can i get a decent condo with s$6k

[18758184]

i am moving to singapore in a few months and was given a s$6k housing line - use it or lose it. is it possible to get a decent condo (3+1 or 4+1) in a relatively downtown area (say orchard), fully furnished?

i heard that the furniture supplied by the landlord is usually of poor quality, is that true? can i negotiate for something i really want to get with the landlord?

also, what is the usual hourly charge for parking in city, e.g. a shopping mall? what would be the tel/eletricity/gas/water bill built every month, rough estimate of a family of 5?

thanks a lot

[Pal]

A $6k budget can get you a comfy, spacious and relatively new (or renovated) 4+1 bedroom apartment in Orchard. To see the available units and have a rough idea of the asking price, check our database at http://www.singaporeexpats.com/housing- ... operty.htm and search for district 9 in Apartment / condo (For Rent / Lease)

If you feel that the furniture isn't up to your standard, you can always request the landlord to change it or he can allocate a budget for you to purchase it. It is always negotiable.

Parking in the city or malls is usually costly. It ranges from $2 for 1st hour and $1 for subsequent hours to $2 for 1st hour and $2 for every 30 mins. Different places have different rates, it really depends on location and duration of the parking. A few reasonably priced carparks - Ngee Ann City, Wellington Building, Suntec City, Selegie Complex ....

Assuming that you turn the air-conditioners ON for most of the time, the water/electricity/gas bills will be about $400 - $600. If you only ON the air-conditioners in the night, will be around $300 for a 4 bedroom apartment.

Regarding telephone bills, it depends on your usage. For price of local calls and oversea calls, you can check it out at http://welcome.singtel.com/default.asp

Hope the above helps

[dragonboat]

Alternatively, you can opt for a partially furnished apartment and rent furniture from a third party. There is a company that specialise in renting quality furniture. Many developers are using their furniture for showflat purpose.

[amanda]

i am moving to singapore in a few months and was given a s$6k housing line - use it or lose it. is it possible to get a decent condo (3+1 or 4+1) in a relatively downtown area (say orchard), fully furnished?

i heard that the furniture supplied by the landlord is usually of poor quality, is that true? can i negotiate for something i really want to get with the landlord?

also, what is the usual hourly charge for parking in city, e.g. a shopping mall? what would be the tel/eletricity/gas/water bill built every month, rough estimate of a family of 5?

thanks a lot

You can get a very good chocie with a $6,000 budget, they include Regency Park, Newton Gems & Amaryllis Ville ( the latest on the block of Newton), Holt residence, Sommerville Granduer, lots!

The furniture provided by landlords are sometimes of lower quality, reasons are because of low rent and sometimes bcos they have been reused by several tenants. You can suggest to be given a budget by the landlord to purchase on your own- but of cos, an inventory of what items you want to be fair to the landlords.

Parking in CBD areas can range at $1 per hr to $4-5 per hr..depending on where you park. Open air carparks are normally 50 cents per 15 minutes at peak hours.

And your power bills can be around $300-$400 and above, depending on your usage.

Hope this helps!!

[Yutenji]

Short answer, Yes! Longer answer ... We've just (yesterday in fact) found a very nice condo 3+1+1 for S$4k. First moved to Singapore 11 years ago and been living here ever since, except for just now returning from a two-year stint in Japan. This will be our 4th place and prices are lower than I can ever remember. Main things to keep in mind ...
(a) Negotiate - You should be able to get at least 10% off the price the landlord is asking. Make sure you get all your bits'n'pieces (e.g. changes to furniture / fittings, refurbishing, aircon maintenance, etc) into the contract up front.
(b) Don't reveal your real budget, even to your own agent. Our self-imposed budget was 4.5k, so we told the agent 3.5k to 4k. Surprise, surprise, they start showing us places 4.5k to 5k. It's a game, but like most games it's only fun when you know the rules.
(c) Expect some manipulation from your agent to begin with. Along with places they think you want to rent, expect to see some places that they are just trying to get off their books. In fairness, it may also take a while for them to understand what you're really after, so cut them some slack if they get it wrong to begin with.
(d) Don't give up or compromise. Expect to see -lots- of places (we saw about 40 and I bet that's not the record) before you find the right one for you. There are some great places / deals out there.
(e) The market is good for buyer/renters now -- Take advantage of that.
Good luck.

[NBB]

Yutenji,

Your post is a shoe-in for the single most useful post award 2004. Any guy or lady looking for a place in Singapore right now will hand you that statue in a heartbeat.

Now, seeing as that I am one of them (the "guy" variety, that is) I'd like to thank you for that insight. I was going to go into the negotiations pretty vigilant anyway, but now I'm going to be doubly vigilant.

You're right, the market is in our favor. No need to rush.

Cheers again.

NBB

[Maggie Alegre]

Administrator,

Are there any recent posts regarding the housing and rental market for 2007? I'm sure it's changed since 2004.

Thank you for your time.

[lost_canuck]

oh so totally changed *l* $6 is still a good comfy place, but maybe not downtown, but Hurry cause it is going up everyday seemingly... I was reading this wondering what they were on about until I saw it was 2004

And there are quite a few comments in the relocating area of staying living in singapore etc..

[Grim Reaper]

I must say Pal and Joop have gone very quiet since the market has exploded and prices are insane.

Can't help thinking the two of them rather benefit than share their insight.

[iis]

6k is good budget, you can get comfy place for that amount.
Just be careful with the term fully furnished..... has bad experience about that. The agent told me everything will be new, but when I move in some are not new, while the new stuff are not good quality.

I suggest if you're going to stay long in Singapore, rent unfurnished & buy your own stuff or get 3rd party rental furniture.