JonP1602

Hi all,

I have been offered the opportunity of a move to my employer's Singapore office. My wife and I, along with our 2 year old son are, needless to say, very excited by the proposition but before making any decision would welcome any advice anyone could offer. Furthermore if anyone could offer advice on the best regions to live (my work will be based in the CBD), areas to socialise etc. it would be well received...

Thanks for all the help,

Kooky.

Hi Jon, welcome to the Far East forum. I'm ex-Singapore so have a little bit of knowledge but it's getting increasingly out of date. This is not a hugely busy forum but I'm sure a few of the posters still living there will drop in to help you out too. Also try to use the search function as you're not the first to ask such a question Some things to consider, that will affect your house-hunting.

You have a 2 year-old. Will they go to pre-school?

Will your wife seek employment? She can work off your EP with something called a Letter of Consent, although it's often very hard to do this unless she has something local employers want and can justify employing a foreigner for.

Will you have a car? They're very expensive to buy in Singapore and public transport is great, taxis are cheap and plentiful, and a lot of expats don't bother. We were there 6 years without one but I do know people with kids often give in and get one for convenience and safety. If you don't think you want a car, look for areas with an MRT station as buses can be very slow and hot!

Will you travel a lot? Out of Singapore, I mean. My husband was away about 75% of the time; this may affect where your wife would want to be, e.g., in a condo with plenty of things going on.

Condo or house? Budget? Rents vary wildly from area to area.

Will your employer provide the services of a relocation or property agent? (I know a couple, let me know if you'd like details.)

There is some great property info on this website: http://www.singaporeexpats.com/

Socialising - depends what you're into. There are tons of great places to eat (all budgets, all cuisines) and drink (from busy touristy areas to little bars off the beaten track). Expat clubs if that's your thing (ugh, not mine!) and tons more going on in Singapore than some might think.

It's also a great hub for weekends and holidays to other SEA countries.

Hope that's a starting point for you. Have a think about some specifics and come back and ask them, and we'll try to help you out

JonP1602

Hi,

Thanks for the reply, just so much to think about, and as yet we're still awaiting the details of the expat package offer so housing budget particularly involves a bit of guess work. That said my wife seems to like the idea of the "cluster housing".....

My son will be attending Nursery/Pre-School, and is currently at a montessori in the U.K so I suspect we would like him to continue on that path, from what I have seen there is quite a good deal of choice on that front, though obviously any recommendations would be well received.

My wife has intentions of joining university, and continuing her studies so although work visa's aren't too much of a concern we do need to look into this...

I think the most important thing for us to find is an area that will provide us with good access to the above either by road or public transport, whilst allowing me to commute to work easily and for my wife and I to take advantage of the restaurants, bars, nightlife etc. when we get the chance.....


Hopefully I will have a few more details about the offer in the coming days, and will perhaps get the opportunity to spend a week out there in Dec before we make the move. So things should start to come together by the end of the year, but again all comments and suggestions are welcomed.

ex reg

Starting point may be to google montessori in Singapore and see where their schools are.

Then down load a map of Singapore and plot out the positions of schools, your work place and where your wife may continue her tertiary stuff.

That may then give you an idea of where you might want to live.
Depending on whether or not you intend to use public transport or want to be near an MRT that may also rule in or out a few places.

If you get down to two or three then you could ask on here what the board's opinions might be.

But I'd say as a start off that most areas have good and bad accommodation.

What I'm saying is at the moment you need to define your question a lot more yourself.

Good that your question is not 'can I bring a two year old to Singapore'.

JonP1602

Hi again,

So following on from my earlier post... in order to get some experience of Singapore before we decide on anything more permanent, I am going to be working out there from the 9/12-22/12 and my wife joining me on 17/12.

If anyone fancies giving us a few sights to see, or in fact fancies meeting up for a coffee/drink/dinner during that time then we'd welcome any insight into life in singapore and the opportunity to meet some friendly faces early on in our adventure....

Thanks, and hope to see you soon...

JonP1602

Oh and by the way, having had a bit of an explore on t'internet (thank you google maps) we think we like Novena as an area, as close to Orchard/CBD(ish) but also to "Halifax Montessori" which we liked the look of..... in particular "The Arte" grabbed our attention....

So any opinions on either the area, condo block, or nursery welcomed....

Inselaffen

we just moved to Novena ( actually between Novena and farrar park) from East Coast.

we are in Mera Springs Condo which is nice but are 15th floor apartment is a bit noisy from the Expressway, down by the pool though its very quiet and peaceful.

We are liking the new area. I have a direct bus to the CBD just outside the condo and its close to the shops at Novena and the shops/restaurants in Little India. Nice Area

anella85

hmm ive lived there for 3 years and love every bit of it

Woowoo

My colleague has just moved to Singapore from Australia and the best advice I gave him was just move into some temporary accommodation until you get an idea of what area suits you. There are loads of rentals at the moment and there are also short term fully furnished until you decide. I've Just read through some of the comments from others and they pretty much hit the nail on the head for what to do. First timers to Singapore tend to like to be close to Orchard/Clarke Quay for the night life. Once you're settled then you may decide to venture further afield. Being close to an MRT is always good as the service in Singapore is first class for getting around.

Jen_Elle

Hi JonP1602
I've been reading this thread as my husband may be transferring to Singapore, possibly early in the new year. We are in a similar predicament to you in that we have children, one of preschool age. I'm excited at the prospect of going but apprehensive. I see you're at the end of your short stint working in Singapore. So what have you and your wife decided, will you make the move to Singapore?