The Search for our Second Apartment

Victor Nai strikes gold again! In case you're wondering, he's our agent =) He picked us up last Sunday for the first round of our apartment search and we fell in love with one of the places we looked at. Both Earl and I have since been referring to it as "our apartment" as though we already live there! But nothing has been signed yet so it's still too early to celebrate and we've got more flats to view.

In 2012, we gave Victor a detailed list of what we wanted for our living quarters. This time, the criteria basically remains the same except that we are willing to move out of the city in exchange for paying the same rental rate. We're currently in a two bedroom, one bathroom unit at SGD 3300 per month. We're hoping to get a three bedroom, two bathroom apartment for the same price (or less). This means though that Earl's commute to work might take longer and we won't have shops nearby we can easily walk to.

Apartment 1 - Pastoral View
Rate - SGD 3500
Size - 92 sqm.
Bedrooms - 2
Bathrooms - 1.5

• Pros:
- still located within the city and is a few steps away from Tan Tock Seng Hospital
- the Novena MRT, Square 2 shopping mall, and Novena Church are all roughly 10 minutes by foot
- has a separate washer and dryer
- Far East Organization owns the condominium so the building is well-maintained and it will be easier to have things fixed
- has a squash court, tennis court, and swimming pool

• Cons:
- no oven
- bathrooms are of an older style that I am not fond of
- the common bathroom is technically a narrow powder room where they installed a shower next to the door (very awkward layout)
- it's a longer walk to the MRT and the nearest bus stop is at least a six minutes away

Side Note: We weren't able to view the actual apartment as the tenant was out, so they showed us their model unit instead which you can view here.

Apartment 2 - Waterfront Key
Rate - SGD 3300
Size - 117 sqm.
Bedrooms - 3
Bathrooms - 2.5

• Pros:
- has an oven and a mini dishwasher
- ample closet space
- looks better than our current apartment
- when you get off the elevator on the ground floor, the bus stop is literally right outside the building
- the condominium is quite new (less than two years old), thus the rooms and the bathrooms are very modern in style
- has full condo facilities - Earl loved the gym and we both found the grounds quite soothing

• Cons:
- overlooking the Downtown Line MRT construction (can get noisy and dusty)
- 2-in-1 washer/dryer (I prefer them to be separate)
- no other furniture except for a sofa (which we do not plan to use so we will need to buy a lot of things)
- you will need to take a bus to the MRT station - the Macpherson MRT is at the 16th stop while the Bedok MRT is at the 5th stop (which entails a four minute walk to another bus stop)
- the nearest supermarket is two bus stops away
- too many neighbors around that can peer into the apartment (might need to keep the curtains drawn most of the time)

Apartment 3 - Blk 51 Strathmore (HDB)
Rate - SGD 3200
Size - unknown
Bedrooms - 3
Bathrooms - 2

• Pros:
- five minute walk to the Queenstown MRT station and the bus stop is even closer
- the supermarket is also close-by

• Cons:
- cramped layout
- old style decor - the bathrooms are covered in colorful tiles and the cornice had a swag design
- the color scheme was definitely not to my taste - the master bedroom was painted pink and the living room was mint green
- the kitchen definitely needed updating
- no oven or dryer

Side note: I didn't take any pictures as there were a lot of people around.

The Neighborhood

Here's what the area looks like:

Views from the Main Bedroom window

To the right of the window are shophouses:

To the left is a condominium and the mall which has a link to the MRT station:

View from the Living/Dining/Kitchen window

The Rental Process: Part 3

After viewing eight (8) apartments in what basically amounts to just one day, we've decided on where we will live for the next year and a half. Here's how we arrived at that decision:

Pros
- nicely decorated (in my opinion)
- secure
- diagonally across a mall with a supermarket
- 35 minutes to the office including walking
- has a built-in oven
- separate washer and dryer
- ample closet space
- modern bathroom
- near an MRT station (one entrance is through the mall)
- very short walk to the bus stop and a small hawker center

Cons
- main bedroom is facing northwest
- no other furniture aside from the bed, closets, and desk with chair
- only one small bathroom
- no kitchen counter
- not enough space for a sofa in the living area

The pros outnumber the cons, but more importantly it was the only unit that I got excited about and Earl loves the location. It was a win-win situation for both of us, but what made us decide quickly were the following:

- some apartments are gone as soon as they're listed so we didn't want to get too picky. We might end up with something worse because we were waiting for something "better."
- having seen eight (8) flats, we believe that we have a pretty good idea of what others will look like. Six (6) of them, for example, all looked more or less the same.

Of course, time will tell whether the cons will overwhelm the pros.

Living/Dining/Kitchen Area

Bathroom

Main Bedroom

Guest Room

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

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Next up: The Rental Process: Part 3 (otherwise known as Decisions & Costs)

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.

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Next up: The Rental Process: Part 2 (otherwise known as Apartment Hunting)