0531Singapore real estate,   Seletaris resort condos educational stories for asiahomes.com realtors. Educational article for first-time asiahomes.com realtors,  "The Internet Realtors, Singapore", sponsored by  AsiaHomes Internet.

The love of three English Roses

They had never been to Singapore before although their dad had been here on a 48-hour interview earlier. Now he had accepted a job in Singapore and mum had decided on a 3 or 4-bedroom condo with a rental budget of $2,500 - $3,000 unfurnished.  A couple with 3 lissome and fair preteen and teenaged daughters.  Daughters who are used to having their own bedrooms from a young age. 

This case, I believe, would close, if I could find a new four-bedroom condo at $3,000 as I guess that the children usually have their own rooms in England.

But the father has a big dining table with enormous chairs, like those you see at "King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table." Those wide chairs with arm rests for a big English man. They are very comfortable when you dine.

But they will never be able to fit inside a new Singapore condo of 1700 sq. ft.  4 bedrooms will have taken up some of the living and dining spaces.  And if there's a balcony, the dining area may be further reduced in area! 

The utility area, to the left of the sink, can hold a stack up European washer and dryer. The maid's room is on the left.	Mum cooks and the kitchen of Seletaris, being twice the size of the Oleander Towers will appeal to her. There will be no maids and the utility room can be a store room.  The kitchen is spacious compared to many new 4-bedroom condos like Oleander Towers and Trellis Towers.
Fully equipped kitchen with granite counter top and stainless steel sink.	The kitchen is spacious

"What's your daughters' favourite?" I asked Mum.  It was the Seletaris condo with its seals spouting water and the newness of the bathrooms.  The tennis court and the condo facilities in a country side neighbourhood seldom seen by Caucasian expatriates.  The parents had wanted them to know more about the multi-cultural Singapore and this neighbourhood will have the heartlanders.  The real Singapore.

Dad still prefers the Thomson View townhouse.

"I make the payments and therefore I have the final say" Dad laughed.   Actually he wanted his wife to decide.  Oleander Towers and Seletaris with four bedrooms or Thomson View of 3800 sq. ft with three bedrooms?

"Do you have a bigger Seletaris unit?" Dad asked me quietly, knowing how much his daughters love the condo and will be spending more time there than him. A closely knitted family with decisions to be made by consensus of the female members.

The three English roses love Seletaris. If there's a bigger apartment, it will be easy to close.  Unfortunately, the biggest is the 1636 sq. ft condo.  

CONCLUSION
In this case, the Kew Green townhouse 4-bedroom and over 3000 sq ft built in, suited the family and the case was closed. 

Tips for new www.asiahomes.com Realtors

You will save a lot of time looking for big 4-bedroom condos when an expatriate has 3 children. Suburban condos will fit their tight rental budget of $3,000. Most new 4-bedroom condos in Singapore will be around 1,600- 1,800 sq. ft with most falling in the 1,700 sq. ft size. The difficulty is to reconcile the area with the budget constraints.

Time is precious when you are self employed and therefore, qualify the tenants well and you will succeed.

You Got Tenant, Condo Owner? Looking for Tenants is like winning a war. You need to know where your enemies can be found. You need to advertise in www.asiahomes.com where prospects interested in Singapore properties are likely to be found. Why not place an affordable internet ad to contact prospects direct and save you a few thousand dollars in agency commission? Telephone +65 9668 6468, E-mail judy@asiahomes.com Last updated: 17 Dec 2002

1.   FOR RENT TO EXPATS

1.1 | American School's neighbourhood  housing

1.2 | Bungalows, semi-detached, townhouses & cluster houses

1.3 | Cluster houses

1.4 | Condos over 2500 sq. ft

1.5 | Conservation shophomes

1.6 | House-
Hunting Rentals

1.7 | Penthouses & other condos

1.7a | Penthouses Feb-Mar 2001


1.8 | Recent Rentals

1.9| Serviced apartments

1.10 | Subdivision Rentals (major developments of condos/houses)

1.11|  Townhouses & semi-detached (Feb 2001)

1.12 | Unique homes
  
1.13 | Upscale, waterfront
condos

Expatriate couple with children 3 or 4 bedroom around $3,000 partially furnished.  Office in Ponggol.

Viewing  May 30, 2001

2p.m
Meet at Hotel Grand Plaza

2.15pm
Gentle Villa Semi-Detached 5+1, around 3000 sq. ft built in, $5,500.  6-min walk to the Novena subway and shopping mall, supermarkets.  Do not want a house but this house has a big living and separate dining area.

2.30pm
Oleander Towers 4+1 1700 sq. ft $4,200 fully furnished.  Meet at Blk 2, 4th floor.  Has a patio of 200 sq. ft. The living and dining area is pentagon-like shaped and faces the dome roof of the swimming pool. The 4th bedroom is small as the inside area excluding the patio, will be 1,500 sq. ft.  3-minute walk to the Orchard subway and 2 stops to downtown Orchard Road.  One of the handful of ground floor units with patios in Oleander Towers.  The parents don't mind this condo with its patio.  

3pm
Thomson View townhouse 3+1 3800 sq. ft $4,500.



Fully renovated in 2001.  Big garage with a long driveway able to park 4 cars.


Big living area of at least 400 sq. ft and similarly large master bedroom upstairs with its new bathroom.  A separate big dining area separated from the dining area by an air well. Big garden outside.  The two bedrooms are large and share a common bathroom. 

The father just loved this townhouse as he will have many visitors and there's a lot of space.  The mater bedroom has a balcony facing green foliage and the unit will be 100% renovated.   

Opposite Thomson Plaza mall. 5-minute taxi ride to downtown Orchard Road.

1 pool, 1 tennis court, 2
squash courts, big gym, big children's room, sauna, playground, bicycle parking area, dog pit, barbecue area.  Somehow, the dated facilities did not appeal to the daughters after seeing Seletaris.  The father liked the spacious rooms of the townhouse.   It is 3,800 sq. ft and at least double the Seletaris condo, but it has 3 bedrooms.   They are used to over one-hour commuting time to school and dad took 2 hours to commute to work.  So, the urban location near the Seletar Reservoir and Mandai Zoo area does not bother them.

3.30pm
Seletaris brand new condo 4+1 1636 sq. ft $3,000

Blk 511, 3rd floor.  Sembawang/Yishun area. 4-storey low rise.  A holiday resort feeling. Full condo facilities.  New good-sized gym, tennis courts, bathrooms, cabinets. 
Master bathroom with a framed shower cubicle and white long bath.

The daughters appreciate the new marble-tiled bathrooms and they do not need to share bedrooms. Seletaris was a heart stopper for the English daughters.

4pm
Sin Min Plaza 3+1 1938 sq. ft $2,800.  Pools only. Key access card via lift. 4-storey building. No maid's room but very big living and dining area  with glossy white ceramic tiles and big bedrooms. The balcony faces a busy road. 5-min taxi ride to downtown Orchard Road.  Did not appeal after seeing Seletaris.

4.30pm
Country Esquire 3+1 1680 sq. ft $3,200. 13th floor.
No air conditioners in the living and dining room. 
Light brown marble tiled rectangular living cum dining area.  Parquet in bedrooms.   Excellent greenery views. Lorong Puntong. One block, 60 units. 18 floors. Squash, tennis, pool, security. Quiet countryside ambience. 

5pm
Country Grandeur 3+1 1500 sq. ft $3,500 partially furnished. 17th floor.   Excellent city and greenery views.  A unique concept in that the usual maid's room is tiled in marble and air conditioned. It can be a maid's room and has its own bathroom near the kitchen. Lorong Puntong. One block. 68 units. 4 units per floor. Squarish living cum dining area with light brown marble tiles. Automation alarm system, Audio-visual intercom. No balcony. Pool, tennis court, small gym (3 pieces of equipment), security, open car park lots. Quiet countryside ambience.  Bus to Bishan subway in 5 minutes. 

5.30pm
Thomson 800 condo 3+1 1700sq. ft $3,500
Blk 806. Ground floor units x 2. New.  Near MacRitchie Reservoir and 5-min taxi ride to downtown. 

CONCLUSION

The Kew Green townhouse appeal to the family as it fits their specifications and look newer.