Scouting Out Singapore: Choosing Your New Environment
Moving home is a definitive life event for most of us. Moving to a home in another country is even more significant. You want to have the opportunities and pitfalls scoped out, you definitely want a plan. If you’re moving to Singapore, you can potentially do this research online or by proxy, using local property agents and special-purpose websites. But experienced expats and movers such as Allied recommend that you make a reconnaissance trip to the country first, if at all possible, to give yourself the best idea of what you might be getting into and which properties and environments really suit your needs.
When do we start?
For many looking to move to Singapore, the urge is to get your arrangements well organised as soon as possible. But with the fast-moving local market, our experience shows any trip more than a month in advance of your moving date is more of a survey of possible conditions and won’t be taken seriously, since the properties you look at are likely to be off the market by the time you would move in. Do those preliminary inquiries online and save your reconnaissance for when it’s decision-making time.
Focus on the Location
Most people making a permanent move to Singapore do so for work, or at least with a job in mind. It’s worth it to prioritise getting a place near to your workplace, or school if you have children, for the sake of convenience, so make that area the focus of your scouting trip. Singaporean HDB (Housing and Development Board) regulations mean that accommodation of wildly varying price and luxury is much more likely to share a postcode than in some other countries, so don’t give up hope on finding something in your range nearby.
Scrutinise the Details
This is your only chance to get a close look at things before potentially committing to live somewhere, so use it to check everything is in order in your future home. Are there facilities in your condo that you won’t be using that will jack up your rent? Is the owner of your HDB flat renting it to you on the sly instead of with government permission? Does your apartment come furnished, and how much of it can you replace with your own property (get a quote from professional movers such as Allied on the costs). Once you’re ensconced in Singapore you will have dramatically less leverage to pursue problems in these areas, so keep your eyes open and make the time count.
To find out more about Allied's moving services, or to book a consultation, visit www.alliedpickfords.com.sg or call +65 6862 4700.
Back to News
How to Enjoy Chinese New Year as an Expat in Singapore
For many native Singaporean residents, the rapidly approaching Lunar New Year represents the single most important date of the year. Also known as Chinese New Year, the spring festival holiday is associated with traditions thousands of years old and is celebrated by communities the world over. Singapore marks the auspicious date with a public extravaganza of light and dance, getting fully into the festival spirit with food, fashion, and public events.
If you’re an expat currently living in Singapore, the advent of such a raucous and colourful holiday might be the perfect cultural experience, but it also could be a bewildering drain on your energy if you aren’t prepared. With that in mind, here’s a short guide to the key facets of Chinese New Year in Singapore.
Paint the town red
One of the most visible cultural foundations of the Spring Festival is the veneration of the colour red, which is simply everywhere in Singapore at this time. Seen to signify luck and prosperity, you will see people buying new clothes, cooking food, and daubing their homes in the colour.
If you plan on celebrating or at least blending in during the festival, it’s a good idea to plan your best “red” look. Buying new clothes – especially ones which are red themselves – is considered good luck at this time of year, so don’t be afraid to splash out a bit in order to look the part.
It’s all about family
Togetherness and family unity are a huge cultural theme of the holiday. One of the central moments of the holiday season is Reunion Dinner, when scattered family members move hell and high water to get home for dinner on the eve of the Lunar New Year. If you’re a lonesome single expat far from home on a night like this, it can be very easy to feel cut off from the celebration and sink into a melancholy homesickness.
Take the opportunity to match like with like; Allied Pickfords recommends looking into local expat bars and social media groups to see if anyone else is partying against the grain on reunion night.
It’s not just about the New Year
In Singapore, the Lunar New Year is traditionally marked by a 2-day public holiday, sometimes 3-day, and the revellers will make those days count. But if the holiday itself is too intense or just not your style, the festive season persists for a good month around this crimson crescendo. Featuring a range of mouth-watering seasonal food prepared only around the New Year, colourful public decorations and a cheerful, relaxed atmosphere, this could be the perfect antidote to frantic New Year’s Eve celebrations. Make sure to witness the legendary Chingay Parade, held 8 days after the Lunar New Year and one of Singapore’s most cherished public traditions.
To find out more about Allied Pickfords’ moving services, or to book a consultation, visit www.alliedpickfords.com.sg or call +65 6862 4700.
Back to News