Charmed Circle
The Sunday Times
Sunday, 2 March 2008

The Circle Line will open from next year, starting with Stage Three, which links the Bishan station on the North-South Line to the Serangoon station on the North-East Line. Experts say this added accessibility will boost property values in the areas around each station. Which are some of the notable stations and residential developments to look out for now?

Bartley Road - Steep price jump likely

Current prices

At the end of last year, homes in the Bartley area averaged $543 per sq ft (psf) in price.

While there are too few projects in the area to allow an accurate comparison of average prices over time, those projects with more transactions showed steady price rises last year.

These include Casa Rosa at Lorong Ong Lye and Sun Rosier at How Sun Drive, which went up in price by 20 per cent to 30 per cent last year.

Potential growth

Home prices are likely to jump by up to 30 per cent after the completion of the Circle Line MRT Station in front of the Maris Stella schools, said Mr Ku Swee Yong, the director of marketing and business development at Savills Singapore.

He said this is one of the locations that will see the biggest rises in value as prices in the area are fairly low right now.

The construction around the area seems to be more extensive than usual, he noted.

‘I would expect a significant price jump once the station is operational. Residents will then reap the benefits after suffering years of disruption from the road works.’

New launches

A new 35-unit freehold project, Evania at Bartley Road, was recently launched right in front of the future station.

Prices start from more than $800,000 for a two-bedroom unit and go up to just above $1.1 million for a 3+1 bedroom unit. There is also a penthouse.

Lorong Chuan - Richly valued haven

Current prices

Prices in the area around Lorong Chuan and Serangoon Avenue 3 climbed almost 50% on average last year, according to data from Savills Singapore.

They are now about $710 per sq ft (psf), from $480 psf the year before. But prices vary hugely depending on the project’s age.

Chuan Park at Lorong Chuan, built in the mid-1980s, goes for about $600 psf. In contrast, The Chuan, a recent launch, has seen transactions go over $1,000 psf.

At Amaranda Gardens at Serangoon Avenue 3 and Goldenhill Park Condo at Mei Hwan Drive, both fairly new projects, units have sold for $743 to $914 psf since the year started.

Potential growth

The quiet residential area is popular with locals and expatriates alike, partly because of the schools there, which include Nanyang Junior College and St Gabriel’s Primary School.

Home prices, however, have already gone up significantly in the last 12 months, so not much upside is likely, said Savills’ Mr Ku Swee Yong. He expects a 10 to 15% rise this year.

New launches

No future launches are known at this time. Apart from The Chuan, recent launches include two cluster housing projects, Dunsfold 18 and Milford Villas, which came on the market last year.

Dunsfold 18 bungalows sold for between $3 million and $3.6 million each.

The terrace houses at Milford Villas went for $1.2 million to $1.63 million each.

Marymount - Moderate price increase

Current prices

Condominiums around the future Marymount MRT Station saw an average price increase of 35% last year.

Prices rose from about $576 per sq ft (psf) to $777 psf last year, according todata from Savills Singapore.

Thomson 800 at Thomson Road is among the developments that command the highest prices in the area. Its most recent transactions, in October last year, went above $1,000 psf.

Elsewhere, at Seasons View in Pemimpin Drive and Lakeview Estate in Upper Thomson Road, homes are fetching less than $700 psf.

Potential growth

The spillover from nearby Bishan - as well as the cluster of office and industrial buildings near the new MRT station - could boost prices in the area by up to 15%, said Savills.

The proximity to Raffles Junior College and Raffles Institution will further enhance property values near the station.

New launches

A new project is set to be built at Bishan Street 22, courtesy of Sim Lian Land, which bought the land last year from the Housing Board (HDB).

Last year, Sim Lian’s managing director, Mr Kuik Sing Beng, said he expected to launch a 600-unit development on the plot by this June.

He said it would be a 99-year leasehold, entry-level condo aimed at HDB upgraders. He estimated the homes could sell for between $700 and $750 psf.

Mountbatten - Boost expected from Sports Hub

Current prices

Located near the former Kallang Stadium site and the interim campus for the School of the Arts, Mountbatten is an up-and-coming estate, but it has few condominiums.

Apartments at nearby Tanjong Rhu and Meyer Road, however, are going for between $1,000 and $1,500 per sq ft (psf) on average.

Potential growth

Property watchers said with so few private housing projects in the vicinity, it would be hard to track price growth around the station. Once the nearby Sports Hub is completed, however, property values around the area could rise by at least 10 per cent, they said.

New launches

A small project launched in the area last Saturday quietly sold more than 80 per cent of its 45 units within a week.

The freehold Cosmo, located 400m from the upcoming Mountbatten MRT Station, fetched average prices of $1,050 to $1,100 psf.

As at Friday, a few two-bedroom and duplex units were still available, priced at between $700,000 and $925,000.

Mr Melvin Poh, the managing director of Cosmo developer Fission Development, describes the area as ‘quite exciting’, as there are so many billion-dollar projects sprouting up nearby.

He expects home rentals in the area to hold steady, given its proximity to the city and a future MRT station.

Dakota - Values to swing up on HDB turf

Current prices

The site for the upcoming Dakota MRT Station lies smack in the middle of an HDB estate, with few private homes immediately nearby.

The Government, though, may be trying to further develop private housing in the area, given the release of a plot at Dakota Crescent last year.

Few HDB resale transactions have taken place there in recent months. A single four-room flat sold for $440,000 last month.

Further down the Dunman Road/Tanjong Katong Road side, prices of private condominiums have shot up by some 40 per cent in the last year to an average of between $700 and $1,000 per sq ft (psf).

Potential growth

Home prices at Dakota are not expected to rise by that much, since they have already gone up a fair bit in the last year.

With a new station opening in the area, however, values could go up by at least 20%, once construction is finished and the roads are cleaned up, said Savills Singapore’s Mr Ku Swee Yong.

The presence of many schools in the area, including Broadrick Secondary School and Chung Cheng High School, should also boost demand and rentals.

New launches

Boutique developer Ho Bee, which bought the government plot released last year, has a widely anticipated project coming up on the site.

The new units are likely to be launched at an average of $1,000 to $1,100 psf, Ho Bee said last year.

About 380 homes can be built on the 99-year leasehold site.