Individual moving to Singapore, need your assistance!

[Venomrush]

Hello all,

I'm not a SG citizen nor have PR status and will be starting my job in Singapore in September (moving from the UK).
I would like your help on the housing situation. I'm a little confuse with the terms used. I don't understand the differences between a normal flat/apartment and a HDB. Is HDB only available to SG citizen & PR?

I'll be moving to Singapore by myself. My budget is 1,200SGD willing to go up to 1,500SGD if the area is nice. It has to be close to MRT (stations on the Red and Green lines) to travel to work. Area can be 30mins away from central.

I can't seem to find any place that is suitable for 1 person fit. They all seems to have 2-3 bedrooms and the price ranges above 3500SGD. I'm new to Singapore and don't really know anyone so it's not possible to find a mate to share with and I prefer to live alone.

In terms of getting Internet access, how easy is it for a foreign to sign up? How long would it take?

What are your recommendations?
I need your advice on location and property types.

Many thanks

[sundaymorningstaple]

Hello all,

I'm not a SG citizen nor have PR status and will be starting my job in Singapore in September (moving from the UK).
I would like your help on the housing situation. I'm a little confuse with the terms used. I don't understand the differences between a normal flat/apartment and a HDB. Is HDB only available to SG citizen & PR?

HDB are Government subsidized housing and are only available to SG citizens & PR for purchase. Anybody can rent one from the owners if all the relevant qualifications are met (budget, a visa that has residency, and whether the flat is eligible to be rented out (Owners have to registered renters with the HDB). Normal Flats/apartments are called condos. An last are the landed/cluster/hudc properties.

I'll be moving to Singapore by myself. My budget is 1,200SGD willing to go up to 1,500SGD if the area is nice. It has to be close to MRT (stations on the Red and Green lines) to travel to work. Area can be 30mins away from central.

I can't seem to find any place that is suitable for 1 person fit. They all seems to have 2-3 bedrooms and the price ranges above 3500SGD. I'm new to Singapore and don't really know anyone so it's not possible to find a mate to share with and I prefer to live alone.

You will be hard pressed to find anyplace (in livable condition) for 1200-1500, HDB or anything else. You will be able to rent a master bedroom (in-suite bathroom) in an HDB for around 500-800 depending on how far out from the Central Business District you go. You can rent a room in a condominium (condo) for around 1000-1500, again depending on where you are on the island. 1 bedroom or studio apartments are rare as hen's teeth and as you have noted, start in the vicinity of 3K up.

In terms of getting Internet access, how easy is it for a foreign to sign up? How long would it take? Easy if you have an employment pass. Couple of days.

What are your recommendations?
I need your advice on location and property types.

Many thanks

[BillyB]

You need to move your mindset away from U.K rental prices. In Singapore rental is your biggest expenditure by far but the trade off you get is lower tax, cheaper transport and a much better standard of living.

Look at the following websites for property information and to give you some prices guides:

(URL CENSORED DUE TO COPYRIGHT ISSUES)

[Venomrush]

Thanks for quick responses!

Regarding the contract. How long would they usually last?
I plan to stay in Singapore for a minimum of 3 years. If I negotiate for long term rent would it help to get some discount?

I've read somewhere that I cannot rent HBO as foreigner with EP. Is this true? Just renting, not buying.

[BillyB]

Do you really want to commit somewhere for that long?! 3 years is a long time to tie yourself to one place. I'd stick to 1 year contracts unless you are certain the area is perfect with no new builds planned nearby or you'll be putting up with a lot of noise etc.

You can rent anything with an EP - HDB or private. But for HDB you cannot rent without an EP. For private landlords some will accept rental agreements without EP.

[Venomrush]

I'm still confuse of the differences between HDB and normal condo.

Are they the same? Especially in terms of quality. I some how have a feeling that HDB is the same as council house in the UK?

[sundaymorningstaple]

Have you bothered to read any of the replies so far? Have you tried this:

http://tinyurl.com/6dqrsx8

[JayCee]

I'm still confuse of the differences between HDB and normal condo.

Are they the same? Especially in terms of quality. I some how have a feeling that HDB is the same as council house in the UK?

Yes, at the lowest level an HDB is basically the same as a council flat in the UK. However, HDB estates are much safer and cleaner than most council estates in the UK, and 80% of the population in Singapore live in them so it's not something to be looked down upon if you live in one (at least it shouldn't be, Singaporeans who live in condos/houses still look down their nose at others who don't though)

Come on dude, do a bit of research yourself, you're making us Brits look bad!

[sundaymorningstaple]

Thanks JayCee. I would have liked to say that but as a Yank, I'd just be asking for trouble!

[BillyB]

I'm still confuse of the differences between HDB and normal condo.

Are they the same? Especially in terms of quality. I some how have a feeling that HDB is the same as council house in the UK?

No, the standard of the build and facilities are far superior to a UK council estate house or flat. That is a major insult to the quality of housing and the demographics of Singapore.

Try to understand that not everyone in Singapore is fussed about living in the city centre or at prime locations in a shoe box - some want the space / location trade-off - and perhaps some people cannot afford to live in condo's that are located in the heart of everything.

HDB is a government led scheme that makes housing more available and affordable. But don't take that as meaning that only the lower earners live there and it has a feel of your local council estate with benefit earners milking the system - quite the contrary. Plenty of affluent people choose to live in HDB for the points in the second paragraph.

[sundaymorningstaple]

Yeah. You will be surprised at the number of Beemers & Mercs (all new) in HDB parking lots!

[BillyB]

Yeah. You will be surprised at the number of Beemers & Mercs (all new) in HDB parking lots!

Those mattresses hold a lot of cash you know.......!!

[PinkChampagne]

Stay in HDBs, Buy condos and Landed Properties to Rent out. =P

[mummy mantras]

I agree with BillyB. When I first came to Singapore almost 10 years ago, I stayed in a HDB flat in Clementi, renting a room from a very nice elderly couple who fussed over me incessantly. They clucked their tongues at the idea of a single young woman in a foreign land all by herself and kept trying to take care of me (brewing me 'nourishing' herbal soups and whatnot). It was rather nice really!

When I finally married a Singaporean man a few years ago, we got a nice HDB flat in 'remote' Choa Chu Kang (if you check Google maps, you'll see that it's in the north-west of the island, near farmland and several rather beautiful small rivers). My flat was cheap (we paid it off in full in just 4 years!), relatively big (at 145 square metres, I can play badminton in the living room!) and easy to maintain (the town council maintains the buildings and surroundings without bothering the residents). Of course, it's not as pretty as a condo (on the outside anyway), there are no facilities (but that doesn't bother me) and no additional 'security' (some people like the added feeling of security provided by the walls and security guards at the entrances of condos).

And HDB estates are, of course, full of 'local colour' (e.g. exuberent Malay weddings at the neighbouring multi-purpose hall, festive lion dancers during Chinese New Year, smoke from burnt offerings during the Hungry Ghost Festival, strange door-to-door salesmen and karung guni men who are happy to buy your old stuff for a dollar or two). But, if (like me) you have a sense of adventure and prefer local colour to the sterility of a condo, then do chose a HDB flat. It's cheaper to rent and a more interesting place to stay!