Anyway, the viewing turned out well (and decided not to rent out the highly-contested unit) and we had come to some realizations. Hope this can help others looking for a room, HDB unit, house, or condo, or whatever here in Singapore:
Before you go, here are some things that you should check out first or bring along with you:
- Map. Go to www.streetdirectory.com or get the book to check out the locales, nearby establishments, roads, nearest MRT stations, etc.
- Compass. Just bring it for whatever reason you have. Either for a simple and practical reason as to finding out whether the windows will be directly facing the sunrise, or for a more esoteric, perhaps "Feng Shui", reason such as determining whether any of the eight directional compass points cross any of the critical elements such as a door, stove, toilet, or whatever. [Yeah, I dabbled a little with Feng Shui since high school. I don't claim to be an expert; I just know the basics.]
- Pen and Notebook. Never hurts to lilst down things.
- Camera. Either the digicam or a phonecam with a high-enough resolution. In case you are like viewing a total of 10 units or more, bring one so you can remember what every unit looks like. Be polite and ask the agent and/or landlord if you can take pictures yet. Or, you may want to be as discrete as possible.
Now here are some things to note about the general physical condition of the flat:
- Flooring. Do you prefer linoleum, tiles, or wood parquet? Do you find the flooring neat or dirty? Do you prefer light-colored or dark-colored flooring? We actually prefer large, white tiles for flooring as this contributes to how well-lit the place is.
- Walls and Ceilings. Same principle as above.
- Natural lighting and ventilation. How many windows does it have? Do the windows provide ample natural lighting as well as ventilation? Are there buildings that are blocking the air and sunlight? This is where the compass comes in handy.
- Floor area of each room. You only have a limited amount of floor space to use, so make the most of it. The flat that we viewed, although had a lot of space for the bedroom, living room, and dining areas, the kitchen and laundry areas are crammed into a very tiny amount of space. We actually wanted more space in the kitchen area so we can move freely while cooking. Of course, others might not find this a very big issue, though. This is up to one's personal preference.
- Toilets. How many are there? This would matter greatly for larger groups of people who would go to work around the same time. More toilets means more people can be accomodated at a time.
- Inclusive Furnishings. Determine which furnitures and appliances will be provided once you move in. In our opinion, these are the must-haves: sofa set, bed, cabinet/drawers, dining table and chairs, TV, refrigerator, stove, aircon, and washer/dryer. Others necessities include (but is not limited to) phone lines, internet connection, oven, and electric fans.
After the viewing, better clear up some details by asking questions to the agent and/or owner (whoever showed you the place):
- Payment details. Of course, the monthly rate, any possible discounts, and the method of payment (cash, online transfer, GIRO, etc.)
- Prepwork before move-in. Confirm if the owner would be shouldering the renovation, repainting, and/or cleaning of the unit before the desired move-in date. Take note especially if the unit you viewed is currently occupied by the outgoing tenants.
- Specific policies. This could be anything under the sun: no smoking, no cooking, no visitors, shouldering of PUB (public utility bills), etc.
Not sure if I've covered all the bases here. However, I think the above should be enough to get you started.
Word of caution: It's best if you check out the forums as well. There have been recent incidents in which some tenants paid for a unit only to find out that it is currently occupied and is not for sale/rent.
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