How much shd i bid for COV

bedokboy

New Member
joo chiat, 3A, 75sqm, 800sq ft, well-kept, valuation 350k. Not too old, exterior of flat newly painted few years back. Unit clean and flooring ok. Doesn't look old.
 


kittenpie

New Member
if COV below S$50,000, whatever the seller asks for, bargain for 20% less, take it from there.

above $50K no talk
 

kittenpie

New Member
$18,888

bless the seller with offer for huat huat huat lah.

3R flat only, he cannot expect so much and ruin the market rates
 

bedokboy

New Member
there was another. 3A. Dakota Crescent. Val 340k. Almost orig condition so must reno. Someone offered 25k COV.

No you're not too late DOLL. I am still looking.
 

sgbabydoll

Active Member
Hi Bedokboy, Dakota Cres is a hot area!

If someone has already offered 25K then you need to up your offer if you are really interested in the unit. If this is out of the range of COV you are willing to pay, then walk away from the deal. Continue the hunt.....
 

kittenpie

New Member
bedokboy, a lot depends on your own budget mah. may i ask what is the max-max you are willing to pay for 3A? if S$25,000 is out of your target, then the flat not meant to be yours.

next time you see one flat you really like, just try your luck lah. on the spot, whip out the S$1,000 option fee cry out "i hoot S$18,888." better still use cash instead of cheque. at most the owner say no only mah. sometimes in life gotta push your luck a bit and use drama to test the water.
 

bedokboy

New Member
thanks for the tip Doll. I rent nearby so I know also. I answer Doll's first then I go to May's post ok?

I'm half half because it is 2nd floor and next door there will be a new condo coming up. For the next 2-3 years I may have to put up with noise and stuff. So I can afford to look a little bit more.

May: My budget is as low as possible because I still need cash to do it up bachelor pad style. No need atas atas but still need cash for furniture after that too. You think 30k for reno for a 3A to do simple spartan minimalist hack a few walls not too cheem walk-in wardrobe cheap cheap kitchen cab can?

wah May, you pretend to be my 'wife' can? We go viewing together I take care of the decision, then if I want, I wink wink at you then you start your drama. The cash will of course be from me lah, you just provide the drama.

How?

happy.gif
 

kittenpie

New Member
wah, bedok, better not ah, or else my husband send his PI take photograph of us when we go flat viewing. then anyhow accuse us of adultery and name you as defendants in adultery case. haha ... you guys know that i may be getting divorced right?

you wanna go minimalist S$5K also can lah. sleep on no-coil mattress on the floor, no bed-fame, no washing machine wash clothes by hand, also can what. no air-con, just $40 fan. no lamp or lamp shade, just flourescent bulb. no build-in wardrobe and proper cardboard everything put in plastic containers who say cannot right. sometimes i think quite fun to go spartan just to see how far we can go lah.
 

bedokboy

New Member
oops sorry to hear May.

my spartan is hidden storage space lah. nice clean lines. almost gay type living for a straight guy. think can or not?

thot most flat layouts the master bath and kitchen bath is next to each other so why not connect make bigger. Then hack wall adjoining master and 2nd bed. Make the master walk-in wardrobe and 2nd bed become only bed.

kitchen minimalist. since no cooking, actually no need kitchen cab but someone told me hard to re-sell if no kitchen cab and even if no cooking still need place to put plates and stuff.

how?

no need atas finishing or furnishing. Furniture also get from Ikea. As long as pleasing to the undiscerning eye can already. I also don't have a lot of architect or ID friends so hopefully normal untrained eye can't tell the difference.

how?

can under 30k for everything?

haha...
 

sgbabydoll

Active Member
A few reasons - I have a dog and he would be barking mad at people walking downstairs. Besides, I don't like window grilles but if the unit is on low floor you must install window grilles for security.
 

bedokboy

New Member
ohhhhhh.....
hmmmm....
ok thanks for the tip(s).

May. 5k for COV or 5k for reno??? Haha. Must hack wall put walk-in wardrobe all leh, and i wonder if can make my place door-less, is all sliding wall concept. Haha. I really cheapskate hor? haha.
 

sgbabydoll

Active Member
Activities on the ground level could cause considerable disturbance to you especially if you like quietness.

Second floor would be slightly harder to sell in future.
 

bedokboy

New Member
largely it's a quiet estate. dakota crescent.

but yes if there are funerals/weddings then...

otherwise there are no markets or what there, so it's largely quiet.
 

kittenpie

New Member
bedok, S$5K for reno. get someone hack down wall insert couple sliding door will cost so much meh? i donch believe.

you said minimalist mah. so expect all the things are very spartan ... you get what i mean? how much a few plastic boxes cost? should be very cheap lah?
 

sgbabydoll

Active Member
Playground nearby? If yes, kids playing on weekend mornings or evenings could cause unwanted disturbance.

And if there are benches very near your unit you will be able to hear the conversation of people seated there.
 

bedokboy

New Member
haha May. Reasonable a bit leh, still want it to look presentable. Come home rest one leh.

wah DoLL, then 2nd floor is really out for you. I'm not thaaaat particular about 2nd floor.

Oh well, continue looking out for more then.
 

bedokboy

New Member
some more the kitchen got tiled walls. I don't like.

the tiles on the floor in the whole unit also very o-biang. 70s or 80s type. Of course I don't need marble flooring or what but just...presentable lah.
happy.gif
 

sgbabydoll

Active Member
Of course must be more particular cos you pay money for the flat.

If you have $30K to renovate the flat, work with an ID or contractor to do it within budget. If this amount includes the budget for bathroom ware, WC, lightings, aircon, etc, means you will have to lower your reno budget. Cannot say I have $30K but I want everything on my list. For furniture get the essential items first like the bed. The rest can still be added in slowly.
 

thommy

New Member
to add on to what doll said, 2nd floor also higher chances of 'xiao qiangs' visiting your flat.

so if I were u bedokboy, I'd walk away from the deal. Take ur time when buying property, dun rush.
 

bedokboy

New Member
that's what I thot.

I asked and the selling agent said actually 3,4,5th will also have.

thanks for your input Thomas!
 

sgbabydoll

Active Member
Talk to people who live on the second floor (minus the second-floor sellers and real estate agents marketing their property) or observe it yourself
happy.gif
 

powder

Active Member
bedok,

go for Dakota... else up your budget go for the private apartments around there. would be easier for the minimalist if house is bigger...

u're still young, the current interest rates will allow u to service loans for private. a COV of 50k is 20% of 250k... which means u can buy private without COV.

alot of pple who can afford private - dun realise they can. alot of pple who cannot afford private - think they can.

if just down to those 2... as a fren, just stick to Dakota... no Aljunied's. your liquidity and profile of buyers in another 3-5yrs when u intend to sell - will be way better and financials are not gonna be a major issue.

reno can do for less than 10k. it's whether u have the time to save the money.
 

simpleman

Active Member
I agree with powder.

50K COV for a 3room valued at 350k? That will be 400K. It means you can look for a private apartment of 500K and you would already pay for 10% with cash. The rest can come from CPF and loan.

There should be small and old walk-up apartment in that price range.
 

powder

Active Member
yeah i like the old walkups and would definitely prefer those... alot of character, and for the area he is looking at, there's an abundance of them... just need one that is relatively hedged in asking-price. along the telok kurau/siglap/st patrick's areas, there's more than a number... those are big on the inside and doing it up like a pad is not an issue. Alot of character.

as for the lizards, there's products in the market to deal with them.
 

bedokboy

New Member
thanks powd, sm for your replies. Much appreciated.

Dakota not many. Once I miss this I might have to consider the Joo Chiat one which is near Jazzy Pub. Haha. It's at the Geylang Serai part of Joo Chiat. But that's not too bad. They repainted the flat building and downstairs is NTUC and many shops.

But I do like Dakota also lah. Seeing a Pine Close one tonight.

As for walk-ups I don't mind too. But usually they are resided by foreign workers 10-20 living in one unit? And walk-ups the interior is huge! Typically 1100-1400 sg ft, I don't think I need that much space leh.

Privates around the area also not easy to find half a buck leh, unless I'm really not looking hard enough.

Hmm...

happy.gif
 

powder

Active Member
well just as a general advice... it's easy for your profile when u pick becos u have lesser considerations other than prices, the hit will be taken later when u sell for whatever reason, and realise that certain profiles totally do not form the bulk of your buyers.

the reason i avoid seedy places is not becos i am adverse to having them at close proximity... but with these environments come human behavioural problems. i dun want any remote possibility of leaving this world - being stabbed to death due to mistaken identity (since i have a rather common rugged face)... or be maimed accidentally during gang clashes...

it sounds extreme, but there are some things in life, i'd rather pay the extra 100-200k for... and that is security. perhaps i've seen one gang clash too many... and know of frens whose hands or feet have been chopped off... the dead ones, well... they're dead. the living ones are the reminders... i dun mean aljunied is such an area, but u should consider these factors...

i think security in spore can only get more laxed in time to come, and crimes will certainly go up.
 

bedokboy

New Member
now got twist!

the owner asking COV 45k.

i offer 30k.

then the selling agent told the buying agent to tell me, 'the owner say I never do my job to get the COV she wants so instead of 2% comms, she gonna pay me 1%. Can you, the buyer, pay my 1% as incentive for me to help you 'seal' this deal?'

wah lau eh.
 

powder

Active Member
stand by your initial offer and just tell your agent that he is Not the only agent u using. dun say anything more...
 

sgbabydoll

Active Member
Glad that you did not cave in.

It's all nonsense. If seller not happy with selling agent, he/she can change agent. If selling agent not happy about cut commission, he/she can ask the seller to fly kite. As the buyer agent, he/she should protect your rights and advise you against it.
 

bewygirl

New Member
wow. i met a similar agent. just that mine wants me to pay him 2% commission instead of 1%.

the flat i viewed is central area, 3rd floor only. i offered 25K..and the agent told my agent this:"eh can ur buyer pay me 1% more if they can close the deal"

nonsense!
 

vios

New Member
bedok,

shld tell your agent to tell him... why not if it is included in your 30K offer. anyway, he is not doing a good job mah.
 

smileguy

Active Member
1% or 2% is really too much..if u really really like the unit,can try test water offering a 1k to top up the seller agent comm ,if nt acceptd , not the unit u like or if cov keep 'rising' , then forget it,reason being having to fork out a 31k instead of a 45k or 40k to close a unit u like it i tink stil worth it....
 

miloice

Well-Known Member
I was just lunching with a colleague today and he was looking at HDB in Tio Bahru area. Most are asking COV $80-100k. This is madness. Pricing $700-800+k for a 5 rm. After the commission and stamp fees, goodness. Coughing this much cash for a flat.
 

thommy

New Member
yeah man milo, I get flyers everyday on my main gate from agents who specialise in this area 'boasting' abt how big a deal they've concluded...all seem to be record breakers.
 

bedokboy

New Member
thanks guys for your replies.

May you kena the same thing too? I suspect the selling agent hasn't even told the seller but just wants to squeeze more out of the deal. He may have a few offers on hand but just wants to see who offers him more aside from the rightful owner.

When they take matters into their own hands and try and 'manipulate' proceedings it's really bad. The gumption to do it is already dam downright low.

By the way I've asked another agent to see if he can hijack the deal. This way he gets to keep my 1% and seller's 1%. Seller should agree to pay 1% anyway and this other agent gets to keep both sides.

Is this using fire to fight fire?

happy.gif
 


powder

Active Member
just do it, i got screwed quite a few times myself... most painful was a penthouse which sold 60k aove my offer price, and i was the 1st offer... only 60k! i am still very sore over it... if u want your place, u dun have tp play ball with agents.

on another property, i was actually the highest bidder by a good 50k, but i lost it cos the agent didn't wanna co-broke.
 

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