Condo's - Which are the best?

[Simon1991]

Hello all!
We are planning to move from Poland to Singapore by beginning of 2006. I made a list of some apartments located within the island using Singapore Expats property Pictures section, I wouldlike to know your opinions about those, how is living there and everything you can say about it, and which, as you think is the best. I mostly looked in East Coast, becouse it will be best for us to live not very far from Changi and CBD.

Here's the list:

1. Water Place
2. Cote d' Azur
3. Costa Rhu
4. Costa Del Sol
5. One Fort
6. Butterworth 8
7. Mandarin Gardens
8. The Atria
9. The Makena
10. Villa Marina
11. Seletar Springs condominium
12. The Dew
13. The Warren
14. The Petals
15. Rosewood condominium
16. Belmond Green
17. Aquarius By The Park
18. Sunhaven
19. Tanamera Crest
20. The Bayshore
21. The Clearwater
22. The Eden At Tampines
23. Tropical Spring
24. Caribbean at Keppel Bay
25. Heritage View
26. Queens
27. Tanglin View

We're 4 persons, looking for at least 3 bedrooms priced to 4000 S$ or around, at least 2 bathrooms, (but the best will be bathrooms attached to all rooms), and I want to know which condo is the best for that. If you got a condo that suits to anyone of my criterias and that is, you think, really good, please write me about here.

Thank you!

[dot dot dot]

Hi Simon,

I am sorry, don't know all of those mentioned, but here's my 2 cents:

2. Cote d' Azur: I have viewed a few appartments there some months ago, when it came on the market. Try the ones with seaview on higher floors, they are marvelous, beautiful place. Good facilities, all new, kitchen is quite spacious and modern equipped. Some have a balcony, bedrooms for Sngapore standards quite spacious, expect a 3 bedroom appartment with seaview to be going for around 3000 Sing per month. Worth the money, as it is also located right next to Parkway Parade, good shopping mall, very convenient. Easy entrance to ECP expressway. Not close to MRT, about 15 minutes by bus to MRT.

4. Costa Del Sol: went there a year and a half ago or so. Not my cup of tea, it is a village, huge development, most units still empty. Views spectacular as well, but further out of town, entrance to ECP expressway bit further away. Quite isolated place, no shopping malls around, but cloe to east coast lagoon hawkercentre. Name well chosen, it reminded me of the huge holiday resorts in Torremolinos, Spain. Cheaper than Cote d'azur, should be around 2500 sing for 3 bedroom.

7. Mandarin Gardens: This is space for money. Old development, you will need to be lucky finding a renovated appartment there, but this is old, thus spacious. Location is next to ECP entrance, in Siglap area, which is a nice, cosy east coast residential area, nice mix of local and expat. Siglap centre is a small shopping mall about a 5 minute walk away. Cheaper than the others.

10. Villa Marina: this is a nice low rise development, classic style, looks a bit poshy from themoutside, real family place. Lots of Japanese expats, big resort style pool, nice appartments, but getting a bit older. Still nice though, but new developments coming up in east coast, that offer more value for money. grandeur of the past. Area is great, in the midst of Siglap, but still hidden, so a quiet place. Having said that, it is right next to a mosque, so on Fridays it is partytime: hundreds of cars around the area, blocking the whole street (marine parade road). Epxect around 2500 sing for 3 bedroom.

17. Aquarius By The Park: This is the one at Upper east coast road, right? Seen it from the outside, year old or so, looks very much ok, very small low rise development, just opposite Villa marina.

20. The Bayshore: popular place, opposite Costa del sol, older. High rise, some with nice seaviews, this place is relatively cheap. Old, so look for renovated appartments, definately not in the same league as cote d'azur.

24. Caribbean at Keppel Bay: Had a lot of publicity, quite big medium rise development, very modern, facilities like wireless internet in the condo all around, next to harbourfront mall, next to the entrance to Sentosa Island, next to te sea. Bit hyped in my opinion, I find the prices compared to the quality and space bit steep, expect around 3500 singdollar for 3 bedroom.

As said, just my 2 cents.

Good luck hunting!

Eric

[Simon1991]

Your post is very helpful, it's exactly same as I needed. about Aquarius B.T.P., I was meaned this one on Bedok Reservoir View, I even didn't knowed there's two condo's of that same name in Singapore

Great Thanks, your comment put a huge light onto my selections, I'll surely take your comment when choosing apartment



I'll be very thankful for all next answers (as everytime )

[sydgirl]

Hi,

When I recently arrived in Singapore we stayed at the Carribean at Keppel Bay for one month in a unit that was done up like a Serviced Apartment. It was 3 bedroom with a decent size kitchen but the master bathroom was a bit tight. For instance the shower glass door nearly hits the toilet in the layout we stayed in. Has a brilliant pool or should I say several but I was never quoted $3000 per month. Try more like $6000. It could be because we didn't want to live in something less than 1600sqft.

I looked at over 30 properties and never saw anything for $3000 that was near an MRT. I have to admit though we were looking in the Holland/Orchid/Tanglin district.

I also inspected an apartment at Cote d zur (a penthouse) top floor with roof terrace, 4 bedrooms, great sea view. The bedrooms were TINY!!!! Always check the proportions of the rooms especially if you are moving your own European furniture which will be larger than furniture made here or imported from China.

[dot dot dot]

Hi Sydgirl,

Was the S$ 6,000 for the serviced appartment ar Caribbean or for a 'normal' rental appartment?

Friends of mine pay 3500 for a 3 bedroom over there...

cote d'azur: Penthouse there I never viewed, but there is a difference in shape and sizes there.

In general I'd say that most new developments tend to be in the area of 1250 - 1750sqf for a 3 bedroomcondo, whereas the older places can easily double that size for a 3 bedroom condo.

Very true that it is hard to get by for 3k at Tanglin / Orchard area, but for eastcoast the 3k will give you loads of places to choose from.

Simon,

I think the one I mean at Upper east coast road is simply called Acquarius... sorry there...

Eric

[sydgirl]

Hi Eric,

The price quoted for Carribean at Keppel Bay was the same regardless if you were looking at the Serviced Apartment or looking to rent. We even had our offer of $5000 knocked back! Someone could afford supposedly to pay an extra $1500 per month which of course the landlord snapped up. At the time we felt we were running out of options because they weren't releasing the whole development. To clarify the layouts were 3+1. I'm starting to wonder how shifty the realestate agents may be. We didn't have much choice unfortunately as the company my husband works for assigned us to a particular agent. When we told the company that he wasn't very good they assigned us to their other alternative agent who did find us a place but I think I would have found a cheaper deal if I had of being able to get something myself.

[dot dot dot]

wow.... I bet you could have found a better deal too. Especially when knowing that there is still a lot of appartments there available.

But I have heard the story before: dedicated agents, taking advantage of their position (short term gains, but that is how far their eyes reach).

Eric

[Simon1991]

So what you can say about living there (Caribbean at Keppel Bay)? I think we can afford it...

[dot dot dot]

Sydgirl has to say about living there, but I will forward you the details of the agent my friends used for their place there, maybe his prices are better than others...

Eric

[Pal]

Eric he can always call us.

Prices depend on individual owners.

[Simon1991]

Hey all again
I've got one more question: what's your opinions about Costa Rhu?

[Loops]

Hi Simon. I live at Mandarin Gardens so I can tell you it is quite a nice place to live. It is old, but it is spacious. You can get renovated apartments and if you do it would be worth it. Ours isn't renovated and badly needs it, but we have a great view so that makes up for lack of renovation (we don't look at the kitchen cupboards falling apart, we just look at the view!).

There is a good gym here, a 50m pool, tennis courts, badminton etc, plus a mini-market and a couple of other shops.

As for location, well, I am biased of course, but location wise it is great. We have bus stops right outside, plus alot of buses finish their route here so if you move 5 minutes up the road you lose out on about 6 buses. Siglap centre is about 10 minutes walk away with Cold Storage, hawker cafes, restaurants, Starbucks and alot of other good places. East Coast park is another 5-10 minutes walk through the underpass right outside.

Downsides of this place - renovation noise is the main thing. The first year we were here there were about 3 apartments near us which got renovated and it was very noisy during the day. However, these past 2 years have been OK. Apart from that, it is a good place to live, a bit old, a bit tired looking in places, but a nice size.

Out of your list of condos, the only ones I know which I would probably be happy to live in are the old Bayshore (not new) and maybe Villa Marina for the pool and location (although a friend told me when she lived there they were very strict - no food or drink by the pool!).

You asked about Costa Rhu - I've been there a few times and I quite like the place, but I wouldn't want to live there. not alot of privacy when you are out on your balcony, plus a bit of a nightmare to get to unless you are planning on having a car. People I know who live there love it, but I prefer to be able to get the bus rather than cabs all the time. That would be a big minus to me for any of the Tanjong Rhu condos (that and the fact that they are talking about rebuilding the national stadium soon!).

So I hope this helps - good luck with your move.

[Simon1991]

Thanks, your post is more than helpful Thanks for wishes for my move

[Kurt]

Hi

I viewed a large number of places when I came here.
One thing to note is: If you do not like traffic noise, be careful and do not choose Cote D'Azur - it has major roads on 2 sides, so very noisy. but inside is very nice and new, but quite small too (all newer places are small and soe come without balcony, though Cote d'A has balconies).
Make sure you have a good map to check things, i.e. are there any major roads nex to the condo?
And if there is no MRT, then consider a bus, e.g. living on Meyer Road you can walk to Moutbatten Rd in 5 mins and there are 3 buses going to the center (Suntec City etc) from there.
Good luck.
cheers
Kurt