Require tips on moving to Singapore

[iamvik]

Hi,

We are a no-kids couple moving to Singapore in about 6 weeks. We have accumulated a full-household worth of stuff (furniture, white-goods, kitchen appliances - all of them new). Now that we have to move, we are in a fix - whether to ship all this to Singapore (the company pays for it). We have received the whole range of advise - "all houses in singapore come fully-furnished" to "buying furniture in singapore is cheaper"!

The sites we have visited are good but cryptic - what exactly do they mean when they say fully-furnished (you just move-in with your clothes?), partially furnished (what generally constitute partially?) and unfurnished (does it mean there is no AC?).

Our requirement is basically a 2BR flat in a decent locality - nothing lavish. I will work in Suntec Tower, Temasek Boulevard area. Appreciate your tips.

Of course, as far as my stuff in India - to bring or not to bring is the most confounding question I will gladly take your opinion on.
Regards,
vik

[sundaymorningstaple]

Fully furnished is usually the "norml" white goods (except luxury white goods e.g., dishwasher/clothes dryer) Normally will include instant type hot water heater and maybe air-con. Will also have very basic furniture in who knows what sort of condition. The LL may or may not remove it if your have your own furniture. This will also depend if the LL has a place to store it.

Partially furnished will usually include basic white goods and a wee bit more possibly. Not all places have aircon. Most condo's will but a lot of HDB Flats won't. Mine doesn't (course I own it but don't have aircon out of preference). Ceiling fans and natural ventilation are a lot more healthy. Again, only my beliefs (Yank who's been here for 25 years - never had aircon).

Unfurnished? Self explanatory.

[crischua]

Fully furnished refers that the unit comes with fixtures and furnished with:
Hall area: coffee table, tv, sofa, dining table and chairs
Bedrooms: wardrobe, bed and mattress
Kitchen / Laundry: confection or microwave oven, stove, refridgerator and washing machine.

Partial Furnished refers that it comes with fixtures and very likely the unit has a refridgerator and a washing machine. Probably no sofa set, tv, dinning table & chairs and no bed/mattress.

Unfurnished - totally empty of anything movable but you still get fixtures (such as kitchen cabinet and stove for cooking)

A/C - generally, condos are fully aircon (bedrooms and living hall). Apartments and flats may or may not have; you have to check it out. Most master bedrooms have A/C.

You'll need to know this: a fully furnished unit is more expensive in rent than a partially furnished or unfurnished unit. If your company is paying for shipping your stuff over, you might want to consider taking a partially furnished unit.

You can find 2-bedroom apartments easily. The big difference is $$ - whether you are going for condo, private apartment or HDB. Any location within 15min transport to the city (where you work), the rent is HIGH.

Searching for the right property is not easy if you are doing it yourself. If you come across a property where the rent seems reasonable and you like the place, you will want to confirm it almost immediately because with the crazy high demand for properties these days, you'll let it slip through you if you want to take a few days to consider. The fastest way to find a property is to get ONE agent to help you search for the ideal property. You do not need many agents, in Singapore, all agents share the same property networks and search tools.

If you are going to take public transport to your office (taking MRT is very convenient and probably faster than if you are driving). And you are not going to pay for ridiculous rent, look for condos/apartments/flats that are at least a few MRT stations away from the city center.

For a decent location - anywhere except Geylang area! (properties in Geylang is cheap but it's also Singapore red light district)

Good luck in your search!