All looking for Condo

[limko]

Hi All,

Just wanted to start a thread for all who is looking for condo. I am looking for one myself and woul dbe glad for any informations.

Anyone notice the sudden barracks of launches going around?

I am particularly interested in the East Side because my parents stay there and a 3-bedroom freehold. I have been to see lots of places and still not able to find anything I like within my budget.

Do you think it is worth it to buy condo in a smaller establishment of less than 40 apartments? I heard that re-sale is bad for those places!

 

[kenneth]

You tried the Katong/Dunman area? Drive around there, u can find a few show flats and I find the prices reasonable.

 

[chillipadi25]

Hi Limko, wonder if you are looking into rental or sale? If you are looking into the latter and intend to stay there for long, try to avoid purchasing condos that are less than 200++ units. Normally they will tend to have deficit or run in a thin line during the initial years due to the lack of occupiers (hence maintenance fund)....Upon having lesser fund, the developer or MC will have lesser budget allocated to do their replacements or get better quality stuff for replacement.

However if you are looking into leasing of cos that is not a prob

 

[onzz]

Hi limko,

Lemme share wif u a little. Firstly, u muz set a budget, n be realistic abt wat u can get for the budget. Secondly, is your main objective "condo living" in the sense of enjoying facilities, or u juz wanna invest in a freehold pty?

Personally i feel tat its pointless buying a single block little facilities type apt, b'coz:

1)Mtce/Sinking Fund tends to be steep, n yes, strong chance of running into deficit later n if owners refuse to cough out more money, the place will juz rot.
2)Hard to find tenants in case u want to.
3)If the land area is oredi small, there is not much potential to talk abt in the long term.

One pt to note is, don be too insistent abt tis "freehold" thingy, coz' the premium might well wipe out watever appreciation potential.

Having said tat, i can recommend:
1)Haig Court at Tg Katong(by Great Eastern)-brand new & top, freehold, but finishing at bit obiang
2)The Makena - freehold, 10 yrs old, most highly desired pty in the East, but has been quite badly maintained last few years
3)Crystal Rhu - single block, freehold, 5-6yrs old, very nice finishing & view
4)Futher away & cheaper will be Changi Green

Happy House hunting

 

[chillipadi25]

Limko you can also try Dunman View

 

[onzz]

jingles,
Developer Far East? I tot tat was 99yrs...

 

[blessed]

Hi limko

Duman view is by FEO n 99yrs. there is new one Eastside beside katong mall. upper east coast got quite a few too... like costarina n Riviera, i think there's plenty in the East.

hi jingles n onzz,

y did u say dev with lesser units are no good? I tot its more private? those with 200+ units will be no diff from hdb (alot of pp n noisier), coz less exclusive? Also small dev need lesser fund as the facilities r smaller scale. like Haig court, the pool n stuff r huge, def need more maintenance then 1 that has less then 100units.

above is juz IMHO...i m no expert on this.

 

[onzz]

blessed,

no need to be so humble... keke

Economies of scale. There r some basic cost, eg: lift mtce is costly... plus the admin staff(s), security, etc.. eg: Changi Green(200+ units) - 2BR need to pay abt $270pm i think, whereas a nearby condo wif abt 600+ units, mtce no need to exceed $200. U do get errant owner who dun pay up mtce charges, or some "chao-kuan" ppl who try to drag... so if u have 40 units, if 10 ppls "chao-kuan" cashflow become a problem...

"Exclusivity" is a debatable concept. To me a condo is exclusive if it has many good qualities tat others cannot match. Like the Makena which is huge, but no one can dispute its "exclusivity" - freehold, nice Meyer Rd area, sea view, Olympic size pool... which other condo have all these qualities? So although The Makena is huge, i don tink it resembles HDB flats at all.

Small =/= exclusive eg: there are so many 1 block-type apt in Balestier area, although they are small developments, but there are so many of them in tat location, being small bears no value at all as individually they do not possess any desirable qualities...

As for "privacy", in a small development u beta hope your neighbours are nice, if u have nasty neighbours, u r not going to appreciate the "privacy" with them.

 

[chillipadi25]

agree with onzz.. not necessary that smaller condos offer more privacy. Infact ever handle one condo about 104 units, small but well neighbours residing hardly can tolerate each other...everyone is basically finding fault with each other. Compared to another 400++ units condo.. it is much more exclusive in a way it is space out - one level only have 3 units..and of cos as it is located in a central area - tends to have more expats so lesser pple will hang around the pool or pple hanging 'national flags' around the balcony (should have seen some other condos...they love to hang laundry all over the place!!) so yeah as what onzz mentioned - it is debately...u win some, u gain some.

 

[blessed]

i m juz thinking, main factor that determine value of land in sin is Location. in Orchard, almost all condos u see are mostly 1 block kind with little units. but we cant say they r not desirable...so i think the bottom line is Location n not no of units.

yes, economies of scale do apply in maint fees. but then again, there's many many pp to share the facilities as well (then the pool will seem like a public pool shared by 600++ families). n space, developers will maximise the plot ratio.... no business will not want to maximise profits. come to think of it, most big developments are mostly outskirts.

if u want to talk abt neighbours, even hses (bunglow, semi-d, terrace) run the risk of hving bad neighbours.... hmm with more units, the chances of meeting bad neighbours higher?

anyway, like many other topics, there's no real right or wrong

....sorry if i may sound defensive. but this debate is nvr ending.

 

[onzz]

I guess its individual preference... but juz to share wif u... i stay at a place wif 600+ units, but normally when i swim, there's less than 10 people in the pool(oni Sun afternoon its more crowded), n its a 45m pool... precisely b'coz the land size is huge, developer manage to construct more than 1 pool, n the pools are spreaded across the landscape... so i like the feel of space wif lotsa water.

I can agree wif blessed the Orchard Rd types are exclusive... big or small... but mostly oni cash-rich Indonesians like to buy them... there r 2 single-block type apt at Fort Rd i find it exclusive as well b'coz its freehold n it has cityview, seaview, poolview of the surrounding condos... but u dun get to enjoy much of facilities b'coz the pool is oni large enuff 4 froggies to swim... juz kiddin

 

[blessed]

hi onzz,

i m glad u dont sound very offended by my postings coz even myself tot i sounded abit harsh... yes i must agree w u that its individual's perference...if everyone goes for the same kind of hsing, then demand n supply will b very screwed up

for me i live in an estate with very few units... n to date all my neighbours r nice... they r mostly professionals with 1-2 young kids. i used to love big development coz i m someone who needs noise...but my hb prefer small n quiet place.

to share with u my experience too...my place has a man-made beach, spa pool, kids play pool, n a lap pool. there's usually no one using the pool at all ...usually only sat afew kids (less then 5) will play at pool area. sun is very quiet coz i find most families' r out. as for the gym, i dun see pp using too..... so my place is very quiet. the pools r quite big for the estate, but i can understand wat u meant for dev with very small pool... 2 kick n u reach the other end haa. i think pp will go for the kind of dev that suits them best.

i was at The Jade once, n i find the place pretty noisy n like a chalet...coz the pool is crowded n noisy...mayb coz its a sat.

fort road? u mean 1Fort?

 

[onzz]

blessed,

no lah, u very si-boon wad, where got harsh?

man-made beach? hmm... i giveup, i can't guess which condo is dat... kekeke... i oni noe Sunhaven at Upper Changi Rd has sumtin lidat, but it doesn't sound like "small"... i'm referring to Fortredale(the glass bldg) n Crystal Rhu, i've seen both a few years back, not sure abt dewan u mentioned.

Ya, if the devt is small, yet wif a reasonably decent pool, dat will be nice...

 

[limko]

Hi Peeps,

Wow, thanks for all the comments. I actually don't mind living in smaller establishments, less than 200 units but worried that my property will lose quite a bit when i want to sell or move. That is the same reason why 99 yrs is a no no. 999 yrs, I am considering.

I have been to Haig Court, love it but kinda concerned about the location since its quite far in and public transport is a problem and finishing is yucky.

Loved D'Ecosia but no one is selling.

Have not been to Makena but will try and see. Thanks onzz.

Been to Eastside but I think that it is just to small.

Riviera is quite nice.

I am also quite interested in Costa De Sol although its 99 yrs coz of the location and the very attractive deferred payment plan.

Anyone know of any other good establishments. I am patiently waiting for Seaview and the one on East Coast Road near still road junction to launch.

 

[onzz]

limko,

limpeh ka li gong, ecosia no good leh... junction of still rd n upp east coast rd is really quite uncomfortable... but ecosia really enhance the looks of still rd, thanks to them... i doubt u can get good price, b'coz it was launched quite ex... personally i dun like it, surrounding is so congested...

Costa Del Sol was so stubborn, holding on to 600+ unsold units for 3 years (note: their lease starts counting from 1996 i think), but finally they surrender liao, understand they cut price by 10-15% last weekend... but their seaview units r quite large, the unobstructed view r mostly 4 BR, u need to buy above 15 floor to have decent seaview, n it will cost easily $1m plus even wif the reduced price... i tink they don understand the S'pore mkt...

I went to see Cote D'Azur by F&N, the seaviews r pretty decent, n they have 2-3 BR units wif decent seaview, cost $700k onwards 4 seview ones, unfortunately the rooms r way too small...

So i still conclude The Makena has best value, u can get an average 3 BR seaview unit(1297 sft) at $850-900k, everything decent size, but its 10 yrs old liao...

Paiseh, i anyhow assume u want a seaview unit, u din't even said... hahaha

 

[blessed]

hi onzz,

haha ya, i think no one will really know my estate. One fort is a new condo, juz finish bldg, not sure if TOP'ed. U mean the glass bldg with blue n green color? i been to there few yrs ago.. very small, but ok lah, i dun hv much expectation. but i must say the window not too "wind friendly"

hi limko,

read in papers costa de sol units facing the sea is selling avg $630psf.... for 99yrs, tt's very very ex!!

agreed with onzz...d'ecosia is very ex at launch...i do see units for sale..but prob the penthse. n also that area quite "busy", sure very dusty...haha i m very particular abt Dust...coz i used to lived in an apartment near the main road, the balcony turns black 10mins after i cleaned it!! its scary.

Cote D'azur looks good from the outside, but 99yrs loh. so considered exp.

wah, seaview will take donkey years to build i think! how abt Butterworth8, its freehold. i nvr been to Haig court showflat, but from the outside, it looks dated.

i m not sure which one u refering to at still rd junction. Wat kind of budget you looking at?

i like riviera's surrounding coz its on the hill top... imagine the breeze

.....

 

[limko]

Hi Onzz & blessed,

Wah, thanks for all the comments and helpful insights.

I don't really mind Makena being 10 yrs old as long as they maintain it well and I have not been there for a close up but from the outside, it is rather nice.

Hmm, blessed, may I know where Butterworth is? I give up on D'ecosia, been to check prices and I find them really overpriced for such a small area.

Still keeping my fingers crossed for Sea View. Although it is still quite a while before TOP, I am willing to wait if it is good.

As you all know, it is quite hard to find a good apt in the East. I am quite adament about living near my parents and my bf is quite adament about the apt being a freehold.

Oh no, when am i ever gonna find my dream home. Please do keep me updated on new launches or good deal ard the East.

hmm, still dunno where you both live! hehehe

 

[onzz]

limko,
haiz... trouble is when i last saw a unit at Makena 2 weeks back, i find the common area badly maintained... much worse than my own condo... but u should take a look... its impressive... still not sure wad's your budget, Makena is ex... Butterworth 8 is shortly after Lion City Hotel along dat rd... s/be quite cheap...

 

[blessed]

Hi Limko,

Butterworth8 is where onzz mentioned. But onzz, not cheap leh! infact when they launched, quite ex...freehold, for 3bedrm, prob around 8-900k. now that its TOP'ed not sure if the pr go down. but the area not so quiet.

its really nice to live near ur own parents!

 

[onzz]

blessed,
top a few years ago... i tink 3 BR can get abt $750k now... but make sure its not facing the paya lebar mrt side... b'coz oncoming traffic from yokoso side lights shine towards u... i find it not very good feng shui...

 

[powder]

Onzz bro,

any thoughts towards walkup apartment/terraces in the east? thanks for the suggestions for condos... i've got another 3-4yrs to plan... wuld very very much prefer seaview+freehold so condo is more appealing in tat sense... i dun really need any facilites except unrestricted carparks... hehe...

budget 550-750k, age no problem.... seaview seaview!

 

[limko]

Hi Onzz & Blessed,

Been to see Butterworth 8. Owner is selling for 930K for 1313 sgft despite living in the apt for 1 yr already. Guess it is still exp. The maintenance fee is quite exp as well and way out of my budget. My budget is not more than 800 K.
Dun mind a smaller unit of less than 1000 sqft.

Anyone know the price range of One Fort?

Other places I have seen, Spring @ Katong, Sea Avenue, Riviera, Waterina, Elegance and Emery Point.

Waterina is nice but I am rather concerned over the location as it is near Geylang. Also, Anone heard of Malvern Spring? It just TOP and it seems quite popular.

 

[blessed]

hi limko,

Yes, Butterworth8 is indeed exp for the pr!! is it high level? for yr budget of 800k, u can get a decent sized freehold in the east.. but u say less then 1000sqft, abt 80-90sqm...size of a 4rm flat... sounds ok to me

I agree Waterina is abit close to Geyland area but do look nice from the outside... Yes, i know abt Malvern springs too...nice place.

 

[onzz]

Hi limko,
Been house-hunting huh? I presume u noe dat u can view recent transacted prices at URA website? Butterworth 8 had been transacted btw $790k - $860k in the last few months, dun give up if u like, bargain! I sort of confused Butterworth 8 with the cheaper Butterworth View!

 

[onzz]

Hi powder,
If u r not particular abt facilities, there are a few single block condos at the junction of Fort Rd n Meyer Rd... Crystal Rhu i saw few years back... nice finishing, $800 psf at dat time, now probably less, when u buy in 3-4 yrs time it should be within your budget! Of course if your outlook 4 the local pty mkt is bullish, u can get one from the current launches... i tink someone mentioned something coming up called "Seaview"?

Personally, i oni go for completed n TOP pty, b'coz i dun like to buy based on plan... but not everyone is as particular... kekeke

For the current mkt, to get seaview+freehold is still abit tough 4 your budget... unless its old... but be careful abt pty > 10 yrs old, u need to be convinced it has no major problems... of course u can look at sumting wif redevelopment potential, dat means low density n desirable location... time is on your side... go do some viewing in your freetime, it helps u to understand wat type of devt u like...

 

[powder]

hi onzz,

thanks for headstart advice man... at least it helps me narrow my expectations along with wat i can or cannot afford...

so far only one i'm interested in is Sanctuary Green... and yeah, me dun like to buy based on plan either... seen some tussles over projected and actual building... difference can be alot...

will start seeing developments more extensively.... tks!

 

[onzz]

Powder,
Sanctuary Green is 99 years, but 1 pt i always tell ppl is, consider carefully: do u really need to buy a freehold? Wat is your priority? The location, the view, the facilities, or the tenure? And wat is your objective? Primarily as home or investment? But definitely seeing more will help u become clearer of your priorities... enjoy your viewing, hehe

 

[powder]

actually we dun really need a freehold... think just the thought of having a home for the generations to come does give one a sense of security n achievement...

for me, it's just a home with seaview or a nice view of horizon... a place to sit, read a book, listen to peaceful music and be in touch with spiritual self... to feel at peace with life... amenities not important at all... everything will be focused on making the home a sanctuary where we can return to and leave the rest of the world behind.... know wat i mean? it's a feeling kind of feeling...

looking at lower price to be realistic cos intend to keep loan within to 15 yrs max...

 

[krazy]

what about starville and heliconia? if i am not wrong, they are also freehold.

 

[ettu]

hi

been househunting in the east as well...and we really love the sandalwood at tembeling road, near joo chiat. ok, the sandalwood is a 39 unit development comprising conservation shophouses and a new apartment block. it's freehold and the design's fantastic. this is developed by a private investment company. the lady who brought me around is i believe one of the owners of the company. her grandpa used to own one of the quaint conservation shophouses...you know those nyona style ones...and she took 10 years to acquire the 16 shophouses and the land to build this project. what we particularly like about this project is that the layout was good and the features very well thought of. it's very different when the owner has a personal stake in the property. the units are spacious like a one bedroom is 800+sqfeet. the conservation shophouses are split level 4 stories with attic...price tag v ex $2mil but the apartments are like btwn 600-800k...not too sure. very drool worthy place. however location is not so ideal for us. it's in a quiet quaint neighbourhood.

i love d'ecosia too! can hardly tell the beauty from outside. cote d'azur is, well, not nice to me at all. the unit i saw had this medium brown wood and glass wall panel in the kitchen that can be slid...so 80s!!! and they have funny windows at knee height somewhat like portholes...which to me are useless! hubby innocently wondered if those needed curtains! jus plain weird design. also note that some blocks have only 2 lifts serving as many as 8 units per level...and this project is at least 21 stories high...getting up and down can be a very trying experience. one fort is ok...the wash area a bit of an afterthought...room doors can do better. those facing the indoor stadium side will get afternoon sun...for drivers, it can be rather challenging to exit the condo at peak hours.

well known fact that FEO's finishing very very bad! pil's place in bad shape...cracking walls...water seepage...all within first 2-3 years

 

[ettu]

hi

been househunting in the east as well...and we really love the sandalwood at tembeling road, near joo chiat. ok, the sandalwood is a 39 unit development comprising conservation shophouses and a new apartment block. it's freehold and the design's fantastic. this is developed by a private investment company. the lady who brought me around is i believe one of the owners of the company. her grandpa used to own one of the quaint conservation shophouses...you know those nyona style ones...and she took 10 years to acquire the 16 shophouses and the land to build this project. what we particularly like about this project is that the layout was good and the features very well thought of. it's very different when the owner has a personal stake in the property. the units are spacious like a one bedroom is 800+sqfeet. the conservation shophouses are split level 4 stories with attic...price tag v ex $2mil but the apartments are like btwn 600-800k...not too sure. very drool worthy place. however location is not so ideal for us. it's in a quiet quaint neighbourhood.

i love d'ecosia too! can hardly tell the beauty from outside. cote d'azur is, well, not nice to me at all. the unit i saw had this medium brown wood and glass wall panel in the kitchen that can be slid...so 80s!!! and they have funny windows at knee height somewhat like portholes...which to me are useless! hubby innocently wondered if those needed curtains! jus plain weird design. also note that some blocks have only 2 lifts serving as many as 8 units per level...and this project is at least 21 stories high...getting up and down can be a very trying experience. one fort is ok...the wash area a bit of an afterthought...room doors can do better. those facing the indoor stadium side will get afternoon sun...for drivers, it can be rather challenging to exit the condo at peak hours.

well known fact that FEO's finishing very very bad! pil's place in bad shape...cracking walls...water seepage...all within first 2-3 years

 

[krazy]

my hubby and i also went to see sandalwood. the guy who brought us around.... lets just say, he probably thinks we are too young to have that kind of money to buy the place so he kept insisting on showing us the apartments next to the shophouses.
yeah, i know what you mean about the space!

absolutely love the place.

 

[krazy]

i received a brochure about some new development. its a boutique kind of condo; only 12 apartments. but the brochure is at home... will check the name of the development and post it later in the evening.

 

[krazy]

the name is ALEGRIA. its located at novena though.

 

[blessed]

hi ettu,

yday night drove pass sandalwood to take a look at the estate....i think this development is my hb's love!! he always love this type of colonial/nonya style hses. we live near such hses too n a few of the owners actually reno their hses full of "olden days smell" ... beautiful!

the area is quite big huh... if got time mayb i KPO go see the showflat (m i right? coz i see that the develop not completed yet)

i must agree with u that FEO's workmanship/finishing is terrible!! my fil always comment that n i used to not understand y, now i do!...also look at 1 of their proj Dunman view...took abt 5yrs to build?? juz 2 blks!

hi powder,

how abt blue horizon? facing west coast park, view is nice...got macdonalds opp too haha i think 24hrs, so u wldnt starve. i quite like the "feel" there. but at 99yrs, the price is quite ex...the agent was soooooo naggy n refused to let us go...keep telling us the area got dev POTENTIAL, if not macdonald's will not buy the land there, coz they got do research on the potential, aiyo, i think he repeated this 100x?

 

[ettu]

hi blessed

you must take a look inside

we din explore the 2 mil conservation houses (very nice with water feature inside) but the apartments are very well thought of, the finishings and stuff. e.g. the kitchen isn't cramped...even for one bedroom units, you can like have two big-sized people standing back to back comfortably. toilet has a nice shower area next to bath-tub which means that you don't have to risk falls from standing in slippery tubs. nice nice! we were like full of regrets cos we already got a very standard condo unit elsewhere

inside, there is a lap pool...and a small gym..other than that, nothing much. remote controlled basement carpark. lovely lovely!!! oh and cos it's an investment company, it means that they can only sell half the units. they will own the rest so i think the owners will take care of the place cos they own it.

we've talked to some agents and the general sentiment is that FEO is way pricey and for the type of finishing they provide, it jus ain't worth it.

we saw changi rise yesterday...lovely place as well...but different kind of lovely altogether. this is like a kid's dream paradise...the whole place is about playing with water...nice nice but the whole development is really big! i suspect mostly unoccupied. it will take a long time to get to the block if not driving...walking in to the estate and to block can easily take 20 mins!!! and it's very likely the weekends can be nightmarish with the fun slides and stuff. but very lovely landscaping and finishing is good! wardrobe comes with those built in ikea-like trouser hangers, partitioned drawers for socks, ties etc. (i saw this in master bedroom not sure abt the rest) each bathroom has different colour theme. kitchen has those bars for hanging stuff like ikea. thumbs up for the finishing. but problem is a lot of units have the setting sun problem. from experience, it can get very warm even hours after the sun has set, the room, the whole place can still feel the heat.

 

[powder]

hi blessed!

thanks for reading and suggesting... so nice

ya, me got consider blue horizon initially, but me lived in the west so long already... so wanna head east... tat's why think the meyer/east coast/siglap area wuld be a suitable place...

as i was looking around, i realized tat so many pple overpaid for their homes in 1996 period... didn't know last time pple pay sgd1000 per square feet even... i still blur blur... but i think current prices ok..

 

[limko]

Hi ettu,

where is sandalwood exactly? just wanna have a look coz I dun think I can afford that at all. Hee Hee. Anyways, been to Crystal Rhu is anyone i sthinking about it. Th interior is actually quite nice and spacious save the kitchen but if you dun cook much, its actually ok. Very expensive furnishings used, I think.

It is small development, only swimming pool and gym but maintenance fee is very low. I think the price is about 750/sqft

 

[ettu]

hi limko

sandalwood is at 152 tembeling road. parallel to joo chiat rd. near haig girls' school. the neighbourhood recently got plagued by streetwalkers prob cos of the budget hotels nearby...but the pocket that sandalwood is in is like quite exclusive...in own world

hi powder

blue horizon is a FEO development. heard that it's not that value for money.

 

[onzz]

My house faces west sun, ya, can be really hot in the afternoon... but we don mind lah, coz' we r seldom in, n when the sun is hot, we're normally down at the pool... we chose the unit b'coz we only like dat open n pool facing... surprisingly the heat doesn't stay, when nite comes the whole house becomes cool...

 

[riksnake]

Hi Everyone,
Wah! You all must have love the East, I have no choice so selected somewhere up the north area. I did not mind the location since it is next to MRT station and is a resale condo. I find the place rather quite and peaceful too. Only on weekend where it is a little crowded in the morning and afternoon. I just sign off with the seller last week and hope to take over in August this year if not earlier.

Middle high floor, bright and windy too. did not pay a high price for this unit since the resale condo market is rather bad now. Most aminities around here so very easy to get food and shop around too. I ever consider East side but too bad most of my relatives are in the west.

 

[blessed]

Hi powder,

like wat ettu said, blue horizon is FEO dev, n i seen for myself... their furnishing no good. hehe u know the agent very funny, he explain y they use cheaper materials, so that they can pass the "savings" to consumer...but i cant see where is the "savings"...coz i find it exp for 99yr property. but nvrmind, u also not interested.

u say u dun mind 99yrs,dun care abt amenities, u juz wan SEAVIEW n a nice place for u to rest n relax... wah then, y dun u consider the point block opp east coast park!! i think they r gems! u dont hv to pay as much as a condo, since u also dun need amenities n save on maintenance fees... use the $$ saved make ur home like a holiday hotel resort!! shiok man...

hi onzz,

yr hse kana morning n afternoon sun? which part? for mine kana morning n afternoon sun at the back (2bedrooms). n coz alot of glass, like green hse effect man, hot! but by late afternoon ok liao. the front part of my hse (living n MBR) no sun..so always cooling.

hi rik o snake

no lah, me no particular liking for the east... i nvr make much decision in the pur of my hse. got choice i rather choose Holland area, haha.

 

[powder]

u mean the HDBs? never did get up and going to look at those... me figured me dun really want hdb living when i turn 35, cos as much as i like the flats and stuff... sometimes the litter, the misuse of facility and general inconsideration of neighbours may be a little unpleasant for me... also, me kinda like the extra security and free parking if frens drop by when me organize gatherings... little conveniences... and lastly, it's my parent's little dream, so hope to fulfil tat...

 

[ettu]

hi powder

if u like sea view, may want to consider costa del sol...prices down already but think still pricey but i think eastern sea view nicer than western sea view

 

[powder]

okie, for del sol, think the prices still to high for me. hearing all the advice and kind suggestions from u guys, me thinks me haven't put in enough effort searching and really narrowing down.

actually my dream condo is mandarin gardens and bayshore... old... but nonetheless, was a childhood dream...

 

[blessed]

hi powder,

ok, so its more to "seaview, dun want amenities" lah. yes i do understand wat u mean abt "litter, misuse of facilities"... i do like hdb flats alot esp high rise ones... but they hv to be new haha, cannot be resale. coz like u, i like to hv a clean environment... I hope i not offending anyone ok, wat i meant is if i stay in HDB, i will hv the thinking the premises belong to the Govt, so nvrmind lah, can litter, n dun hv to take care of the facilities lah....govt will subsidise the "clean up" ... whereas if living in pte estate, i'll b more conscious as the "clean up" will come from our maintenance funds, thus my own $$. also if the facilities r damaged, also mean come from my own pocket loh...ooh so selfish thinking huh.

nice of u to fulfil ur parents dream!

 

[powder]

hi blessed,

ya exactly... actually community living is nice, me like mingling with the old folks, exchanging smiles and all tat... me just dun like coming back and seeing flyers, litter around estate n in lifts... pple spit in lifts... my goodness... then flyers on my car almost daily... illegal parking all over when carpark has super ample space... an auntie feeding the cats (actually me ok with this lah, but the population has increased from a few to abt 13-14 now and the excretes are all over...), and the burning of offerings at very inconsiderate areas of the estate.

but all said, me still like hdbs... just minus the little nitty gritties...

 

[onzz]

powder,

ya, mandarin gdn was soooo good, the seaview units are away from ECP, those blocks lining the ECP are lowrise, so u get SUPERB SEAVIEW plus away from noise... too bad its 20 years old liao... somemore leasehold... n old construction w/o full height windows... but cheap lah, i think a good seaview unit, 3BR, 1500+ sft probably abt $500k+... so if u r prepared to juz expense off, still a choice to consider...

Bayshore (the old one) will have superb seaview but i heard the construction is really cheapo, apparently partitions between rooms are made of gypsum board? (din't verify it myself, hearsay oni)

The Bayshore of course (new one) writeoff case b'coz of blockage by Coasta Del Sol

 

[onzz]

hi blessed,

my hse get afternoon sun... no morning sun... but its oni hot on a cloudless day... n there's not much residual heat after sun sets... no choice lah, dat's the oni facing we like for dat development...

 

[powder]

hi Onzz,

hehe, me last time went Mandarin Gardens for Functions!... u know, like those mini discos with some not-so-good DJ, organized where little boys and little girls met? hehe... really nice memories...

think for Mandarin, me will look at rental instead, cos rental still pretty affordable...

ahh... the feeling of finding tat perfect home... so nice... wonderful wonderful feeling....