Welcome! Since 18 June 2008, my family have shifted
to this new place, all thanks to SERS.
Welcome! Since 18 June 2008, my family have shifted
to this new place, all thanks to SERS.
That first fated letter arrived at our doorstep on 25 November 2005. After numerous rounds of more letters, leg work and homework which I've lost count of, we finally officially "surrendered" our old flat on 16 June 2008, bringing the long-drawn process that spanned over an unexpectedly draggy two and a half years to an end. (See The Process if you aren't bored.)
Exhausted though I was, especially when the renovation work coincided with the second semester which saw me torn between work and this moving exercise, a combined feeling of relief, exhilaration and achievement dawned upon me the day the mission was completed.
This is the second house I own, but the first that is brand new. And one which I have almost single-handedly and single-mindedly "built" from scratch, from selecting the location, designing the house, to fixing up all the furniture (except the kitchen cabinets and my bedroom's wardrobe, both of which are custom-made).
Hence, I just can't resist capturing the whole experience here for my own savouring, as well as for those who just might be interested. And why did this page take so long to create? Well, the actual answer is too long so I will offer a simple answer: I was just too plain lazy.
Oh, so how big is this new house of yours and how deep did it burn your pocket? Some of you may be curious. A 5-room flat with 3 bedrooms (one for my mother, one for my dame, and one for the little boy who likes to sing and dance -- why does this sound so much like Baa Baa Black Sheep?) and a floor area of about 110 sqm, it was sold at $300k, after a $30k discount under SERS. (My neighbours told me similar units were going for a lot less a year before us for the earlier batches of SERS applicants. Too bad, prices of everything were heading north during that period and thereafter.)
Oh, I haven't told you the address, have I? How absent-minded I am. It's Blk 3B, Upper Boon Keng Road, #15-618, Singapore 382003. Actually, there is even a "posh" name for the whole place: Kallang Heights (!) Ah... whatever. Anyway, see Maps and Directions if you would like to drop by.
Below is an account of a new home owner going through the process for the first time, experiencing the high and lows, the sweat and tears. (Dramatic isn't it?)
[Disclaimer: All views expressed here are personal and in no way do they represent the position of the organisation I work in. Commercial products and services mentioned here are part of the factual account and they are not to be construed as endorsement.]