We had the house blessed last Thursday as today is the day we leave for Singapore. Unfortunately, Rabacon is not yet finished with the house and Earl is not too pleased with the delay. He was hoping to have everything done before leaving.
The contractor got a little busy other projects and despite assuring us that things would be completed prior to our departure, it seems they didn't take into account the monsoon season.
Luckily for them, we're planning to come back within a few weeks due to various errands.
11 August 2012
06 August 2012
The Rental Process: Part 2
The first day we met Victor Nai, we only had a couple of hours to spare as Earl had teleconferences after lunch. But it was a fun two hours since he was an amiable guy and very easy to talk to.
He picked us up at the hotel and brought us to see two apartments. I will just describe the units because when I asked one owner's agent if I could take pictures, she had this confused look on her face and inquired why I needed to take them. I didn't ask again which is just as well since the camera's battery died on me and I didn't bring the charger.
Side Note: The apartment owners also have an agent and all transactions are coursed through them. So if we have a question or request, we would inform our agent who would then contact the owner's agent who in turn will ask the owner.
Apartment 1 - Midas
Rate - SGD 3300
Size - 76 sqm.
Bedrooms - 2
Bathrooms - 2
• Pros:
- 10 minutes to the office by bus
- has one queen bed and one twin bed
- other existing furniture can be bought from the owner
- building has a pool
• Cons:
- guest room can only fit one twin-sized bed
- a bit of a walk to the nearest MRT station
- bedrooms and living area are facing directly west
- construction on both sides of the building so it's rather noisy
- small cramped kitchen
- no oven and sofa - owner used bean bags for seating
Apartment 2 - Sims Avenue
Rate - SGD 3000
Size - 109 sqm.
Bedrooms - 2
Bathrooms - 3
• Pros:
- 5 minute walk to the MRT station which is on the CC line so Earl just needs one ride to work
- very spacious bedrooms both with their own bathrooms
- fully furnished
- a short walk to the grocery (Fair Price)
• Cons:
- sofa is made mostly of wood with thin cushions - think Asian themed furniture that you can't lounge in
- fridge has a few rust spots in front
- a couple of holes and watermarks in the master's bathroom ceiling
- not very secure - low fence and you can follow other residents inside
- no oven and dryer
The second and last day we met up with Victor was split into two parts. In the morning, we visited two more apartments and went our separate ways for lunch. He picked us up again in the evening around 6 PM as some properties are only available for viewing at night when the owners are home from work.
Apartment 3 - Chiltern Park
Rate - SGD 3300 without furniture or SGD 3500-3600 fully furnished
Size - 94 sqm.
Bedrooms - 2
Bathrooms - 2
• Pros:
- less than 5 minutes to the Lorong Chuan MRT station - Earl will just need one ride to work
- south facing bedrooms
- building has a nice facade with swimming pool, tennis and squash courts
- on the ground floor
- has a better area for hanging clothes
• Cons:
- a bit expensive for our budget
- no oven and dryer
Apartment 4 - Residences @ Somme
Rate - SGD 3200
Size - 63 sqm.
Bedrooms - 2
Bathrooms - 1
• Pros:
- about a 5 minute walk to the nearest MRT station - it will take 35 minutes to the office including walking
- modern building (4 years old) with good security - need to input a code before you can enter the building
- nice and convenient location - beside a park and a few steps away from City Square Mall which has a grocery (Fair Price)
- I like how the owner decorated the place
- has one queen bed
- owner has agreed to provide a TV with console table
- with built-in convection oven, microwave oven, separate washer and dryer
• Cons:
- master's bedroom is facing northwest so it might be hot in the afternoon
- guest room and living/kitchen area are facing southeast with ceiling to floor windows - could be too sunny
- we will need to buy furniture
Apartment 5 - Tyrwhitt
Bedrooms - 2
Bathrooms - 2
• Pros:
- very near the Lavender MRT station
- fully furnished with microwave oven (only some flats have this)
- secure entrance - need to input a code before you can enter the building
• Cons:
- elevator is not on the ground floor - you will need to go up the stairs and cross the parking lot before reaching the elevator
- facade of the building is not pretty and the corridor going to the unit is rather dark and narrow
- very tiny kitchen - only one person will fit at any given time
- induction stovetop - I'd need to change all my pots and pans in order to use it
- 2-in-1 washer/dryer - people have told me that this is not a very efficient way to do the laundry
Apartment 6 - Soho 188 A
Bedrooms - 2
Bathrooms - 1
• Pros:
- right beside the Farrer Park MRT station
- secure entrance - need to input a code before you can enter the building
- fully furnished with microwave oven and electric fan
- I like how the owner decorated the place
• Cons:
- bathroom is on the top floor (see Side Note below)
- northwest facing main bedroom - has a balcony but it might get hot
- very small cooktop and no oven
- 2-in-1 washer/dryer
Apartment 7 - Soho 188 B
Bedrooms - 1
Bathrooms - 1
• Pros:
- right beside the Farrer Park MRT station
- secure entrance - need to input a code before you can enter the building
- fully furnished
• Cons:
- bathroom is on the top floor
- northwest facing main bedroom - has a balcony but it might get hot
- very small cooktop and no oven
- 2-in-1 washer/dryer
Side Note: Soho 188 are loft apartments which originally just has two floors, but as Earl noticed the stairs are quite steep. To give you an idea how far apart the floors are, the owner of apartment A built a mezzanine and inserted another bedroom/study area so her unit looks as though it has three floors.
Apartment 8 - City View (HDB)
Rate - SGD 3500
Bedrooms - 3
Bathrooms - 2
• Pros:
- behind Boon Keng MRT station
- fully furnished with microwave oven
- good area for hanging clothes
- very spacious flat with balcony
- building has a nice facade - condo-style HDB flats
• Cons:
- a bit expensive for our budget
- anyone can just enter the grounds
- no oven and dryer
_____
Next up: The Rental Process: Part 3 (otherwise known as Decisions & Costs)
He picked us up at the hotel and brought us to see two apartments. I will just describe the units because when I asked one owner's agent if I could take pictures, she had this confused look on her face and inquired why I needed to take them. I didn't ask again which is just as well since the camera's battery died on me and I didn't bring the charger.
Side Note: The apartment owners also have an agent and all transactions are coursed through them. So if we have a question or request, we would inform our agent who would then contact the owner's agent who in turn will ask the owner.
Apartment 1 - Midas
Rate - SGD 3300
Size - 76 sqm.
Bedrooms - 2
Bathrooms - 2
• Pros:
- 10 minutes to the office by bus
- has one queen bed and one twin bed
- other existing furniture can be bought from the owner
- building has a pool
• Cons:
- guest room can only fit one twin-sized bed
- a bit of a walk to the nearest MRT station
- bedrooms and living area are facing directly west
- construction on both sides of the building so it's rather noisy
- small cramped kitchen
- no oven and sofa - owner used bean bags for seating
Apartment 2 - Sims Avenue
Rate - SGD 3000
Size - 109 sqm.
Bedrooms - 2
Bathrooms - 3
• Pros:
- 5 minute walk to the MRT station which is on the CC line so Earl just needs one ride to work
- very spacious bedrooms both with their own bathrooms
- fully furnished
- a short walk to the grocery (Fair Price)
• Cons:
- sofa is made mostly of wood with thin cushions - think Asian themed furniture that you can't lounge in
- fridge has a few rust spots in front
- a couple of holes and watermarks in the master's bathroom ceiling
- not very secure - low fence and you can follow other residents inside
- no oven and dryer
The second and last day we met up with Victor was split into two parts. In the morning, we visited two more apartments and went our separate ways for lunch. He picked us up again in the evening around 6 PM as some properties are only available for viewing at night when the owners are home from work.
Apartment 3 - Chiltern Park
Rate - SGD 3300 without furniture or SGD 3500-3600 fully furnished
Size - 94 sqm.
Bedrooms - 2
Bathrooms - 2
• Pros:
- less than 5 minutes to the Lorong Chuan MRT station - Earl will just need one ride to work
- south facing bedrooms
- building has a nice facade with swimming pool, tennis and squash courts
- on the ground floor
- has a better area for hanging clothes
• Cons:
- a bit expensive for our budget
- no oven and dryer
Apartment 4 - Residences @ Somme
Rate - SGD 3200
Size - 63 sqm.
Bedrooms - 2
Bathrooms - 1
• Pros:
- about a 5 minute walk to the nearest MRT station - it will take 35 minutes to the office including walking
- modern building (4 years old) with good security - need to input a code before you can enter the building
- nice and convenient location - beside a park and a few steps away from City Square Mall which has a grocery (Fair Price)
- I like how the owner decorated the place
- has one queen bed
- owner has agreed to provide a TV with console table
- with built-in convection oven, microwave oven, separate washer and dryer
• Cons:
- master's bedroom is facing northwest so it might be hot in the afternoon
- guest room and living/kitchen area are facing southeast with ceiling to floor windows - could be too sunny
- we will need to buy furniture
Apartment 5 - Tyrwhitt
Bedrooms - 2
Bathrooms - 2
• Pros:
- very near the Lavender MRT station
- fully furnished with microwave oven (only some flats have this)
- secure entrance - need to input a code before you can enter the building
• Cons:
- elevator is not on the ground floor - you will need to go up the stairs and cross the parking lot before reaching the elevator
- facade of the building is not pretty and the corridor going to the unit is rather dark and narrow
- very tiny kitchen - only one person will fit at any given time
- induction stovetop - I'd need to change all my pots and pans in order to use it
- 2-in-1 washer/dryer - people have told me that this is not a very efficient way to do the laundry
Apartment 6 - Soho 188 A
Bedrooms - 2
Bathrooms - 1
• Pros:
- right beside the Farrer Park MRT station
- secure entrance - need to input a code before you can enter the building
- fully furnished with microwave oven and electric fan
- I like how the owner decorated the place
• Cons:
- bathroom is on the top floor (see Side Note below)
- northwest facing main bedroom - has a balcony but it might get hot
- very small cooktop and no oven
- 2-in-1 washer/dryer
Apartment 7 - Soho 188 B
Bedrooms - 1
Bathrooms - 1
• Pros:
- right beside the Farrer Park MRT station
- secure entrance - need to input a code before you can enter the building
- fully furnished
• Cons:
- bathroom is on the top floor
- northwest facing main bedroom - has a balcony but it might get hot
- very small cooktop and no oven
- 2-in-1 washer/dryer
Side Note: Soho 188 are loft apartments which originally just has two floors, but as Earl noticed the stairs are quite steep. To give you an idea how far apart the floors are, the owner of apartment A built a mezzanine and inserted another bedroom/study area so her unit looks as though it has three floors.
Apartment 8 - City View (HDB)
Rate - SGD 3500
Bedrooms - 3
Bathrooms - 2
• Pros:
- behind Boon Keng MRT station
- fully furnished with microwave oven
- good area for hanging clothes
- very spacious flat with balcony
- building has a nice facade - condo-style HDB flats
• Cons:
- a bit expensive for our budget
- anyone can just enter the grounds
- no oven and dryer
_____
Next up: The Rental Process: Part 3 (otherwise known as Decisions & Costs)
01 August 2012
The Rental Process: Part 1
My initial email to Victor, the property agent, contained our budget, a detailed description of the type of unit we're looking for and other notes that I felt might help him narrow down the search.
Price: Min 2500 - Max 3400 (but much better if lower)
Bedrooms: Min 1 - Max 3*
*There will only be two of us staying in the unit (no pets), but we plan on having occasional guests over (relatives, friends). We are not hiring a maid so no need for maid's quarters.
Bathrooms: Min 2 - Max 2
Floor size: Any
Furnishing: Fully furnished since we're not buying furniture or large appliances and I plan to do a lot of cooking.
Required appliances:
- fridge
- stove & oven or cooking range
- washing machine
- TV
- air conditioner
Optional appliances (nice to have but not necessary):
- clothes dryer
- dishwasher
- microwave oven
- DVD player
Location:
1. A unit that is just one (1) ride to work. Preferably less than 0.5 km from the MRT or bus stop. This is our first priority.
2. If #1 is not possible, then a unit that's less than a 10 minute walk from the MRT station with maximum one (1) MRT line change is our second priority.
3. Travel time for either option 1 or 2 at less than 30 minutes from the office.
4. No WEST facing units. We don't mind if the view is not too great as long as it's not directly hit by the afternoon sun.
Other notes:
1. If possible, we prefer the bathrooms to be a little on the modern side (must be clean, no leaks or clogs).
2. We're not into condo facilities, so having a pool or gym is not important.
3. Newly renovated units in older buildings is something we're interested in.
• The details above constitute our version of the ideal flat, but we are aware that we can't have everything. Hopefully, what we've decided to compromise on will be minor in the greater scheme of things.
_____
Next up: The Rental Process: Part 2 (otherwise known as Apartment Hunting)
Price: Min 2500 - Max 3400 (but much better if lower)
Bedrooms: Min 1 - Max 3*
*There will only be two of us staying in the unit (no pets), but we plan on having occasional guests over (relatives, friends). We are not hiring a maid so no need for maid's quarters.
Bathrooms: Min 2 - Max 2
Floor size: Any
Furnishing: Fully furnished since we're not buying furniture or large appliances and I plan to do a lot of cooking.
Required appliances:
- fridge
- stove & oven or cooking range
- washing machine
- TV
- air conditioner
Optional appliances (nice to have but not necessary):
- clothes dryer
- dishwasher
- microwave oven
- DVD player
Location:
1. A unit that is just one (1) ride to work. Preferably less than 0.5 km from the MRT or bus stop. This is our first priority.
2. If #1 is not possible, then a unit that's less than a 10 minute walk from the MRT station with maximum one (1) MRT line change is our second priority.
3. Travel time for either option 1 or 2 at less than 30 minutes from the office.
4. No WEST facing units. We don't mind if the view is not too great as long as it's not directly hit by the afternoon sun.
Other notes:
1. If possible, we prefer the bathrooms to be a little on the modern side (must be clean, no leaks or clogs).
2. We're not into condo facilities, so having a pool or gym is not important.
3. Newly renovated units in older buildings is something we're interested in.
• The details above constitute our version of the ideal flat, but we are aware that we can't have everything. Hopefully, what we've decided to compromise on will be minor in the greater scheme of things.
_____
Next up: The Rental Process: Part 2 (otherwise known as Apartment Hunting)
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