Why Atrina
The decision to choose Atrina was based on several considerations, mainly, cost and location. My future wife's only consideration was cost. She dont mind live in any part of Singapore, as long as we have our own place to call home. If prompted her preference would be Sengkang, as it was near her parent. My preference would be Toa Payoh, though I never stay there before in my whole life. My logic is simple, its in the centre of Singapore. I can go anywhere I like quite easily. But I share my partner's logic that we should not go for a flat that is going to cause us a lifetime to payup. So we agree on a budget of $200,000, which means we will only need up to 20 years to finish financing our flat. If we are lucky 10 years will be enough.
Once we set the budget, we go about looking at what choices and what options we have to secure a flat. We have 2 options. First, to buy a resale flat which is near my mum and enjoy grant from HDB. Second, to buy a new flat and enjoy the "subsidy" HDB is giving to first timer. I am a sucker for floorplan and I dont like the old style floorplan that most resale flats have, except if its a 5 room point block. But it is not within our budget if we go for that. And there are alot of unknown factors in resale flats, whether is the house itself or the previous owner. Though most resale flats have bigger floor area but really the only positive thing that will make us take resale flats is the HDB grant. if I want bigger floor area we might as well stay at my current house. So we both agree getting resale flat is out.
So basically our selection criteria are:
1. New Flat
2. Location
3. Cost
4. Floorplan
Amenities are not really a big concern because if the location is good, amenities will come sooner or later. So we proceed to list down the areas of our preference and shortlist those that fit our criteria. And those flats at Buangkok MRT area fit in perfectly to our requirement. Other than flats at Buangkok MRT area, we also shortlisted Fernvale too as we like the quietness and the fresh air over there.
At this point of time we did not think about what if we cannot get a unit from our shortlist. I was pretty sure if we know what we want and go through all the pros and cons thoroughly, we will get it. After going through it, we decided on flats at Buangkok MRT. Reasons:
1. Super near MRT. This reason alone is good enough to win over us. Not only that, its very near to my future mother in law's house. And since my mum is going to live with us, it is right that I choose a location so near to my partner's house that she won't feel her needs are neglected. Moreover my mum can travel anywhere she wants with MRT so near. As for both of us, it means we can dont drive occasionally(or at all!) and taking public transport.
2. I absolutely like the design, especially the Atrina range. Of course at that point of time I didnt know if I will get Atrina or Aspella. I always fancy apartment style rather than condo style. The floorplan is almost exactly what I want, even though its small. I like the idea of having a service yard just for clothings. I prefer the common toilet to be separate from kitchen. And I prefer all the rooms and the kitchen not viewable when standing outside the main door. Even the living room is partially block by bomb shelter.
3. From the information I gathered from the BTOs, both Aspella and Atrina falls within our budget. And especially since this 2 are new flats, everything we want just fall into place. So its a do or die mission just to wait for the WIS for this two. If we cant get it, thats it LOL.
4. Basement carpark. Of all the type of carparks, we prefer basement carpark or carpark that is "build-in" within/under the block, ie where the carparks is at 1st 2/3 levels of the block. With that we can get to our house quite easily through lift after parking our car. This is a big plus too that attract us to Atrina and Aspella.
5. Future development and potential of Buangkok area. I analysed the possible development of Buangkok area and come to the conclusion that there will definitely be positve development in that area. The "White Elephant" incident created such a publicity that it made the government realised not to neglect Buangkok and thus push the government to make sure that there will be development in Buangkok. Whether or not it will develop into something big remains to be seen. The open space of Buangkok is quite big. So it is possible that Buangkok will have at least another shopping mall of that sort. But even if its not a big development, I am quite sure it will be at least like Kovan, with a shopping centre of that size. Looking at the whole of North East with regard to development of commercial area, Punggol will no doubt develop into quite a big town centre. Sengkang still have plenty of open space around it to develop. Hougang mall is getting more and more packed. But beside it there is also some open space for them to develop too. Both the open space beside Hougang mall and Sengkang compasspoint will definitely have some commercial, business or private residential development, depending on how the government decide. Looking at the whole of Singapore, Jurong East, Tampines and Woodlands were developed to be the so-called town business-cum-commercial centre. So it is possible Sengkang might become the future business cum commercial centre too, with Punggol to be something like Pasir Ris, a recreational town centre where it caters for people to go there relax and have fun.
Personally I am quite contented if Buangkok just have a simple shopping centre with all the basic needs we can get. There will definitely be some other residential and public development on that open space. If there is business development I wouldnt mind at all, as long as its not industrial(which very highly unlikely). But more likely I believe there will also be private housing development. I feel our area will be more like the upmarket of Sengkang with nice pretty residential housing and offer a different impression of Sengkang as a whole.
Once we set the budget, we go about looking at what choices and what options we have to secure a flat. We have 2 options. First, to buy a resale flat which is near my mum and enjoy grant from HDB. Second, to buy a new flat and enjoy the "subsidy" HDB is giving to first timer. I am a sucker for floorplan and I dont like the old style floorplan that most resale flats have, except if its a 5 room point block. But it is not within our budget if we go for that. And there are alot of unknown factors in resale flats, whether is the house itself or the previous owner. Though most resale flats have bigger floor area but really the only positive thing that will make us take resale flats is the HDB grant. if I want bigger floor area we might as well stay at my current house. So we both agree getting resale flat is out.
So basically our selection criteria are:
1. New Flat
2. Location
3. Cost
4. Floorplan
Amenities are not really a big concern because if the location is good, amenities will come sooner or later. So we proceed to list down the areas of our preference and shortlist those that fit our criteria. And those flats at Buangkok MRT area fit in perfectly to our requirement. Other than flats at Buangkok MRT area, we also shortlisted Fernvale too as we like the quietness and the fresh air over there.
At this point of time we did not think about what if we cannot get a unit from our shortlist. I was pretty sure if we know what we want and go through all the pros and cons thoroughly, we will get it. After going through it, we decided on flats at Buangkok MRT. Reasons:
1. Super near MRT. This reason alone is good enough to win over us. Not only that, its very near to my future mother in law's house. And since my mum is going to live with us, it is right that I choose a location so near to my partner's house that she won't feel her needs are neglected. Moreover my mum can travel anywhere she wants with MRT so near. As for both of us, it means we can dont drive occasionally(or at all!) and taking public transport.
2. I absolutely like the design, especially the Atrina range. Of course at that point of time I didnt know if I will get Atrina or Aspella. I always fancy apartment style rather than condo style. The floorplan is almost exactly what I want, even though its small. I like the idea of having a service yard just for clothings. I prefer the common toilet to be separate from kitchen. And I prefer all the rooms and the kitchen not viewable when standing outside the main door. Even the living room is partially block by bomb shelter.
3. From the information I gathered from the BTOs, both Aspella and Atrina falls within our budget. And especially since this 2 are new flats, everything we want just fall into place. So its a do or die mission just to wait for the WIS for this two. If we cant get it, thats it LOL.
4. Basement carpark. Of all the type of carparks, we prefer basement carpark or carpark that is "build-in" within/under the block, ie where the carparks is at 1st 2/3 levels of the block. With that we can get to our house quite easily through lift after parking our car. This is a big plus too that attract us to Atrina and Aspella.
5. Future development and potential of Buangkok area. I analysed the possible development of Buangkok area and come to the conclusion that there will definitely be positve development in that area. The "White Elephant" incident created such a publicity that it made the government realised not to neglect Buangkok and thus push the government to make sure that there will be development in Buangkok. Whether or not it will develop into something big remains to be seen. The open space of Buangkok is quite big. So it is possible that Buangkok will have at least another shopping mall of that sort. But even if its not a big development, I am quite sure it will be at least like Kovan, with a shopping centre of that size. Looking at the whole of North East with regard to development of commercial area, Punggol will no doubt develop into quite a big town centre. Sengkang still have plenty of open space around it to develop. Hougang mall is getting more and more packed. But beside it there is also some open space for them to develop too. Both the open space beside Hougang mall and Sengkang compasspoint will definitely have some commercial, business or private residential development, depending on how the government decide. Looking at the whole of Singapore, Jurong East, Tampines and Woodlands were developed to be the so-called town business-cum-commercial centre. So it is possible Sengkang might become the future business cum commercial centre too, with Punggol to be something like Pasir Ris, a recreational town centre where it caters for people to go there relax and have fun.
Personally I am quite contented if Buangkok just have a simple shopping centre with all the basic needs we can get. There will definitely be some other residential and public development on that open space. If there is business development I wouldnt mind at all, as long as its not industrial(which very highly unlikely). But more likely I believe there will also be private housing development. I feel our area will be more like the upmarket of Sengkang with nice pretty residential housing and offer a different impression of Sengkang as a whole.
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