I renovated my entire flat this year. So, I had to find a place to rent for the duration of the renovation. Renting a HDB flat would save me some money, but since it was an opportunity descended from heaven above, I very much wanted to rent a condominium unit.
I decided on North Park Residences because of its proximity to Yishun MRT Station. Since I was renting for only four months, I willingly paid above the market rate because there weren’t many landlords willing to rent out their coveted apartments for the short term. Specifically, I rented a 2-bedroom, 2-washroom unit for $5k per month.
Was emptying my bank account worth the experience? I just want to recount my experience and list the pros and cons.
Pros
- Floor-to-ceiling windows are a feature unlikely to be found in HDB flats. They offered both access to the outside world and anonymity. My view enabled me to see MRT trains in action, and it was kinda cathartic.
- The in-house pools were a hit with my two young kids. For my permanent housing, I actually live near the public swimming complex, but we never go there as a family. But once we stayed in the condominium, the easy access to the pools (we literally stayed just one floor above the pools) made it so convenient for us that we utilised the pools every Sunday. I know it sounds rather silly, but trust me, when you have two young kids, convenience is the almighty factor that will push you to get things done!
- Similarly, the in-house playground and gym empowered me to entice my kids to go downstairs and not watch so much television. My wife also seized the opportunity to organise a barbecue session at the BBQ pit with my extended family - something that she had never done before. It was great that she is the kind who enjoys hosting.
- The beach resort vibes were a calming tranquilliser to buffer me against the hustle and bustle of city life. The condominium not only came with hammocks that let me laze around, but was also equipped with an infinity pool of sorts.
- Nothing really beats being able to go downstairs to settle my groceries or food takeouts and return to my sanctuary within 30 minutes or less!
Cons
- The small size of the unit. At my permanent housing, I could sometimes seek refuge in the toilet and catch a breather from my kids. But it felt like my kids were everywhere all the time! I could hear their bickering even when I was using the washroom.
Verdict $5k per month was a steep price to pay, but I was grateful at how it empowered us to experience a completely different lifestyle without overhauling my life. I will cherish this extended staycation.
Very nice!
Public facilities are really a different experience from having it as part of a residence. Shared space is much easier to feel at home in than public space.
Yes! This is why
location, location, locationis really a thing - although since 2020 I recognize thinking more among the lines of "Wegmans at 30 miles out being more of an Uber-problem, not a me-problem". However, since I spend about half my time in remote places with zero delivery coverage outside of p2p WhatsApp, I do appreciate the service availability when it's there.I'm not familiar with the condo market in SG - am I correct in assuming that it was furnished and equipped for that money? If so, then it's not too crazy from what I pay globally. (also: SGD or USD?)
Woah you know about Wegmans!!!
My fav East Coast source of all the yummy foods!
Absolutely. Wegmans and In and Out burger never sold out to the fiat system trying to drive costs to zero to maximize profits at all costs at the detriment of their customers and employees.
I wish I could own shares in these two great principled companies.
I think they didn't have to sell out because they're privately owned, right? Fiduciary duty is the most commie crap that destroyed everything.
That's an interesting take and very reasonable. But what could be done to encourage more private vs public / equity financed ownership?
Most effectively, by deliberately not shopping at Walmart, Giant, Safeway but at smaller shops. Reducing barriers for mom&pop shops to hook into gig services and making sure they aren't being ripped off by the middleman (by removing the middleman? who was working on decentralized delivery? I forgot.)
You'll pay more but you'll be happier (and potentially, healthier)
I wonder if we have historical examples of consumers simply making better choices leading to better business practices
When you have nameless faceless people appointed to your leadership board they sway business decisions in a major way. Co-ops and family owned companies seem to have more of a philosophy of providing top notch service to their customers. Plus everything isn’t always about growth at all costs.
Think of wegmans posted same store revenue declines by like 5% the stock price would tank and the board would look to cut costs and just laying off people and closing low performing stores.
Yeah... financialization is the enemy of quality, because everything becomes speculative: measured in terms of stack growth consistency rather than the actual value a business provides; like consistently delivering high quality products to customers.
Yeah Wegmans is family owned and operated started in Rochester, NY.
Yea it truly did destroy everything. The overproduction of MBA. At college all the kids who couldn’t hack engineering became business majors. Much easier undergrad courses = more time to party and still get a decent GPA.
Then these meh students get plugged into companies and we get what we have in 2025. No one cares about quality
It’s very hard to live in a condo with kids.
Where is everyone?
Wow $5k a month! How long will you stay here?