Singapore vs London (UK)

[kookaburrah]

Cheers!!

I'm looking at the last week of September, probably. We should be arriving pretty much at the same time.
I have been to Singapore before, but only as a visitor. I'd stop by when I lived in Oz.
Singapore is a good gateway to Asia-Pacific. In my line of business (Pharma/Biotech) it is becoming important to have AP experience.

What about you? What brigs you to Sg?

Good Luck to you too !!!

When are you moving over ??
have you been to Singapore before ??
What attracted you to Singapore ??

I am looking at the first week of October.

[louy]

I currently work as an analyst in retail. Really dunno what I am doing in life, really not sure where i am going.

I tried looking for more exciting fields, such as banking and corproate finance, risk management. Spent the last 5 months apply for jobs in HK(where my family is). No one was interested.

A job opportunity came up within my company in Singapore. Hoping 2 years hard work, dedication and self motivation in Singapore will open new doors for me.

So Singapore here I come !!

[seletargates]

This should be a good stint, lots more opportunity to experiment with different roles in a smaller place like Singapore than London.

We too came out for 2 years, and finally after 7 years are heading back. Easy to get used to the tax rates!

Good luck

[Reddy]

I have another question about rental costs. In all forums everybody's talking baout some 2-3 bedroom condos. I plan to come down to SG with my boyfriend, we have no kids or even pets thus we only need like 1 bedroom and some small living room together with a kitchen (less space to clean also:p). Do if it's a condo with a common swimming pool then it's gotta be the size of a castle?

[HunBunny80]

Reddy, I think you will struggle to find 1 bedroom flat. Most apartments in Singapore are 2 or 3 bedrooms. Having said that, I know there are some 1 bedroom apartments in Central/West Singapore which are not cheap

[Reddy]

thanks for reply!
However then there are no child-less couples in Singapore at all? Why else otherwise you'd need 2 or 3 bedrooms in your home?
Or Singaporeans prefer to sleep separatly from his/her husband/wife? Or you just have guests staying over every night?

Maybe my questions are silly but really in Europe it's much easier to find some studio (just 1 big room together with kitchen) or 1living room+ 1 bed room apartments, 3 bedroom places are almost none existent here unless it's a real house for a huge family...

[Zeenit]

We dont have kids but its easy to see why people have 2 and 3 bed condos. We have a 3 bed and one is a study and ther other is a guest room for all our friends and family when they come and visit us.

We also shipped all the contents of our house in London and it has to live somewhere when it arrives.
Hope this explains why some expats go for bigger condos.

[Global Citizen]

thanks for reply!
Maybe my questions are silly but really in Europe it's much easier to find some studio (just 1 big room together with kitchen) or 1living room+ 1 bed room apartments, 3 bedroom places are almost none existent here unless it's a real house for a huge family...

Singapore is a very small and densley populated island. It is probably far more economical in the long run to build apartments with a minimum of 2 bedrooms than a single bedroom or a studio. Another reason why there are so many high rises as well as the idea is to house the masses on limited space availability.

[ringo100]

But HK is mores populated but has 1,000's of studios. I think it because there is more space than most cities.

[nhonho_88]

nhonho_88,

Obviously YOU aren't paying the bills. Mommy and Daddy still supporting you is it?

NO, these students must do some part-time job also

[boffenl]

We've lived in an HDB for a year and a half now--two bedrooms and a main hall--a three room flat. It's small, really small. But I can't seem to bring myself to spend $2.5 k for a roof over my head when we spend so much time at work, school, hawker center, community center, swimming pool, etc. I'm on a local package too. It's been tough, but you adjust. Plus, the rooms are really small, so don't think 2 bedrooms really means much--more like two closets really.

With a kid it's much easier to become part of the HDB lifestyle. She also attends local school, so we know some of the kids who live in our block and around the estate. Not sure how the housing prices in London compare, but we've been blown out of the water by the prices here. I keep hoping the prices will go down. But we will probably buy an HDB flat on the resale market once we get PR. Something with at least 3 bedrooms!

Do make sure you travel around the island once you get here and see lots of different places and spaces. There are a few HDB places available, but you've got to be agressive. And HDB rental prices seem to be at least keeping steady, if not increasing. Good luck!

[Zeenit]

Normally, the cost of living in Asia is cheaper than in Europe, only living in Tokyo, Japan is the most expensive in Asia and the 2rd expensive in over the world. If you go to Singapore, you do not have to worry about the cost because It is not expensive at all. so a lot Vietnamese students go there to study although the living standard of Vietnamese people is not so high as Uk people

Words fail me for this one. God I thought i saw or read it all. Just shows how wrong a person have be......that is me.

[HunBunny80]

We dont have kids but its easy to see why people have 2 and 3 bed condos. We have a 3 bed and one is a study and ther other is a guest room for all our friends and family when they come and visit us.

We also shipped all the contents of our house in London and it has to live somewhere when it arrives.
Hope this explains why some expats go for bigger condos.

Likewise Zeenit. Although I did not come from a house in London, we moved our belongings from 2 flats in London into 1 in Singapore.

[saintze]

hi if u r thinkin of housemate ard centre, im in!

saintze@yahoo.com

Z