Be wary of agent 'fee's'. Everything is negotiable - even a 1 year lease can have no commission attached to it. Walk away and find a new agent if you start getting messed around such as receiving counter offers, or the price is jumping around from what you were originally told or saw advertised.
Take two or three viewings on a
property you like - in the daytime, evening and weekend - to see what your neighbours are like and to assess the noise etc.
Don't be a snob and think that public transport is for the 'poor people' - Singapore has a fantastic MRT network, and the buses are great. And it's cheap.
If you're getting a place with a balcony, be wary of living near the freeways - with the doors closed it's not so bad, but with them open it can be loud and annoying.
When furniture shopping, remember to negotiate on everything.
Don't expect the neighbours to welcome you with open arms.....or even smile.
Ask people in the
condo or security what developments are proposed close-by, and don't ask the property agent or believe what they tell you on this. If there are really old buildings surrounding you, and you like peace and quiet, look for something else - likelihood is that they will be torn down and rebuilt which means building work 7 days a week.
One final note - thank your lucky stars you're getting out of the shithole that is the UK, and moving somewhere hot, with good food, almost zero crime, and lower tax rates!
