Meghna Gomti Raghavender, 44, is from India and moved to Singapore a little over two years ago with her husband and two young sons. Her husband, Ashwin works in hospitality, and it was his job that set them on a new adventure to our shores. Meghna was keen to relocate here as she wanted to give her two young boys international exposure. In India, Meghna worked in the corporate sector but has traded that to be a homemaker, DIY mum and artist.
While the move to Singapore was exciting, it did have its challenges – especially when it came to hunting for a rental home. “The people are very welcoming, and it was easy to integrate into the community. Ashwin studied in Singapore for two years, and they were the best years of his life, so he has very fond memories. But finding an apartment we could call home was definitely not as easy,” says Meghna.
Planning for the Big Move
Ashwin had arrived in Singapore two months before his wife and the boys, so Meghna planned the move remotely. Once she had shortlisted a school for her boys, the key criteria for a house were close proximity to an MRT station and a sheltered walkway. The apartment had to be conveniently located for Ashwin to travel to work and the boys to travel to school via public transport.
“Coming from Gurgaon where you have large apartments, we had a lot of furniture. We hadn’t realised that apartments in Singapore were smaller and that we would struggle to fit all our furniture in the new home,” laughs Meghna.
Their furniture consists of personally upcycled and handmade pieces that they have collected over the years – giving a sense of sentimental value, so they didn’t want to part with any items. Aside from it having to be big enough to house her furniture, she also hoped for the new place to have “character” so their unique items would blend in to create a warm atmosphere.
Discovering a Unique Place in Kovan
After searching and searching, Meghna and Ashwin came across their apartment listing on PropertyGuru. Meghna fondly refers to the Kovan condo as a unique find. In addition to spacious bedrooms and a study, a modern kitchen and well laid out living and dining rooms, the apartment has a large balcony. Meghna feels most creative on the balcony and loves tending to her garden, which is a source of constant delight.
Sitting on the balcony, the family enjoys a view of the pool and its surroundings. Meghna says the condo is multicultural and living in the heartlands has enormous benefits. They have been so happy here that they have just renewed their rental contract. “We have a wet market and great restaurants nearby, and the area is very charming. Why would we want to move?”
House Hunting from Afar
Without PropertyGuru, searching for a rental home remotely from all the way in India would have been impossible. The map function allowed her to visualise the properties in relation to the children’s school and her husband’s workplace. It also helped her decide that they wanted to stay close to the North East Line.
Once she narrowed in on the area, she continued to use the platform to shortlist apartments and finally got lucky. “We wouldn’t have found this place we call home without being able to access these functions from India,” explains Meghna.
Discovering Herself Along with This Beautiful City
Meghna has always been an avid gardener, so the large balcony gives her adequate space to indulge her green thumb. She also likes to dabble in various forms of art such as decoupage, watercolour painting, refurbishing old furniture, and sewing. Their little study doubles up as an art room and office for when Ashwin is working from home.
Relocating your family and belongings to a new country isn’t easy. Finding the perfect home in an unfamiliar country adds another level of difficulty. Still, thanks to the internet and with the help of PropertyGuru, Meghna was able to do just that.
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