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While house-sitting might not be a common practice in Singapore, it does present a useful opportunity to discover different neighbourhoods and environments.  This week, we speak to G who has been house-sitting for an apartment in Seastrand for the past four months with his spouse. Before moving to Pasir Ris, G was also living in the East side of Singapore but he has always been drawn to the more laid-back lifestyle that this particular neighbourhood offered.  As such, when a relative offered G to house-sit her apartment in Seastrand for a few months, he jumped at the opportunity and decided to have a first-hand experience at living in Pasir Ris before deciding if the estate was suitable for him. (For those interested in Pasir Ris, we’ve also spoken to a long-time resident who has been for the last two decades, where she shares the joy of living near the beach and vast amounts of nature). Unlike Casa Pasir Ris which is located in a much deeper and tranquil part of the neighbourhood, Seastrand is located in a more busy part of Pasir Ris. In addition to that, it is also flanked by various condos, such as Watercolours and Sea Horizon.  Overlooking one of the key roads in the neighbourhood, it is a short walk from the newly revamped Downtown East and neighbourhood amenities (such as coffee shops, schools and the sports centre), while still being within the vicinity of Pasir Ris beach.  There is also a lot to look forward to with the upcoming Cross Island Line and which features a brand new shopping complex, bus interchange, polyclinic and town plaza, so there’s plenty to look forward to in this part of the island. As far as amenities are concerned, the recent revamp on Downtown East and E!Avenue has already made quite an improvement to living in the neighbourhood. Here’s a brief profile of the project: Seastrand is a 99-year leasehold project that TOP-ed recently in 2014. It offers 472 units and a mix of 1 to 4 bedrooms, which range from 570 to 1,302 square feet.  “Unlike most typical buyers or renters, we are in quite a unique situation”, explained G.  As previously mentioned, the couple was offered the opportunity to house-sit for a relative in Seastrand, while still settling for their apartment.  “Because of this, we didn’t have much of a choice when it came to the apartment but I found it an excellent way to delve into the experience of living in the neighbourhood without needing any commitment”. Like most folks who are unfamiliar with Pasir Ris, G was concerned about its slightly remote location.  “I’ve always been intrigued about living in Pasir Ris because the environment seemed calmer. The traffic is not as terrible as in other parts of the East and I liked that it was near the beach. But what held me back to commit to settling for a home here was my initial impression that the neighbourhood is secluded and it would be inaccessible when we needed to travel to other parts of Singapore”, shared G.  He also thought that there wasn’t much to do in the neighbourhood, but still found it familiar due to years of living in the East side.  However, after his brief stay in the neighbourhood, the experience was much better than he had expected.  “I was surprised when I realised that the location worked better for us than I had imagined. I work in the East and my spouse has a remote job, so travelling was surprisingly frictionless for me. I probably would not have realised this if not for this house-sitting stint”, he shared.  The current nearest MRT Station is a 21-minute walk or a 3-bus stop ride to Pasir Ris MRT Station (East-West line and upcoming Cross Island Line), which is also connected to White Sands Mall and the upcoming Pasir Ris Mall.  In addition to that, Seastrand also provides shuttle bus services to the MRT station, which makes a big difference in accessibility.  “I also notice that we now don’t find the need to venture out to other parts of Singapore since everything we need is within reach of the neighbourhood. I also like how the neighbourhood and town centre is relatively quieter and has a unique ‘coastal town’ feel to it, compared to busier and denser neighbourhoods like Tampines”.  As part of the experience of living in a condominium, the couple found themselves enjoying using the project facilities regularly.  “My partner and I are quite active people and love a good workout. So we naturally found ourselves gravitating towards using the gym quite often. If the tennis court is available, we do like to enjoy a game of tennis once a week in the evenings, too”.  There are also several other gyms available in the vicinity, including an ActiveSG in the sports complex nearby. The fact that Seastrand was a short walk to Pasir Ris Beach for tranquil and scenic walks is a great plus point to the lifestyle offered too.  He also added that the shuttle bus was a great help when it came to easing the couple’s chores.  “There are two supermarkets that we usually frequent in the vicinity, which are located in Downtown East or White Sands Mall. Although Downtown East is much nearer to my place, I prefer to head to the White Sands outlet because the shuttle bus makes it much more seamless and convenient. I don’t enjoy walking under the hot sun”, shared G.  On the whole, G mainly had good things to say about living at Seastrand.  “One thing I noticed during my experience living here is that the common areas are generally cleaner than the public housing estates that we’ve visited and viewed before while house hunting. It was a pleasant touch that would make a difference in the long run”.  He also liked that the size of the apartment feels quite spacious for two occupants. “Compared to what I’ve seen on the market, the layout and size for this apartment is a plus point.” However, there are several things that he hoped could have been better improved.  “I haven’t had any bad encounters so far, thankfully. But I wished we could also enjoy some of the benefits offered by the public housing nearby, like the sheltered walkways. Walking to Downtown East under the afternoon heat or during rainy days would be so much more bearable. I am also not a big fan of the security or restricted lift access system, though I know it is the norm for most new condos”, G explained.  To this, G did not have much to comment on, other than the fact that the site plan of Seastrand can be quite confusing at first. “This is probably a very minute issue that would only affect residents for the first month or so when they first move in, so this isn’t really that big of a drawback. But I did find navigating around the site quite confusing initially”.  As this was never supposed to be a permanent arrangement, G has been actively searching for his new home ever since he moved into his relative’s apartment.  But this experience at Seastrand has influenced his decision on his next apartment quite a fair bit.  “I’ll be honest, I did not expect myself to like the environment so much before moving in. Although we’re only staying at Seastrand for a little while more, we’re seriously considering looking to rent a place in the same area. I’m glad that we had the opportunity to experience living here first-hand so that we know that this is the right estate for us”, concluded G.  Interested in featuring your review of your HDB or condo here? Fill in our and we’ll be in touch.