“If you work hard, Singapore gives you the opportunity to make money,” says Hermes Xhika, who was “broke as hell” when he first moved here and had to rely on “the $2 chicken rice at Woodlands MRT station” to get by. He now lives in a landed property and drives a BMW.
After moving to Singapore, Hermes married his wife Irene, spending $20 on a faux diamond engagement ring. The couple “struggled badly financially”, as Hermes had not found a full-time job and Irene was then a new property agent who was earning less than $2,000 a month.
He thought hard about how to improve his financial situation. “I was going around Singapore trying to find a job. I didn’t mind anything, I just wanted to get a job so I could stay here,” he said. The perpetually humid weather meant that Hermes could have a steady income if he played his cards right. In 2016, he set up his own company calledoffering installation and repair services. “I was a computer guy. I didn’t know what I was doing. But if you want to do something just go for it man, figure out the issues later. If you worry too much about the what-ifs, it’s never going to happen,” he shared with 8days.sg.
He remembered a particular job at the home of a fellow European. “He was British or German, and he kind of looked down on me. He kept asking how much I was making, and I just said enough to pay my bills,” Hermes shared.In 2019, the Covid-19 pandemic hit. People started working from home. It was during that time that Hermes saw a huge jump in business. “I had more jobs because everyone wanted to make sure their air-con was working properly.
That also took off during the pandemic, when demand for room-renting increased. Hermes and Irene now manage 10 properties, which they furnish and decorate themselves. “How you group potential tenants together is an art in itself,” Hermes said.Financially, Hermes is now doing “much much better”. He upgraded Irene’s engagement ring to one with a real diamond. He added: “I can buy a company van, own a car and support my family back home. In Albania I would have been working as a computer engineer.
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