MoneyDigest - Personal Finance, Lifestyle, Money Saving Tips

How To Quickly Sell Your Property In Singapore

You can sell your property in a faster pace by combining strategy with a little dedication. Consider these tips:

SET AN ATTRACTIVE STAGE

There is something that you cannot deny. We all heard the saying: “You never get a second chance to make a first impression”. The essence of this statement is clear. The second and succeeding impressions are not as pervasive as the first! Most people dwell on the first meetings or interviews to create consistency. It is up to you to make a stellar introduction of your home.

Home staging is the process of transforming your property into an appealing “show flat” before listing it on the market. It is important when there is a surplus of properties in a relatively slow market. Begin by making minor tweaks such as adding flowers in the living room or by making major tweaks such as re-painting the entire flat. Doing these things will help increase the perceived value of your property.

If you have a shortage of creative juices, consider hiring companies that offer Home Staging Services such as the Singapore Furniture Rental. Singapore Furniture Rental usually accessorizes the flats with neutral colors as it can attract the highest number of potential buyers or tenants.

MARK THE RIGHT PRICE

It is no secret that sellers typically underrate or overrate their beloved properties. Swaying in either of the two directions can lead to losing a significant amount of money. Let us start by dictating an elevated price point. Quoting too high can discourage the buyers from grabbing your offers.

Let us focus on the other side of the coin. Singaporean buyers are becoming more prudent. So, a low price point is immensely attractive. However, you are at risk of earning almost nothing as you need to cover fixed and unforeseen fees.

It is difficult to get the price right without sufficient resources. Widen your knowledge by browsing through the local property websites. Renowned sites include Asia’s premier iProperty and SPH’s very own Singapore Real Estate Exchange. After your digging online, gather information from a couple of experienced agents. You have to hire one that could easily give the reasonable price for your property.

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DEPERSONALIZE AND DECLUTTER

Imagine tagging your spouse along with you for nest hunting. You came across a decent flat at Yishun. During the open house, you were greeted by colorful walls filled with wedding pictures. It does not stop there. The bedroom is garnished with baby photos. Yes! Everything is adorable. However, it highlighted the “real” owners of the home. It was hard for you to focus on the other features of your potential home.

Do you see why depersonalization plays a crucial part to sales? Take down the family photos, political ornaments, religious items, and other personal materials. The prospective buyers need to picture their lives in the home…not yours!

Remove excess furniture and rubbish while you are it. The fewer things there are, the larger the space will look. Aim for that.

SHOWCASE IT ONLINE

How can people know more about your property if you do not publicize it? Make it easy for potential buyers to view your wonderful home by becoming more flexible with your schedule. Let people visit in different times of the day. Furthermore, you may consider making an online listing.

It is safe to say that when you are selling your home beyond 2017, a significant fraction of the target market will be Millennials. Take advantage of technology as Millennials fall between ages 18 to 35. List your property on social portals like Facebook and Carousell. Or, you may list it directly on property websites such as propertyguru.com.sg and 99.co.

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Remember to attach high quality photographs to boost your chances!

Sources:1, 2, & 3

Useful Tips On Raising Financially Savvy Kids

According to Investopedia, financial literacy is the “ability to use knowledge and skills to make effective and informed money management decisions”. It is an area that is often skipped in the formative educational system. As parents, it is your job to fill in the gaps.

Educating your kids to make wise money decisions earlier on will affect their finances in the long run. Consider taking these financial steps:

CONVEY THE VALUE OF MONEY

Encourage your children to absorb the value of money by using tangible examples. For instance, you may employ counting games for toddlers. Grab a pack of M&M’S and have your kids sort each one by color. Let them count how many pieces are available per color.

Once they can discriminate, introduce them to the different denominations of Singaporean money. The difficulty level of your lessons shall increase with their ages. Older children learn best with realistic examples such as an educational trip to the nearby grocery.

Take a conscious effort in providing them information about money. And, be ready to answer their countless questions. Children are innately curious after all!

SET THE RULES ON ALLOWANCE

The idea of giving an allowance is something that many Asian parents embrace wholeheartedly. While it can be a controversial subject, some experts believe that children can learn how to handle their own money by having allowance. Begin by making weekly allotments and cutting it short to bi-weekly allotments for preteens. Limiting the allotments will help your child to continually be challenged. They must think of ways to make their allowance last longer.

The next step is creating a budget with your preteens and teens. Sit down with your older children and enumerate their streams of incomes and expenses. Highlight the importance of distinguishing between the needs and the wants.

OPEN A CHILDREN’S SAVINGS ACCOUNT

What better way to teach your kid about the value of savings than by opening his or her very first account? Children nowadays were blessed with technology. This means that they can simply review their account balances and transactions online. Watching their account decline over time can instill wiser spending choices. While, watching the account grow can motivate them to save more.

Dwell on are the essence of withdrawals and deposits as well as the safety procedures of online banking. There are several local children’s savings account such as ePOSBkids Account and OCBC Mighty Savers Programme. Both do not require a minimum deposit.

Image Credits: pixabay.com

Sources: 1 & 2

5 Significant Signs That You Aren’t Right For The Job

Not everyone is blessed with their ideal occupation. However, you should not spend most of your life enduring a job that you are not satisfied with. I hope that you long-term goal is to secure a position that suits your personality and lifestyle.

On that note, here are five telltale signs that you are not suited for the job.

#1: YOU ARE CONSISTENTLY SHOWERED WITH POOR FEEDBACK.

As a university student, I had a friend who waited tables during the term break. He was transparent about his working experience. He said that he had no prior experience related to this. His fellow waiters were happy to receive decent incentives. However, he often receives poor customer comments and lower tips. The consistent negativity surrounding his performance took a toll on his confidence. Needless to say, he stopped working for that restaurant.

Let us look at the situation with shiny “objective lenses”. I knew my friend’s work ethics were good based on our group assignments. The constant negative feedback might not be due to his work ethics. And, the entire restaurant is not conspiring against him!

The solution is simple – being honest. He needs to be honest with himself. His knowledge and skills were just not suited for the job.

#2: YOU LACK MOTIVATION TO FINISH YOUR TASKS.

If you are looking for distinct “red flags” that you are not suited for your position…look no further! One of the first few flags that you may notice is your lack of motivation. When you cannot seem to complete all your tasks, this indicates that something is incredibly wrong.

Are you blankly staring at the tremendous deadlines? Or, perhaps you feel that every project seems pointless? Recognize the lapses in your motivation levels and address it.

#3: YOU DO NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THE LEADERSHIP STYLE.

Roughly 50% of the participants left the job to get away from their bosses, a study found. Whether you want to admit it or not, your relationship with the boss plays a pivotal role in your work experience. Tension may rise in several areas including employee autonomy, corporate social responsibility, leadership styles, and methods of communication. A horrible boss can make your job miserable no matter how much you enjoy its scope.

The initial interview is the perfect place to start. If you realized that your potential boss’s values and approach does not mesh with your personality, there is a significant chance that you will end up unfit for the job.

#4: YOU FEEL OUT OF PLACE.

As a child, I used to play the game called “The Boat Is Sinking”. The premise of the game can be easily absorbed. The game-master dictates how many passengers can board the boat. He or she can mutter any number, as long as the people present are sufficient (e.g., group yourselves into 2). The game ends when most people were booted out and the winners unite. Picture this game as it is parallel with the workplace dynamics.

In the workplace, we have a tendency to create divisions. You gravitate towards the group whom you trust. If your group or organization is in one page and you are in another, it may be time to explore change. Otherwise, your ideas may be completely ignored. Not identifying with the vision of the organization endangers the person-position match.

#5: YOU BECOME A STRESSED OUT MACHINE.

Employees who successfully fit the bill play to their own strengths. Whatever they are doing comes naturally to them. For the ill-fitted employees, tasks require more effort and energy. Their roles ask for strong attention to details and ability to follow precise instructions. They may feel like their job becomes stagnant or robotic.

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Constantly feeling dragged to go to work or feeling overwhelmed by your tasks can be a hint of unhappiness. Please address the situation.

Sources:1, 2, & 3

Setting Financial Boundaries With Dependent Relatives

It is alright to help your relative out of a one-time financial jam. However, if this person relies on you on a regular basis, his or her actions are indicative of financial abuse. Stand your ground by setting clear boundaries.

ACCEPT YOUR EMOTIONS

Honesty plays a crucial part in establishing financial boundaries. Begin by identifying the family members who frequently ask you for money. Examine how you really feel about their requests. There are several emotions that you can experience such as frustration and guilt. These emotions can overshadow your judgment of the situation.

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Regardless of what happened in the past, it is time to make a stand for the future of your finances. Do so by addressing your own negative and positive emotions first.

CONVEY YOUR FINANCIAL PHILOSOPHY

When understanding your financial philosophy, include your personality and lifestyle. Communicate this said philosophy when the dependent relative borrows money. Are you a person who values helping others in ways that do not involve money? As long as you bring your relatives back on their feet, I respect your decision.

Discussing your monetary views is uncomfortable. But, it is something that you must work on. You may take the subtle route by saying: “I wish I could help, but my finances are not allowing me to do that at the moment.” To take the direct route, say: “No! I do not believe in wasting my hard-earned money on that.”

LEARN TO BE A FAIR NEGOTIATOR

Let me send a wake-up call to you! Avoid feeling pressured to signing a contract or loaning cash just because the other party is your relative. Whether there are two or more people involved in the decision, negotiating is important if all the parties are to succeed.

Highlight what you are willing and not willing to do with your finances. While these people may have good intentions, you need to be fair to yourself and your finances.

PUT EVERYTHING IN WRITING

Cultivate a habit of having your financial agreements in writing. Protect yourself against legal issues by getting your deals, offers, and other financial agreements in writing. People who respect you and your financial boundaries will not have a problem with this.

Image Credits: pixabay.com

When family members are involved, money is usually tangled with issues. It is up to you to deal with these issues by setting clear boundaries. Feel free to share the positive and negative ways that money has been used in your family.

Sources: 1 & 2

Why Clarke Quay is the best place in the CBD to have your lunch

Known for its buzzing night life, Clarke Quay has as much to offer in the day as at night. With more than 20 promotions offered for lunch, you can reward yourself with a mid-day break with artisan food. Be it Asian cuisine, Western delights or local tastes, Clarke Quay has a smorgasbord of lunch options to choose from!

Cast away your Monday Blues!

Come every first Monday of the month, catch 1-for-1 deals at selected outlets. Participating outlets include Fremantle Seafood Market, Talay Thai and more.

Affordable Lunch Sets from $10++.

With lunch sets that begin from $10++, you can now grab Xiao Chen Gu Shi’s Chicken Rice set, Hooters’ signature Wings & Fries, Fremantle Seafood Market‘s Seafood Aglio Olio or choose between 1- to 3-course meals at Hot Stones.

For $15++, you can also catch (pun intended) Catch Beer & Batter’s Signature Ale Battered Fish & Chips, Muchos’ Mexican Quesadillas, a taste of Balinese cuisine at Bayang, Tomo Izakaya and Hutong. Cannot go without a beer to accompany your lunch? McGettigan’s Irish beers and Harry’s are excellent lunch options with $15++ sets. (Beers are not included in lunch promotions.)

Try these new kids on the block.

You can’t miss the all-time favourite Phad Thai from Talay Thai, known for its new Thai Tapas concept. VLV Singapore, Red House Seafood, Da Miao Hotpot and Philly Shack are some of the other F&B outlets that have also recently sprung up in Clarke Quay. In case you haven’t heard of Philly Shack, they are home to the authentic Philadelphia Cheesesteak, or Philly Cheesesteak, as they are more commonly known.

Ideal business lunch venue.

If you’re looking for a quality dining location to host your business lunches, upmarket VLV offers a 7-course set lunch, which features their speciality “Duo of Dim Sum” and “Sweet & Sour Chilean Seabass”. Peony Jade also offers a 5-course set lunch, with its upmarket food items at only $25++ per pax! Their signature smoked duck with black peppercorn sauce, cappuccino pork spare ribs garnished with almond flakes, crabmeat bouillon with golden mushroom, spicy sze chuan ma po tofu are some of the items not to be missed.

Happy Hour at lunch.

Because why not? Experience a modernized Irish pub experience at McGettigan’s Irish bar. Catch Beer & Batter and Harry’s are some of the other pubs and restaurants open from mid-day, so in case you need a quick perk-me-up, Clarke Quay’s myriad of choices have got you covered!

Near the CBD, less time travelling

Surrounded by the business districts of City Hall, Raffles Place and Dhoby Ghaut, Clarke Quay is a prime location for a quick bite, or a leisurely lunch date with your colleagues.

Kids dine for FREE every SUNDAYS!

We know Sunday is a family day. Come Sunday from 12pm to 3pm, for every every 2 paying adults, 1 kid gets to dine for free at restaurants such as VLV Singapore, Hot Stones, Fremantle Seafood Market, Talay Thai, Catch Beer & Batter and McGettigan’s.

Enjoy free parking from 12.30pm – 1.30pm from Monday to Friday, excluding Public Holidays.

Enjoy free parking from 12.30pm – 1.30pm from Monday to Friday, excluding Public Holidays.

CapitaStar members are rewarded

All CapitaStar members will also receive 3 times bonus STAR$* for your lunch receipts at Clarke Quay.

Family free game

Every alternate Sundays in the month of April, there will be free games for families and it will be an excellent time to reconnect and bring the family together!

What are you waiting for? Make a reservation for your next lunch date!

For more information, please visit www.clarkequay.com.sg/lunch

*Terms & conditions apply, information is accurate at the time of print, please check with individual outlets for details.

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