What do you do when the rent on your spacious home doubles and new apartments in the same area are so small you can’t fit your bed into the master bedroom?

By Rebecca Bisset
Issue 75 - October 2008

You buy an apartment – one that was built a few years ago, when they still gave them good-sized bedrooms. Or, if you are Raphael and Aksel Kitowski, you buy three apartments!

A few years ago, Polish-born Raphael and Turkish-born Aksel thought it would be worth investing in property here as they planned to be in Singapore for the long term. Having lived in Japan, however, Raphael knew what it was like to live in a shoebox, and he thought the new developments in Singapore were going the same way.

THE AREA
The couple started looking around the area of the apartment they were renting near Newton, at Novena, and in the Balmoral area, but prices had already started to increase, and there were fewer older properties available as many of them were being sold en bloc to developers. They broadened their search area, but in the two years it took them to decide where and what to buy, prices had escalated even further.

So when they found what they wanted at La Suisse on Swiss View, just up from Binjai Park, they decided it would be worth buying three units. They renovated one to live in, and the other two are available for rent, or perhaps even for resale.

The place appealed to them for many reasons. It’s within walking distance of the Swiss Club, the British Club, the German European School and more. The area is nice and green, and although the Pan Island Expressway is at the rear of the properties, it’s blocked off by large trees and is far away enough not to be a nuisance. From the kitchens of the apartments at La Suisse there is a lovely open outlook onto these trees, and the apartments front onto a quiet cul-de-sac.

THE SPECS
Built about six years ago, these apartments are modern, but of the larger-bedroom variety. Both Raphael and Aksel are tall, but the spaciousness and 3.1-metre-high ceilings at La Suisse ensure they don’t feel cramped. The couple have a passion for art, so they were delighted to find an apartment with plenty of wall space. At 1,700 square feet, the one they chose to live in is a good size for a three-bedroom apartment. One of the other two they bought, a garden flat, is even larger at 2,400 square feet. Both of these are available for viewing through Expat Rentals.

THE MORTGAGE
The development is on 999-year leasehold, which generally gives you more property for your money. United Overseas Bank helped the Kitowskis with the financial arrangements, and they have found that their monthly mortgage payments on the apartment they live in are less than what they were paying previously on rent. Raphael recommends UOB’s Eddie Goh, whom he describes as being “right there” on interest and product updates. So impressed is he with Eddie that he is even taking advice from him on other areas of his finances.

THE RENOVATIONS
The great thing about buying your own home is that you can tailor it to your own needs. Sally Soh of The Groove Construction helped them with the renovations, which included opening up the existing verandah and extending the patio area to lighten up the space and bring the outdoors in. Viking Professional did the kitchen.

They didn’t want a live-in maid, so they changed the maid’s room to a storage room. It has a secret door that blends in with the kitchen cupboards, and is where Louis their adorable French bulldog sleeps. They also enclosed the outdoor laundry area and knocked down internal walls to incorporate it into the house.

The middle bedroom is now a walk-in dressing area, off which an en suite bathroom leads. There is an attractive resort-style window between the bathroom and the bedroom.

THE CONTENTS
Some of the furniture is from their previous home in California’s Silicon Valley, and the rest was purchased here. Jim Thompson fabrics have been used to cover the sofas brought with them from the US, and they have added a number of classic Chinese antiques to intensify the Asian influence. Antiques are one of Raphael’s passions; cooking is another.

Their paintings have been collected over the years, mainly through auction houses such as Sotheby’s and Christie’s, and also, more recently, from a local auction house. There are several Polish artists in the mix, and Raphael says that although he hasn’t spent a lot to acquire them, he does see them as investments that he hopes will increase in value.

Louis the bulldog is an important part of the household, but I was ready to put him in my large handbag and take him home. He is the ideal small dog, as he hardly barks, he’s full of character and apparently he makes wonderful company.

THEIR HANGOUTS
Raphael and Aksel have joined the Swiss Club and are very happy with it. They also like to walk down to the Smoking Frog on Bukit Timah Road, which they describe as a small pub with three ang-moh-style (expat-friendly) hawker centres nearby: a Thai, a Western and an Indian. Picotin at the old Turf Club is also a favourite.

THE FUTURE
The Kitowskis, both of whom work in the semiconductor industry, love Singapore so much that they were prepared to accept local packages in order to be here. Having a three-month-old baby, Lara, they’re delighted to have found a home that gives them room to put down roots and grow as a family.


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