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For many of us who do not live in District 15 Marine Parade estate, what is the first impression you have of this estate?
To be honest, I have never really stepped into Marine Parade estate before I became a real estate agent. My only memory is that when I was a student, this was the place we have to walk through to get to the underpass that leads to East Coast Park.
And oh ya, some of my friends told me they know Marine Parade because errr... Joseph Schooling lives here :)
Thanks to my job that I am able to know more about this estate. Not only the place, but also the people who live here.
So what makes me fall in love with this estate? I can't pinpoint specifically. Maybe the fresh air, lots of greenery, nice neighbourhood, the beach or I am simply an East-sider.
From a buyer's point of view, should you consider an HDB flat in Marine Parade?
Or If you are a die-hard fan of Marine Parade, what should you keep a lookout for when deciding which unit to buy?
As someone who has personally transacted more than 100 units in this estate, let me share my views in this article.
Location Scan
Marine Parade estate is located in District 15. It is a relatively small estate with close to 7,900 HDB flats.
The precinct is divided into 3 areas - Marine Terrace, Marine Crescent and Marine Drive.
Marine Terrace
Marine Terrace is the area circled in green (refer to map above). It is furthest from Marine Parade central where Parkway Parade is located. However, it is self-sufficient with a wet market, hawker center, a few coffee shops, provision shops and a police station.
Marine Parade town council is also located here.
Ngee Ann Primary, CHIJ Katong Convent and Victoria Junior College are located in Marine Terrace. These are reputable schools in the east.
Marine Crescent
Marine Crescent lies between Marine Terrace and Marine Drive. Residents here can either walk to Marine Terrace or Marine Drive for the amenities.
One of the most highly sought-after primary schools, Tao Nan School is located here. Many buyers choose to buy flats in Marine Parade so as to get a better chance of securing a place in this school for their child.
Marine Drive
Marine Drive is really one of the most convenient places to live in!
Parkway Parade is the most popular shopping mall in the East. There are many F&B options, retail shops and even a cinema in the mall. You can also find Cold Storage and NTUC supermarket here.
Right beside Parkway Parade is Parkway Centre. Parkway Centre has positioned itself as a place for enrichment and tuition centers. From pre-school to junior college, academics to music lessons, there are no short of options for your children here.
Apart from these, there is a wet market, hawker centre, coffee shops, provision shops etc. Marine Parade Community Centre and Marine Parade Public Library are also located here.
Marine Drive is a place bustling with activities!
Facts on HDB flats in Marine Parade
The lease for the flats in Marine Parade starts between 1974 and 1976. As HDB flats have a tenure of 99 years, the remaining lease of flats here is between 53 to 55 years.
You can find the following types of HDB flats in Marine Parade:
2room Flats
3room Flats
4room Flats
5room Flats
Adjoined Flats
2 Room Flats
There are very limited 2-room flats in Marine Parade. They are located in Blk 15 and 16 of Marine Terrace.
The 2 room flat is about 42 sqm. There were very few transactions and the last transaction for a 2 room flat was $180,000 in May 2018.
3 Room Flats
3 room flats make up the majority of the flats here.
Layout
The 3room flats in Marine Parade are the 'Improved' model. A 3'I' model generally means there are separate bathroom and toilet in the kitchen, no attached bathroom in the master bedroom, and no storeroom.
Most of the 3rm flats here are upgraded with a utility room. Only Blk 7 in Marine Terrace, Blk 34 and 35 in Marine Crescent are not upgraded with utility room.
For the 3room corridor units without a utility room, the size is typically 59sqm.
For the 3room corridor flats with a utility room, the size is typically 65sqm.
For the 3room corner flats without a utility room, the size is typically 70sqm.
For the 3room corner flats with a utility room, the size is typically 76sqm.
The extra 11sqm between a corridor and corner unit goes into the living room and the front bedroom (as marked in red in the floorplan below) so you will have a bigger living and bedroom!
Tips For 3 Room Buyers In Marine Parade
Some buyers do not like the layout of the 3room flat because there is no attached bathroom.
Many buyers got around this by making an entrance to the bathroom from the bedroom near the kitchen to create an attached bathroom.
Some buyers find the kitchen too big. They pushed the wall between the living room and kitchen back, and create a bigger living room or a dining area.
Some of my buyers even removed the wall totally and create an island!
You may want to check with your contractors if this can be done before committing to a unit.
Where Can I Find Sea View Unit?
If you are looking for a sea view unit, you will get the best sea view from the high floor units in Blk 6 Marine Terrace, Blk 33 Marine Crescent and Blk 64 Marine Drive.
However, as these blocks are facing the highway, you will also get the traffic noise.
There are some units in Blk 5 Marine Terrace, Blk 30, 31, 32 Marine Crescent and Blk 65 Marine Drive which have good sea view too.
Personally, I like the 3 room units in Blk 30 Marine Crescent.
As Blk 30, 31, 32 and 33 are staggered, the high floor units on the right-hand side (facing the direction of the sea) of Blk 30 have a good view of the sea from the living room and front bedroom.
It is also set back from the highway and thus have lesser traffic noise.
There are no high-rise buildings behind Blk 30. Therefore the kitchen and 2nd bedroom enjoy an unblocked view of the Telok Kurau landed estate.
You will get a good breeze throughout the year!
4 Room Flat
The 4 room flats in Marine Parade are the 'Improved' model too.
Like the 3 room flats, it has a separate bathroom and toilet in the kitchen, does not have an attached bathroom and there is no storeroom.
Most of the 4room flats are upgraded with an extra utility room or service balcony. Only Blk 17 Marine Terrace, Blk 34 and 35 Marine Crescent, Blk 74, 75, 76 Marine Drive do not have an extra utility room.
For the 4 room flat without a utility room, the floor area is around 82sqm.
For the 4 room flat with a utility room or service balcony, the floor area is around 87 to 88sqm.
Tips For 4 Room Buyers In Marine Parade
Many buyers do not like the layout for 4 room flat in Marine Parade as it does not have an attached bathroom.
To get around this, some buyers make a door from bedroom 1 to the bathroom, thus creating an ensuite (refer to the floorplan above).
However bedroom 1 is the smallest room out of the 3 bedrooms. Therefore some buyers hack the wall (partially) between bedroom 1 and bedroom 3 to create a bigger master bedroom.
Do check with your contractors if you are planning to do the same!
Where Can I Find Sea View Unit?
If you are looking for a 4 room flat with a good sea view, Blk 18 Marine Terrace is definitely the block to go for as there is no blockage in front of the block.
5 Room Flat
The 5 room flats in Marine Parade are all located on a point block. In other words, there are only 4 units per level, and all 4 units are located at the corner.
Layout
The 5-room flats in Marine Parade are generally between 117 to 123sqm.
Some of the owners for the 5 room flat have purchased the recessed area outside their unit. The recessed area is around 3 to 5sqm.
There are 3 blocks of 5 room flat that are upgraded with extra utility room - Blk 13 Marine Terrace, Blk 27 and 28 Marine Crescent.
For such units, their area is typically 123 to 126sqm (depending on whether they have bought the recessed area).
Tips For 5 Room Buyers In Marine Parade
As all 5 room flats are located on a point block, there will be 2 units facing the south direction, and 2 units facing the north direction.
If you are familiar with Marine Parade, you will know that units facing the south direction also face the direction of the sea.
In other words, such units will enjoy a sea view from their living room and 2 common bedrooms if they are on a high floor and there are no other buildings blocking their view.
For units facing the North direction, you will be facing the Telok Kurau landed estate. This means you will get an unblocked landed view if you are on a high floor with no other buildings blocking your view.
Another thing to note besides whether the unit faces the sea or the landed estate is if it has the morning or afternoon sun.
There will be 2 units on each level which have the morning sun, and 2 units with the afternoon sun.
The sun will come in from the balcony and windows of the master bedroom.
For buyers who are not a morning person, you might want to avoid units with morning sun. If you do not like the afternoon sun, you should avoid the units with the afternoon sun.
Which unit should I go for if I want to have a sea view but less traffic noise from ECP?
I have always told buyers looking for a sea view unit in Marine Parade that sea view and traffic noise is a package.
If you want the best sea view, you must take the traffic noise too.
However, through my experience in helping sellers and buyers in Marine Parade, I notice units on level 2o and above get lesser traffic noise.
So if you are sensitive to noise, go for units above level 20.
Alternatively, you can choose units with the living room facing the north direction, and balcony facing the East direction.
Though you might not get a sea view from the living room, you will still get a good sea view from the balcony.
Adjoined Flats
You can find some adjoining units in Marine Parade too. These are normally 2 units of adjoining 3 room flats that have been converted into 1 unit.
There are 2 types of adjoined flat in Marine Parade.
The first type is a 3 room corner unit adjoined with a 3 room corridor unit. The owner will normally purchase the corridor space outside the corridor unit. I have previously sold one of such units in Blk 32 Marine Crescent.
The second type is a 3 room corridor adjoined with another 3 room corridor unit. I have also previously marketed one such unit in Blk 4 Marine Terrace.
Based on my knowledge, there are a number of adjoining flats in Blk 30, 31, 32 and 33 Marine Crescent. There are also a couple of such flats in Blk 4 and 5 of Marine Terrace, Blk 46 Marine Crescent and Blk 64 and 65 of Marine Drive.
Based on the HDB resale transactions record, there was an adjoined flat transacted in February this year at Blk 46 Marine Crescent. It was sold at $768,000.
Conclusion
HDB flats in Marine Parade have always been highly sought after.
The location is very accessible. It takes only 10 minutes' drive to reach the city and 10 minutes to reach the airport. With the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) ready in 2024, it will bring more convenience to residents living here.
Amenities are plentiful. Shopping malls, wet markets, hawker centers, schools etc are all within walking distance. East Coast Park is also within minutes' walk.
Flats in Marine Parade have been upgraded and are very well-maintained.
If you are looking to buy a unit in Marine Parade and would like to be put into my database for new listings, please drop me a Whatsapp.
If you are an owner living in Marine Parade and looking to sell your unit, do contact me so I can share with you the most updated valuation and my opinion of how much your unit can fetch.
Hope to see you soon!
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About The Author
Vivian is an experienced real estate agent who has been in the industry since 2002.
Over the years, she has transacted numerous property deals including HDB & private properties. She is well-versed in policies and regulations involving the sale and purchase of residential properties. She has also handled many transactions involving complicated situations like contra, divorce, administration/probate cases, and decoupling / part-share purchase.
Vivian is also a mother to 2 boys. Being a real estate mom allows her to spend much time with her children as they were growing up. Both boys are avid footballers representing their schools and clubs. She loves watching their games and hardly misses a game whenever they play.
Vivian is an active real estate salesperson and team leader. Call her at 98577714 for your real estate matters, or if you are looking to join the real estate industry.