Our house contract in Yishun will end on 31st Aug 2024 (2-year contract). Time really flies. I have stayed in Singapore for 2 years. When I mention this to my friends, they are also surprised! So fast?? We haven’t decided whether to renew our rental in Yishun or move out because our landlord hasn’t contacted us about a new agreement. With one month left, my husband and I have decided to look for a house in the central area. Our budget is $3000-$3200, and we have found five houses as listed below:
1st house viewing
This house is just opposite my husband’s friend’s house. On the way there, there were many sharp corners for cars and buses (you need good driving skills, haha). Once we arrived, my husband started introducing me to the nearby shops and hawkers. “In the future, you can go here or there to buy things,” he said. I was curious and asked, “Darling, why do you talk like we’ve already decided to stay here?” He replied, “No lah, just telling you what I remember about this place.”
This was our first house viewing, so I was quite excited. But when I entered the house, I was shocked. The house and furniture were very old, and the bed didn’t fit the actual size of the bed frame. The toilet was super small. From the outside, it looked okay, but once you entered, you realized how cramped it was, with a very low ceiling. The second room’s single bed was acceptable, but overall, the house was terrible, especially due to the low ceiling. You could touch the ceiling just by raising your hand. I felt so depressed thinking if I stay there, I would die soon hahaha… So, we rejected the offer.
One thing happened: the next day, when I checked the website, the price had increased from $3100 to $3500!!! We wondered if the market was still that hot? Then, in the evening, the price went back down to $3100 🤷♀️.
2nd house viewing
My husband’s favorite place is Toa Payoh. But this is a bit far compared to his place at 79B, which now has a rental price of $4500.
This is our first Malay agent, he was polite and friendly. The video he showed us matched exactly what we saw in person. The owners, an elderly Indian couple, live next door. They offer included Wi-Fi and a 50/50 split on utilities. While the cupboards are new, the rest of the furniture is old, and there’s a strong Indian smell that I really don’t like. The landlord has placed many plants along the corridor, making the path very narrow. My husband seems okay with this house, but I’m not entirely sure.
After the viewing, we walked around the area to see what nearby shops and hawkers were available. We concluded that it is a bit far from Toa Payoh Central and not very convenient.
Similarly, I checked the website the next day and found that this house has 4 agents promoting it. Hmm, this house is probably hard to rent out? 🤔
3rd house viewing
The house viewing was scheduled for 9:30 PM. I’m not sure why it was so late, but we had no choice and proceeded with it. The good thing was that we could have dinner after the 2nd home viewing and take a walk around to check out the shops in the area.
On the way, we walked from AMK MRT to the house. He taught me how many KMs and minutes from the house to the MRT station are considered convenient, etc.
Once we arrived, my husband started complaining that the area was super ulu. I actually felt the same way. There was a very big park nearby where elderly people were exercising. We sat there for a while, waiting for the agent.
This was a corner unit on a high floor. The house was quite empty, and they had removed the double bed, which was different from what was posted on the website. So, we decided to reject this one as well.
After the disappointment of 3 house viewings, I became quite frustrated. I started appreciating the current house we stay in, except for the two smokers on either side who keep smoking, which makes us very angry.
4th house viewing
The 4th house viewing will be after 1 day, and we have a feeling this house might be a good one. There’s a food court and pasar in front of the block, which seems quite convenient. So, we went there in a good mood.
We arrived earlier, so we went to the food court for coffee and bread. My husband forgot to bring my SG line phone, but luckily we still managed to contact the agent using another phone.
Once we met the agent, we didn’t have a good impression of her. The worst part was that the actual house was completely different from what we saw on the website. They had removed the double bed and put a single bed in another room. The house was super small, and we concluded that it was really a 照骗. We were super angry because it was a complete waste of our time to visit this place.
All agents usually contact us a day after the viewing to discuss any offers. This agent did not contact us after the viewing, which was good because we had no plans to deal with her anymore. After two days, I checked the website again and found that the price had been reduced from $3000 to $2900. Even with the reduction, it is not a good deal.
5th house (agent no contact) just recording down what we found
Conclusion, we found that 2 years ago, we were still able to find a house in good condition. Why are most of the houses in bad condition this year? Is it because the demand for housing in Singapore remains high? Even without maintenance, people will still rent them?
We failed in our house search this year and really hope our current landlord maintains the situation as it is now. So we can stay another 2 years maybe??
This house searching is really tired die us 😔