Singapore Expats

Planning my move to Singapore

Discuss about the latest news & interesting topics, real life experience or other out of topic discussions with locals & expatriates in Singapore.
Post Reply
Lisafuller
Governor
Governor
Posts: 6211
Joined: Sat, 07 Nov 2020 11:45 pm
Answers: 3

Re: Planning my move to Singapore

Post by Lisafuller » Tue, 26 Jul 2022 4:33 am

x9200 wrote:
Sun, 24 Jul 2022 11:29 am
NYY1 wrote:
Sun, 24 Jul 2022 7:32 am
Roadtosingapore wrote:
Sun, 24 Jul 2022 6:17 am
Got your point. Will assess the situation in first few months then will decide. Affordability and utilisation will play role. Are Grab and other taxi services too expensive?
See if someone else will reply with the average amount they are spending on a car all in (vehicle/COE, petrol, road fees, parking, insurance, etc). I have a guess but it's just a guess.
We own cars for number of years already and typically organize it this way that we chose a car not older than 7y, upfront payment 15-25k (PARF from the previous car goes here) and monthly installment between 650-850. Currently we are with a Honda Shuttle, installment ~770, Rd Tax ~700, insurance ~800, petrol prices rocketed recently and right now we pay something like 200-300 (daily commuting Hillview area <-> Orchard), parking ~200 . That's roughly it I believe.

Main reasons for having a car: bringing the kid to school, avoiding long travel time with public transport and annoying taxi/grab that are not really reliable and available (at times).
Similar story here. We drive a used Avante right now, costs are similar and we are planning to renew the COE when it expires. Either that or go for another used car. SG car Mart is a dream. And yes, reasons are the same but most importantly it can be boiled down to the fact that you cannot beat the convenience of driving. At any given moment you know where your car is and you know that it is there for you if you need it, no need to care about bus timings or being able to get a Grab.

Lisafuller
Governor
Governor
Posts: 6211
Joined: Sat, 07 Nov 2020 11:45 pm
Answers: 3

Re: Planning my move to Singapore

Post by Lisafuller » Tue, 26 Jul 2022 4:34 am

malcontent wrote:
Sun, 24 Jul 2022 2:18 pm
smoulder wrote:
Sun, 24 Jul 2022 11:00 am
On a side note Mal, how did you drive to Malaysia? Did you rent a car?
My wife owns a car, so we took that. Before she owned a car I would rent a car, but not from here - we would cross the border and then I would rent in Johor. Normal procedure: they wait for me at City Square and I go get the rental car (around 10-15 mins walk) and then I pick them up at the pick/up drop-off area at City Square. This worked out well, but driving across the SG-MY border is much less hassle, with a drive up window you don’t need to get out of your vehicle.
How much does that cost? I guess since you are renting only when you get to JB it would be much cheaper than crossing the border in a locally rented car.

Lisafuller
Governor
Governor
Posts: 6211
Joined: Sat, 07 Nov 2020 11:45 pm
Answers: 3

Re: Planning my move to Singapore

Post by Lisafuller » Tue, 26 Jul 2022 4:36 am

Roadtosingapore wrote:
Sun, 24 Jul 2022 3:47 pm
NYY1 wrote:
Sun, 24 Jul 2022 7:45 am
Lisafuller wrote:
Sun, 24 Jul 2022 4:49 am


Cost of schooling can vary greatly, but I personally recommend SAS if you can afford it.
I think they are looking for the UK curriculum. But if willing to deal with something else I think most would agree (I guess).
Thanks. I have not checked any schools other than the ones following the UK curriculum. Top Schools are all 40k SGD+ and they don't have place availability. I am awaiting response from few schools by end of next week, so hopefully will be able to finalise the school selection soon.
Yup, costs tend to be high and number of places low. If you can afford it though, I wouldn’t recommend messing around with the less reputable ones. Some pretty messed up stuff goes on there, and I’m not even talking about the education.

smoulder
Editor
Editor
Posts: 1312
Joined: Fri, 25 Dec 2015 11:05 pm

Re: Planning my move to Singapore

Post by smoulder » Tue, 26 Jul 2022 10:43 am

Lisafuller wrote:
Tue, 26 Jul 2022 4:31 am
tiktok wrote:
Sun, 24 Jul 2022 11:03 am
I bought a second car 4 years ago and it works out to 5k a year (running costs excluded). But given the rise in COE prices, the same thing would be 8-9k now.
New or used?
416 per month. I'm guessing used. Either that or he paid a significant amount of cash upfront with a much smaller loan.

MOCHS
Reporter
Reporter
Posts: 888
Joined: Thu, 01 Aug 2019 8:43 pm
Answers: 2

Re: Planning my move to Singapore

Post by MOCHS » Tue, 26 Jul 2022 2:12 pm

Local here. Depending on your budget & lifestyle, you can live lavishly or live frugally. Also, do you see Singapore as a temporary place for a couple of years before jetting home or a place where you wanna get PR? How open minded are you to live like a local or do you just want to keep to yourself in your bubble?

If you have unlimited budget, feel free to live in a condo/landed property, eat out or order food delivery daily, drive/ride hail whenever you want.

If you wanna be more mindful in your spending, live in HDB, cook at home, take public transport.

Or you can mix both sides of the budget spectrum. Ride hail and eat out occasionally.

First thing to take note is that food & essentials are imported into SG. We don’t have the land to produce our own stuff. Learn to get over the fact that some things won’t be as cheap as back home. Either you stock up & bring some over or find cheaper alternatives or just pay the price difference.

Groceries, essentials, other stuff to purchase...: For unlimited budgets, there’s Jason’s, Cold Storage and other speciality shops. Slightly more wallet friendly options Giant, Sheng Siong, and Fairprice. Though some people say Fairprice ain’t wallet friendly but it’s everywhere and convenient. Most wallet friendly is wet markets found in HDB estates, they usually have fresher produce than supermarkets. Floors are usually wet, hence the name.

If you are used to keeping certain food stuffs like butter outside the fridge, the climate here will either cause it to melt or go mouldy quickly. Read the label and refrigerate if it says so. Leaving unwashed dishes in the sink will attract pests, so clean up ASAP.

Your other essentials like shampoo, toothpaste, etc. can also be found in the above supermarkets, pharmacies like Watsons or Guardian, online, or smaller beauty product shops in HDB estates. The latter is very worth it in terms of pricing.

Electronics & furniture… just wait for a sale or get second hand items from other expats who are moving out.

A lot of stuff can be ordered online anyway if you’re lazy to go out to shop.

Transport: Cars are hella expensive but if you have the budget, go ahead. Public transport is efficient & quick, waiting time isn’t that long. My foreigner husband is happy he doesn’t have to drive ‘cos he hates city parking so he’s content without a car. There are apps where you can rent cars for a few hours for occasions like moving some items… There are also traditional car rental places to rent a car for a period of time.

I grew up without a car and so did plenty of other people. The whole “if you have kids, you must have a car” mindset is untrue.

Housing: Don’t knock on HDBs until you try it. Majority of the population live in HDBs and it ain’t bad. The pricing of some HDBs are almost on par with condos. Don’t listen to those who have never lived in one before and only heard stories from friends/colleagues. Public housing aren’t slums or ghettos like other countries. You want to exercise? There are exercise equipment downstairs or you can go to the HDB estate’s sports complex or swimming complex.

Condos have plenty of facilities but you gotta ask yourself if you’re gonna use it weekly. If you’re not, it’s just a waste of maintenance fees. Condos are also smaller than HDBs unless you find those built before the 90s which tend to be bigger. If you want a new & bigger condo, pay more for rent. You essentially pay more for convenience… whether you use the facilities, that’s up to you.

Landed property like terraces & bungalows are very pricey too ‘cos we do have a lack of land and if you wanna stay on such houses, prepare to pay a premium, even for rental. Terrace houses are usually adjacent to other houses so if you don’t like that, either you don’t go for it or you live with it. Bungalows are stand-alone with pretty big gardens. Whether you stay in HDB, condos, terrace, your neighbours are gonna be fairly close anyway. Landed property are usually located far away from roads so having a car would be more convenient.

Healthcare: Make sure your company insurance covers you & your dependents ‘cos foreigners are charged the full rate if you go to public hospitals. Ifnyou have unlimited budget, feel free to go to private hospitals. Quality between public & private are the same, difference is waiting time.

Activities: The weather is hot & humid so locals prefer activities that are indoors in air-conditioned comfort. That means spending time in shopping malls like the movies, eating out, shopping. We do have museums & theatres but the arts scene may not be as vibrant as other cities.

Outdoor wise, you can go to the beach (Sentosa or East Coast Park) or hike along the various park connectors. We don’t have much in terms of natural scenery, I’m afraid. Pre-COVID, it’s very common among locals & foreigners to jet off to other SEA countries over Friday-weekend and come back Sunday night.

Schooling: I don’t have any children but everyone else has gave their input here.

nelyanne
Regular
Regular
Posts: 137
Joined: Thu, 06 Aug 2020 1:18 pm

Re: Planning my move to Singapore

Post by nelyanne » Tue, 26 Jul 2022 2:50 pm

@MOCHS - regarding HDB. It should also be stated, most of the HDBs are NOT available for rent to foreigners. Non-citizen quota is 8% for the neighborhood, 11% for the block. Also, renting HDB is not as cheap as it used to be. The price gap between renting an HDB and a condo has narrowed.

smoulder
Editor
Editor
Posts: 1312
Joined: Fri, 25 Dec 2015 11:05 pm

Re: Planning my move to Singapore

Post by smoulder » Tue, 26 Jul 2022 3:59 pm

nelyanne wrote:
Tue, 26 Jul 2022 2:50 pm
@MOCHS - regarding HDB. It should also be stated, most of the HDBs are NOT available for rent to foreigners. Non-citizen quota is 8% for the neighborhood, 11% for the block. Also, renting HDB is not as cheap as it used to be. The price gap between renting an HDB and a condo has narrowed.
I have rented HDBs as a foreigner (on an EP), so this is not true. Most of that was with my fiance (now wife) who was a PR and later became a citizen, but I don't think that gave me special privileges. I know of plenty of foreign families who rent HDBs. Yes, there could be restrictions - but those restrictions do not make it impossible.

I think like MOCHS mentioned and I alluded to it as well, sometimes paying more to live in a condo doesn't make much sense if you don't use the facilities - typically the swimming pool and the gym. I for one rarely use the pool and never use the gym - I have an Anytime Fitness membership so I end up double spending. And of course, you get more space for your money and proximity to shops and public transport in HDBs which you may not get in a condo.

nelyanne
Regular
Regular
Posts: 137
Joined: Thu, 06 Aug 2020 1:18 pm

Re: Planning my move to Singapore

Post by nelyanne » Tue, 26 Jul 2022 4:29 pm

smoulder wrote:
Tue, 26 Jul 2022 3:59 pm
nelyanne wrote:
Tue, 26 Jul 2022 2:50 pm
@MOCHS - regarding HDB. It should also be stated, most of the HDBs are NOT available for rent to foreigners. Non-citizen quota is 8% for the neighborhood, 11% for the block. Also, renting HDB is not as cheap as it used to be. The price gap between renting an HDB and a condo has narrowed.
I have rented HDBs as a foreigner (on an EP), so this is not true. Most of that was with my fiance (now wife) who was a PR and later became a citizen, but I don't think that gave me special privileges. I know of plenty of foreign families who rent HDBs. Yes, there could be restrictions - but those restrictions do not make it impossible.

I think like MOCHS mentioned and I alluded to it as well, sometimes paying more to live in a condo doesn't make much sense if you don't use the facilities - typically the swimming pool and the gym. I for one rarely use the pool and never use the gym - I have an Anytime Fitness membership so I end up double spending. And of course, you get more space for your money and proximity to shops and public transport in HDBs which you may not get in a condo.
Was your wife from Malaysia? Non-citizen quota doesn't apply to Malaysian PRs.
Some families are renting HDB flats where one room is 'officially' locked and occupied by the owner. That's a way to overcome the non-citizen quota. BUT you need to officially rent a whole flat in order to get a maid. So it's better to be aware of this.

Regarding proximity to public transport... Yes, there are some condos far away from any bus stop, forcing you to take taxi everywhere. But there are also condos linked directly to MRT station.

smoulder
Editor
Editor
Posts: 1312
Joined: Fri, 25 Dec 2015 11:05 pm

Re: Planning my move to Singapore

Post by smoulder » Tue, 26 Jul 2022 4:38 pm

nelyanne wrote:
Tue, 26 Jul 2022 4:29 pm
smoulder wrote:
Tue, 26 Jul 2022 3:59 pm
nelyanne wrote:
Tue, 26 Jul 2022 2:50 pm
@MOCHS - regarding HDB. It should also be stated, most of the HDBs are NOT available for rent to foreigners. Non-citizen quota is 8% for the neighborhood, 11% for the block. Also, renting HDB is not as cheap as it used to be. The price gap between renting an HDB and a condo has narrowed.
I have rented HDBs as a foreigner (on an EP), so this is not true. Most of that was with my fiance (now wife) who was a PR and later became a citizen, but I don't think that gave me special privileges. I know of plenty of foreign families who rent HDBs. Yes, there could be restrictions - but those restrictions do not make it impossible.

I think like MOCHS mentioned and I alluded to it as well, sometimes paying more to live in a condo doesn't make much sense if you don't use the facilities - typically the swimming pool and the gym. I for one rarely use the pool and never use the gym - I have an Anytime Fitness membership so I end up double spending. And of course, you get more space for your money and proximity to shops and public transport in HDBs which you may not get in a condo.
Was your wife from Malaysia? Non-citizen quota doesn't apply to Malaysian PRs.
Some families are renting HDB flats where one room is 'officially' locked and occupied by the owner. That's a way to overcome the non-citizen quota. BUT you need to officially rent a whole flat in order to get a maid. So it's better to be aware of this.

Regarding proximity to public transport... Yes, there are some condos far away from any bus stop, forcing you to take taxi everywhere. But there are also condos linked directly to MRT station.
Yes Malaysian. However, I think the foreigner restrictions applied to us because of me, the EP holder. We always rented the whole place - I don't recall the deal with HDBs with locked rooms, but we were forewarned by a friend who's an agent that it's illegal and hence we wouldn't even look at those listings.

As I mentioned, I know of a few families who've rented out the whole HDB while being on EPs. Non Malaysians. It is definitely doable. What's not possible is for a foreigner to buy an HDB. Which is why we ended up spending more and bought a condo.

therat
Editor
Editor
Posts: 1011
Joined: Thu, 04 Sep 2008 2:23 pm
Answers: 2

Re: Planning my move to Singapore

Post by therat » Tue, 26 Jul 2022 4:42 pm

nelyanne wrote:
Tue, 26 Jul 2022 4:29 pm
smoulder wrote:
Tue, 26 Jul 2022 3:59 pm
nelyanne wrote:
Tue, 26 Jul 2022 2:50 pm
@MOCHS - regarding HDB. It should also be stated, most of the HDBs are NOT available for rent to foreigners. Non-citizen quota is 8% for the neighborhood, 11% for the block. Also, renting HDB is not as cheap as it used to be. The price gap between renting an HDB and a condo has narrowed.
I have rented HDBs as a foreigner (on an EP), so this is not true. Most of that was with my fiance (now wife) who was a PR and later became a citizen, but I don't think that gave me special privileges. I know of plenty of foreign families who rent HDBs. Yes, there could be restrictions - but those restrictions do not make it impossible.

I think like MOCHS mentioned and I alluded to it as well, sometimes paying more to live in a condo doesn't make much sense if you don't use the facilities - typically the swimming pool and the gym. I for one rarely use the pool and never use the gym - I have an Anytime Fitness membership so I end up double spending. And of course, you get more space for your money and proximity to shops and public transport in HDBs which you may not get in a condo.
Was your wife from Malaysia? Non-citizen quota doesn't apply to Malaysian PRs.
Some families are renting HDB flats where one room is 'officially' locked and occupied by the owner. That's a way to overcome the non-citizen quota. BUT you need to officially rent a whole flat in order to get a maid. So it's better to be aware of this.

Regarding proximity to public transport... Yes, there are some condos far away from any bus stop, forcing you to take taxi everywhere. But there are also condos linked directly to MRT station.
Lock a room - most of the time is due to owner 5 yrs MOP no meet. In order to rent out whole unit, owner need to stay at the unit for 5 yrs. And to rent out the whole unit, owner need to get HDB approve. If the owner lock a room (not staying in) and rent out the whole unit. It is illegal.

MOCHS
Reporter
Reporter
Posts: 888
Joined: Thu, 01 Aug 2019 8:43 pm
Answers: 2

Re: Planning my move to Singapore

Post by MOCHS » Tue, 26 Jul 2022 5:13 pm

nelyanne wrote:
Tue, 26 Jul 2022 2:50 pm
@MOCHS - regarding HDB. It should also be stated, most of the HDBs are NOT available for rent to foreigners. Non-citizen quota is 8% for the neighborhood, 11% for the block. Also, renting HDB is not as cheap as it used to be. The price gap between renting an HDB and a condo has narrowed.
I know PRC, Taiwanese, Indian & Vietnamese researchers on EP renting HDBs and living in them currently. Yes, there is a quota but it’s not impossible to rent as a foreigner. Foreigners just cannot buy HDB.

I also did mention the cost of HDB & condo getting pretty close, applies to rental & purchases too.

My colleague knew property agents that cater to expats who exclusively wanted condos within 5 mins walk to MRT. Any further and the expats complaint about perspiring while walking to the station. The weather does take getting used to.
Last edited by MOCHS on Tue, 26 Jul 2022 5:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.

nelyanne
Regular
Regular
Posts: 137
Joined: Thu, 06 Aug 2020 1:18 pm

Re: Planning my move to Singapore

Post by nelyanne » Tue, 26 Jul 2022 5:21 pm

MOCHS wrote:
Tue, 26 Jul 2022 5:13 pm
nelyanne wrote:
Tue, 26 Jul 2022 2:50 pm
@MOCHS - regarding HDB. It should also be stated, most of the HDBs are NOT available for rent to foreigners. Non-citizen quota is 8% for the neighborhood, 11% for the block. Also, renting HDB is not as cheap as it used to be. The price gap between renting an HDB and a condo has narrowed.
I know PRC, Taiwanese, Indian & Vietnamese researchers on EP renting HDBs and living in them currently. Yes, there is a quota but it’s not impossible to rent as a foreigner. Foreigners just cannot buy HDB.
Not impossible, but the options are very limited.
I am not surprised that the researchers are renting HDBs - many people working in research positions earn maybe 5-8k, so they don't have much choice (especially if they move to SG with a whole family). The author of the thread is in a different situation.
therat wrote:
Tue, 26 Jul 2022 4:42 pm
nelyanne wrote:
Tue, 26 Jul 2022 4:29 pm
smoulder wrote:
Tue, 26 Jul 2022 3:59 pm

I have rented HDBs as a foreigner (on an EP), so this is not true. Most of that was with my fiance (now wife) who was a PR and later became a citizen, but I don't think that gave me special privileges. I know of plenty of foreign families who rent HDBs. Yes, there could be restrictions - but those restrictions do not make it impossible.

I think like MOCHS mentioned and I alluded to it as well, sometimes paying more to live in a condo doesn't make much sense if you don't use the facilities - typically the swimming pool and the gym. I for one rarely use the pool and never use the gym - I have an Anytime Fitness membership so I end up double spending. And of course, you get more space for your money and proximity to shops and public transport in HDBs which you may not get in a condo.
Was your wife from Malaysia? Non-citizen quota doesn't apply to Malaysian PRs.
Some families are renting HDB flats where one room is 'officially' locked and occupied by the owner. That's a way to overcome the non-citizen quota. BUT you need to officially rent a whole flat in order to get a maid. So it's better to be aware of this.

Regarding proximity to public transport... Yes, there are some condos far away from any bus stop, forcing you to take taxi everywhere. But there are also condos linked directly to MRT station.
Lock a room - most of the time is due to owner 5 yrs MOP no meet. In order to rent out whole unit, owner need to stay at the unit for 5 yrs. And to rent out the whole unit, owner need to get HDB approve. If the owner lock a room (not staying in) and rent out the whole unit. It is illegal.
Yes, I know it's a workaround for the 5 yr restriction.

smoulder
Editor
Editor
Posts: 1312
Joined: Fri, 25 Dec 2015 11:05 pm

Re: Planning my move to Singapore

Post by smoulder » Tue, 26 Jul 2022 5:36 pm

Speaking about weather. I grew up in Mumbai which is pretty rainy and pretty warm and sticky. I still find Singapore weather a pain in the ass.

While the rain is OK and sometimes a pleasant relief, the warm stickiness is not something that you get used to - you get used to ways of mitigating :D

tiktok
Reporter
Reporter
Posts: 637
Joined: Mon, 21 Jan 2019 5:04 pm

Re: Planning my move to Singapore

Post by tiktok » Tue, 26 Jul 2022 10:19 pm

It was a 10 year old Avante with a 5 year COE, I paid 25k cash for it. Very foolish in hindsight, I should have got a 10 year COE (which can always be refunded). Now a perfectly good car will be scrapped next year, what a stupid rule.
smoulder wrote:
Tue, 26 Jul 2022 10:43 am
Lisafuller wrote:
Tue, 26 Jul 2022 4:31 am
tiktok wrote:
Sun, 24 Jul 2022 11:03 am
I bought a second car 4 years ago and it works out to 5k a year (running costs excluded). But given the rise in COE prices, the same thing would be 8-9k now.
New or used?
416 per month. I'm guessing used. Either that or he paid a significant amount of cash upfront with a much smaller loan.
I not troll/wacko/spammer.
Me no expat. Me foreigner.

Roadtosingapore
Newbie
Newbie
Posts: 15
Joined: Sat, 16 Jul 2022 10:26 pm

Re: Planning my move to Singapore

Post by Roadtosingapore » Wed, 27 Jul 2022 7:39 am

Lisafuller wrote:
Tue, 26 Jul 2022 4:24 am
NYY1 wrote:
Sun, 24 Jul 2022 7:45 am
Lisafuller wrote:
Sun, 24 Jul 2022 4:49 am


Cost of schooling can vary greatly, but I personally recommend SAS if you can afford it.
I think they are looking for the UK curriculum. But if willing to deal with something else I think most would agree (I guess).
Oh, I missed that. If they are looking for UK curriculum, I’d go with Tanglin trust. But if they want to try something else then I definitely recommend SAS over any other school.
Thanks. We checked Tanglin Trust and Dover Court, both have a long waiting list. :(

Post Reply
  • Similar Topics
    Replies
    Views
    Last post

Return to “General Discussions”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 32 guests