Does anyone live in a black and white?

[carolynW]

and have anything to share about old pipes? pythons? cobras?

what they like about it? what they don't?

[road.not.taken]

I do! Too much too rattle on and on about here, did you have some specific questions?

[carolynW]

Am trying to get a sense of what living on one of those would truly be like, they seem to look nice but may take more energy than I have. Though the wild life (rats and bugs) may not be too big a problem as we have 3 dogs that like to "hunt" and so we need garden space for them too but... our tiny dog, the chihuahua may end up getting hunted by the python.

Can you actually go out and enjoy the afternoon in the lawn without being bitten or mosquito creams are a must? A friend of mine apparently had to live in doors in the day time and her cat got eaten by a python. Does teh govt, not "smoke" the place?

Can I dig up the garden for a vege patch? or do I have to get approval?

btw Thanks for the link you sent!

Also although i have seen the bidding site, there seems to be an agent also dealing in these as they found us! and the asking rent has dived by 45%.

[road.not.taken]

Am trying to get a sense of what living on one of those would truly be like, they seem to look nice but may take more energy than I have.

Ours is fairly rustic and unimproved, some are much tighter. It's a lot like living in the tree fort you may have made as a kid. Or put another way: we've had barns that were nicer.

Managing the upkeep and maintenance is definitely like having a part-time job.

Re: the vegetable patch. Should be no problem, but it is understood that you leave the property just as you found it, so you may have to replace it with sod when you pull up stakes.

[aussiemeg]

Yes I get eaten by mosquitos but just spray the kids and me with this organic lemon juice and they leave us alone and it makes my skin feel nice. We have the place fogged every week at a cost of $3000per annum

Yes we have had a snake on the stairs and a few on the verandah but they are only tree snakes and if you have good pest control they come and take them away

Yes our dog is a hunting dog and no he doesn't get into any trouble. Our cats are singaporean so are smart and they only occassionally bring birds and lizards home and we have not ever seen a rat or mouse

yes the upkeep is a job but premas are on 24 hour call and will even change a light bulb for you if you have the gall to ask.

Would I live anywhere else? NEVER NEVER NEVER

On the subject of the agent check that they are DTZ or Premas houses because up keep without the support of a good managing agent would be a nightmare.

[road.not.taken]

There is another managing property management firm, beside DTZ and Premas -- can't remember the name.

[sundaymorningstaple]

Here are some of our previous discussions re: black & whites....

http://www.singaporeexpats.com/forum/ftopic12976.html

http://www.singaporeexpats.com/forum/ftopic34849.html

http://www.singaporeexpats.com/forum/ftopic47039.html