From Sam, a viewer who wrote in by email
Sam is 27 and left a sales job in the motor industry paying RM5,500 plus commission to retrain for the tech industry. He lives with his parents in USJ and gives them RM1,500 a month. The family also owns a 960 sq ft, three-plus-one-bedroom apartment in Puchong, empty since a dispute with a tenant who damaged it; similar bare units rent for about RM1,300.
Is it wise to move into the Puchong apartment, furnish it on a budget while he looks for a remote job, and rent it out later once he is settled?
“I am supportive of you moving in”
Yes, move in, but agree it with his parents as a tenancy: treat his RM1,500 as rent, pay the maintenance and bills himself, furnish it on a budget, and set a deadline of one year plus one to land a job in tech. Sean would not have quit his job to retrain, though.
Why
Living alone teaches the real costs
Paying for electricity, water, sewerage, maintenance and groceries yourself shows how much the family home was covering, and adds the urgency that living at home lacks.
Retrain while still employed
Sean would have studied on evenings, weekends and public holidays while keeping the salary, or moved into sales at a tech company first. Quitting is a luxury that living with family makes possible.
No commitments is a freedom
Without a loan to service, Sam can take a pay cut to change careers. That is why Sean tells young people not to rush into property: an instalment runs for up to 35 years, rain or shine, and property keeps you rich rather than making you rich.
Do the renovation yourself
Sean's own furnishing service, The Makeover Guys, suits people with no time or design sense. With time on his hands, Sam can source furniture online and manage the trades himself, and might find a side business in it.
What to do
- Propose to your parents that your monthly contribution becomes rent, with a one-year-plus-one tenancy.
- Pay the maintenance fees, utilities and furnishing costs yourself.
- Set a date to go back to your old industry if you have not found a job in the new one.
- Look for an entry-level role at a tech company rather than studying full-time.
- Before buying any property, have a six-month emergency fund, insurance and a clear career.
Editorial Note: Summarised from Sean Tan's full episode. The quoted answer is in his own words; the rest is our paraphrase. Figures reflect the recording date, so check current rates and rules before acting on them.
ASKING SEAN #277 | BENEFIT OF NOT HAVING A COMMITMENTS
Sources & Verification Data
Summarised from Sean's full English captions for Asking Sean #277. The quoted answer is verbatim; everything else is paraphrased. Figures are as stated in March 2025. Sean mentions The Makeover Guys, a renovation company he works with, and recommends a cheaper route for this viewer.
