Moving can be extremely stressful, be it from one country to another, or between houses. It definitely requires a great deal of time and energy, especially in the crucial decisions to be made such as picking the right apartment. Especially if you’re renting, it’s unlikely you would want to make big changes or have major work done on the house. To make your life a whole lot easier, we’ve compiled a list of 6 things to look out for when searching for your new home in Singapore!
1. Location
Singapore is known as the “Little Red Dot” for a reason; space is limited and housing is scarce. The location or neighbourhood you choose is definitely one of the most important decisions to make when apartment hunting. Depending on your priorities and requirements (proximity to your work place or kids’ school), you may want to look for apartments in a location that you will be able to easily commute from. Other considerations include proximity from MRT stations or bus stops, and also the distance to shops and supermarkets in the vicinity.
2. Storage Space
Storage space in the house is definitely something you want to look out for when searching for your next home. Depending on the type of housing you’re looking at – Public housing, condos, landed, the amount of storage space that you get is different in each. Some houses in Singapore have bomb shelters, which most Singaporeans use as storage rooms or helpers’ rooms. In each house, look out for extra storage spaces in toilets, rooms, and kitchens.
3. Room Sizes
Room sizes in Singapore differ in newer and older apartments. The older housing developments tend to be bigger and have much bigger rooms, living rooms, and spaces, whereas the newer apartments mostly have smaller rooms, and are smaller in size. This is useful to note as if you require a larger space, it is best to look into older establishments. Needless to say, the bigger the house the more space you have, so it helps to be certain of how many rooms you need as well.
4. Direction Facing
Singapore is situated near the equator, and with a tropical climate, it is basically summer all year long. Depending on your preferences, the direction the apartment faces determines the amount of sunlight going in to the house. North and South facing units are generally more sought after as they get stronger winds in the house, while avoiding the direct sunlight. East facing units are generally exposed to the morning sun, and in west facing apartments, it could potentially get a little hot in the unit.
5. Appliances
Next, the appliances that come with or are built into the house is an important thing to look out for as well. Most homes come with the basic necessities – washer, dryer, microwave, oven, and stove. In Singapore, it’s uncommon for locals to use dishwashers, (they do it the old-fashioned way – with soap and a trusty sponge), hence they are not usually a built-in prerequisite. If a dishwasher is mandatory in your requirements, definitely look out for it as most apartments come without.
6. Facilities
Different types of housing have different benefits of facilities and amenities. Condominiums often have the basics of a gym, swimming pool, function room, BBQ pit and playground. Some even have golf courses and multiple pools. Landed properties mostly don’t have these facilities but some have swimming pools and roof decks in the house. Cluster housing is a good choice if you require both space and facilities as they offer landed detached homes with common facilities such as pools and gyms.
Choosing the right house is definitely an important decision to make, after all, the apartment you pick will be the place you will call home for the next few years at least! We hope this guide was helpful in your apartment hunting process. Feel free to drop us a message if you need any assistance or have any enquiries! Happy House Hunting!