Our shoebox in the sky...

Let the building begin!

2012-12-15T04:50:00.000-08:00

Selecting Our Ticky Tacky Box (TTB)!

2012-06-02T08:35:00.001-07:00

So the process has started! It's pretty draggy and THUS FAR we've only cleared 2 hurdles?!

The application for the March 2012 BTO closed on 3 Apr 2012 and it wasn't until another TWO weeks (20 Apr 2012) before we got the ballot results via email!

Then it was more waiting for THE PACKAGE. Since our queue number was pretty small (thank God for that!) we had expected it to arrive sooner... but it only appeared in the mail box a full TWO weeks later.

At the risk of sounding ungrateful, I must say that this long-drawn-out process must be really stressful/emotionally draining for those who have to go through it multiple times (i.e. those who have unsuccessfully balloted or have a poor queue number). I supposed that's life in the little red dot... c'est la vie!

The package wasn't as interesting as anticipated. It consisted of a stack of application forms/ additional info, the complete price list of all units and a glossy brochure of Clementi Ridges. The latter two documents were already available on the HDB website by the time we received the package.

Our selection day was one week later, but as one half of the TTB couple was abroad, we had to prepare certified original true copies of his IC, student card and enrollment proof for the selection appointment.

Crowd at the HDB HUB waiting area

The queue slip!

Wait wait wait!

The process of selecting the flat was rather painless, especially if you've done your homework before hand. This includes shortlisting the "units of choice" and ensuring that your finances are in check. It's also advisable to bring along copies of your CPF statements if you wish to inquire about the Additional Housing Grants (AHG) and other housing loan matters.

The Customer Service Officer was really friendly and she guided me through all the paper work that is required. (On a side note, the CSO was HILARIOUS when she saw the price of our TTB and commented ,"WAAH looking at the price... i thought you were buying a 4-rm flat!! the prices for Clementi Ridges are really crazy!")

After about 10-15 min of signing random documents I had to pay the option fee to buy the flat! So after a quick sprint to the cashiers on the second floor and back to the CSO, our TTB was finally selected.

Payment of the option fee

Floor Plan of our TTB

Next up, the Signing of the Agreement of Lease (that'll probably be in 3-4 months time)!

Rt Hon Sir Cecil Clementi Smith G.C.M.G.

2012-05-08T06:27:00.003-07:00

By reading the wikipedia entry below, you join the ranks of a handful of Singaporeans who actually know the etymology of Clementi.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cecil_Clementi_Smith

Yes, this man brought in laws to control secret societies, which probably explains why Clementi is so gang-free compared to Bukit Parang.

金文泰 or "KIM BOON TAI" - the chinese name of Clementi, used to order iced lemon tea in coffeeshops in Singapore.

A recce trip to HDB HUB

2012-05-08T06:07:00.001-07:00

Here are a couple of shots from a recent visit to the "Display Area" at the HDB hub.

Some snapshots of the Optional Component Scheme (OCS) sample tiles for Clementi Ridges.

White ceramic tiles for the living/dining and bedrooms.

More shots of the 3D model

Outline of the multi-storey car park of the Trivelis.

The blocks will be pretty close to Clementi Ave 6.

Recce Shots of the surrounding skyline, taken from Clementi Towers

2012-05-05T00:01:00.002-07:00

Here comes the sun doodoodoodoo

2012-04-29T13:41:00.002-07:00

Here's an attempt at a guide for understanding how much sun your flat will be getting.

Sun Path for Singapore

Here's how you read the chart:
Azimuth Angle - The angle between North and the projection of the sun on the horizon.
Read the chart like a compass and the intersection of the green/orange/blue line with the concentric circles tells you where the sun is. North is 0 deg and South is 180 deg.
Elevation Angle - How high up the sun is.
The elevation angle increases towards the center of the chart, with the center being 90 deg (sun directly above your head), and the outermost circle being the horizon.

Let's try reading the chart. Follow the orange line - this is the sun path for 29/4/12. Today, the sun rises at 06:51 from east-by-north, moves from east to west and sets at 19:07 in the west-by-north. At these two times, the sun is at the outermost ring, meaning it is at an elevation of 0 deg. The squares are positioned at each hour of the day, and if you look at the big purple square on the orange line with a "18" written underneath, you can tell that at 18:00, the sun is at west-by-north at an elevation of 15 degrees.

It's Singapore, so the changes of the sun's path are not too major. The green and blue lines show how the sun shifts its path throughout the year. From March to September, the sun will be shining from the north, and from September to March, the sun will be shining from the south. What concerns us most is the sun shining from the west, which would give you you a hot room by the time night comes.

What this means for your flat selection
You would want as little direct insolation on your flat, and this diagram gives you an idea of how much insolation you would be getting throughout the year. If your flat is surrounded by buildings (lower floors), this analysis would not be of much use to you.

Here's an ugly drawing I made:

Insolation on Unit 179

Look at unit 179. It is oriented north-south, so the insolation it receives on its south facade is almost always at a big angle, meaning it would not heat up that much. The other facades are blocked by the other units, so 179 is going to be a really cool unit to live in. Furthermore, there is only direct insolation from Nov to Jan, so it would be a really bad place to have a photovoltaic cell.

Insolation on Unit 173

It's a different story for unit 173. It faces a similar situation as unit 179 for its north facing facade, BUT the west facing facade doesn't get blocked by the 5 room flats to the west. It receives insolation at an angle from as early as 2pm, and the insolation is directly incident on its west facing facade at around 5 to 7 pm. This happens daily from March to September, so your master bedroom will be hot hot hot for half a year. After September, the 5 room flats will come to your rescue and you may continue with your vampirish ways. Oh, did I mention that the units on the 38, 39, and 40th floor will receive this hot hot heat all year round?

The Verdict
Based on the same analysis for the other units, I feel that 167 is the worst, 173 is bad, and 179 and 181 are great in terms of solar radiation received. The highest floors 38, 39, 40 are really bad as well, and the lowest floors would be the best.

Well of course the sun is not the only important consideration here. The lower floors may have less sun, but with a higher floor, you get cleaner air, stronger breezes, a calmer mind (from the beautiful view), daily triggering of acrophobia, less noise, the list goes on. SO, sun sun sun here we come!

Notes:

Website to follow the sun's path from Singapore

http://www.gaisma.com/en/location/singapore.html

Guide to reading the chart

http://www.gaisma.com/en/info/help.html

"Vertigo" is often used (incorrectly) to describe a fear of heights, but it is more accurately a spinning sensation that occurs when one is not actually spinning. - wikipedia

HDB estate names, creative much?

2012-04-27T23:19:00.001-07:00

A word cloud of HDB BTO estate names for the past 10 years!

The list of names was taken from here.

Location Scout!

2012-04-23T08:13:00.008-07:00

My first try at a mash-up map. (Disclaimer: This is just a visual representation and should only serve as a rough indication of the layout of the estate. They are not representations of fact.)

Here are a couple of shots from a recent recce trip to the Clementi Ridges Site.

The following were taken from View Point 1 (see above map), at the 14th floor of Blk 301, facing North.

Bukit Timah Hill in the distance

Clementi Ave 6 leading to the PIE

The following were taken from View Point 2 (see above map), at the 11th floor of Blk 304, facing South.

The neighborhood park that is under-construction.

The site of the Trivelis DBSS (construction is underway!)

Clementi Ridges will be built on that tiny green plot... where those tall trees are. (such a pity!)

Clementi Towers in the distance

Clementi Ridges

2012-04-23T05:56:00.005-07:00

This is it:

Bounded by Clementi Ave 6 and Commonwealth Avenue West, Clementi Ridges comprises three residential blocks ranging from 37 to 40 storeys in height.

(taken from http://www101.hdb.gov.sg)

Having been a westie all my life, the much talked about Clementi BTO was clearly my first choice.

Information on Clementi Ridges

To avoid reiterating stuff that we already know about this development, go to the following links for more information:

From the Horse's Mouth

H88.com.sg's review on Clementi Ridges, Part 1 and Part 2

Comparisons to other HDB projects in Clementi

In short, good location, sky-high prices and potential angry neighbors to the east.

Type of Unit

Once we decided on the BTO project, the next choice was the type of unit.

3-room

Pros:

Less competition/Lower Application Rate (see below)

More affordable (relatively... compared to the 4rms and 5 rms and given our current financial situation)

Cons:

It's really TINY!

Less resale value (... this is a story for another time)

4-room

Pros:

There's an additional room for a child/squatter/barangbarang

Generally more space

More units to choose from

Cons:

It's crazy expensive for a young couple who are JUST getting their financial footing

More competition/Higher Application Rate (see below)

5-room (well... we didn't even consider it. price-wise, this option was completely out of whack)

In the end, after a couple of SWOT analyses (true story!) and a few passionate debates, we decided on a 3 room.

Application rates

After looking through the last couple of BTOs, we realised that the Application Rate for 3-rooms were generally lower than those for the bigger flats. So we decided to take a calculated risk to assume that this trend would continue and that the rates for the Clementi Ridges 3rms would remain low.

Much to our delight, the rate remained below 1! This meant that we were almost certain of a chance to select a flat! Kudos to my dad for his trend spotting ways.

So after more than 2 weeks, we finally received our BALLOT number! (and it's a pretty darn good number:)) Now it's off to do some location research and decide on THE FLAT that we'll pick.

2012-04-23T05:41:00.003-07:00

Like any other regular Singaporean, it was just a matter of time before we faced the monster that is the TASK-OF-BUYING-A-HDB-FLAT.

Yes, this blog will attempt to document our process of obtaining that shoe-box in the sky. Hopefully this amateur attempt at a running commentary of a quintessential aspect of SG life will help others too!

But before we begin with the Heavy Duty photo entries, here's our soundtrack du jour!