Pictured: Watercove
One of the more common questions asked is, ‘what condos have sea views?’ A common question yes, but one with a rotating door of answers; some more dubious than most.
Many projects that tout a sea view actually offer a sea glimpse instead; or at least you must occupy one of the higher floors if such a view is desired.
That’s always the caveat for sea-facing high-rise projects. You can’t balance out your expectations with the marketing until after the fact. But view or not, being close to the sea gifts you with cooler winds than if you resided in a central region. There are however developments that do have sea-views.
And in our inaugural edition of the AskGuru series, here are five such projects:
Usually when a project not on Sentosa claims it is waterfront, it’s really water-adjacent or would be waterfront if it weren’t blocked by other buildings and a road. Watercove however, faces the sea, commanding its place in Wak Hassan Drive with conviction. Few projects can claim such a startling and impressive location but Watercove does which is why it ranks highest on this list. That it is a freehold terrace house with prices at around SGD2.28M (starting) makes it an all-around highly attractive home.
When a new project comes up in Siglap or Marine Parade, it’s almost a certainty that its’ popularity will sky rocket. Seaside Residences does nothing to correct that long-standing assumption. With 70% of its 560 units sold during Phase 1 when it launched in April 2017, it not only verified that District 15 is a popular place, but also established that if a project is well-designed and erected in a connected and promising place, it will sell.
Seaside Residences
You’ll need to be on a higher floor to enjoy the view, but the good thing about being in District 15 is you don’t just get the view from afar, you can walk to East Coast Park and breathe it in.
This is a bit of a cheat as The Alps technically faces a lake, and right now, that lake is under construction as part of the Green Corridor initiative set to encompass much of Tampines North. But a watery view is ultimately the same even if the body of water is somewhat lesser.
The Alps
The Alps is an extremely well-designed project with prices that start as low as SGD491K for a 1BR unit. It’s 4BR is expected to be no more than SGD1.44M. That’s competitive and given the incoming gentrification, it’s a good time to invest in a unit here.
While also technically a lake, the still blue waters of Jurong Lake is a peaceful and unique location. Against a backdrop of flats, it is framed by green trees while a couple of gorgeous oriental pagodas stare out calmly from the waters in greeting to the many trains that pass through from Lakeside to Jurong and vice versa. Peaceful view aside, Lake Grande has opulent and spacious units regardless of the size with an average psf of SGD1,368. 436 units out of 500 released in its first phase was purchased and with good reason; the Jurong Lake district is expected to be a vibrant and new lifestyle hub with the KL-Singapore highway rail being developed nearby.
When a project outright informs buyers that 60% of its units face the sea, it’s hard not to take notice. With 495 units, that means 297 units face the water and get buffeted by sea breeze in their homes. Sea Horizon has a transacted median of SGD782 psf, which for a sea-facing project within walking distance to Downtown East isn’t a bad thing at all. Despite how busy Pasir Ris can get, this area is rather relaxed, affecting a chill, almost resort-like atmosphere.
Source: Developer brochure
This time next year there will be many new projects, and from that upcoming legion of developments, it is conceivable that several would claim a sea view of some kind. But having a view of the water alone can’t help a project succeed. Likewise, an affordable pricing is not the only thing that affects the profitability of the units. A development is a sum of its parts where each area – affordability, location, design & timing – work in concert to produce something worthwhile.
The five projects above are some of the better options in the market that just happen to have sea-views. Best check them out before they’re gone.
Christopher Chitty, Senior Content Specialist wrote this story.
