The House-Hunting Series [iii] - Doing Up The New Home

After searching and buying the dream home, and selling off the existing flat, we got busy as bees working on the new place so that we could move in before Christmas. As the Condo unit was a brand new unit, there was nothing done at all. We had to engage so many different parties to make the house a home, to make it liveable.

Of course, the alternative would be to engage an interior designer,  but we did not feel that it was necessary for a small space as ours. Furthermore, we had a certain look in mind already, so all we needed was to get the furnishings to complete the look.

1.   DECKING FOR THE PLANTER BOXES

Our planter boxes (mini versions of a proper balcony) needed to be decked up so that we could put outdoor furniture onto them. After speaking to several contractors, we engaged a private contractor to take care of these for us. Her name is Cindy and her number is 9299 8246 - very responsive and good attitude. 

We chose the wood paneling colours and a matching set for the vinyl top for our bay window. She managed to finish the decking for us within our stipulated timeframe, and did not chase for payment (the latter was vital because we jetted off shortly for a long vacation and she totally did not rush us).

2.    CURTAINS AND BLINDS

For curtains and blinds, we also chatted with a few providers before settling on Kah Huat Textile Co, located at Joo Chiat area. The ladyboss Ms Joyce Png was very friendly and helpful in assisting us to select our ideal curtains and blinds, including the dreamy white day curtains. Overall, her service was rather good except that she did not manage to do within the timeframe we had originally discussed, and one of the room's metal railings fell off within a week. She rectified immediately, and it has been fine since then - so that is good enough for us.

3.  TURNING ON WATER & GAS SUPPLY

Had to go and open an account with Singapore Power to turn on the water and gas supply. There are many other energy providers in the market right now that seem to provide better cost-savings alternatives so by now, we may switch.

4.  APPLYING FOR INTERNET

We were using SingNet for the longest time, so this time we decided to go MobileOne (M1) Broadband a try. Since both of us are existing M1 users for our mobile phones, there was a bundle discount or promo that we got to enjoy. So far, the internet connection is working well.

5.   PROFESSIONAL CLEANING
We hired a professional post-renovation cleaning team headed by Jeremy Yee to clean up our house before moving in. Not only did they clean up all the debris left behind, they also wiped down all doors, cabinets and the floors, of course. Service was quite impeccable, and our house was spick and span clean. The fees was about SGD$250, and totally worth it.

6.  SHOPPING FOR FANS & LIGHTINGS

We decided on getting ceiling fans with lights, and considered a few brands. In the end we settled for a black Fanco model with lights kit and remote control. We also selected lights for all the rooms in the house - a combination of ceiling and wall lights. I love the ancient "gas lamp" in the front balcony the best, to be honest. Balestier Road is a great place to shop for lightings because there are 2 rows of lights shops - aplenty to choose from, and compare.  Most of these lights shop charge a fans installation fee of SGD$45 onwards,  and around SGD$10.00 for each light around the house (does not apply to chandeliers).

7.   SHOPPING FOR HOME FURNISHINGS

Furniture shopping was more a little more tricky. There was much to be compared; and some furniture pieces were harder to find. Hubby took the measuring tape everywhere we went, to ensure that the TV console and sofas we chose would not be longer than the walls.

As space is a constraint for us, we decided to do without the floor rug beneath the coffee table. Some of the immediate purchase included TV console with matching glass-topped coffee table, reclining sofa, dining table set and outdoor furniture set.

We also had to do without a slim glass cabinet that we initially wanted to place beside the TV console to display our wine collection and travel souvenirs - now with baby planning on the way, we had to choose furniture that is not made mainly of glass, or come with sharp edges.

Good places to do furniture shopping included Novena Furniture at Big Box (now defunct), IMM Jurong, Sungei Kadut area where all the furniture wholesalers are located (including brands like Picket & Rail, Star Living, Widhardja and Scanteak, etc.

We also purchased a good LG washer-dryer with anti-bacterial steam function, as well as my dream curved TV (not that we watch much TV ironically).   Courts Tampines, GainCity Megacity, and Audio House Bendemeer are good spots to shop for electrical appliances.



8.   SHOPPING FOR OTHER ESSENTIALS

Finally, the nitty-gritty little essentials that make up the house. We made a list and it came up to 100 over items.

Utensils and dining sets - I got mine from Corelle @ Takashimaya - Corelle features a reasonably-priced range of plates, bowls etc that are resistant to breakage.

Floor mats - I got mine from Charles Millen @ Takashimaya - they are thick, absorbent and colors are gorgeous.

Pots and pans - WMF at Takashimaya - not that I cook often.

Other things included small storage racks, dish drainers, wash cloths, lots and lots of plastic containers from Toyogo to store things under the planter box decking, steam iron, small electric kettle, handheld vacuum cleaner, spray mop, mini potted plants from Far East Floral, towel holders, hooks, soap holders, sponge, detergents, etc, wow you name it! Good places to shop for these would be Takashimaya, Japan Home outlets, Ikea and even Lazada. Some of my friends like Taobao but my experience with them so far has been less than stellar.

9.  PHOTO FRAME / CANVASS

Nah, not talking about the small decorative photo frames lying around the home - so we had a wedding photograph taken in Vancouver, that we liked very much. We wanted to enlarge it, maybe frame it, and hang it over the house. We wrote in to so many different photo studios who either could not assist, or charged sky high prices to do what we wanted. Until we discovered Sebastian Teh, founder of LoveInStills (check them out here) - who not only charged a good price for quality, but provided excellent service as well. He personally delivered the floating canvass to our place, and what can we say, we love it!

10.   CLEANSING OF HOME

Finally, before officially moving in, we engaged a professional to cleanse the home. People usually cleanse the home if they buy a 2nd hand unit, but I believe that every home has energies, even if they have been left empty for months. We considered Fengshui masters, but I decided to use Shamala Tan (website here)  because she is also my life coach and personal friend, and I have seen her work miracles so I believe in her works. 

She did a round of energy cleansing at my home with incense and gave us some advice on re-arranging the bedroom furniture (we had a cabinet that was kind of blocking the Hubby's smooth entry to his side of the bed) and to get some plants and crystals etc to optimise our goals. 

All the above took months to complete, especially all the shopping which took up a fair bit of time. Other than that, we were all set and ready to step foot into the new home and claim it as rightful owners!  In the next entry of this series, I shall talk about the Moving Day and House-warming.

BACKTRACKS:

(i) The House-Hunting Series [i] - Seeking The Dream Home

(ii) The House-Hunting Series [ii] - Selling Off The Existing Property

The House-Hunting Series [ii] - Selling Off The Existing Property

In House-Hunting Series Part 1 (read it here),  I shared information on how we narrowed down our choices when searching for the dream home, and finally securing the right home.  We also decided to sell off our existing HDB Flat, and hoping to do so within 6 months so as not to incur Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty (ABSD) - a hefty 12% of the property price!

1.  TAKING PHOTOS OF THE HOME
Our first step for selling the flat, was of course, to take (nice) photos of the existing flat for sale. With that, we re-arranged the furniture a little, tidied up the house, and removed any unsightly objects from the photos. This is to portray a good image of the house and give prospective owners a positive feel to even want to contact you for a viewing. No one likes a cluttered, dim home because it simply doesn't appeal.

2.  POSTING THE PHOTOS ON PROPERTY PLATFORMS
We sourced for free portals such as Carousell, Gumtree, Locanto, Craigslist and RedAd, as well as our own social media accounts to post about our properties. We copied some wordings from websites such as PropertyGuru, 99.co,  ST Property etc to make the descriptions sound better.

Do not use anyone else's photos though - always use your own original photos. If you need a certain nice view or if you forgot to take a photo of the block of flat's exterior facade, go and take these photographs yourselves.

         

3.  PROPERTY AGENTS - TO ENGAGE, OR NOT TO ENGAGE?
It depends on a lot of factors, really. Are we able to sell on our own? Some of us may have pretty strong word-of-mouth through neighbours, or maybe an existing neighbour's children want to buy the unit to stay right next to their parents, etc.  What are other issues to take into consideration?

• timeline / urgency of sale - were we in a hurry to sell our flat?
• budget - could we spare that extra few thousand dollars so that someone can help us professionally to take photos, offer advice, source for clients, advertise and paperwork?
• home staging - a couple of agents we spoke to suggested spending money on this. Home-staging beautifies the home and replaces our furniture with nicer ones; the fees include storage of existing (uglier) furniture from our house for 2-3 months.
• engage on exclusive basis or non-exclusive basis?
• what were the opportunity costs if we didn't sell the flat in time?

I used a very efficient and down-to-earth agent from ERA Realty Network - Simon Leow. He responded to us very quickly, and was always polite and frank.

4.   OPENING THE HOUSE FOR VIEWINGS

Calls started coming in - either through our property agent or directly to us. The other parties negotiated for suitable dates and time to view our flat. If we were not represented by a property agent and the other party is, their property agent may negotiate with us for a fee because their clients ("buyers") are not obligated to pay agent's fees.

Before each viewing (which usually took 10 - 15 minutes maximum), we made sure to tidy up the place and put away newspapers, clothes, used plates etc so that the house looked presentable. When we had more time to prepare, we would also add little touches like lighting up a scented candle, soft classical music in the background, etc.

We would answer the prospective viewers' questions and bring them around the house. I served drinks as I would for any other visitors to our place. I even described each neighbour on the floor to them, so they knew who they would be potentially living next to. This was helpful, especially for families with children.

Sometimes we got weird viewings as well - those that appeared fishy, like managers training their new agents. So the "prospective buyer" would be a young single male or female, accompanied by an agent who claimed to be "a friend".   They would ask a lot of questions, the "agent friend" guiding the "prospective buyer" along, and then you never hear from them again.

5.   THE SUCCESSFUL SALE
Offers began coming in from prospective buyers who liked what they saw. We sat down and discussed the offers, rejecting the ridiculous ones and finally accepting one of the offer.  The flurry of activities began now - visits to conveyancing law firms, paperwork, HDB Inspection (to check for unauthorised alterations to flat), handing over, etc.

Before moving in officially, the buyers may request for a second viewing, or to come by to take measurements for their renovators' quotes. Sometimes they would just drop in to "visit", which we welcomed. After all, they might want to be familiar with their surroundings, or verify the neighbourhood, before exercising their options finally.

We were also very upfront with them on the areas that needed extra repairs such as a fallen kitchen sink, a broken glass panel on the folding kitchen door, etc.

6.   THE MOVING OUT

Moving out was a super hectic process. We had so much packing up to do:-

• discarded many, many old things we did not want to bring over to new place
• donated many things to The Salvation Army at Bukit Timah
• blessed furniture and electrical appliances away on various Facebook groups
• packing up the rest into nearly 40 cartons!

Then it was liaising with the movers, and selecting a perfect date to move out. Some people believe in "auspicious dates" and would work with a Fensghui master on that - we didn't. It depends on individual's preferences ultimately.

As much as I yearned to move out of the flat, I did miss it when the date was drawing near. It was, after all, a lovely home with good neighbours and unblocked canal views, and it served us well. I was delighted to have found it wonderful new owners who genuinely seemed to adore it from the very first viewing. I hope they are happy living here.

BACKTRACKS:
(i) The House-Hunting Series [i] - Seeking The Dream Home

6 Tips for Real Estate Salesperson (RES) Exams Preparations

You are all geared up for the upcoming RES (Real Estate Salesperson) Exams, which takes place every 4 months now (February, June, October), and under the regulations of the Council For Estate Agencies (CEA). Presuming you don't know how or where to start studying for it, allow me to let some of these facts and tips sink in, and hopefully help you along your journey to passing of the RES Exams.

Step 1:  read all the guidelines and information about the exams

Yes, I mean all that you need to know, and understand about the examination format, syllabus, topics covered, passing rates, requirements etc. These information are more important than you would expect. A good source to start would be the CEA Website

Step 2: believe that it is one of the most difficult exams you have ever taken

This is coming from someone who holds certifications from many different regulatory bodies, as well as academic institutions. Yes, I love studying and obtaining certifications; learning never grows old. I failed at my very first attempt because I refused to believe in its difficulty level (I studied while playing movie clips in the background), believing that a combination of textbook knowledge and common sense would get me through). It is only when you are down at the exam halls, you'd realise the questions are formulated not in a straightforward manner, but they ask a lot of questions on scenarios, to ensure that you really understand a concept and are applying it. 

Step 3: attend RES Course under a recognised provider

Attending RES Course under a recognised training provider is mandatory, and each course attended is valid for 2 years. Meaning to say, you have 6 attempts at the exams before needing to re-take another RES Course. I heard merits about a few training providers and trainers - so do your research before signing up. I took mine under Hastor - where the trainers provide nearly round-the-clock support and assistance via Whatsapp group chats.  You can claim training fees via SkillsFuture credits or if you are an NTUC member, via UTap.

Here is a list of recognised training providers (info correct as at March 2019):

1. Benchmark Realpro

2. Hastor Property Services 

3. Institute of Estate Agents

4. Life Mastery Academy

5. Pioneer Training & Consultancy

6. Singapore Estate Agents Association

7. Real Centre Network

8. Real Estate School (under Real Estate Academy)

9. Realty International Associates (RIA) School

Photo Source:
https://www.cea.gov.sg/professionals/salesperson-registration-matters/real-estate-salesperson-examination-syllabus

Step 4: additional reading materials

Attending an RES course gives you the basic fundamentals of understand the real estate markets, rules and regulations etc in Singapore. On top of that, there is a lot of reading up on other legislations because anything can come out (trust me).  It also depends on the notes and training materials given by your course provider. Some notes are less informative or inclusive than others.

You can start with some information here at Mdm. Celeste Ng's website.

On top of these, other reading materials may include:-

1. HDB's For Senior "Monetizing Your Flat For Retirement"

2. BCA's Outdoor Advertising Requirements

3. BCA's Sign Licence Requirements

4. Basic knowledge obtained from the various authorities' websites such as HDB, CPF, MinLaw sites etc

Step 5: lots of practice 

As the anticipated questions are an enigma, lots and lots of practice is vital. Mock examination papers can be purchased online - whether you prefer to attempt online or use hardcopy mock exam questions. I learned a lot from practice papers because they also test on knowledge outside of my course notes, such as commercial subletting ratio, showroom guidelines, etc. 

On top of that, you can also join revision classes to strengthen and fortify your knowledge. There are paid revision classes by the course providers, as well as free revision courses conducted by property groups under PropNex, Huttons, ERA etc.  Attending revision courses is also a good way to meet and interact with students from other training courses - who may have questions or information to share with you that your course provider did not furnish.

Personally I wrote a lot of my own notes and drew mind-maps because writing them down myself, made me remember the information better (lots of memorisation is involved). 

Step 6: the  battle begins...

By now, you should be equipped with a lot of information on real estate in Singapore, the market and marketing strategies, rules and regulations, legislations etc. This includes remembering the various tax rates (buyer's stamp duties, additional buyer stamp duties, seller stamp duties, the various types of property tax, HDB housing financing schemes such as housing grant, additional grant & special housing grant, registration fees for RES and agencies, professional indemnity insurance required, etc).

Personally I did not buy or use a Financial Calculator at all during the examination because I found the formulae too complex for me. I skipped all the calculation questions but you shouldn't try to do that - in case a certain Paper 2 bases many questions on loan / mortgage calculations.

Have a good night's rest, remember your coffee shot or chicken essence in the morning for energy; bring along your NRIC and examination confirmation printout, 2B pencil, eraser, calculators and a sweater lest the exam hall is cold. 

All the best for your RES Exams!

The House-Hunting Series [i] - Seeking The Dream Home

I hope you enjoyed The Nuptial Series (read them here) when I was planning for,  and preparing for my wedding between 2015 to 2016. The series detailed our research and hunt for wedding photographers, the proposal, wedding venues, wedding gowns, leading right up to the Big Day, and even what to expect of married life.

The series was followed by The Honeymoon Series (read them here), detailing our honeymoon - how we planned it, who we engaged, what to prepare for the long trip, and the actual tour across Europe and Dubai, UAE.

1 year into the marriage, we began our house-hunt, that's when I began writing this House Hunting Series, sharing the process of selling, securing and moving into our new place. I hope you find this short series of real life experience useful in your own hunt for the dream home as well. Have fun reading!

Like most couples in Singapore, our first matrimonial home was a Housing Development Board (HDB) flat right after marriage - ours was a comfortable, mid-floor, spacious flat located in the West of Singapore. I wanted a brand new home for us, before we started our own little family, so the house hunting began.

1. WHAT TYPE OF HOME TO BUY?

There were so many choices to choose from - a brand new Built-To-Order (BTO) flat, resale flats (which gave us even more choices, including "endangered" housing such as maisonette, jumbo flats etc), Executive Condominium (EC) flats, or a private Condominium unit.  We tested waters a little here, assessing our options based on income, CPF savings, cash savings, and bank loan available.

I am not a fan of anything that's 2nd-owned or "pre-loved", so that eliminated our options of resale flats or resale condominiums. It helps to have some kind of filters, of course, so that we can be more focused on our search.

2. WHAT TYPE OF HOME OWNERSHIP?

As we currently have an older HDB flat, we weighed our options for the new home. Would we be able to retain this flat for rental purpose while we purchase a new private property? Or do we sell this flat for cash proceeds to fund the new dream home?

3. WHERE TO MOVE TO?

Because there were so many choices for us to choose from, so many newly-launched projects as well, we spent some time visiting show flats to understand each project better.  We also went to HDB website to check on the newly-released BTOs and Sale of Balance Flats. On top of that, we also visited newly-TOP condominium units where existing owners had no intention of moving in. These exercises helped us a lot so we knew the type of amenities, facilities and layout etc we could choose to have, both within and around the new dream home.

However, we did have a dilemma - to remain in the West or to move to the East? Most of our family members have moved to the Eastern part of Singapore, so it would make sense for us to move there to, to be closer to families. But most of the new EC flats (during the time we were hunting for our dream home) were located in the Western part of Singapore, or at least, the North-western areas.

4. TIME-FRAME

What was the time-frame we gave ourselves to move? That was also an important consideration for us. If we could afford to wait for 3-4 years, then a new BTO flat or new Condominium project would be ideal for us. I wanted us to start a family within these 2 years, and to be honest, I hated our current flat because it had been used by his family members for 15 years prior to me moving in, so it was, in a way, "second hand". 

With that, we further eliminated new BTO and Condominium launches, and focused on the pool of newly-TOP Condominium units where owners were not looking to move in. We also decided to focus on the East of Singapore, for that matter. This made our house hunt a lot easier, as I concentrated on fixing viewing merely for projects that obtained TOP between 2017 - 2018, but were listed as "brand new" and "not lived in" by their respective agents.

5.  SPOTTING THE DREAM HOME

We more or less determined on the exact project we wanted to move in, because of its resort-like theme, and there were about 5 swimming pools in the premises. We made offers on a couple of units, and got a top floor with lush greenery views! 

If you are buying a Condominium (be it EC or private), what are some factors to consider?

• size and layout of the unit
• location and views of the unit (i.e. far from main / side gate? Pool view but do many people pass by your ground floor unit? Are you facing BBQ pits? Etc)
• developers' reputation and past records (i.e. are projects by them deemed "problematic"?)
• pricing, of course
• facilities within the condo premises (swimming pools? gym? tennis courts? KTV? squash courts? billiard? what do you need?)
• amenities around the condo location (food centres? shopping malls? MRT station? nearby construction sites? good schools? etc)

6.  SECURING THE DREAM HOME

The next few weeks were a blur of visiting the conveyancing law firms, signing agreements and other paperwork, getting the bank assessment and loan secured, etc.

For bank loans, do check out different banks and their rates. Some offer fixed rates throughout, whereas others offer floating rate options. You can talk to a range of different loan bankers to share these information with you, or engage a Loan Broker who has access to all the banks and can help you take care of the comparison.

We also settled the mortgage insurance just in case something happens to one or both of us. This is VERY important - especially if you have young children (wouldn't want to leave them homeless, would you?). 

Of course, now we also had to start selling the existing HDB flat, and shop for furniture for the new home.   

Stay tuned for The House-Hunting Series Part 2 and Part 3 for these details. 

Stay At Home Moms, Don't Stress

There are children in the house, and it is a joyous occasion, an important stage of life and you have decided that you do not want to miss out any moment of your children's growing cycles. Either that, or it is too stressful for you to be a working mother, or there is no one available to assist with taking care of the kids at home.

So you made the big move and quitted your job - the one main stream of income that you have been depending on for years, the one role that you have worked so hard for all these years since graduation - so that you could stay at home and get pelted by spilled milk and soothe your wailing toddlers. It is no easy feat, we hear you, and we also understand that many stay-at-home mothers have complained that "it would've been easier to go out and work, like before".

You may or may not be aware that while you lovingly nurture your kids at home, devoting all your precious time to care-taking for them, a lot of odds are against you, right? We hope this article here helps you to overcome the possible issues you may have now, with your new role in life.

Disclaimers first - by "SAHMs" here we don't mean the taitais who have domestic helpers running behind them or changing babies' diapers while they get to shop or enjoy leisurely afternoon high-teas, immaculately groomed. We are referring strictly to the ladies who have to handle everything from taking care of the babies, educating them, doing the marketing and household chores etc.

1. PHYSICAL EXHAUSTION
From the moment you wake up at 7.00am until the moment you manage to crawl into bed, past midnight, you spend the entire day moving about. Those who choose to work or have no children do not see your physical exhaustion - they believe it is easy job lazing around at home merely keeping an eye on the kiddo and feeding them periodically. But your duty goes beyond all that - from preparing the kiddos' meals to bathing them, cleaning up after them, running after them to pry their fingers away from hot oven doors or rotating fan blades, sending them to playgroup or Elsa Shows at the malls, and then teaching them basic mathematics - yes, that is a handful, and these tasks are not always pleasant.  

Suggestions: take a breather, a chill pill sometimes, as impossible as it may sound. Do something for yourself while they are at playgroups, or catch a short shut-eye while they are napping. Talk to other parents or your spouse,  and try to work out a reasonable rest day every week where you can enjoy some "me-time", head out with friends, and recharge.  Engage a part-time domestic helper if necessary, to ease some load off your hands.


2. MENTAL FATIQUE
Do you find your own temper flaring up more easily, or shouting at your (sometimes naughty) kids without meaning to? Even when you are bathing them or physically attending an Elmo performance with the kiddos, your mind never stops reeling  - what to prepare for dinner? What time is your husband coming home? Did I remember to feed my son his vitamins? Which day is his swimming lesson again, and have I bought him swimming trunks?

Things never go smoothly always, do they? You plan to teach them 3 times 3 equals 9 by, say, dinnertime, but they seldom sit through the entire lesson without some tantrums or wandering attention. You may be cooking and then the kids begin a shouting match which requires your expert intervention. Before you count calmly to 10, the threatening cane is in your hand and you shut your eyes in anger, shaken by all the drama created by the kids.

Feels like too much on your plate, keeping track of their schedules and emotions. At the end of the day you are drained, both physically and mentally.

Suggestions: change your way of handling them. There are parental courses, books and support groups that teaches the various approaches to tackling kids these days. They are more brilliant, more curious and less ignorant like how kids of our generation probably were - they question when asked to do something, especially if we are caught doing the same things. It can be tiring for sure - so talk to people, like other parents. It helps as you empathise with each other and offer advice to each other on how to manage certain situations together; you can even organize activities together so you have someone else to keep your mind off house-chores for a while. Get a scheduler to pen in all the kids' activities and lessons - or simply make use of your phone's Calendar function; it saves you the pain of trying to memorize the time tables.


3. PARANOIA / LACK OF SELF-CONFIDENCE
Between changing from your pajamas into T-shirts and changing the kids' bedsheets, you barely have time to run a brush through your hair, much less apply makeup or exercise. As the months go by, you look like you now, and nothing like the well-groomed marketing manager your husband fell in love with 8 years back. Oh, he doesn't mind? Oh, he still thinks you are beautiful?

Really? When you meet his colleagues and admire the jewellery they sport, do you ever wonder if OT hours were really OT hours? Do you have wistful flashbacks  of the past, when you could afford anything you liked, and would've looked as polished as theses office ladies if you hadn't stopped working?

Oh, he wouldn't dare, you know him very well? Oh, your role and contribution is 100% as significant as him bringing home the dough, perhaps even more? Really? Do you talk about anything else besides the bills and what the kids did at home to annoy you at home today?

Do you remember how you met and the woman he was attracted to? Do you not think he might still like that kind of women, but unfortunately you no longer look anything like that? Men are, after all, visual creatures. Or are you afraid to face your fears, and hopes he really sees your sacrifice as importantly as you view it to be? Do you fight more with him because of your paranoia, or do you fight less because you feel that you are dependent on him for livelihood - or worse yet, are you not fighting at all because you don't even talk anymore?

Finally, your kids' classmates' mothers are "gym instructors", "accountants", "doing advertising" etc, and all your kids could describe you is "My mommy stays at home." It pains you when they come running back after school to inform you of this, or you feel a little awkward when you meet the other parents.

Suggestions: spend a little effort to look good - you don't have to be drop dead beautiful. But just spend time to give yourself back more confidence, remind your partner of the woman you were and still are (just more mighty now because you have one more role to play), and remind him that you still have "market value". No kidding, darlings, men need to know that their women are still attractive and it makes them try harder to hang on.

Spend time talking to your partner, not just about household or children's issues. Imagine he is also overwrought from a hard day's work, yet still has to come home nightly to your complaints, progress reports or "let's decide on his school now" pressure. Soon it would make him dread a sit-down session with you. Instead, talk to him about his day, let him unburden and vent, and remember the reason he is working so hard for - an understanding wife who appreciates his efforts in the corporate battlefields. Surprise him sometimes with a new recipe or lacey nightie - who says married life cannot be spiced up, still?

4.  LACK OF KNOWLEDGE / DROP IN MARKET VALUE
You don't want to admit it, or are not aware that your knowledge and maybe social skills have slipped since you left the corporate workforce 4 years ago. No, you don't have to admit it right now. But if you reflect and the only conversations you have are either with your kids or about parenthood, then you might have an issue.

Needless to say, if you attend a function at your husband's company and find yourself tongue-tied or immensely bored because you have nothing to say to anyone else there, it should trigger a small alarm in you. If it doesn't, we are alarmed (unless he is in a niche industry or his colleagues are all males without partners).

Not only do you dislike the idea of socializing with office ladies and other taitais, you start to drift with your single friends as well, because it seems that the frequency of connection has shifted completely. She no longer understands your thinking, and you can't grasp her theories (when you used to easily).

Staying away from the workforce also decreases your market value, as you disassociate from the latest technology, workforce culture, updates and skills are rusting. If and when you need to return to the workforce someday - be it due to necessity, financial issues, loss of sole breadwinner, or your kids have reached schooling age - you find that you are no longer to command the same pay and position as you used to because of the gap in your resume.

Suggestions: while your kids are napping or watching cartoons during their allocated play slots, take some time to read up. You can choose to read news, business books or simply catching up on what's happening currently in your industry. Broaden your circle by taking up a hobby (i.e. cooking class, gym) etc where you meet more people other than your children's classmates' parents. Start a small home business as it is both a good learning process and helps generate some income for yourself; you would feel more empowered and more of an equal to your bread-winning spouse when you have "my own business", no doubt.

The business or freelance job approach may also be your solution to the above scenario, where your children's classmates all have mothers holding good careers and no one else stays at home full-time. Now your kids can proudly announce that "my mother is a business owner" or something along that line.



5. WAY TOO TOUGH
The pointers and suggestions above don't work? You have much more serious issues than that? Your husband is seldom at home or in the country, you have to take care also of sick parents, or your spouse is abusive, etc? Everything is driving you nuts and you feel like collapsing at any point in time, feel like you are going berserk soon, or just selfishly taking your life to put an end to it all?

Suggestions: sorry then our guidelines do not help of course. You require professional help such as counselling or a solution to your family issues that perhaps only the law or mediators can settle. Please approach one before anything happens.

Remember that when there's a will, there's a way. Stay strong and hang in there!

[Event] DBS Digital Disruption for Impact x SPARKS new episode premiere

Event date: 6 March 2017

Time: 6.00pm - 8.00pm

Address: 1 Fusionopolis View, Level 7, DAX Sandcrawler Building, Singapore 138577

An insightful event hosted by Development Bank of Singapore (DBS) that gives us an understanding of how businesses are disrupting through digital innovation and transformation, and how that could also scale their businesses for social impact.

There was a panel discussion on digital SMEs of the future, spearheaded by Karen Ngui, Managing Director and Head of Group Strategic Marketing & Communication of DBS Bank.

Presenters included Dr. Alex Lin, Head of ecosystem development for SGInnovate Pte Ltd and DBS BusinessCare Advisor. He leads a team of professionals to develop the startup ecosystem in Singapore, through strategic investments in promising companies.

Next, Gillian Tee, co-founder and CEO of Homage - which provides a complete suite of in-home senior care services combining the use of technology and trained, curated caregivers, allowing seniors to age at home gracefully with control as well as dignity. The entrepreneur, who used to work in Silicon Valley, USA, was inspired by her ageing mother whose motions lacked agility of hee younger years.

David Pong, CEO of WateROAM - an award-winning water filtration innovation that provides clean water to disaster-hit areas within seconds. David counts his blessings literally, that he is able to help grief-stricken disaster victims obtain a necessity of life through his creation.

Finally, David D'Souza, founder of Zaya Learning Labs - bringing education to children in underserved communities through innovation. He also had a solo segment to share on how his ingenius technology enabled learning for children from lower-income communities.

We were also treated to a preview of "New Beginnings", the latest episode from DBS' miniseries Sparks.

The event concluded with some nice food (Waygu Beef Sliders, Angel Hair Pasta with sScampi and Mushroom Tartlets, etc), a round of phototaking and a lovely gift box consisting of a DBS Sparks postcard, almonds, chocolate, banana etc.

Thank you DBS Bank for the invite!

8 Reasons Why You Should Continue Shopping at the Malls

Photosource: https://vulcanpost.com/574152/10-stores-closed-singapore/

More and more of these articles are springing up, and while the eyes cast over familiar words such as "competition", "high rental" and "closing, the heart continues to sink with each paragraph (even Mustafa Shopping Centre is set for closure!). The mind wanders back to my malls experience, remembering the familiar layout and stores in each mentioned shopping centre, remembering the good times I had there, and maybe even the smells.

Granted, one knows that such a demise of the shopping malls might happen eventually, with increased shop rental, manpower, import / export fees and shoppers' shift of buying culture. Competition from online stores are more and more common; one may find familiar brands online or discover foreign brands which we previously had no idea even existed.

Even me - stubborn as a mule, loyal to conventionality and outdated user in the virtual world - me who proclaim many times that I will never shop online, have slowly fallen into the allure of buying certain things online. Well, imagine attractive pricing coupled with the fact that goods are delivered to my doorstep (i.e. no fun carrying a sack of rice home?), and the ease of being able to shop 24/7 (i.e. emergency shopping in the middle of the night?), have certainly contributed to me breaching my promise at times. Oh yes, there's also no need to jostle with crowds as well, except for the occasional congested network tussle during a Black Friday sale.

Well this new shift in paradigm in buying culture certainly is good news for entrepreneurs and businesses who jump onto the e-commerce bandwagon immediately, but does not bode well for retailers with actual shopfronts. Fear grips my heart as I try to imagine a world without shopping malls in future, and people stop coming out because everything can be done in the comfort of their homes / offices.

While it is not likely to happen because I doubt the government will allow that, because shopping malls are essential for tourism's purpose, etc, here's 8 Reasons Why You Should Continue Shopping at the Malls, keeping the traditional buying culture alive:

1. Trying Before Committing
While an online order for clothes, shoes or skincare products might sound like a gamble - tossing in the money to see if we've got the dress we really want, lots of trial-and-errors, we are really playing the guessing game until we receive the orders. And then we are subject to risks such as goods not arriving, good being damaged, materials / colors being vastly different, sizes mismatch due to odd estimated measurements etc. Which results in the hassles of having to refund or exchange or not getting anything back at all.

Shopping at the malls eliminates some of these risks, as we get to try everything, feel them, feel their effects on us, before we finally hand over our cards.


2. Personal Service
When we shop online, we tend to spend more time researching and reading reviews about a brand or product. If we are unsure, we either ponder for a long time or just wing it and order, hoping that they are suitable.

When we are unsure in the malls, the helpful store assistants would be more than delighted to advise and help in whatever way they could.


3. Have a Treat
One of the joys of shopping in malls is that there are plenty of nice cafes and bars for us to grab a bite or a drink when we are tired. This is a little difficult with online shopping - unless we are already seated in a mall browsing e-commerce sites.

4. Bonding with Friends
Do you remember how much fun there was when you went shopping with your girlfriends? The times when we appraised each others' choice of clothes to buy, tried on a new eyeshadow shade together, and laughed ourselves silly falling over Nine West heels during a mega sale?

We could hardly attain the same level of fun and bonding with online shopping. What, grab our Ipads and gather somewhere to shop online together?


5. Making New Friends
Sometimes shopping alone leads to conversations with other like-minded shoppers and we end up gaining a new friend during the shopping trip. Try it - one never knows how far a simple comment such as, "I noticed you tried on this dress earlier on, and it looks good on you," or "I like books by the same author as well" could go.

Having said that though, please don't start going around boutiques harassing every single shopper in the hope of making friends. This might lead to a rather unsightly out-of-mall escort by the security guard.



6. Good Form of Exercise
Imagine this - if we are already holding a job that requires us to sit down for at least 7 hours a day (including lunch hour), and we claim that we have no time to visit the gym after work, are we sure we'd still want to sit down for another hour for online shopping? Get out there - crawl the malls looking pretty - this is exercising without breaking a sweat.


7. Minimizing Financial Risks
Anything that goes online has its fair share of risks, and may be subject to information theft, monetary pilferage or even the simple technical glitches that cause major inconveniences. Save yourself from being exposed to such risks by shopping and paying in person (cash for smaller items).



8. Sustainability
If you wish to see your favorite brand / merchandise around for the next few years, please, please show your support by turning up and buying something. Even in today's context, not every brand or shop has a comprehensive e-commerce website; even some very big brands are unable to list all their stocks online. Therefore please keep the shopping culture alive by visiting them (often).

9 Ways to not be Imbued in Debts

Big money, small money - somehow in today's times, no matter how one saves or earns, it never seems enough. Not unless all you do is stay at home, have no relatives and friends, do not travel, do not invest, do not have hobbies and never meet with illness / catastrophe.

How does one risk over-spending, or having to resort to "borrowing" in order to meet their monetary needs? Well, many things could happen, subject to the following (list is not exhaustive):

• new hobby or addiction
• new status which may require extra spending for social requirements
• sudden illness or dismemberment
• sudden death of sole breadwinners
• sudden loss of jobs
• natural disasters, fire or other perils
• business failures
• investment losses
• upcoming nuptials or newborn
• victims of monetary scams

The first and easiest step people think of would be to resort to taking loans from the banks, or worse, loan sharks (aka moneylenders). This subjects one to (i) high interest repayment (ii) ease of borrowing means more future loans (iii) implicating family members or jointly-owned assets and may even result in (iv) depression or bankruptcy.

In order not to become imbued in debts, let's look at some steps that may be of assistance:

1. Curb spending
If the expensive lifestyle is beyond your means, cut down on it or change your lifestyle. No point breaking the bank just to impress someone or hang out with people that you cannot currently afford. If they are still around when you choose a lower level of lifestyle enjoyment, then you know they are true friends for keeping.

2. Seek professional help
If the addiction or reason for splurging are not controllable i.e. gambling or alcohol issues, seek professional help to kick the habits.

3. Seek financial help
If your financial situation is in the low, and are eligible for governmental assistance, talk to the town council or relevant organisations.

4. Work harder
If you must sustain your lifestyle or hobby, or are only suffering from financial woes due to loss of job / business failure, you can always work harder (i.e. take up a freelance or part time job) or a sideline that brings in additional income

5. Arrangement with the Banks
If you have credit card and credit line debts that you can no longer afford to repay monthly, but the annual 24% interest is still rolling, speak to the bank for an arrangement. They will cancel your credit facilities, consolidate your total debts, and arrange a repayment scheme for you at a much lower annual interest rate

6. Selling of Items
Get rid of unwanted items or unnecessary luxuries by selling them away on Carousell, Ebay, or bazaars etc. This will get you some extra cash or a lot of cash (if you have lots of branded items to rid).

7. Pawning of Items
If you have valuables such as jewellery or expensive watches you can let go of temporarily, talk to a pawn-broker. They will assess your item and offer you cash for your items, subject to a very low repayment rate. Don't worry, your items won't be auctioned off as long as you continue repaying the loan, and each time you pay the loan tenure is extended by another 6 months.

8. Liquidating Insurance Policies
If you have endowment policies that you have saved up for many years and have now generated a healthy value, see if there is cashback option. If not, you might want to surrender them to help with your financial predicament. After all, if you are unable to sustain it anymore, it will still lapse and you get nothing.

9. Downgrading of Housing If you have parents who own their own houses / flats, you might want to consider moving in with them temporarily (subject to your family's consent / arrangements) so you can rent out your BTO / condo for extra month, until you tide through your crisis.


Hope the above helps!