East Coast cluster house - what is reasonable rent?

[woozel]

Hi

We are currently negotiating on rent on a 4 bedroom cluster house in the Upper East Coast. We were wondering if anyone reading this stays in a similar place, and if so, what would a reasonable rent on these places be?

I know this is probably like saying how long is a piece of string, but after reading through many posts on this forum - many people say landlords just try their luck so I am not sure if we are getting a good deal or not.

There also seems to be so much debate on the current rentals that any input from people will be appreciated.

No harm in throwing the question out there....

W

[rodandhelen]

Hi dont know if this helps but we just veiwed a 4 bed cluster house and they wanted $5800

[woozel]

Thanks. It is quite hard. Initially landlord asked for a number (just below 7), we counteroffered then he said, actually he always wanted a number much higher than the 7 so we were luck to be getting the lower price.

I am a really bad negotiator as always want to go, "oh, okay", but know that isn't the best strategy.....

Also hard as the leases are so long, you don't want to make a mistake, as this can be quite costly by the sounds of things.

[rodandhelen]

Which cluster house are you looking at?

From looking over the past month it depends on what one you get, some 4 bed are cheaper than others

H

[Thaiclan]

Hi Woozel the reply you got is a standard classic "oh the price is supposed to be much higher etc etc". Pay no heed! lol
We looked at a cluster house at Summer Gardens, 4 beds for 6,200 and we offered 5.5 which at first they said no to and then asked us 3 days later if we still wanted it for 5.5 (and actually we didnt).
We also saw a 7 bed house near Changi which was up for 6.6 and we offered 5.8. They told us no and that it actually should have been up for 7.2, yet they called us a couple of days later asking us if we wanted it at our bid.
We ended up taking a huge (6,000 + sqft) condo for 6k (in August). This too initially was "supposed" to be at a much higher price. I'd say hold out, there is a lot on the market so there is no need to feel pressured into paying higher than you would like to. Good Luck

[woozel]

Thanks so much for your reply - it really helps to read things like that to get a better insight into how things go.

Btw - where / which is your condo? Didn't know you could get them that big!

We need a lot of space as my husband is working from home. We are aiming for East Coast as both hubby and I will travel a fair bit for work, and I will work at Suntec, so this seems to be the most convenient.

8 days till we leave so things a bit manic now, but luckily we have 4 weks in a Serviced Apartment before we have to make up our minds.....

[pinoyboy]

Thanks so much for your reply - it really helps to read things like that to get a better insight into how things go.

Btw - where / which is your condo? Didn't know you could get them that big!

We need a lot of space as my husband is working from home. We are aiming for East Coast as both hubby and I will travel a fair bit for work, and I will work at Suntec, so this seems to be the most convenient.

8 days till we leave so things a bit manic now, but luckily we have 4 weks in a Serviced Apartment before we have to make up our minds.....

How big a space would you need? Would some condo not suffice, if much smaller than 6,000 sq. ft (also surprised there is one this big -- must be the penthouse), but very accessible from an MRT/bus stop/taxi stand?

We're staying in a modest 3+1+1 condo (1,300+ sq.ft.) at East Meadows, a stone's throw away from the Upper East Coast area and right across the Tanah Merah MRT station. Though I drive, we still desired accessibility. However, due to budget constraints, we ended up staying in a condo 30-40 mins away from the CBD.

But if you or your hubby will be driving to work, location should not be a big issue. I guess this may be the reason, aside from space, why you prefer a cluster house.

Just my 2 cents worth...

[shalom163]

You may want to consider D'manor which is 5 mins walking distance from Tanah Merah MRT. The house area ranging from 2738 and 3400 sq ft. You can check the details under the cluster housing category in Distance 16, http://www.singaporeexpats.com/singapor ... -manor.htm

A quiet living environment and is quite popular with expat too.