So, here's the background on the moving story. Our current condo unit has changed ownership multiple times during our 2-year lease. Apparently real estate in Singapore is a hot market and I think there must be a tax advantage to holding a property for 6 months because that's how often our unit sold during our time in it. It really didn't affect us as it merely meant dealing with a different agent whenever we needed to repair something.
The current owner bought our place while we were back in Texas this summer. Shortly after we returned, we received word that our lease would not be extended because the new owner intended to move into our condo. They even inquired if we would be willing to break our lease early so they wouldn't have to wait until the end of December.
A few weeks later the owner decided not to move into the unit so we asked about extending our lease for 1 more year. Our current lease is S$8,500 per month (roughly $6,500 USD). The new owner wants S$12,000 per month ($9,200 USD) to extend the lease. After brief negotiations, it became clear he was not willing to go down in his asking price. We didn't feel the place is worth it and that amount was way above the Accenture housing budget. So, it was time to start looking for a new home.
I wasn't involved in the house hunting 2 years ago when we moved here so I was somewhat excited at the prospect of choosing a place this time around. We first looked at other units in River Place because we love our location on the river. I quickly figured out that I didn't like the other floor plans here at all and expanded the search.
Just before we left for Hong Kong, we found a place we both liked and thought would be a good fit for our family. It's not too far from our current place but we lost our river view. The trade-off is that we will be more centrally located since the new place is between the river and Orchard Road. So I should easily be able to walk to Orchard for shopping but still be walking distance to our favorite spots along the river. The new condo complex is only 4 years old and only has 66 units as opposed to our huge complex now. So while I'm not sure how much social activity we'll experience in a small complex, I liked the feel of it.
The entire neighborhood has a different feel to it than our current location and I couldn't figure out why until our agent mentioned that there is a moratorium on building any structure taller than 5 stories in that area of town. It's a security measure for Singapore's Minister Mentor, Lee Kwan Yew, who lives just around the corner. He's considered the "Father of Singapore" because he led the country in its first 25 years as an independent nation. Our agent mentioned a few times that our place should be very safe since we live so close to him. Thank goodness because we were really worried about crime in Singapore!
Our new condo is on the second floor and we have a nice balcony off the living room where we can still use our grill. That was an important consideration when house hunting! I like the layout of our new place much better than our current one. The kitchen feels bigger and we will have a somewhat normal-sized refrigerator. I'm not sure my cookie sheets will fit in the tiny little oven though. It has 4 nice-sized bedrooms and 3 full baths in 2,200 square feet (they include the balcony in the measurement). I'm also thrilled to gain a storage closet so we'll have a place to store our strollers and Christmas tree. These features become important when you have no garage or attic space!
After the papers were signed I returned to the new condo earlier this week to take more pictures to share with the girls. Elizabeth talks excitedly about it but Megan is sad she will be moving away from her good friend and neighbor, Brooke. I share Megan's mixed feelings and I'm touched with sadness when I sing to Emily while looking out her window at bedtime each night. We've had a routine since moving here that includes saying goodnight to the colorful bridge and river she sees from her window. I'll definitely miss that view when we move.
However, I firmly believe that if a place feels right to both Brian and me, then it will turn out to be a good home for our family. I'm thankful the process has gone smoothly so far and we found a place we like. We are scheduled to move 9-December and I'll post pictures when we get settled. In the meantime, here's the view from our balcony.
No River but Sufficiently Tropical
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