In exactly 1,008 hours, or one month and 10 days, my tenancy agreement will expire.
In view of this deadline, my husband and I recently decided that after eight years in this country, perhaps it was time for us to own a piece of Singapore.
Thus we embarked on the Great Singapore House Hunt.
First, we crunched our numbers and arrived at a budget that would not turn us into indentured servants.
Then, we jotted down all the things we were looking for in a house.
We have two pre-schoolers and a maid, so that means we will need an apartment with enough space for the kids to move about without breaking the furniture – or a limb – and for our helper to have a bit of privacy that won’t have to be in the washroom.
Location, location, location. For us, that means our home must be near work, school and play. Otherwise, the only person who will enjoy living in it will be our maid.
To help us further in our quest, we kept in mind a recent article by this newspaper’s Money Editor who wrote about tips his parents had given him for buying a house. Paramount is the $1,000 per sq ft rule – do not buy an apartment priced above this amount.
With these criteria in mind, we set out on our quest. Continue reading
