Pinoy in Singapore

Our landlord was nice enough though to extend our stay for another month.  So instead of having to move out last month, we still had an extra month to find a good place.  That made a lot of difference in rental prices in the market.  I personally feel that the market is still going down but we need a new place to move in soon.  My fear is to get stuck with a high rent for 2 years.  My worst fear is to get stuck with a high rent for 2 years for a place I don’t even like.

To make a long story short, we found a nice place.  That’s the good news.  The bad news is – it’s way out there in Sengkang.  But I guess that’s not so bad.  We’re actually closer to our friends now, but so far away from where hubby works.  You can’t have everything.

Here’s a few things I noted while we were out house hunting.

I’ve realized that it’s really a tenants market these days.  When I posted an ad in the internet looking for a unit, my phone was ringing off the hook the following day.  I had incoming waiting calls from another agent before I was even done speaking to an agent.

I shouldn’t be afraid to turn down units if I don’t like it.  I’ve had agents pressuring me to decide on the spot and grab the unit before it’s gone because it’s either not going to be in the market for long, or it’s such a bargain blah blah.  When really it’s not.  I was firm in saying I want to think things over.  At least give 12 hours to decide.

I should at least make an effort to get a better price for myself.  I think that’s my due diligence.   There are some agents that buffer the asking price for a unit.  So I usually just give an offer of what I think is fair and what I’m willing to pay for for a particular unit and stick to my budget.  Then, you either arrive at a compromise that both parties are happy with or I just leave it.

Last few days, I’ve been viewing 4 units a night.  For some units, I don’t even bother putting out an offer because it’s just too cluttered which means too much work for me when I move in.

But all’s well that ends well.  I’m happy we have a new place that we like.

Plus as fate would have it, the toilet of the unit above the current place we’re staying just started to leak like crazy.  It’s a sign that we really should get a new place.

Good luck to everyone else who’s house hunting.  I hope you get a good deal!