can afford a car (very expensive here) and you have a full-time mother in the family, distance would not be a problem as you can have the luxury to private transportation for the kids.

[HappyHippie]

Thanks for the feedback. Would you mind sharing thoughts or recommendations on where to live if children attend SAS and spouse will be working in Tampines? We would prefer not to purchase a vehicle. Thanks!

[the lynx]

Thanks for the feedback. Would you mind sharing thoughts or recommendations on where to live if children attend SAS and spouse will be working in Tampines? We would prefer not to purchase a vehicle. Thanks!

Oh painful.

Do your children really have to attend SAS?
I know Tampines/East Coast area have many International Schools like UWC, One World and Chatsworth.

If you really need your kids to be in USA curriculum THAT badly and you really want to live at Tanglin, Orchard and Holland THAT badly, you can consider Stamford American International School around Potong Pasir area, manageable by commute.

Since your spouse will definitely not change work location from Tampines, you have to choose to give up either SAS or dream locations.

Other forum regulars are in better position to talk about the schools specifically based on their curriculum and etc.

[x9200]

Yes, it's one of the worst possible pair of the schooling/work location combo. It would be painful enough outside rush hours.

OP, I would chose to live in Woodlands in a walking distance form the MRT line. For what you save (it will be much cheaper than in Holland area) you could afford a car.
I bet most people having their kids in SAS live close to SAS. You really don't need to be every day downtown (subject to ones personality).

[rarkins]

If the others have convinced you to consider Woodlands - check out Woodgrove, Rosewood or Casablanca condos. As mentioned earlier, the price difference could mean leasing a car and making the Tampines commute much more bearable.

Also, although it's a "renter's market" currently, one year leases will still reduce options available compared to two year leases. If you're really staying only one year, more the reason to consider alternative schools? There are even a few more in the country with American curriculum, some of which have been mentioned, and several others that are rather "international" in their approach.

[HappyHippie]

I think we are going to focus on Orchard and the surrounding area. I know some of the larger communities that have several SAS students also have the private bus service that does one pick up and then goes directly to the school. I would be fine with kids going to another school but at this point we have secured our spots and I feel good about our decision for them to attend SAS. Where we live now both of my kiddos like to go to school almost an hour early so they can socialize. I just look at the bus time as time to visit with their friends.

My only concern at this point is that the bus company has quoted us forty minutes for some of the communities around Orchard that receive direct service. I'd like to verify if this has been the experience of others. Although we are somewhat flexible with time, I would prefer to avoid a situation where the bus may often take an hour or more to travel.

[mountainz]

HappyHippie, I am in a similar situation and would love to find out what you have learned about private or direct buses. I am relocating in July, have 2 kids attending SAS and would like to live in the Orchard/Newton area. Can you tell me if you were quoted direct service from the bus company through SAS or was it a from a different company? Would you mind posting/sending information about the communities you have found with direct service? Like you, I consider a 40 minute ride for my kids much more palatable than a hour+.
Thanks for your help.

[the lynx]

My only concern at this point is that the bus company has quoted us forty minutes for some of the communities around Orchard that receive direct service. I'd like to verify if this has been the experience of others. Although we are somewhat flexible with time, I would prefer to avoid a situation where the bus may often take an hour or more to travel.

Like I already mentioned, your child is not the only child riding that bus. The bus has to pick other 20+ children. It takes time for the bus to move from one condo to another condo, especially in Orchard area, notorious for one-way roads that force drivers to take very huge loops of one or two kilometres (equivalent to 10 minutes' drive) just to move between two points that would have been covered in linear direction of 100 metres (equivalent to one minute's drive).

The further your child lives from the school, the longer the commute will take. But like what the other poster said, your child can take this opportunity to catch up with friends in the same bus. If your child has issues adjusting, this long bus commute will be a nightmare.

I'd still advise choosing a nearer school to your dream location, or choosing a condo near your child's school. At this point, I am really unable to factor in the fact that your spouse will be working in Tampines.

(I just found out that there are private buses that shuttle those living in Woodlands directly to Tampines/Changi Business Park area. This might be gold to your spouse if you choose to stay near SAS)

[HappyHippie]

HappyHippie, I am in a similar situation and would love to find out what you have learned about private or direct buses. I am relocating in July, have 2 kids attending SAS and would like to live in the Orchard/Newton area. Can you tell me if you were quoted direct service from the bus company through SAS or was it a from a different company? Would you mind posting/sending information about the communities you have found with direct service? Like you, I consider a 40 minute ride for my kids much more palatable than a hour+.
Thanks for your help.

Here is the address from the SAS website for the bus service. At the bottom of the page there is activity bus info and there is a link to a listing of all of the regular stops. Also, the SAS office has been very responsive to our questions via e-mail.

http://www.sas.edu.sg/page.cfm?p=780

We are considering several locations clustered around the activity bus stops.

Good luck to you!