Singapore

[Gryffindor]

Hello All

I'm at the early stages of interviewing for a job in Singapore. Banking job but back office.

I've lived there before but was on a very generous expat package courtesy of then-DP's company. This time I would be the breadwinner, DH would hopefully find it easy to get a job (may even be able to transfer with his company) but the move would be based on my job.

The salary band for this role is very wide so I am unsure what I would be offered. There would be some form of expat package but it would not cover rent, probably just flights, shipping and some temp accommodation.

We don't have kids yet but it is a consideration for the next few years.

Looking for some advice please regarding how much money we would need to rent a 2 bed condo somewhere central (we lived just off Orchard Road before but my expectations are not that high again!) plus a decent lifestyle.

Also, any advice regarding what terms to negotiate into the contract much appreciated!

[Laptopwieldingharpy]

The general cost if life has steadily risen in the past 3 years but it's still possible to find affordable property.
There are better MTR links too with the circle line so you can widen your search along that line.
Taxis have become very expensive and impossible to flag at peak times.

It's worth enlisting the help of an agent to monitor your tenancy and liaise with the landlord. Their fees are paid by the landlord not you.

A good place to do your pre-selection is propertyguru.com.sg
Multi criteria search. It should give you a wide selection within budget.
PM me if you want agent recommendations.

A lot of expats now live on local terms. The public health system ( and local private Drs) are so efficient that you could even do without a fancy insurance scheme.

[Gryffindor]

Thank you!

[Laptopwieldingharpy]

Welcome! I worked as a property agent for a few years so fire away if you need guidance.

It has really become a bit more exciting but at the core not much has changed. Hope things work out. Its a great lifestyle!

[AggressiveBunting]

Laptop- you've been in HK too long when you start saying Sing taxis are expensive I agree you can't flag them if it rains but I am jealous of their taxi app.

[Laptopwieldingharpy]

:-)
Everything but rent is more expensive in Singapore now! Evens out the gap a bit.....they're still not having half as much fun as us though ;-)

[TerrorAustralis]

I came to Singapore last year. DH is also in banking, back office and he's on a local package, but it's certainly enough for us to live on (we have one DC). I'm working now too, but that's

Rents have gone up a lot in the last few years, but are going back down. Negotiate hard on the rent. We're in the east, but looking to move centrally soon, and I'm pretty sure we can get something similar or better for less than what we're paying now.

You're probably aware from when you were here before, older apartments are cheaper and bigger than new ones. New developments are getting smaller and smaller. So if you prefer new, be prepared for less space, less storage and a higher price.

Get onto property guru.com.sg to look at apartments, bearing in mind that some landlords will accept up to 30% off the asking price. That's at the extreme end, but a place to start when negotiating. There's a lot on the market so if you don't get one place there will be another.