Children and Balconies

[nenesyd]

We're moving to Singapore in Jan with a 16 month old child. Obviously high-rise balcomies are a concern. In other countries you can get professionals to place netting to enclose the balcony for safety.

Can you do this in Singapore?
How do others cope with high-rise apartments and balconies?
How difficult is it to rent a ground floor apartment and are there many negatives with these?
Thanks

[Loops]

When you look at apartments, tell the agent and the landlord that if you moved in, you'd want the balcony to be fitted with grills. Loads of people have them here and you can get quite decorative ones. You can also get window grills.

You shouldn't have too much trouble renting a low apartment, but unless you go for a cluster apt (like a condo but the apartments are more like houses - low rise) there will still be a void deck or lobby beneath you so you will be in effect on the second floor (or 1st floor if you are from the UK - they call it the second floor here). If you lived on the second floor you would still probably want grills on your balcony.

[k1w1]

I agree with Loops, being on the bottom floor will not mean having a bit of a garden and being at ground level so this is not necesarilly going to be a safer option. Ironically, in our condo all the ground floor apartments have grills as a matter of course, and the higher ones don't. I don't know, mayb they think someon will jump in their window or something (that would be very hard being that the security guards on the gates are very stringent).

Make really sure that the landlord knows you want grills - we were stupid and didn't stipulate it when we signed the lease, and now they won't pay for it. It just isn't worth the anguish...

Don't think "prison bars", they are usually nice colours and decorative.

[micknlea]

If you ask to get the grilles done, don't forget about the windows too! It can be just as much of a worry.

Friends of mine got the balcony grilles done but forgot the windows and now have lots of troubles with an inquisitive 2 year old who could open the windows. Many windows here have no locks and handles that are easy for toddlers to open, and they just open outwards.

We have a 4yo and we are very happy we have window grilles...bit weird at first but you get used to them and can have the window open without worrying!

[nenesyd]

Thanks so much everyone. This is excellent information and very helpful!

I appreciate your replies.

[nenesyd]

Hi k1w1,

It's great to hear that you have great security guards - this is something that is important to us also.

Do you mind telling me the name of the apartments you live in.... and if you'd recommend them. (or if you prefer for privacy you could PM me or if you'd rather not tell me that's ok also!)

My husband is heading over in 2 weeks to check out apartments etc. before we arrive.

[k1w1]

Hi Nenesyd,

we live in the central west area, Upper Bukit Timah (if you look through this board, you'll see most people prefer the other side of the island - not sure why, but this works really well for us and if your budget is limited, it is much cheaper option generally). There are less people living here so space is not quite as limited, hnce the price difference. Plenty of expats live over here though - I don't ever feel like an "oddball".

Regarding security, most condos have 24 hour security with guards on the gates. Some you need to have security passes to enter the complex or use the lifts. If you haven't narrowed down your preferred area, I could tell my own ideas about pros and cons of living over this way. If you're set already on the east coast, there's no point of course...

Are you coming from Sydney (I take it that's the bit in your username)?

[k1w1]

Actually, come to think of it if you might want to consider a place without a balcony. There are plenty of apartments that don't have them but they have full length windows (which is again where your grills come in), so you don't feel boxed in at all. We have two very adventurous kids and a balcony would have been the cause of an early coronary, I think...

[Loops]

I live on the East (is that the 'other side'...........cue twilight zone music......). Marine Parade is where we are. Nice views of the sea and that excellent storm we had earlier today (the windows were rocking in the frames..........good job we had the rivet man around the other week!).

our condo has 24 hour 'security' but really you could just walk in and wave to them and they'd wave back. They don't seem to stop people, they just take the registration numbers of the cars that come in. Ours is an oldish place so we don't have security passes to enter the lifts either, but it is OK, everyone has shoe racks outside their doors and they don't seem to go missing or anything like that.

Yes, you could consider not bothering with the balcony or you could look into moving to a house which is another option.

[Saint]

The last place we had was a ground floor appartment in a relatively new complex just down the road from Marine Parade called laguna Green.

We choice it as it was a small complex with only about 100 plus appartments. The security was very good as the guards knew all the residents and if you had guess they would phone through before letting them in. In some of the larger complexes, as Loops says, it's very easy just to walk in!

The only slight downside of a ground floor appartment is that you don't get the wind blowing in to keep it cooler.

[nenesyd]

Thanks a lot everyone! Hubby has his heart set on East Coast (though he also has his heart set on a house, but I think I'd prefer an apartment for the social side!)

However I don't want to get a car, but we have a 16 month old daughter. How easy is it to get around without a car on the East Coast?

Yep k1w1 we're from Sydney though have been living in Switzerland for the past 3 months (our first expat poasting!) so in January it will be from one weather extreme to the other! And I'm also open to your opinions about living where you do!!

thanks again

[Saint]

East Coast doesn't actually have a MRT station but Bedok and Tanah Merah are only a short bus ride away.

The bus service is very good and we used it all the time but then we didn't have a dustbin lid in tow so can't really comment how easy it is using buses.

There's always taxis which are fairly easy to find and very cheap

[nenesyd]

dustbin lid!!! - love it! :)

[uk-kiwi]

We live in a condo in Bukit Timah called Palm Spring that has real ground floor (1st) apartments with patios. Alot of the families with 2 or more kids live in those ones - don't have to watch out for them i guess and then when they are a bit older they have direct access to the courtyard to play around in. I also had my heart set on the East when i first got here but got talked out of it because there are more facilities in the central area - still not sure i wouldn't have been happier on East but you'll only know that when you get a feel for the areas.

As for not having a car with a young toddler - i tried and within 2 weeks my hubby and i were out searching for one. Maybe it's because my son is a wriggly worm, but buses are okay but believe me you will get no preferential treatment or help getting on and off with a buggy and taxis can be difficult and cumbersome trying to lift the buggy, shopping and baby especially when raining. Also, there's no child restraints and unless you have an angel who will sit perfectly still on each journey, then it gets a bit worrying. Something to keep in mind though -- the east coast is pretty flat and the roads are much easier to cross than in the central area where the one way system makes it almost impossible. So if you enjoy walking and you're def. not getting a car, then you might find that somewhere like Siglap where there's plenty of cafe's and amenities is fine.

Good luck