{"id":35795,"date":"2020-08-06T10:00:19","date_gmt":"2020-08-06T02:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.99.co\/blog\/singapore\/?p=35795"},"modified":"2022-06-13T17:25:40","modified_gmt":"2022-06-13T09:25:40","slug":"sengkang-grand-residences-covid-taught-importance-of-amenities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.99.co\/singapore\/insider\/sengkang-grand-residences-covid-taught-importance-of-amenities\/","title":{"rendered":"OPINION: Living through COVID-19 has taught me how important amenities are"},"content":{"rendered":"
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As an introvert, I\u2019ll be first to admit I was actually looking forward to the start of circuit breaker.<\/p>\n

Yes, the country was enduring a pandemic and businesses were no doubt suffering. But at the same time, I was quite selfishly enthusiastic about the idea of working from home, avoiding colleagues and doing my national duty of keeping infection numbers low.<\/p>\n

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In my head, it was simple. My day would look something like this: wake up in the morning, eat cereal, start writing, order GrabFood in, continue writing, and order more food in. And of course, save on transport costs in the process.<\/p>\n

Of course, all this was in theory. The stay-at-home plan actually has a few cracks.<\/p>\n

Ordering food in daily is expensive\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

After a week of ordering in, I realised I had spent over $350 on food. It wasn\u2019t that I had Haidilao for every meal \u2013 it was simply the result of food delivery fees stacking up. Due to overwhelming demand, it also often took a lot longer than what was promised. So effectively, I was paying for expensive food that arrived slow.<\/p>\n

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I certainly could not afford to spend $350 a week on food. Cooking wasn\u2019t an option for me, either, because cooking and cleaning for two meals would simply have taken up too much time.<\/p>\n

In the end, I decided to save some money by going out instead.<\/p>\n

My place was nice, but not exactly convenient\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

I live in a nice apartment in Hillview; it\u2019s big and spacious, I have high-speed internet, and friendly co-occupants. It\u2019s fantastic, which is why I was so eagerly looking forward to work from home (WFH).<\/p>\n

Step out of my home though, and it\u2019s a different story.<\/p>\n

Like most millennials these days, I don\u2019t own a car and prefer to use ride-hailing services to ferry ourselves around. Cash rich, asset light is the way to go for urban professionals who splurge selectively.<\/p>\n

But booking a cab doesn\u2019t make sense for short walkable trips. What this translates to is stepping out into the oppressive, sweat inducing 32-degree Singapore lunchtime heat. This, or sky-cracking showers that will threaten the structural integrity of even the sturdiest of umbrellas.<\/p>\n

Both of these have turned a seemingly harmless 10-minute walk into a mini-odyssey where I\u2019d return drenched \u2013 either in my own sweat or rain.<\/p>\n

This experience made me reconsider the idea of a<\/strong>n<\/strong> integrated development<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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I\u2019m not going to lie. I used to think integrated developments were overrated.<\/p>\n

As an introvert, I had every reason to. These developments are often right smack in any urban centre, and are close to transport nodes, F&B outlets, and workspaces. But that also means being around a lot of people.<\/p>\n

But after experiencing the drag of braving the elements just for a simple grocery run during COVID-19, I\u2019ve started to change my mind a little. Now, I think they make sense for the millennials of the future.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s why:<\/p>\n

WFH is undeniably the future<\/strong><\/p>\n

I think if we have to take anything away from this pandemic regarding our work, it\u2019s that most work functions for white collar professions can happen from home. Yes, your meeting could have been an email indeed.<\/p>\n

This means that living near the CBD (Raffles Place, Tanjong Pagar), while still attractive, isn\u2019t as important as it used to be for the urban millennial. The government\u2019s efforts to disperse the CBD into business hubs around the island pre-COVID had already set the stage for this. COVID-19 is only accelerating the trend.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what I think \u201cgood location\u201d in Singapore now simply means: close to amenities and well-connected via public transport.<\/p>\n

People still need to go out, amenities are still important\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Staying at home is great, and there\u2019s a lot of hype about e-commerce and food delivery. But ultimately, people still prefer to pick their own groceries, save on delivery fees, as well as socialise. With amenities nearby, these won\u2019t be any trouble. And there is no social substitute for eating outside. I mean, just look at the crowd out now despite COVID-19 still being out there.<\/p>\n

If you hate the weather, it\u2019s only going to get worse<\/strong><\/p>\n

Like it or not, climate change is only going to make Singapore warmer and wetter. This means if you hate doing grocery runs where you are exposed to the weather, it\u2019s going to get a lot worse. Integrated developments offer complete shelter from the elements, with some in air-conditioned fashion. Very alluring!<\/p>\n

Sengkang Grand Residences is one such integrated development\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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There are several existing integrated developments on the market right now, but it\u2019s impossible to miss Sengkang Grand Residences, which is fully integrated with Sengkang Grand Mall, Buangkok MRT station and the upcoming bus interchange.<\/p>\n

Sengkang Grand Residences is made up of several components with lifestyle conveniences under one roof.<\/p>\n

THE RESIDENCES\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

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The interior of a 3-Bedroom Premium + Flexi. For illustration only.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The unit types range from 1-Bedroom + Study to 4-Bedroom Premium + Flexi. So whether you\u2019re married to your job, your spouse, or the whole family \u2013 there\u2019ll be something that suits your needs.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll also get a fully-equipped kitchen with branded appliances from De Dietrich, and bathrooms furnished with quality fittings from Hansgrohe and Duravit. Classy.<\/p>\n

FACILITIES FOR THE RESIDENTS<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Within the project, there are five themed clubs and two clubhouses \u2013 each with their own unique features. Some of these include:<\/p>\n