house hunting in 7 days, 4 wks before moving with DH+ 2 kids

[rajeshwari rajamani]

Hi there, I'm new to this site, but found a lot of posts really useful. My situation is I only have 7 days to find and finalise a place for husband and 2 kids and self. So we go house hunting for the 1st week in December. We plan to rent from 2nd week January. Is 7 days going to be enough? Office will help to process papers, but I read on another post how the visa must be in before signing the agreement. Not sure if we will have ours by then, can office sign agreement on our behalf, since there is a direct payment agreement on the rent? I have been told that 4 weeks should be enough time in December, since lots of expats move out around that time, is that right? Plus school going kid I would like to start in SAS thought I've been told admission is possble only in August due to waiting list, and DH will be working in Raffles Tower. Wondering if taking a house in Woodland (within a budget of 7- 10 K) is better? How difficult to find spacious and well ventialted housing along MRT line nearer CBD? Sorry for the long post. Any replies would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[jockney]

No landlord will sign a rental agreement without an EP pass or other pass.
We tried and they refused, but they did take 1 months rent as security while we were waiting for EP pass.
We liked the property and did not really want to lose it, so that was the only option, but we had a good agent on our side.
We had 3-4 days to find a school and a place to live and we did both no bother, with the right help.

[sprite]

Hi there, I'm new to this site, but found a lot of posts really useful. My situation is I only have 7 days to find and finalise a place for husband and 2 kids and self. So we go house hunting for the 1st week in December. We plan to rent from 2nd week January. Is 7 days going to be enough? Office will help to process papers, but I read on another post how the visa must be in before signing the agreement. Not sure if we will have ours by then, can office sign agreement on our behalf, since there is a direct payment agreement on the rent? I have been told that 4 weeks should be enough time in December, since lots of expats move out around that time, is that right? Plus school going kid I would like to start in SAS thought I've been told admission is possble only in August due to waiting list, and DH will be working in Raffles Tower. Wondering if taking a house in Woodland (within a budget of 7- 10 K) is better? How difficult to find spacious and well ventialted housing along MRT line nearer CBD? Sorry for the long post. Any replies would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

The waitlists at SAS are different at different grades, you might get lucky but since school is an uncertainy, my advice would be to NOT take a house in the Woodlands. What if SAS is full? The vast majority of SAS families live outside the Woodlands anyway, and your husband's commute would be an hour each way. Woodlands rents have gone through the roof. I think $7 - 10K could find you a nice enough place closer to town and work and open up more options for schooling. You'll need a company check to secure a place too once you decide on it. It'll all work out, try not to worry too much. Easier said than done

[rajeshwari rajamani]

Thanks for the replies. Sorry I have not replied before, but I couldnt find my thread!!! Kind of forgot which forum it was on...

Sprite, further to what you have written, I have a question for you. My kid is 4.5 yrs. and is starting K1 next year. Is it possible she wont get admission at all in SAS?? I am quite keen for her to join SAS and am NOT APPLYING ANYWHERE ELSE!!! I have got provisional admission sort of in OFS, but I hope to switch over to SAS sometime next year. Should I be applying in at least one other school, or perhaps more, to cover my bases? The thing is the app fee is 2000 SGD plus, which is partly non refundable, and the refundable part comes with enough ifs and buts that I am not sure if we will see the colour of our money again! Plus I plan to apply for my younger one in SAS as well, for admission in 09. Which brings me back to my question, how much of a risk is it to put all my eggs in the SAS basket? Thanks in advance, sprite.

Anyone else out there with some experience or educated guesses, pls advice, any replies will be appreciated!

[sprite]

Yes, very possible she won't get into SAS right now -- there are waitlists at every grade level (except maybe for pre-school). There is talk of opening a temporary campus in time for August 2008, which would clear off the waitlist, but I think that is not at all definite. Expansion seems inevitable, the pressure from the Singapore government is great. I would have a very open and honest discussion with Admissions, and see what they say. If you fill out all the forms and pay your deposit, they should both be fine for a start of August 2008 but it's a crap shoot either way you slice it. Also, are your children US or Canadian passport holders? This could be crucial.

[Taga-Bukid]

Thanks for the replies. Sorry I have not replied before, but I couldnt find my thread!!! Kind of forgot which forum it was on...

Sprite, further to what you have written, I have a question for you. My kid is 4.5 yrs. and is starting K1 next year. Is it possible she wont get admission at all in SAS?? I am quite keen for her to join SAS and am NOT APPLYING ANYWHERE ELSE!!! I have got provisional admission sort of in OFS, but I hope to switch over to SAS sometime next year. Should I be applying in at least one other school, or perhaps more, to cover my bases? The thing is the app fee is 2000 SGD plus, which is partly non refundable, and the refundable part comes with enough ifs and buts that I am not sure if we will see the colour of our money again! Plus I plan to apply for my younger one in SAS as well, for admission in 09. Which brings me back to my question, how much of a risk is it to put all my eggs in the SAS basket? Thanks in advance, sprite.

Anyone else out there with some experience or educated guesses, pls advice, any replies will be appreciated!

Was just in SG last week. Spent 3 weeks on my new job, looking for housing and looking for schools. Have 2 kids. 1 is in the 3rd grade and the other is in pre-k here in the US. Managed to look at only 3 schools, ISS, Chatsworth and SAS. It was important for me to have both kids in the same school as it would be easier for my wife and I to followup on them. Chatsworth could only accomodate 1 child, SAS only 1 child and ISS both. I ended up enrolling them in ISS, but I signed up and paid the fees for SAS for August of 2008. It is a gamble to put down $ with no guarantees. I am fortunate, however, as the company is picking up the tab.

With regards to housing, I found a place that I liked in the East Coast. I am working in Suntec City. Looked at a few places near Bukit Timah etc. I'm hoping that the distance from the East Coast to SAS will be somewhat mitigated by not having as many stops compared to other areas w/c are closer but might have multiple stops making the total commute time the same.

Best of luck.