Lifestyle in Singapore

[Denise]

Australian family on way to Singapore but currently living in Asia.  Family of four.  We like to swim, tennis,bike,beach, gym and be outdoors in our free time.  Is it best to live in a condo with facilities, or a house and apply for club membership somewhere.  What are club membership costs anyway?  Would appreciate any comments.

[interloper]

Where in Asia are you guys now?
What std of living would be basal for yourselves?
What are you looking for in your lifestyle?

Blah blah - these Q's & more - then i can give my 2 cents worth.

ta

[JD]

A condo sounds the best option for you. Club memberships are pricy, generally couple of thousand or more each year plus monthly dues and a min amount to have to spend in the restaurants/bars there within a given time. You may ant to consider living East Coast way by East Coast Park, great for biking/rollerblading etc. How convenient it will be for work schools for kids etc could be a problem.All the expat schools are other side of the island. Also consider whether you will have a car, if not cabs to clubs will be necessary.

[Denise]

These comments are appreciated, thank you.  We are on Borneo.  Our standard of living is high, with a maid, large house etc.  We are quite used to making our own fun however, therefore the outdoor lifestyle because there are not many facilities here for theatre, restaurants etc..We belong to a club which provides a large part of our social group experiences and circle of friends.  I have been looking at the Australian International School as an option for my children.  Where is Ulu Pandan and what are the houses like there? Thanks for any help.

[Iceman]

Hi Denise

From what you're saying, it sounds as though the East Coast might be the best place, esp if you can get a house with its own pool ($10k and up for a nice one) and which are available in places like Katong, Bedok and Changi.

I personally think that condos with facilities like gym and tennis courts make you lazy about getting out and about.  The East Coast has great bike paths, tennis courts open spaces etc and I think getting out and experiencing them is half the fun in a place as 'compact' as Singapore.

Finally, I reckon that if you're moving with a relocations company then they should have a home search service where you give them a spec of the type of place and environment you want and when you arrive they show them to you.  Beauty is that they work with expats all the time (know what u want) and they aren't affiliated to any realtor, so they have access to every property in Singapore.

Good luck - you'll have a ball in Singapore and ANZA is pretty cool and this site has loads of club info.