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05 Jun 2011: Home Phase6-1.flv (Size: 595 KB)
http://iwanmadan.com/downloads/1/files/family/house/home/20110605_home_phase6-1.flv
06 Mar 2011: Home Phase5-1.flv (Size: 304.67 KB)
http://iwanmadan.com/downloads/1/files/family/house/home/20110306_home_phase5-1.flv
28 Nov 2010: Home Phase4-1.flv (Size: 3.07 MB)
http://iwanmadan.com/downloads/1/files/family/house/home/20101128_home_phase4-1.flv
28 Sep 2010: Home Phase3-1.flv (Size: 2.51 MB)
http://iwanmadan.com/downloads/1/files/family/house/home/20100928_home_phase3-1.flv
18 Sep 2010: Home Phase2-1.flv (Size: 2.85 MB)
http://iwanmadan.com/downloads/1/files/family/house/home/20100918_home_phase2-1.flv
29 Aug 2010: Home Phase1-1.flv (Size: 19.57 MB)
http://iwanmadan.com/downloads/1/files/family/house/home/20100829_home_phase1-1.flv
Finally, we got our first house key after going through few problems and few months doing house hunting. Thought that everything should goes smoothly afterwards. But, issue just won't fly away. Once we entered our new home, here come those issues:
- Unpainted wall after the previous owner elected the wall back. Previously, that's the bathroom door. We have no choice but to accept it although initially during the negotiation process, we pretty sure that the owner promises to paint it. But we didn't put it into official purchase agreement. We treat it as a lesson.
- Missing study table. The story goes like this. They offer their furniture for us. We told them that we'll consider it and let our friends know as well. However nobody plan to buy their furniture. So out of courtesy, we decided to buy their used study table for S$ 100. But the table is missing. The owner is uncontactable. And actually we can filed a police report as we have all the previous owner's detail, payment receipt (as we transferred the money via internet banking) and all the purchase communication via sms. But decided not to pursue this matter.
- Lot of junks and unwanted items. The owner is required to vacant everything and removed all those junks as per HDB rule. It cost us another hundred buck to get our mover to throw all those junks. Our agent told us that we can file a complaint to HDB for this issue. Again, we decided to drop the case.
- Spoilt cooker hood, cooker hob and oven. During our few time house viewing, saw the owner still using those for cooking.
- Leaking toilet bowl for both bathrooms. More detail on this post: Bathroom
However, we just proceed with our house moving activities and put aside those junks. We got a pretty good house mover recommended by our friend. His charge is pretty reasonable and more importantly, he got a big lorry as you can see in the above photo. In case you need one, you can contact him @ +6592383089. His name is Sharin.
Beside the good mover, our property agent is pretty good as well as she patiently serves us viewing for 58 properties over 3 months periods. Our home is property number 59 that is fated for us (more detail on below). Again, in case you need her service, you can contact Rhoda Lim Bee Ping from PropNex @ +6590693199.
However, beside good one, bad one also. We got good agent and mover, but we also encountered bad one such as the previous owner and our solicitor. Our solicitor, DSCT (David Siow, Chua & Tan LLC) Law indeed has a lower service rate compare to other law firm. And it's been recommended by our OCBC banker. So we thought should not have any problem. But price and quality are inseparable entities. Cheaper = "Lower service quality" is indeed happen to us. DSCT Law causes a delay in our key handover due to silly mistake. According to them, they addressed the cheque of our payment to incorrect recipient. And this cause us two days delay (as we supposedly to get the key by 2 August 2010) and creates tense between us and the previous owner. The owner does not happy as due the delay, he has to pay interest for the bridging loan that he took. And the owner insist us to pay for his interest or threaten to delay much longer as he know that we need to complete soon since need to fly away soon. The owner sent his interest receipt to his solicitor and ask the solicitor to get interest payment from us. And the funny thing is that the amount the owner requests from us (via sms) is 50% more than the receipt. Eventually both solicitors (our and the owner's one) agreed that we should not pay for that. That's how we can not conduct house inspection prior the handover. The owner become uncontactable since then as well.
If want to get someone to responsible for all this delay, DSCT Law is the one should be held for the responsibility. From our friend who work on another law firm and also some other property agents, we found out that DSCT is well-known for making such mistakes. So just wondering how DSCT manages to be listed in OCBC ecommendation panel.
That's our experience for those who involved in our home purchase process. Let's talk about how we manage to find and selected our home. Previously we mentioned that our home is fated for us. So here is the story behind it. When we view the first property, both of us directly love it. It's 2.5 years fully-renovated 4-rooms property that for certain reason being approved for the selling for a starting price of S$340k (normally need to be at least five years old before can sell it). But because this is out of our budget and also our first time viewing, we thought that there might be other nicer and cheaper properties. As we are unaware of the market, we set our initial budget to S$300k. But with our budget, we can not find anything that we like. Nothing has impressed us like our first viewing property.
Eventually we have to increase our budget to another 100 grand. And then we found another one that we like. Furthermore the property price is cheaper than the surrounding properties. So we have the discussion on the void deck while our baby keep crying for no reason. And once we've decided to buy, there is another prospect buyer already waiting in front of the door. Before we entered the house again, our agent noticed that there is a CCTV being installed in front of the door and she becomes suspicious. Before we submit our bid, the house owner give some explanation that turn our interest off. It turns our that the house has been targetted by loan shark. We think awhile and decided not to buy for the safety reason. The other prospect decided to buy. So we shake hand and wish them all the best. Our baby does help in preventing us from buying that property. If our baby does not keep crying and delay us for a while, we might be the buyer of that house by now. And to be frank, that is the first time our baby cry during our house hunting.
Anyway, we back to square one and have our house hunting started again. Gradually our budget increase again since we still unable to find one. After viewing for 58 properties across Singapore within 3 months, we decided that we need to stop the house hunting and just select one of three properties that shortlisted. On 10 April 2010 evening, we ask our agent to contact the other parties and start the negotiation. And turn out two of the shortlisted has sold out. So we left with one option and start the negotiation. The negotiation becomes problematic as seem like the house owner reluctant to sell and have some unreasonable request such as additional 2 months extension to close the deal and so on. We decided to meet them at 9pm and try to close the daal. We go out by 8pm. When in the road, the agent got called from her friend asking to get us view his property. As we have nothing to lose, we go to view it. And turn out that we like it more than the shortlisted one. It meets all our criterias, which is move-in condition with no/minimum renovation, spacious and high floor. The surroundings are well maintained as well as you can see from this post: House Surroundings. It just the price that drive us off as it's more expensive by almost 100 grand. So we decided to go back to the last shortlisted one.
After we arrived there, we can't find the other party for sometimes and our agent start calling them and back to negotiation via phone. As there is no concrete outcome despite negotiating for almost an hour, we decided not to buy this house anymore. While on our way back, we've discussing if we want to buy the one that we just viewed. And as we've learned our lesson from our first house viewing, we decided to buy it. By 11 April 2010 1.15am, we close the deal and get our dream home. Been painfully viewing 58 properties without any outcome, yet with just one call, we have our home sweet home. Fated, right?
From house hunting experience, we learned few lessons:
- Grab it while there is chance and despite it might be out of your budget. You might not have second opportunity for it.
- You can set your budget and has your clear criterias. But eventually how it impress you has bigger influence in your decision making. And we believe that every property agent aware of it. That's why they are always show you those that out of your budget one. You pay more and they earn more as well. Beware of it!
- If it's meant to be yours, it'll be yours eventually.
Our journal in chronological order:
- 30 January 2010: Start house hunting
- 11 April 2010: Sign OTP of house purchase
- 17 June 2010: HDB first appointment
- 4 August 2010: Key handover
- 5-6 August 2010: House painting
- 6 August 2010: House moving
- 7 August 2010: Spring cleaning
- 10 August 2010: Home appliance delivery
- 11 August 2010: Move in
- 16 September 2010: Furniture delivery part 1
- 18 September 2010: Furniture delivery part 2
- 21 September 2010: Furniture delivery part 3
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