SINGAPORE: condo location advice (short school bus to Dulwich, big pool)

[caramelgirl]

Hi,
I am looking for advice on where I should target my house hunting.
We want a condo in a family friendly development. Would like a decent sized pool for lengths as well as for kids to play in. And gym too, would this be standard?
Our preference would be for an older, more spacious development. Neutral re: MRT access vs having to catch a taxi to MRT, but suspect wanting space means further from MRT.
Also we have a place at Dulwich. Just trying to work out which condos have the shortest routes time wise to school. Have emailed the bus company.
Any advice in the meantime?
Thanks very much indeed.

[MyFriendsCallMeOh]

Have a look on www.propertyguru.com.sg. I can also put you in touch with my realtor in Singapore if your company doesn't provide one. She's been in the business for 20+ years and is lovely.

[Laptopwieldingharpy]

Yes, enter your parameters on propertyguru and see what it churns out.
I worked as a property agent in Singapore so happy to tell you about particular condos once you have a shortlist.
Also happy to connect you with my former colleagues. They are British but have been in the market for 20 years +. Lovely ladies, good listeners.

Yes what you ask for is standard and there are a few gems in the older condos if space is your priority. Pool and playgrounds will be standard, but not all of the older ones will have decent gyms nor be renovated o a good standard.
Do you have a psychological limit about how far you want to be from the CBD? If you were to chose, would you rather be south along the AYE or north along the PIE?

[Seriouslyffs]

We chose a compound (not in Singapore, Shanghai) based on access to school. Sit down with a list of Dulwich buses and where they service, ask the school. Start with the nearest ones, check pool/ gym/ proximity to MRT.

[caramelgirl]

Excellent. Thank you. I had already emailed bus company, was just impatient to start planning. And sounds like I need to research a bit more re: CBD access too.
Much appreciated, will get my head down.

[MyFriendsCallMeOh]

Often bus routes are decided at the beginning of every school year based on where pupils live.... Might be a while before you get the info. Ask what time the bus leaves in the morning. When we we at Dover, the east coast bus was quicker than the holland rd bus even though it was more than twice as far away (fewer pick ups en route). Take your husbands commute into consideration too. Some condos have a shuttle bus service to the nearest mrt which frees up the car for the person at home all day.....

[TerrorAustralis]

Our first condo was not well located for transport. It was frustrating and we spent an inordinate amount of money on taxis. We've now moved to a condo that is right near the MRT and there are about 15 bus routes that pass by.

Relying on taxis to get you to and from the MRT will quickly become a massive pain. At the very least, make sure you're on a good bus route. Condo shuttles can be useful, but in my experience not to be relied upon. They are rarely frequent, they break down and at peak times you might not get a seat, so you have to wait another 20 or 30 minutes for the bus to come back around.

Without a car, I cannot emphasise the importance of being close to public transport. Taxis are cheap and plentiful, but they all disappear when you're desperate for one!

The idea of getting a recommended agent working for you is a good one. A good agent is worth their weight in gold, they do all the legwork for you, arrange inspections and drive you around. Then the landlord pays their commission - win!