SINGAPORE: A man took to social media to vent about a big mistake he made when buying his HDB flat — its sun-facing orientation.   In a recent post on the r/askSingapore Reddit forum, he talked about his regret, saying that his flat basically turns into an oven from noon onwards, making it super uncomfortable to even hang out in the living room.   “Me and my wife were sold by the view of the unit. When we were at the viewing. Aircon is on as usual. However, after purchasing and signing the OTP. I realised it has the western sun!!!” he exclaimed. “Now every afternoon between 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. We are BBQ-ed. To the extent that I even got a heat rash in my living room while playing a game.” Still, despite the sweltering afternoons, the man said he and his wife “love the flat” because everything else is perfect, and that they “can live with this one regret”. See also  Woman says S'poreans are the most inconsiderate, worst car drivers Curious if others have had similar experiences, he asked the Reddit community, “What were your regrets after purchasing your humble abode?” “The western sun can actually be good.” In the discussion thread, many Singaporean Redditors shared their own regrets, with some revealing common issues that they hadn’t noticed during the initial viewing. One Redditor said, “I bought a resale condo. It was an older unit so didn’t realise it would have water leakage issues, and because the second floor had to fight off a rat infestation, killed 12+ rats over the span of a month.” Another commented, “Resale condo. When I viewed it, it was always in the afternoon. When I moved in, I realized I lived opposite a disco and a KTV. Fighting, loud music, and KTV girls are always nearby. Upside, if I call the police, they appear within 2 minutes. (Yes, I timed them).”   A third shared, “Noise. All windows and bedrooms in the apartment are facing a big main road four lanes in each direction. Noisy in the day, and night when vehicles like to zoom down at high speed.”   Some also shared their own struggles with sun exposure. Like the man who posted originally, they discovered their flats were also hit by the blazing afternoon sun, turning their homes into saunas. One of them recommended installing blackout curtains or reflective films on the windows as a solution to keep the heat at bay. Others, meanwhile, suggested getting creative with plants or installing window blinds that could help regulate the temperature while adding some greenery or style to the room.   One Redditor also tried to cheer the man up by pointing out that a flat that faces the western sun also has a benefit. They wrote, “In another way, the western sun can actually be good. Yes, it feels like being BBQ-ed, but on the other hand, your house will have lesser booklice and moulded walls.” Tips for staying cool According to Pacco Films, a company known for providing top-quality window films in Singapore, west-facing apartments can really heat up around 4 p.m. to 5 p.m., as that’s when the sun is closest to your unit. Temperatures inside can soar to as high as 35°C, making it feel pretty unbearable.   To combat this, it is recommended that residents close all windows and curtains/blinds to block out as much sunlight as possible, use heat insulation paint for the walls, invest in block-out curtains, and apply window films to rooms that experience serious heat issues.

SINGAPORE – Customers who want to send parcels to the US can now do so with Singapore Post’s new shipping service at a flat rate. They will also have to pay duties and taxes upfront before shipping. Starting on Sept 15, the new service comes following changes on Aug 29 to US tariffs, which removed the “de minimis” exemption for postal shipments to the US worth less than US$800 (S$1,026).   Previously, the exemption allowed most international shipments valued under US$800 to enter the US without duties or taxes. SingPost said it suspended standard postal services for commercial items to the US on Aug 25 to protect customers from potential delays or parcel seizure. It added that the traditional post system is not equipped to handle the changes, which subject all commercial items to duties, taxes and enhanced scrutiny.   But it will now be able to resume postal shipments to the US with its Speedpost Direct International (Retail) service, which it said is a compliant and reliable alternative.     Customers can choose to send their parcels with a maximum weight of 0.5kg using a honeycomb padded envelope for $29, or a standard carton box measuring 31cm by 23cm by 9cm for $69 for parcels not exceeding 2kg. Each shipment’s value must not exceed US$100, and shipping is expected to take five to eight working days.   The flat rate excludes taxes and Customs duties, which SingPost will calculate for the customer before shipping. SingPost group chief operating officer Neo Su Yin said the new service offers transparency for customers and avoids hidden fees. “Our post office staff will assist customers in calculating and collecting all necessary duties and taxes upfront, eliminating the surprise of unexpected fees for the recipient. This provides a hassle-free experience from start to finish.” SingPost said customers with more frequent or varied shipping needs are advised to set up corporate accounts, so its dedicated account managers can support customers with shipments of different sizes. These include small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as marketplace sellers. Packages above 2kg or valued at more than US$100 should be sent via the premium Speedpost Express (International) service, which will complete delivery within three to six working days. The retail service’s launch comes after the postal service introduced the “delivery duty paid” model for its corporate customers on Aug 27, before the expiration of the de minimis exemption. The de minimis exemption was previously slated to end in July 2027. But US President Donald Trump accelerated its expiration with an executive order, citing the ease of fentanyl trafficking into the country. Fentanyl is an opioid drug typically used for pain relief and as an anaesthetic, and is the primary cause of drug overdose deaths in the US, according to the US government. US retailers and industry groups also opposed the exemption in the belief it gave an unfair advantage to foreign e-commerce companies, such as Shein and Temu, and some third-party sellers on Amazon. The change has caused turmoil among postal services around the world. More than 30 countries suspended shipments to the US in August before gradually resuming them with a “postal delivery duties paid” service – which postal services have typically not done before.

got breakdown mean we nv over maintenance . mean money not waste, we should have even more breakdown    

@Cybertan