Living arrangements for a couple in a shared apartment

[tinkerbeast]

Hello,

I have received an offer, and I am considering moving to singapore with my wife. We are both recent graduates, no kids and have basically been accustomed to the graduate student lifestyle in the US. While the offer seemed like a lot to me initially compared to a student stipend, I am quickly learning that the costs are a lot too. And as my wife will need to move to singapore and search for a job, I will need to be in a position to support the both of us. As such I do not think I will be able to afford a studio or 1 bedroom apt in singapore, as I would elsewhere, so I am looking at other alternatives such as sharing apartments which I believe is pretty common.

How convenient is it to live as a couple in a shared apartment? I suppose an arrangement where we could rent out a largish bedroom with an attached bathroom, and share the living quarters with other people. Is this a common practice? Privacy will always be an issue I suppose, but is it manageable with enough space afforded?

I would especially like to hear of the experiences of people who've tried something similar.

Also, is there any difference in renting out 2 bedrooms in a 2 bdrm HDB apt and renting the entire apt? seems like they should be a same to me but from what I've read here, an individual apt costs $2000+ whereas rooms can cost from $500-$1000. Could someone explain the discrepancy to me?

[Saint]

It's not uncommon at all, in fact people in your position go for sharing an apartment. You will need to look for a master room rather than a common room as they will come with an ensuite bathroom. The rental cost will depend on the area and whether you go for an HDB or condo. One bit of advice, try and avoid renting a room in an apartment which is owner occupied as there have been many horror stories about this setup.

You can take a look at the classified section of this site

http://classifieds.singaporeexpats.com/ ... hp/cat/122

Or as SE would post

http://www...com.sg/

Not affiliated... just know folks who have used it with success.

[tinkerbeast]

It's not uncommon at all, in fact people in your position go for sharing an apartment. You will need to look for a master room rather than a common room as they will come with an ensuite bathroom. The rental cost will depend on the area and whether you go for an HDB or condo. One bit of advice, try and avoid renting a room in an apartment which is owner occupied as there have been many horror stories about this setup.

You can take a look at the classified section of this site

http://classifieds.singaporeexpats.com/ ... hp/cat/122

Or as SE would post

http://www...com.sg/

Not affiliated... just know folks who have used it with success.

Hi Saint! Thanks for the warning. Could you elaborate on the horror stories a little more?