wsoeldner

Hi,

Let me start off with this probably being way too vague for anyone to really help but seeing we are very confused, I can only but try and ask:

My wife and I are moving to SG in July. I will be working on Bukit Tinggi Road. So, here comes the vagueness:
We are looking to live in an exciting area no more than 30-40 minutes from my work. We love going out to bars and eating out (by the way, we'll first be on one salary so I am talking budget eating and going out). However, we do also love the prospect of possibly having a swimming pool, gym and tennis court where we live. Sooooooo, the problem is, where? I have looked through Property Guru so much that I cannot even distinguish places anymore. Areas that I have come across are the commonly recommended ones: Holland Village/Road...basically districts 11, 20 and 21. These areas/ districts seem great, but there is SO much choice and price difference, we are going mad.

Here is the brief:
We do not really want to spend more than 3000 SG.
We would love to be high up (for breeze, etc.) and have a min. of 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms (although one of them could easily be a half). More important than bedrooms would be roughly 100 sqm living space...open living would be super..
We would LOVE a tennis court, swimming pool and gym
Be within walking distance of a supermarket and very good going out possibilities.


Ok, so. I would be really grateful if you could not only recommend an area but specific places.

Over to you...our future is in your hands

Cheers,

Wolfgang

ex reg

There are many good living and eating places around Bukit Tinggi Rd.
You do mean Bukit Tinggi Rd don't you because I used to live near by and can't recall any offices or factories in that mainly residential area.

For S$3000 pm and your spec of 1000+ sq ft living space (I'm assuming living/diningroom/balcony) and condo facilities I think you are gonna be out of luck.
Double that figure and you'd be in with a chance.

wsoeldner

Hi,

I will work at a school. Well, it's all about compromise, I guess. So far, having looked through Property Guru since Christmas, the price seems to bring up a lot of places. Just need guidance as to narrowing the search.

Thanks for the reply, though. The more help, the better.

Cheers,

Wolfgang

ex reg

Maybe you could provide a couple of examples of what you've found.

But I'mm surprised you've found any.

Good luck.

wsoeldner

one of many examples:
http://www.propertyguru.com.sg/listing/17223669

wsoeldner

as one example of quite a few check Property Guru, listing: 17223669

bakedbean

Ok got it....looks to be Southaven condo. Looks rather nice on the ad, doesn't it

I no longer live in Singapore and don't know the area well but, just reading between the lines, I think the key phrase is Future MRT....or in other words maybe not so,good public transportation (yet) but if it's near your school, then sounds good. Obviously our man on the ground (ex reg) will have a better idea.

By the way to the forum

wsoeldner

Thanks a lot. Yes, I am sure the word "compromise" with a 3000 SGD budget (well, possibly I can be pushed to 3500) will feature frequently. I have moved often enough to be a veteran in the topic, however, I really want this move to Singapore to be exciting. We have lived in Switzerland for a while now and as lovely this part of the world is, we crave the street life, excitement and eateries we once so loved back in Japan. Being in the right neighbourhood is so important to us that for the first time, I genuinely am confused with SO much availability in our price range.

I guess all in all, it's a really good problem to have :-)

bakedbean

Presume you will be staying in a hotel first? Try and get a property agent on board and maybe they will take you around a few units and you can get a feel for the area.

Have you been to Singapore or the Tropics before? This might be an obvious thing to say but when it's monsooning, and you do get a lot of that in Singapore, you won't be walking anywhere...not the supermarket or bars or eateries. Something to consider when choosing but, of course, you will likely pay more for,the luxury of close proximity to amenities.

When we lived there we were in Katong on the East Coast. Also no public transportation but we mostly worked at home. Used to get a bit stuffed in the NE monsoon in December though when it rained and rained and rained....and getting a taxi when it's raining is no joke.

I'm sure you'll have a great time there. Yes, Switzerland is nice too

ex reg

Quite a big two stage develpoment.
Maybe about 9 or 10 years old.
Adjacent to Bukit Timah Rd which is a main artery in Singapore.

Bukit Timah center has 3 or 4 shopping malls.
These are all perhaps 30 years old but adequate.
There is an 'NTUC Finest' supermarket in one of the malls and iirc another mall has the 'normal' NTUC super market.
The big supermarket, a Cold Storage, which was standalone along with a MacD and really catered for ex pats, is closing.
Not sure what it will be replaced with.
Lots of restaurants in the malls.
Opposite side of road from the malls are a long line of local restaurants and coffee shops.

Might be a bit too far for you to walk from your condo to the restaurants and coffee shops, depends, but too far to carry shopping from the supermarket unless the condo has a dedicated bus service, it may have.

There is also the Railway Mall??? line of shops supermarkey and restaurants in the opposite direction up BT Rd

The MRT is under construction along the center of and also under Bukit Timah Rd but the finishing date may be a couple more years, you can find out on google.
The same MRT line that will serve the center of Bukit Timah will also have a stop further down Buket Timah Rd near the exit for your school although that will be a good walk away.

1000 sq feet is on the smaller side for an apartment but plenty adequate for a couple or small family.

I've stayed in a few of properties close to BT center and I used to use the restaurants and supermarkets a lot and it was good for me and the missus because of transport connections although I and later the missus also had cars.

Holland Village is south west of BT and is probably a more expensive area with more British ex pats and higher quality reataurants and super markets, but they are silmilar.

If you have a car then Clementi, where we now live, is just a bit further from your school, plenty of buses also and MRT but you'd have to change buses once and the MRT doesn't connect directly with BT. Not as expensive as Holland V.

There are lot of other condos all along BT Rd nearly all the way into town. And a few big condo developments in Pandan Valley, which are maybe 30 years or more old but have larger units.

BT is a nice area but not as vibrant as Holland V or some of the other areas a bit further away from your school.
Sometimes overlooking a swimming pool can be a bit noisy, horses for courses and I'm not sure if the unit you note will have any great view.
Mind you Bulit Timah Nature reserve is handy if you are in to bird watching and I think there are bike trails through it.

Having said all the above I'm still surprised at the rental cost being so low. But I haven't seen the development except from driving past on BT Rd or the unit and furniture and decorations in it.

As bb says try and get a 2 or 3 week stay paid for you in a hotel or serviced apartment and then you won't have to confirm anything over the internet. Saying that though, I can't think of any hotels or serviced apartments close to BT.

wsoeldner

Thank you so much for your detailed response. The listing I gave was just one of many examples and we are def. not necessarily all that keen on this particular one. Anyway, we have given our relocation agents the brief; let's see what they make of it.

I guess I was more looking for a recommendation for specific condo's in specific areas from expats that already live in SG or have lived in SG. I have found in my travels that there is nothing better than local knowledge.

If anyone could still recommend specific condo's, that would be brilliant.

Thanks a lot,

Wolfgang

Pupsiecola

Just to add, you will pay quite a bit less for street view vs pool view, low to medium floor vs high floor, within the same condo block. So if you find a condo block you like the street view/low floor might be a couple thousand less than a pool view/high floor and may therefore be in your budget. Depends what is important to you. We rented a 2nd floor (but ground level) condo and wish we hadn't. As you say, there is no breeze, which is essential to have any kind of outdoor living.

wsoeldner

good advice, thanks.