My Singapore Trip to decide whether I relocate

[ShouldBeFun]

Thanks again!

Just one very quick question when trying to negotiate the rental price. In the UK I'd make a low offer, then up it the second time to what I'd be happy to pay and then if it is rejected I'd decide whether to pay the asking price or not.

Would that be good etiquette for Singapore? I don't want to offend anyone

[beppi]

My personal strategy when negotiating:
- I indicate I'm not comfortable with the price and ask if there is room for a discount.
- If there is, I ask what the best offer is. That already shows me how flexible they are.
- If that is not low enough (and I feel there's room for more), I make a lower counter-offer. But I rarely get to that point.

[thismyvoice]

If you are in doubt now, you'll hate it later, trust me.

I live at Reflections. If you want to have a tour of the place, let me know.

Thanks for the offer, that's really kind. I walked by the entrance when I walked from Harbourfront to West Coast Park yesterday (People in my office think I am insane for walking that distance!). My flight is tomorrow evening at 11PM and I just spoke to the agent who is going to try to find a couple of units in Reflections for me to look at before then.

Do you find the location good for getting around?

I love the place to be honest. There's a supermarket in the basement and just outside that supermarket there's a shuttle bus (free) that will take you in a circle to Telok Blangah MRT, Harbourfront Center and back. Goes every 30 mins. The condo is connected to Keppel Marina and to Labrador Park. I love the fact that it is always windy at the condo which gives you a constant nice cool breeze.

There are more than 400 empty units (out of 1,200), so it should be easy to find one. How big a unit are you looking at? The tall towers are the cheapest option. 2+1 bedroom of about 1,000 sqf you should be able to get for around 5,000. Don't go higher than 5,200... The Villas are more expensive but look out. I know people paying 9k a month, living in similar units that some pay 7k for. Prices are up and down and if you are not careful you'll pay over the odds...

With 400 units empty, make sure you get a good price. I think 2 bedrooms should go about $4000. You can ask for further discount to see if they bite. The problem with Reflections is the small bedroom, odd shape rooms and pillars inside the apartment.

[ShouldBeFun]

Haha. Negotiations for the condo went well.

All I got back from the agent was "No negotiation".

Oh well I may give it a few days and go back or just move on

[JR8]

Haha. Negotiations for the condo went well.
All I got back from the agent was "No negotiation".
Oh well I may give it a few days and go back or just move on

- Pride comes before a fall. Amateur landlord alert. -

What kind of nutjob would refuse to negotiate, in a building with 400 empty competing offerings? Hey, maybe they don't really want to rent it out at all, just sort of keep it as a perfect unsullied slice of their investment dreams.

Don't waste your time with such people (I've been through it before). If you cast a wider net you'll find other units, and other landlords willing to work on agreeing a mutually acceptable price.

p.s. Jeez, I thought it was only the Greeks that had this uber-macho but ultimately self-defeating 'No negotiation!' stance.

[ShouldBeFun]

Cheers JR8. I've made an offer anyway. I'll just forget about it and move on with no expectation of a change of mind on their part.

[Primrose Hill]

Jr8, that's because the developers have a tight grip over the empty units unless you are the unfortunate owners that own it privately. Keppel holds on tightly to ensure that they have control over allocation & price control.

[thismyvoice]

Haha. Negotiations for the condo went well.

All I got back from the agent was "No negotiation".

Oh well I may give it a few days and go back or just move on

That is surprising. With more than a thousand units in the development, I think there should be more than 1 agent. Talk to a few more agents from other agencies, visit a few more units and make a few more offers.

Keppel has about 100 or 200 units not sold. They may not want to lower the rental to protect the interest of the buyers. Your agent may be representing Keppel. Agents representing other owners may be more flexible in terms of rental amount, since not everyone can swallow the rental loss.

Just an observation. I was at Keppel Bay Island the other day and noticed that 1 of the tower block is a bit dark with not many units lighted up. I guess this is the block where there are many empty units.

[JR8]

Jr8, that's because the developers have a tight grip over the empty units unless you are the unfortunate owners that own it privately. Keppel holds on tightly to ensure that they have control over allocation & price control.

Ah, I was imagining that the units had been sold off, and hence owners free to set their own rents.

[ShouldBeFun]

I've just had an email from the agent about a property in the Caribbean on the ground floor and from the pictures it looks nice and has a patio (Good for my dog!).

Can anyone think of the negatives of a ground floor apartment? I'm wondering if I will suffer from having very little breeze. Any experience is welcome!

ps, I'll happily buy a beer or two for anyone whose given me advice so far!

[x9200]

The only ones I can think about are pests, and depending on the design of the place, inquisitive neighbors / noisy residents.

[JR8]

I've just had an email from the agent about a property in the Caribbean on the ground floor and from the pictures it looks nice and has a patio (Good for my dog!).

Can anyone think of the negatives of a ground floor apartment? I'm wondering if I will suffer from having very little breeze. Any experience is welcome!

ps, I'll happily buy a beer or two for anyone whose given me advice so far!

I have lived in a GF condo apartment before.

Pluses
Could open the lounge window and toss cold beers to my friends by the pool.
Could break into my own unit when I got locked out

Minuses
Less airflow, hence more mold etc
More tree etc pollen (this problem reduces above the tree-line)
More bugs, ants, roaches etc.
People trying to gawk in through your windows

[Fortan]

I've just had an email from the agent about a property in the Caribbean on the ground floor and from the pictures it looks nice and has a patio (Good for my dog!).

Can anyone think of the negatives of a ground floor apartment? I'm wondering if I will suffer from having very little breeze. Any experience is welcome!

ps, I'll happily buy a beer or two for anyone whose given me advice so far!

As always I would go and check it out. Don't rent anything you haven't seen. I've been sent pictures of gorgeous units, only to go and view and they were completely different from the pictures, as they were taken when the unit was new. If you can't go, perhaps you know someone who would be able to view it for you. Someone you trust?

For me a ground floor unit would be a nice place to live, if it is not moldy from humidity (need to check that). Secondly check where it is facing. If it is facing into a public area you WILL have people looking through your windows constantly.

[ShouldBeFun]

Thanks! Landlord is asking for pictures of my dog and since she isn't a toy they may not agree to it.

We shall see.

The only ones I can think about are pests, and depending on the design of the place, inquisitive neighbors / noisy residents.

Should be no different to my current neighbour who seems to think my life is far more interesting than his!

I have lived in a GF condo apartment before.

Pluses
Could open the lounge window and toss cold beers to my friends by the pool.
Could break into my own unit when I got locked out

Minuses
Less airflow, hence more mold etc
More tree etc pollen (this problem reduces above the tree-line)
More bugs, ants, roaches etc.
People trying to gawk in through your windows

I did see ground floor as a plus for convenience and just hope I never need to break in.

So I should check carefully for mould but pollen really doesn't bother me. However bugs do and will bother me.

As always I would go and check it out. Don't rent anything you haven't seen. I've been sent pictures of gorgeous units, only to go and view and they were completely different from the pictures, as they were taken when the unit was new. If you can't go, perhaps you know someone who would be able to view it for you. Someone you trust?

For me a ground floor unit would be a nice place to live, if it is not moldy from humidity (need to check that). Secondly check where it is facing. If it is facing into a public area you WILL have people looking through your windows constantly.

The agent is already doing the "this is a rare apartment so we must act quick" but I'm going to ask a colleague to take a look and their own pictures as I wont be back until I relocate.

Looking at the pictures it looks to surrounded by walkways with the patio between so about as good as it gets I suppose.

[sundaymorningstaple]

The agent is already doing the "this is a rare apartment so we must act quick" but I'm going to ask a colleague to take a look and their own pictures as I wont be back until I relocate.

Looking at the pictures it looks to surrounded by walkways with the patio between so about as good as it gets I suppose.

The old, well, as most Asians think the high up a flat is, the more desirable it is, therefore ground floor flats are usually the cheapest because of dust, ash, pollen, mozzies, etc. and are really not all that desirable at all for the vast majority of folks should work well......