Why sporean so crazy about condo?

[Jolie888]

I had one ang moh tenant, not SP, parking his bike in the middle of a parking lot instead of motor bike lot. He refused to budge even when the management approached him.

 

Interesting ..... there is also one ang moh expat in my work place, who park his bike in a car park slot and refused to budge even when the guards ask him to remove the bike. His argument is that his is a large-cc bike and therefore cannot park in a normal bike slot.

 

[Kelpie]

The condo you are living in must be < 5yrs old.

Maintenance + sinking fund is not usually so low, as what you had stated.

 

Sometime back, when I was living in a condo, the maintenance fee started at about $200+/month.

This grew with time, to about $250/month.

 

But after 5 years, due to the need to build up a sinking fund for repairs and repainting, the maintenance fee (inclusive of sinking fund) grew to $500+/month.

 

Paid >$1.5K a quarter, but then, my wife and I don't return from work until after 7+pm, after fetch kids / dinner and all and the kids then were < primary school age. So for us, it was really money down the drain, sponsoring the other proprietors in the condo.

 

Hence, the reason why some older mid-class condo tend to be ill-maintained. If facilities are not important and to ensure lower maintanence, private apartment may be a better choice. Many aren't aware that those lift maintenance contribute to a sizable portion of the fees. If a lift breakdown after the warranty, who pays? the resident kena. In HDB, you have TC to shoulder the cost. If swimming pool leaks when warranty expired how? I have heard of condo's swimming pool being shutdown because no resident want to pay for the repair cost.

 

In the past, I usually sell away my 99 leasehold condo within 5 years time. This is usually the prime period where I could fetch a more decent returns.

 

Regards,

[Skunk]

like ppl who buy million-dollar condos with patio and hang their dirty laundry in it, instead of landscaping it or putting a barbee in it with some nice lawn chairs.

 

Or units with beautiful full-glass windows that are covered with laundry being hung from it, underwear too.

 

Or balconies, instead of having wrought-iron garden table and chairs to have afternoon tea in, is used to put junk like a store-room.

[Wishcumstrue]

The condo you are living in must be < 5yrs old.

Maintenance + sinking fund is not usually so low, as what you had stated.

 

Sometime back, when I was living in a condo, the maintenance fee started at about $200+/month.

This grew with time, to about $250/month.

 

But after 5 years, due to the need to build up a sinking fund for repairs and repainting, the maintenance fee (inclusive of sinking fund) grew to $500+/month.

 

Paid >$1.5K a quarter, but then, my wife and I don't return from work until after 7+pm, after fetch kids / dinner and all and the kids then were < primary school age. So for us, it was really money down the drain, sponsoring the other proprietors in the condo.

 

Not wander it gets really political amongst the condo owner/tenants when comes to maint bill and sinking fund.

Have u moved to another private estate after experiencing a > 5 year old condo?

[Kelpie]

like ppl who buy million-dollar condos with patio and hang their dirty laundry in it, instead of landscaping it or putting a barbee in it with some nice lawn chairs.

 

Or units with beautiful full-glass windows that are covered with laundry being hung from it, underwear too.

 

Or balconies, instead of having wrought-iron garden table and chairs to have afternoon tea in, is used to put junk like a store-room.

 

It all depends how strong the MC is. Hanging laundry in those manners that you've mentioned are not allowed in condo. In my former place, the guard actually go around asking people to keep them and hung them in proper area.

 

This happened because of the developer trying to sqeeuze the area for hanging laundry. They have this thought that people live in condo would have spare money to use dryer and no time to hang laundry in the open.

 

Regards,

[Jolie888]

Have u moved to another private estate after experiencing a > 5 year old condo?

 

Landed.

 

[Skunk]

I pass by Kovan Melody and The Quartz often....disgusting, all the laundry everywhere, like some slum in China. Even ah nei in India will send their laundry to the dhoti-man to get it done instead of hanging it all around their house, in case lint flies into their expensive Darjeeling tea.

[Kelpie]

I pass by Kovan Melody and The Quartz often....disgusting, all the laundry everywhere, like some slum in China. Even ah nei in India will send their laundry to the dhoti-man to get it done instead of hanging it all around their house, in case lint flies into their expensive Darjeeling tea.

 

It is either their management council Bo chap or that place is make-up by many ex-HDBers whom can't kick their old-habit in HDB living. IMHO, many low cost condo don't have good deisgn for hanging laundry. Some people want to save money by DIY washing their blankets and hang them at common areas.

 

Regards,

 

[Skunk]

no matter how good the design, overtly large items like blankets and bedsheets, simply can't be hung to dry inside apartments. Either get a dryer or send to the laundromat. Anyhow hang and it can't dry properly, or might even get dirty. Like my place (HDB), some bloke puts his blanket over a parapet to dry...OMG does he know the amount of dust in the air that will land on the wet blanket? Everyday i vaccum the house, the amount of dust flying around is horrible.

 

Other equally disgusting habit is simply putting the rubbish beside the common chute instead of dumping it in. What's the prob? Already walk out to the chute already, just dump it in lah!!!

[Kelpie]

no matter how good the design, overtly large items like blankets and bedsheets, simply can't be hung to dry inside apartments. Either get a dryer or send to the laundromat. Anyhow hang and it can't dry properly, or might even get dirty. Like my place (HDB), some bloke puts his blanket over a parapet to dry...OMG does he know the amount of dust in the air that will land on the wet blanket? Everyday i vaccum the house, the amount of dust flying around is horrible.

 

Other equally disgusting habit is simply putting the rubbish beside the common chute instead of dumping it in. What's the prob? Already walk out to the chute already, just dump it in lah!!!

 

Can lah, just that you might not have came cross them. But usually condo have good laundry drying area are larger in size or have sizable balcony.

 

Dust is just like air and wind, you can't avoid them unless you shut all windows and doors. You have not tried living in places, where you actually feel the fine sand not just dust .

 

Regards,

Edited August 2, 2009 by Kelpie

[Yoongf]

Those who stay in older condo shd really pay attend attention to maintenance issues.

Let me share with u some issues which I encountered.

 

Lift maintenance company say lift cable is beyond service life. Need to replace, but is high 5 digit sum. Since No $, MC ask "Will die or not", lift company say worse case, "E brake will activate". Therefore, since no life or death situation, cable was not replaced.

 

MCST $ run out as some SP chao kuan, want to force enbloc. Other owners say wah... like that also can, so one by one follow dun pay, Cleaner salary of $600 also end up owing 2 months.

 

Water tank booster spare pump spoil also dun repair, occasionally water tank can run dry, when the one and only one servicebale one KO.

 

In the end, the place look like 3rd world slum. Everywhere also got dog poo and urine smell.

 

What is important.. MCST shd be proactive and adopt high standards, and be trigger happy to enforce regular payments. It is very easy to get 3rd world status, since sinking fund usually not much.

 

Some older commercial buildings.. where 1 SP may own say 50% of the units.. can easily become the MCST chairman, and then dun pay the MCST funds. As MCST chairman, he can choose not to enforce payment on himself. This is how dirty it can be.

 

Take Care hor.

 

 

[Donut]

some ppl always think that stay in condos are the best....

 

they never think abt the sinking funds. maintainence and upgrading are the most impt. and there is no gaurantee that the sinking funds are enough.

 

wait till each of unit needs to cough up $10k-$30k for repairs or upgrading, they will cry father cry mother

 

 

 

[Ithunk]

my condo maint fees is only $150/mth ! I have a car & a bike.

If I were to stay in a HDB, I would have paid: $60(conservency)

$90(carpark)

$17(bike parking)

=$167(total)

Besides parking, I also enjoy the free facilities like: security guard,swimming pool,gym,tennis court,hot bath,free shutter bus, ect... does it make more sense staying in a condo?

 

actually i wouldnt need the facilities...for gym i can train at any cheap public gym.....

 

for pool maybe....ill use....tennis court maybe....

 

the rest i dun need....but i do know parking is free in a condo...

 

actually i think it depends.....if u have a big family then u need a bigger place....

[Ithunk]

wats SP if i may ask

[Yoongf]

some ppl always think that stay in condos are the best....

 

they never think abt the sinking funds. maintainence and upgrading are the most impt. and there is no gaurantee that the sinking funds are enough.

 

wait till each of unit needs to cough up $10k-$30k for repairs or upgrading, they will cry father cry mother

 

Many times it's common for SP to simply vote "dun do", instead of cry father cry mother. Then when BCA send letter for mandatory painting works, Some SP simply cannot afford to cough up the $. It's really tough for a neighbour to send lawyer letter to another neighbour to pay up. But if dun enforce also set a bad precedent for others.

 

Being in the council really need to be professional about it.

 

SP = Subsidary Proprietor = Owner

 

http://www.bca.gov.sg/BMSM/strata_living.html

[Impreza001]

hao lian?

[Throttle2]

u r right! 11 blocks with 716 units.

738 carpark lots.

free shutter bus to mrt station from 6.30am-7.30pm daily(every 10 mins during peak hr/ 30 mins offpeak)

I paid $460per sq ft.

 

 

wow 11 blocks ? 716 units?

to me, thats public housing already.

$460psf sounds somewhat over priced.

Is it deep in the north or west?

 

that said, diff strokes for diff folks, as long as you are enjoying.

 

Cheers

 

 

[Ithunk]

okay so BCA is building and construction authourity