Are you feeling a little left behind as seemingly everyone moves abroad this summer? There is a silver lining: now is the time to grab great deals on everything from housing to second-hand goods
If it’s your first sumer in Singapore, you may be feeling a little cheated as a few of your hard-won friends depart our sunny shores for their next adventure. For the more seasoned among us, it serves as a reminder that another year has passed (the abject lack of seasons being no real indicator of a passage of time – it’s either hot and wet, hotter and wetter or air-con). It’s also the time of year that the savvy score some serious bargains, and not just at the Great Singapore Sale. We’re talking well-below-market rates on rental housing, top-quality second-hand goods (furniture, cars, clothing, kids toys and baby gear), amazing transfer helpers and discount transfer memberships to clubs. You’re sensing that rush of shopper’s adrenalin, right? See, you’re feeling better already…
Before we get into the nitty gritty on what types of fab deals you can get over the summer, here’s a list of the useful websites and Facebook groups for second-hand buying, selling and trading.
The websites:
Carousell, Locanto, Gumtree and CraigsList are all great second-hand goods websites where you can buy, sell and trade just about anything (except your kids)! We LOVE the aesthetic of the Carousell site, and its cute catchphrase ‘Sell in a snap, buy with a chat!’
Freecycle is a massive hit overseas, but is in its infancy in Singapore. It’s an enviro-forum for matching those giving away goods with those who want them.
Expat Auctions, as its name suggests, is an auction house that sells furniture that expats want to move on. This isn’t online trading, by the way, but real-life auctions where you can inspect the goods beforehand and get a thrill from bidding on the day. The next one is Sat 15 Aug 2015 (pre-viewing Fri 14 Aug 2015). A catalogue for your perusal is also uploaded online prior to each auction, and the Expat Auctions Facebook page is also great for seeing what’s up for grabs.
Property Guru is a great site for searching for your new home.
Facebook groups:
The CLASSIFIEDS – Singapore ExPat Wives (Classifieds – SEW), run by the Singapore ExPat Wives group (SEW), has a massive collection of quality second-hand goods, and is also the place to find housing, helpers and club memberships. SEW and Classifieds – SEW are secret groups (the public can’t see them), with the criteria for membership being that you are an expat and are currently residing in Singapore. You can request to become a member, or a friend who is already a member can invite you.
The Real Singapore Expat Wives (RSEW) and its sister site Singapore Expat Wives Classifieds (SEW Classifieds) were founded last year by expat veteran Roberta Ciccone (check out our recent interview with Roberta here). The same rules apply regarding being accepted as a member as SEW (except it’s a little easier as they’re not secret, but closed groups so the public can see them). Similar deals can be found on both expat wives classifieds sites.
Preloved Baby Goods is useful for second-hand baby clothes, furniture and accessories – just be prepared to scroll past plenty of random odds and ends.
Check out The Great Singapore Garage Sale page for all the deets for this fantastic community second-hand market.
For the East-siders amongst us: take a look at the ECMS Exchange for pre-loved kids’ threads and toys.
Now, for the sizzling summer deals!
Housing steals
With summer being the time many expats relocate to new postings (new financial year, and all that), it’s the perfect time to nab a great accommodation deal. Word on the street is that there’s also more people going out than coming in this year. Combine that with the fact that rents have plummeted in the past few months (exacerbated by the release of more new condos), and you’re in a strong bargaining position.
Scour the SEW Classifieds and Classifieds – SEW Facebook pages, where you’ll find the best deals from people breaking their lease and desperate to secure a new tenant. Depending on your budget, you could save thousands in monthly rent! Property Guru is useful for judging the market and checking if new construction works are planned nearby.
Amazing transfer helpers
Without question the best way to find an experienced live-in helper is by personal recommendation. At this time of year both the SEW and RSEW news feeds are chock-full with repatriating employers wanting to secure new homes for their beloved Mary Poppins-esque helpers. It’s also worth checking in with your kid’s childcare or school as they’ll know exactly which families are moving on. Word of warning: make sure to speak to the previous employer and ask directly about any problems before signing an employment contract. Alternatively, if you’re au fait with the official maid documentation and want to save on agency fees (which can run to $800 including insurance), check out the Anisya website.
Bargain second-hand goods
While your satisfaction with the purchase of an online second-hand item is ultimately reliant on the honesty of the seller, the quality of pre-loved goods is higher at this time of year. People with kids accumulate stuff at an alarming rate, and often can’t fit it all in their shipping container on departure. They get rid of near-new gear that in normal circumstances they would guard with their life. This is where you come in!
Just imagine your fabulous new life and pad filled with vintage furniture pieces, designer threads (for you and the littlies), cute toys and nursery paraphernalia. And if you’re weighing up the pros and cons of buying a car, you won’t find a cheaper time!
All of the websites and FB groups listed above are perfect for buying pre-loved items. You’ll get a good feel for the value of an item by searching for it on numerous sites. Don’t be afraid to bargain with the seller (especially if they’ve stated they’re leaving the country on a certain date).
Discount transfer club memberships
Always dreamed of lounging poolside at an exclusive club but can’t stomach the hefty upfront buy-in cost? Most clubs offer fully transferrable memberships, the value of which will fluctuate according to market demand. The June-August expat exodus means that you’ll snap up a transfer club membership at a rock-bottom price. The expat wives sites are the best spot to trawl for deals.
Happy shopping!