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Tips on buying a flat (what your agent won't tell you) Tan Hui Yee, HOUSING CORRESPONDENT 1 Get armed Sun, Aug 26, 2007 The Straits Times 1 Get armed READ up on the facts. After deciding what type and location of flat you want to buy, go online to the Housing Board website - www.hdb.gov.sg - and follow the links under 'home seekers' to 'HDB housing market statistics' - to find out the median resale prices and average amount people paid above valuation for the flats. If you are eyeing flats in a particular block, you could also call up agents marketing flats in nearby blocks to find out what kind of prices they are seeking, said Mr Albert Lu, managing director of C&H Realty. Visit the location at different times of the day, to get a feel of what it's like to live there, suggested Mr Eugene Lim, an assistant vice-president of ERA Singapore. Some people, he said, buy a flat near MRT stations because it is convenient to get around, but realise too late that it comes at a price: The frequent rumbling audible from their flats as trains roll by. 2 Set the rules of the game DECIDE if you want to hire a housing agent to help you with your purchase, or if you want to go it alone. Although commission structures are not fixed under the law, buyers typically pay their housing agent a 1 per cent commission for HDB transactions. If you are doing it yourself, check out the HDB website to find out the procedures involved, or attend its monthly resale seminar. Most agents representing sellers charge buyers the 1 per cent fee if they are not represented by another broker. This practice has been called into question by the Consumers Association of Singapore because of the possible conflict of interest that may arise, when an agent represents both buyer and seller in the same transaction. Some agents turn down requests from independent buyers to view the flats that they are marketing if the buyer says he will not be paying the 1 per cent fee. These agents argue that there is a higher chance of an independent buyer tripping up a transaction if he does not use the services of a broker. Whatever you decide to do, it is best to make it clear upfront if you are opting to go it alone. A senior division director of PropNex, Mr Eric Cheng, advised independent buyers to state clearly when they first contact brokers marketing the flats they are considering, that they will not be paying them a fee. 3 Act the Sherlock LIVING in high-rise, densely packed public apartments has its own quirks. You never know, for example, if an owner is selling the flat because he has been harassed for repayment by loansharks at his home. If you buy his flat, you may end up being harassed yourself even if you had nothing to do with the debt. To avoid this, Mr Cheng suggests taking a walk down the staircase closest to that flat. If loansharks have left graffiti there ('0$P$' - which means 'owe money pay money') or at the void deck, it could indicate that the flat is being targeted. Another problem, more common in older resale flats, is leaky ceilings. This happens when shoddy renovation upstairs or age creates kinks in the waterproofing layer in your ceiling. To spare yourself the hassle of living with this or trying to fix the leak, look out for watermarks on the ceiling when viewing flats. 4 Be shameless DON'T give up if one agent turns down the price you offer for a flat. You may get lucky with another agent marketing the same flat. Some flat owners do not give exclusive marketing rights to one agent, preferring instead to pay a commission to whoever gets them a deal. This means that if Agent A thinks that your offer of $200,000 for the three-room flat you are looking at is too low, Agent B might find it a worthy offer to discuss with the owner. Agents, however, are unlikely to disclose that they are marketing a flat which they have no exclusive rights over. C&H's Mr Lu suggests you suss that out by looking up property advertisements. If there are three or more ads for a unit in that particular block in one day, chances are, that flat you are eyeing is being peddled by more than one agent. 5 Keep your cool IT IS common for agents to arrange viewings for as many as 10 to 20 interested parties within a half-hour slot, to heighten the sense of competition among buyers. Some agents will tell you they already have offers for the flat - when they don't - just to get you interested. There's an easy way to call their bluff, according to Mr Chandran Pillay from Global Real Estate Services. If an agent tells you that someone has already offered $480,000 for a flat, make him an offer of, say, $460,000 on the spot. If he tries to negotiate with you, that $480,000 offer is most likely a fake. If it had been genuine, he would have turned your lower offer down immediately. Some agents, said PropNex's Mr Cheng, arrange for potential buyers to view a unit, but cancel it at the very last minute on the pretext that the buyer has changed his mind about selling the flat. After a few days, they call buyers to say that the flat is back on the market, and tell them they will have 'first priority' at the viewing. This creates a sense of urgency by making the buyer feel that he had almost missed out on a good deal. Whatever you are faced with, keep your sense of perspective - in this case, the prevailing market price of the flat you have in mind. 6 Watch out for upgrades IF A flat you are interested in is being upgraded by the Housing Board, find out who is paying for the work. Upgrading could range from changing doors and toilets to adding lifts to every floor of a block. The HDB bills owners for upgrading after the work is done, and the owner of the flat at the point of billing is responsible for payment. If the seller wants to factor the upgrading cost into the price, ask for a receipt to show that he has paid the upgrading bill, or check with the relevant HDB office, suggests Global Real Estate's Mr Pillay. 7 Take your time BUYERS and sellers of HDB flats must use the standard HDB Option to Purchase form for the resale transaction. Under this arrangement, the buyer gets 14 days to consider his purchase after paying the seller a non-refundable option fee not exceeding $1,000. Once a seller grants an option, he is not allowed to sell the flat to another person within that same period. If, after 14 days, the buyer decides not go ahead with the deal, he forfeits the option fee. If he goes ahead with it, he signs on the same form and pays another fee to the seller to exercise his option. Do not feel pressured to exercise an option on the spot, unless you are very sure about your decision and your ability to finance it. If, for example, you abandon the purchase after exercising the option, the seller can claim damages from you. 8 Don't even think about it! ABOUT two years ago, it was common for buyers and sellers to collude to artificially inflate the price of a flat, such that the buyer could get a bigger housing loan than he was allowed. This illegal 'cashback' arrangement is no longer rampant, after the Government clamped down on the practice in April 2005. Another under the table practice, however, still exists - 'cash down'. This usually involves someone who bought a flat at a high price during the property peak of the 1990s and is selling at a loss now because valuations since then have fallen. If he had used a lot of his Central Provident Fund (CPF) savings to buy the flat, the sale proceeds from that flat would have to be refunded into that retirement savings account. However, by underdeclaring its sale price, he can get some cash in hand. For example, someone who bought a flat for $380,000 in the 1990s may find that it can be sold for only $300,000 now. He may offer to sell it to you at a discount - at, say $290,000. In return, he will ask you to declare the sale price of $270,000 and pay him the difference of $20,000 in cash. This way, he gets some cash out of the sale, instead of having the entire sales proceeds end up in his CPF account. Avoid getting entangled in such illegal arrangements. Under the Housing and Development Act, you can be fined up to $5,000 and jailed up to six months for giving such false information. 9 Be a busybody DON'T be afraid to ask all the questions that you need to know about a flat before deciding on your purchase. A housing agent acting for the seller may not voluntarily disclose information that may hurt the chances of the unit being sold, but he is obliged to tell the truth when asked, said Mr Cheng. If, for example, you cannot bear the thought of living in a flat in which someone has died, be sure to ask the agent at point blank whether it happened in the flat you are inquiring about. tanhy@sph.com.sg

can DIY yourself - www.legrand.com.sg go buy from the distributors - cheap cheap. $3-$10 for various faceplate.

a trolley/kiosk. depends on what kind of stain - there some stains left over from renovation and i got problem with it until i use acetone - found out to be shellac(parquet)

when? where? how? exp? got persian/exotic? yesterday night me and wife was watching dvd in the living room around 130am, suddenly a black cat walks in our house! And my wife %^#*@%&@)$^@(........I actually saw that cat running for it's life - it was 10 times more frightened than my frightened wife.

House Cleaning when you are cleaning your house just after reno - many pple always complain how come house is still dusty/sandy after sweeping for countless times. forget the broom - use a feather duster! I found out this the hard way. Use the feather duster to sweep out all the fine dust - then use a vaccuum cleaner to suck them up. Cleaning Glass (windows/table tops) Everyone knows using newspaper is the best solution - but theres a catch - dont use the colour pages use ONLY the black/white pages. Rosewood since already mentioned what to use, some precaution here. 1) do not put them under direct sun light. 2) oil the coffee/side tables/cabinets but DONT apply OIL to the seats! Unless you cordon them off and dont allow anyone to sit on it. 3) if there is any chip off/cracks/disjoint dont use SUPERGLUE, bring it to a rosewood furniture shop to recon it. Or your rosewood will cost ONLY as much as any second hand ikea furniture. for smaller cracks/chip off at hard to see places - use a wood filler($5-$20+) and a colour pen($4-$10) for rosewood. 4) waiting for applefreak + others to add

wah - back on 28aug? I WANT MY FAT CAT!!!!

think you should narrow it down to 3 choices. 1) if you believe in fengshui - an old aircon is a nono. 2) old aircon consumes more electricity - buy new one if you dont mind spending. 3) budget contraint - use it lor.

market rate double socket = $45-$55 (includes the wires and cheapo made in china face plate) lighting point = $25-$35 depends on contractor.

you mean those who already make their house in your house? smoke them and they will look for a new house. Just arm yourself with this when doing the smoking.

GR are more like nanny - not guard dogs, they seldom bark and most likely would even lick the thief who breaks in. They are well known to take care of human children....preventing kids from falling into pools, fires..etc Arabs keep dogs to guard their herds of sheeps.(not history, right now). Was told by malay friends that it's a malay culture not religion cos for religion it's the dog's saliva that they are not allow to touch, thats all.

wah...seems like you are complaining TIME is pass too slow??? YOU WILL REGRET one ah wahahahhahaa. after 21 yrs old, blink of the eye - wah 25 liao....then blink again...wahlao pass 30 liao. then now hor - i dare NOT blink liao....wakakakak

hmm...didnt try that rain-x thing, it works on car windows. for house windows never tried before. type rain x and search, most car owners would know. they will skip your house and go look for another house without the smell. although our human nose couldnt smell it - i was told after the smoking - it still leave the aroma on your walls/windows. Unless you clean your wall/wall tiles with detergent after the smoking. it was my old indian neighbour who taught me to use KAM BONG YAN, most indian houses use the orignal wood burning with charcoal. this "tablet" thingy is a improved version by chinese i think, so no need to burn charcoal. just go those $2 shop and buy a cheapo $1 ashtray.

yes, from centre of the house to the where the building faces. Unless yours is a bunglow or semi-d. hdb flats is a building, we own only part of the building.

a enlarge pic of the TOKAI lighter. all the above chemicals recommended by me and others - are all considered money saving tips. Cos most of us have already spent the money buying LOUSY detergents/cleaners/polish that doesnt work. Especially that stupid simi mister mussels - totally a waste of money.

typo error, should be WHEN zippo doesnt work - i didnt time it - around 30mins maybe - i am not a athletic coach leh dont have a timer always on my neck then your clothes will smell of KAM BONG YAN - when you take lift - you will suddenly find your indian neighbours all smiling at you for no apparent reason (perhaps a scent of belonging?)

it's usually the whole building's facing - but to be accurate you need someone who knows how to see to go to your house.

i saw many hdb dwellers keep golden retrievers leh especially my area and bishan....no licensed?

no worries, back in the days when i was f&b industry. This 3m is widely used in hotels/foodcourts to clean stainless steel tables/worktables/apps. I mean as long as you DONT put the WMF pot to the fire immediately after you spray the 3m.

Anti Pest series 1) Kam Bong Yan - see pic in first post. actually this is indian product ported over to chinese(indians still using them). all types of pests including birds, mosquitoes, cockroaches.. fear it. if you have cockroaches inside your car/vehicle - the best way is to smoke them out with this. extremely toxic to them. Use them to smoke your cabinets/under tables/dark corners/store room/rubbish chute..all those dirty/dark inaccessible areas. And you wont believe how "CLEAN" it is after the smokes. Lighter for altar table/cooking..etc Do you know that TOKAI is actually the inventor for disposable lighters? Always look for this brand when buying lighters, cos they really lasts. Putty filler aka white cement : $3-$5.00 Use this fill up/patch up all holes/gaps you can find - especially wire casings. Having a hole is like having a empty house waiting for ants and other pests to move in. Foot Powder with tolnaftate (controlled item in sg) - this is NOT a ordinary foot powder. $8+ This is TOXIC - can only purchase from the pharmacist stationed in guardian pharmacy. Good for getting rid of fungus on your pets, some claimed it works on lice too becos of the tolnaftate content. Do a search in internet and see what you can find regarding tolnaftate. I usually close the door and smoke the toilet. I dont smell anything becos I have this installed. and wired to a timer. so that everytime when i leave the toilet and switch on the ventilator I dont have to walk all the way back to toilet to turn it off. All i need is to turn the knob(timer) to 1-20 mins and it will shut off the ventilator automatically. the smell is only momentarily. So which you prefer? the stupid pricetag on your merchandise or a mild kerosene smell for 5 mins? Using the zippo fluid, you can peel off the pricesticker easily and surface clean of adhesive.

wah cute baby leh! still look sleepy hor...hehe

Metal cleaners/lubricants A new lubricant(new to me) that i am still in the process of trying out - on sliding windows. so far so good - better than wd40 The all time favourite for house hold to spray on locks/doorknobs/sliding door/windows. But it leave a oily surface which i dont really like. Now this is a MUST HAVE for stainless steel lovers. Works great on ANYTHING that is made of stainless steel as well as any metal surface. Not only cleans but also leave a protective layer on the metal, enable it to withstand dirt/dust. Use this to spray on every steel you just bought and it will be easy to clean in future. This is in powder form. For lousy stainless steel that rusts, or any other metal stuffs that has ugly stains. Use this, need to scrub though, stains can be removed but surface is scratched. What I did is, scrub metal with this, then use 3M to apply a coating over it and it lasts without stains.

ok lah ok lah - REMOVERs for Pricetag, donno simi stupid stain, paint..etc - This is not just for zippo lighter, it's the best cleaner to remove pricetags that are sticked tight to merchandise you bought from dept store. Without damaging your merchandise. When zippo does work, use this - THINNER - will blur some soft plastic/clear plastics. The ULTIMATE KING REMOVER - Acetone - can only buy from paint shops. Can remove EVERY stupid stain you come across but it's too strong - could remove the paint from your walls too - use with extreme caution. So far I have use this on rosewood, metal, aluminium, homo tiles, ceramic tiles without any damage. I use this to remove some paint stains on my rosewood and all came off without any damage to the rosewood. DONT USE it on plastics/rubber - it will melt the plastic/rubber. $10 per tin. some shops requires you to produce IC.

realli must blacklist this panggiap - will tell everyone i know!

time to share - all the stuffs I have learned from renotalk, internet, friends, relatives..etc Will start off with the chemicals I am using ; This is a MUST HAVE for rosewood lovers! Another MUST HAVE - thanks to flygal - not avaliable in sg For Parquet Dont look down on this KAM BONG YAN, all insects/ants/lizards runs for their life. Just burn ONCE a week/mth in your toilet. Comes in 50 pieces - $2.50 buy from any incense shop. As promised the mckenic 5 litres ones cost $20+, the small ones cost $5+... the most effective cleaner I have used. 2 times more powerful than magicclean. Bought in IMM. BTW, I am a computer engineer and I have got nothing to do with all these chemical co. Initially want to buy this but was given free by a relative. Good for big houses or lazy housewife/houseman.

the more you LOOK SEE the more you LOVE it - it really depends which group you belongs to; the ORH LOO LOO(BLACK) group? machiam that jurongwest kid's total-darkness-black-hole-ghost-inviting toilet so if ghost realli comes he can ask for 4D numbers. or ANG KONG KONG(RED) group? machiam a chinese restaurant filled with liverpool supporters on chinese new year.