Room Rental Woes in Singapore - How to protect yourself.

Here in Singapore, room rental or even whole unit rental are not uncommon. It is simply another avenue for home owners to make additional income apart from their full time job.

But many of a time, if you ever tried researching online, you will find that many landlord experience difficult and stubborn tenants. And some of them are even trying to play around with the agreement and bringing in additional pax and only paying for what was agreed on initially. It is a common problem faced by landlords all over the world.

There are many rules and regulations that are set and they varies from country to country and in some places, even state to state. In Singapore however, the rules and regulations/ Terms & Conditions, is usually made and agreed between the two parties - Landlord and Tenants. Therefore, it wouldn't be a surprise to discover that there aren't many information and solutions available when it comes to rental disputes in Singapore.

Whenever dispute arises, these disputes must first be mitigated between the two parties. Try talking it out. Usually the tenant will comply. Stay firm but not rude. As much as we would like to resolve the matter, we do not want to offend the tenant which may cause you more problems.

When talking fails, the next step is to bring it up to the Small Claims Tribunal Court. This may be a time consuming process and cost you money. And to avoid this, the best solution is prevention.

3 Things to know before renting out your property.



TERMS & CONDITIONS

Always.... ALWAYS... write up a black and white Terms & Conditions for the tenant to agree and sign on upon successful agreement on the rental deal. The good thing about room rental in Singapore is that, The Landlord usually has the upper hand (of course! that's your property we're talking about).

Therefore, always indicate clearly in your rental conditions for things that are allowed and disallowed.

For example, things like:

• no guest/friends/relative visits
• tenants must take full responsibility of any damages done to furnishings and structure provided to them during the rental period. 
• tenants must maintain good level of hygiene to premises
• premise rented out must be free from pests throughout the rental period.

the list goes on depending on your requirements that the tenant has to comply. So, sit down and properly think it through. Also, ensure that there are 2 copies - one for you and one for your tenant. In case things do go wrong, BOOM! You are protected by the agreement.

And for those tenants that are frowning to this, no one is forcing you to take up on the agreement. Therefore, if it is not to your liking, walk away. There are many other places around.

Below are 3 things a Landlord in Singapore should know before renting out your property.

LATE PAYMENT OF RENTAL FEES

Another common problem everywhere in any businesses. This is a point to indicate in your Terms & Conditions. A payment date must be indicated and the tenant must pay the rental fee in FULL by the due date. Any late payments must be made within 7 days after the agreed payment date.

One important point to take note is that, as the Landlord, you have the right to take actions against the tenant if payment is not made within 7 days of the due date. And also, you have the right to reject any partial payments offered by the tenant. Any partial payment received by the Landlord will be considered as payment successfully RECEIVED - making you lose the leverage of any claims of late payment by your tenant.

Do indicate this requirement fully and clearly in your Terms and Conditions.

SHOULD I ENGAGE AN AGENT WHEN PUTTING OUT MY UNIT/ROOM FOR RENT?

It is really up to you. Agents are able to screen potential tenants that suites your requirements. They will prepare the Terms & Conditions, but please read it through and ensure that you are protected by it.

A good agent will help you in times of disputes with your tenant. Notice I mentioned good? This is because in Singapore, Agents are not obliged to handle any disputes between the Landlord and Tenant. Their job is to only source out and find tenants for you. But a good agent will also know that in business, a loyal returning customer is always a big asset.

They can also act as the initial third party for you to communicate any unhappiness with. They will then be able to help you by sending gentle reminders to the tenants.

The downside to engaging an Agent? It is the agent fee that is usually 50% of a month rental fee which has to be paid upfront by the Landlord. I would count this a minor fee if you have a good agent. Believe me, they will save you a lot of time and stress.

If you rather not engage any agent, keep in mind that you have to do everything yourself. That is when a solid Terms & Conditions comes into play.

While the Terms & Conditions is always there to protect you, as a Landlord, exercising some flexibility is always encouraged as nobody wants a negative environment especially if you are only renting out a room. Mutual understanding and respect between both Landlord and Tenant is always favored by everyone.

Lastly, enjoy the extra income and also enjoy meeting new people!

6 ways to furnish your house on a budget.

Let's face it. Here you are at a new chapter of your life whereby you've found your significant other and both of you have gotten a house. Congrats! But wait... then comes the renovation costs and home furnishings cost. You're not going to sleep in an empty house are you? Well, here is how you get to furnish your house on a tight budget.

Before I go on, I would like to mention that this method may and may not or sound feasible to you. There are plenty of other methods around and this is just one of it. And of course, for this to work, you and/or your spouse should already holding a stable career. (I'll get to this later)

The biggest burden for a newly married couple is of course, getting their own house and settling down. And it is common for wedding event to be the one thing that will drain the bulk of their savings. Leaving them with little left for what is to come later - buying of house, renovations and furnishings.

So here are some tips to save some cash when buying furnishings and home appliances for your first home. Remember, these tips are only for those who are on a budget:

1. RESEARCH 

Start to do your own research on the price of the type of items you need like Tv, fridge, washing machine, bed, water heater, stove etc. Use these prices as the benchmark for each item. From there, start looking elsewhere and always settle for a cheaper price.

2. EXPO AND FAIRS

Always be on a lookout for I.T, Electronics and Home Appliances Expo. This will be one of the best place to buy 1st hand items and about 2/3 of the actual retail price and some offers may go as low as 50% off, with warranty and inclusive of delivery.

3. DIFFERENTIATE YOUR NEEDS AND WANTS

 Is there a spanking new  55" Ultra HD Tv just got on sale? Keep your focus on your objective: get what you need and not what you want... for now. Yes, it may be very tempting to look at the price slash of $500 or even $1000. But remember, even with those kind of obscene price reduction, Huge Tv sets may easily cost you over $2000 to $3000 even after the discounts thrown in. If you were to pick a decent 32" HD LED Tv, which now comes with a price tag of about $300 to $400, you can save a bomb! And those extra cash can be used to get you all the other necessities like the fridge and washing machine.

4.UPGRADES

Like I said in point 3, always get what you need first and get what you want later. Your objective now is to get what you need - to fill your home with the necessities. To make it as a proper home. Like I mentioned earlier, if both/either you and your spouse holds a stable job, in time to come, there will always be bonuses, increments and pay raise in the future. Once, your finance are pretty much stable, these funds can later be used to indulge yourself in upgrades. Maybe even by then, a new technology has taken over that 55" Ultra HD Tv  you saw on sale before - at the same price of $2000!

5. PRE-LOVED

If you do not mind getting pre-loved items, these will be able to save you further! You can find these on online classified sites like Gumtree, Craiglist, forums, your local Facebook Garage Sale pages and now even on mobile apps like Carousell. There are always sellers who are getting rid of their good conditioned items due to reasons like moving overseas, clearing spaces, moving house or even doing their own upgrades. 

The best time to look out for these would be when a festive season is coming and everyone would want a new look for their houses. Also, the beauty of it is that you will be able to bargain further from the price stated. Be sure not to low ball way below the seller's asking price though. It'll just reflect on your character really. Another thing to remember is to be mindful of the price stated. This is because you will probably have to get your own transportation and movers(for bulky heavy items) and this will cost you. So do your own calculation. Is it worth it to pay for the item and transportation or is it worth to pay just a tiny bit more and get a brand new item that comes with warranty - a peace of mind.

6. IKEA

Yeap. Ikea. Although not all of their items will last you through for a life time, but the key here is budget. They have wide array of furnishings which can be really cheap to very expensive ones. Of course here we would like to go for cheap. But you will get what you pay for - which is a decent trade off if you are only intending to use them till your finances get stable and ready for future upgrades. But I must say that they do have great built furniture that are comparable to furnitures elsewhere but at a fraction of the cost.

Have any other way to save while shopping for your home? Share them below!

How to keep your laminate floor sparkling clean and streak-free!

For those of you that have chosen laminate floors for your house, I'm very sure most of you would have encounter this common problem of your floors turning dull and full of smudges after some time.

Buying expensive detergent specially made for laminate floor cleaning often leave behind streak marks after your floor has dried up. So what now?

Well, the answer is actually pretty cheap and gives you better results! Distilled Vinegar. Yeap! Those you get at your provision shops or supermarket. Each bottle will cost you under $5.00 and can last for about more than 10 mopping. Distilled Vinegar is an all natural cleaner and is safe to be used around the house as compared to chemical based cleaners. But please take note to NOT mistaken Distilled Vinegar with Imitation Vinegar.

So here are the things you need:

1 x Distilled Vinegar
1 x Spray Bottle
1 x Bowl of Water

Directions:
1. Mix 1 part White Vinegar to 4 part water into the spray bottle and shake well. ( If you add more vinegar ratio to water, please be aware of the strong vinegar smell.)
2. Spray the mixed content onto your floor in a sweeping motion so as to cover your floor with a light coat of the mixture. DO NOT POUR MIXTURE ONTO FLOOR! This will cause warped flooring if left behind for a prolong period of time.
3. Let mixture sit in and work onto your floor for about 5 minutes. Do not let it dry up.
4. Mop it off with a damp mop.
5. Once done, Mop it off again washed clean mop and let the floor dry.BOOM! You have a clean, shiny laminate floor.

Besides, it's use for floor cleaning, distilled vinegar can be used as a cleaner all around the house like removing stains and as a disinfectant. Chemical-free and all natural!

*Be sure to test it out on a small inconspicuous area before any cleaning.

Our Home Renovation by Ciseern

Since I have been having queries from friends and online forumers alike regarding our home renovation, I think it is best if I just share it here for everyone :)

So we were scouting around looking for contractors and Interior Designers, which most of them didn't seem like they were interested in doing business with us, till we happen to bumped into a home renovation exhibition over at the Singapore Expo.

There, we were approached by an ID from Ciseern called Kenneth. He wasn't rushing into our pockets and he explained in detailed the packages they were offering. Everything seems good and they even had free gifts to sweeten the deal.

Anyways, we ended up taking their package. Which consists of the following for a 5-room HDB Flat:

1. Kitchen homogeneous tile flooring
2. Kitchen top bottom cabinets/countertop
3. Laminated flooring of Living room and 3 Bedrooms
4. Tile flooring for Balcony
5. Wiring layout for house
6. 8 different colours to choose for whole house painting including doors.
7. Glass shower screen

And an additional payment of $500 for the sand required for the kitchen and balcony floorings.

Free Gifts:
1. Mitsubishi inverter air-con system for the 3 bedrooms (inclusive of installation)
2. Built in full top-bottom Wardrobe for master bedroom.
3. Mayer's Delizia Kitchen Hob and Hood Set
4. Choice of OM's Furniture Sofa set OR Dining table set (Free to choose designs available at OM's Showroom. Price Capped at $1.6k)

TOTAL Package Price: $21k ++

Downpayment of $800 to secure deal.
The rest were paid in stages via cheque from the bank servicing our renovation loan.

Below is the floor plan of our house.

I have also included the progress of the renovation that I managed to keep record of:

Renovation works progress

1^st Sept 2011

·         Tilings and sands move arrive

4^th Sept 2011

·         Work start

             Balcony tiling done

5^th Sept 2011

·         Kitchen tiling start

·         Kenneth quoted that fridge base not required. Minus off a bit from package cost– to confirm again the amount.

·         Kenneth to inform when can order the lightings and heaters by next week (tentatively will inform on 12^th sept)

22^nd Sept 2011

·         Kitchen tiling done

·         Balcony tiling done

·         Master Bedroom Shower Kerb Done

·         Fixing of Air-con trunkings done

26^th Sept 2011

·         Floor Lamination starts today

·         Painting of house to start within this week.

We eventually got our keys in early October after the house washing( including chemical wash for the kitchen floors) and the renovation was considered completed.


Things to Note:
- Kenneth brought us to the selection of the floor tiling type over at Balestier. (a well known tiling company) after which we went to do our shopping for our ceiling fan, water heater and lightings.

- Kenneth told us to inform him on the date of delivery of the lightings etc. so that he can arrange for his contractors to help us out FOC with the installations so that we do not need to  pay installation costs for these items from the shops. This free service will also include installation of any TV Mounts and curtain rods etc. Basically anything that requires drilling.

- For those of you planning to do Laminated floorings for their house, please note that if you are buying a brand new house, typically BTO, you will need to inform HDB to come over and do a floor screeding for the rooms that you intend to install your laminated floorings. This is an FOC service provided by HDB. But be warned that sometimes the contractors that HDB engages will delay these requests which will of course delay your whole house renovation. So you, as the owner, will have to keep chasing HDB like i did. Floor Screeding can be requested via HDB's website.

Below are some of the picture of our house and the renovation process:



Floor Screeding done prior to commencement of Renovation works.

The pile of sand that costs $500. Which I think was a little expensive.

Floor Screeding of the living room & Dining area

Some pictures of the renovation works already done:

One of the Air-conditioning given to us as a free gift.

Laminated Flooring fully completed in 2 days

The Built-In Wardrobe for the Master Bedroom

 Lights and Fan installed by Ciseern's contractors

The Free Delizia Kitchen Hob and Hood just arrived

One of the Toilet's light that we got for $10 each at Wihardja Teak  Furniture Kaki Bukit Showroom during their Grand Opening.

The view where the Tv and Tv console would be placed.

 Dining area Lighting installed

Common Bedroom 2

90% complete Kitchen Cabinet and countertop. Comes with soft closing cabinet doors.

Completed and Furnished house.

Furnitures by Om's Furnitures, Ikea and Wihardja Teak Furnitures.

Special thanks to the prople from Ciseerns Interior Design, Ikea Singapore, Om's Furnitures,

and Wihardja Teak Furnitures all for making our dream house come true!

Things to Note:

We later decided to install our window grilles since we were soon expecting our little bundle of joy. We did some research and decided to have the Invisible Grille installed for our balcony and the normal grilles for the rest of the house windows. We managed to get the friendly professionals from Invisys to get this job done. Stay tuned for pictures to this update!

This means WAR!!!! at least i thought it would be.

Did a tiny bit of a quick retail therapy today and got myself Company Of Heroes 2 and Company of Heroes 2: Western Front for my laptop. Yes, I know these two games have been around for quite some time now. But hey! Being a Dad and running around juggling between work, school and family doesn't leave me with much time for myself.

Anyways, back to the game. I rushed home and quickly popped the installation CD into my laptop and expected a quick installation and ready for play but instead... BOOM! I've been stuck at the updating of game screen for a good 3 hour now and it is still updating.....updating....updating.... updating. To make it worse, its a freaking 14GB update. Dafuq man... So much of waging war, causing rampage and bringing destruction. There goes my whole afternoon.

So if you happen to be in the same situation and thinking of grabbing a good CoH game, having some gaming fun the whole of afternoon, I'd recommend you think again and re-look into your battle strategy. It has always been slow update downloads when it comes to CoH.