Watertown: 3-Bedroom SOHO (Photo Review)

This SOHO units at Watertown come in both 2- and 3-bedroom variants. However, the wife and I prefer the later, which is about 807sqft.

Below are photos that we took of the showflat.

The living/dining/kitchen area is surprisingly spacious for an unit of about 800sqft.

We love the functional design of the Study. However, it will be a tad difficult to reach the top-most shelves without support, given the 3.4-metre high ceiling!

The bathroom and WC come in separate cubicles, which we like. However, the transparent glass partition-wall between/around the two cubicles should probably be frosted so that two people (who may not wish to look at each other bathing and peeing respectively) can utilize the facilities privately.

The “common bedroom” is elevated by a raised platform, which means you can have a separate office area below the bedroom. However, those more than 1.7m tall should probably take care when climbing into bed.

The master bedroom is surprisingly spacious and can easily fit a King-sized bed. 

The master bathroom has a rather simplistic design but is rather pleasing to the eyes. All the floors/walls are marble.

Overall speaking, the 3-bedder SOHO looked way more spacious than its size seemed to suggest. Maybe the high ceiling has something to do with this, but we reckon it is also due to the compact design that maximizes space.

Price wise, the list price for this unit type (applicable during our visit last week) was about $1,299,560 ($1,610psf). After all applicable discounts, the nett price was $1,067,703 or $1,323psf.

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Watertown (Review) – Part 2

The Sky Patio in Watertown comes in both 3- and 4-bedroom variants. The showflat features the 1,173sqft, 3-bedder unit (Type C1b).

As you walk through the main door, you arrive into the living/dining area. We like the fact that unlike most 3-bedders that we have seen recently, there is no long walkway (aka “dead” space). The living/dining area is rectangular shaped and seems rather spacious for an unit of less than 1,200sqft, even with decent-sized furnitures. It comes with 60cm x 30cm marble-slab floors (a pleasant surprise compared to the homogenous tile that is the norm these days) and 3-metre ceiling!

The kitchen is self-contained and very good-sized. The developers have gotten it right by dispensing with a “dry kitchen” area, as the apartment can ill-afford the space. And as per many of the recent Far East “involved” projects, the developers have thrown in a whole host of kitchen appliances other than the usual hob/hood/oven/fridge. You also get a microwave, wine fridge and even a dish-drying rack that’s mounted above the sink!

The utility room is in the yard area behind the kitchen. It is decent enough size but we suspect you will need to customize the bed for your domestic helper.

The yard space is longish and very functional. And unlike many of the showflats that we have seen recently, you do not have to worry about where to dry your clothes. A mechanical clothes-dryer is provided, while a huge window provdes ample natural ventilation and light into the yard area. And to top it all off, there is even an extra sink in the yard for your “hand-wash” items… nice!

The common bathroom is good-sized and you get marble floors/walls (we had to double-checked on this with the marketing agent, as the “marble” slabs sounded rather hallow when we knocked on it). And also “rain shower” in the shower stall – a luxury not commonly found in many other projects nowadays!

The common bedroom is surprisingly good-sized, especially considering the size of the unit. It can probably accommodate a single bed and a small writing desk, if you place the bed against the window. This is more than you can ask of bedrooms in many other projects that we have recently seen, whereby you have hardly any walking space left after putting in the bed. However, the wife will tell you that it is quite bad “Feng Shui” to position the bed as per the showflat (see photo). This is because your bed “cuts” the door, which will create bad “chi” within the room resulting in unrestful sleep.

The master bedroom is again rather spacious, even with a King-sized bed. It comes with nice timber-strip floors (common for all bedrooms) and standard two-panel wardrobes. The wife and I are not really for glass “doors” – although it makes the bedroom looks bigger and also functions as a mirror, you need to get rid of all the “finger prints” diligently else the glass panels will always look “dirty”.

The master bathroom is again decent-sized and the “dark constrast with light” color scheme for the marble floors and walls is quite aesthetically pleasing. It comes wth a long bath AND an adjacent shower stall, a feature that is normally reserved for 4-bedroom apartments.

Now for the “exciting” bit – Price: The wife and I were told that the Sky Patio apartments are considered “premium” units and as such, they also come with premium prices.

The list price for a 1,173sqft, 3-bedder on the 5th floor is $1,940,200 ($1,654psf)! But as of earlier this week, developers are giving away discounts in the following form:
     Basic Discount – 10%
     Special Discount – 4%
     Stamp Duty Offset – 3% (cash rebate, even if you actually uses CPF to pay for this)
     Furniture Vouchers – 2% (cash rate, payable only upon TOP of project)
So after all applicable discounts, the nett price for the unit comes to $1,591,436 or $1,356psf.

What we like:
• Convenience – No argument here, given the huge shopping mall beneath your block, integrated access to Punggol MRT/LRT stations and the added appeal of waterfront living along the Punggol Waterway. Watertown is practically self-contained as all the amenities that you need (including going to the movies) are available at your doorstep. So there is really little need to go down to Orchard to shop/eat or catch a movie, unless you really want a change of surrounding.

• Layout and Design – The wife and I have not seen a better layout and design for a 3-bedroom apartment for quite some time. Matter of fact, we cannot recall another 3-bedder showflat that we liked more than the one we saw at WaterTown. The apartment layout is very well thought-out, while all the different living areas (balcony and yard included) are designed so as to maximize space and practicality.

• Quality Finishing – The developers certainly pulled out all stops in this department – from the marble floors and walls right down to “extravagant” like the wine fridge, dish-drying rack, laundry system and “rain showers” (for both bathrooms, no less!).

• High Ceiling – The 3-metre high ceiling gives the apartment alot more “volume”, which probably explains why the 1,175sqft 3-bedder felt so much bigger than its actual size. You also will have no problem installing that ceiling fan or chandelier, even with false ceiling!

What we dislike:
• Location – No matter how you try to justify it, Punggol is… to most of us not living in the Punggol/Sengkang area… FAR (although one will say that this is subjective). Despite the convenience of MRT and supposed good connections to the various expressways, it is still a fairly long way to get from Punggol to the city and other parts of Singapore. So those living in WaterTown may really have to revolve their lives around the development and facilities nearby… out of consolation rather than desire.

• Exclusiveness – Call us paranoids if you must but the wife and I do question about the “exclusivity” factor in mixed-developments. We do understand that there are segregated entry/exit points for residents and the general public visiting the mall. We also believe that the condo management will deploy enough security guards to ensure that the condo grounds are well patrolled. However, there is always this nagging feeling that with mix-developments, one will find more cases of “non residents” wandering around or even using the condo facilities without permission.

• Traffic – The Watertown Mall is supposedly located at the town centre and is slated to be the largest (if not only) mall in Punggol. Looking at the many public housing surrounding Watertown and with more BTO flats, ECs (Prive, Twin Waterfalls) and private condos (A Treasure Trove) being built around the area, we suspect traffic along Punggol Walk and Punggol Central is going to increase many folds over the next few years (even on weekends), which may be a bane for Watertown residents who drive.

• PRICE – It is a Far East project, albeit a joint-venture, so the wife and I were prepared to be “wowed” by the price. However, we still went away amazed. When we “complained” to the marketing agent that prices for Far East projects are “famous” for being the highest in the market, he was quick to point out that Watertown is not totally a Far East project as it is developed by three parties. We told him that if Watertown is “exclusively” Far East, the selling price will probably be $1,900psf!

Our parting shot:   The wife and I believe that Watertown is a quality project, both in terms of its apartment designs and furnishings. In fact, it is possibly one of the better (if not best) project that we have seen for some time. However, we cannot come to terms with paying more than $1,300psf for a 99-year leasehold project in Punggol, despite all the good things that we have seen and the convenience associated with an integrated mixed-development. But the strange thing is, units are still flying off the shelves like hot-cakes despite the exorbitant price. So are we the only fools to think that Watertown is #@$! expensive? Only time will tell. But in the meantime, the wife and I are pretty certain about two things:

• We probably can find a $1,300psf, 3-bedder alternative (ok, maybe not brand new) that’s of similar size, full facility, located fairly near to shopping malls/MRT station and much nearer to town.

• Owners of nearby public flats and private condos (including A Treasure Trove, which was sold at less than $900psf during its launch) are rubbing their hands with glee waiting for the completion of Watertown, as they can almost see the resale prices of their apartments soaring. Huat ah!
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Watertown (Review) – Part 1

Anyone who has not been living under a rock must have heard about the latest selling sensation that is Watertown by now. This is the first integrated waterfront residential and retail development in Punggol (District 19), located right besides the Punggol MRT/LRT stations and Punggol waterway.

For those who are unfamilar with Punggol Waterway (the wife and I certainly weren’t), this $225-million feature, called My Waterway@Punggol, was constructed by damming two rivers at the east and west of Punggol, the Sungei Serangoon and Sungei Punggol, to form two reservoirs to meet Singapore’s increasing water needs. Taking 2-1/2 years to construct, the waterway has pedestrian and cycling paths on both banks, four footbridges, viewing platforms, exercise and water- play areas and plenty of lush landscaping. It was declared open by our Prime Minister on 23 Oct 2011.

Now back to Watertown… this is another 99-year leasehold project jointly developed by Far East Organization, Frasers Centrepoint and Sekisui House (remember Boathouse Residences & The Luxurie?). It consists of 992 apartment units integrated with about 320,000sqft of retail and commercial spaces spread over 4 levels (i.e. Basement 2 to 2nd storey). There is even a Shaw Theatres with IMAX!

The project offers a mix of SOHO, Suites, Condos and Sky Patios and expects to TOP in 1Q 2017. You can click  HERE  to access general info about Watertown and its apartment types.

When the wife and I visited the sales gallery earlier this week, it was buzzing with activities despite it being a weekday afternoon (many people seem to have “flexible” working hours like we do).

We understand that Watertown has started selling since Jan 18 and in just a span of three weeks, about 75% of the units have already been sold. All the 1- and 2-bedder suites are sold out, as with the 2- and 3-bedroom condo units. So what’s remain are just the SOHOs and Sky Patio units.



Watertown is a full-facility condo project. And with most Far East “involved” projects, you can expect all the “bells & whistles” plus a couple of extras, including 2 tennis-courts (located on the roof level of Tower 5). And although the project consists of both residential and retail units, the parking lots are distinct from each other and access is via separate dedicated entrances – the carpark entrance for residents is along Punggol Walk while the entrance for shoppers is via Punggol Central.

In our next post, we will review the 3-bedroom sky patio and provide you with our thoughts on this unit type and what we like/dislike about Watertown.

Have  a good weekend!

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The Nautical (Review)

The wife and I was at the sales gallery of The Nautical (Tan: this one’s for you!). This is the latest 99-year leasehold project by China developer MCC Land located along Sembawang Road (District 27).

We would have liked to get to this one sooner, but the wife had taken ill for a couple of weeks and  I simply cannot do this without my “partner in crime”. And then came the Chinese New Year. ANYWAY… 

For those unfamiliar with the location of The Nautical, the project is sandwiched between the (new/rebuilt) Sembawang Shopping Centre on one side and Canberra Residences (another private residential project by MCC Land that was launched early of last year) on the other. Entrance to The Nautical will be along Jalan Sendudok, which is a slip road between Nautical and Canberra. The sales gallery for The Nautical is located on an open field diagonally across the road from its actual site.

And for those who are more visually inclined, below is a photo (taken from the HDB block across from the showflat) showing the locations of all the “landmarks” mentioned earlier.

The Nautical is a low-rise development consisting of 435 apartment units, spreading across a whopping 17 blocks of 5-storey each. And unilke many of the new project these days, the bulk of the units at The Nautical are 3-bedroom apartments. These come in two types: 3-bedroom (standard) and 3-bedroom (premium).

So what are the differences between the two 3-bedder types, you ask? The 3-bedroom (premium) comes with:

                          • a utility and additional bathroom in the yard area

                          • a “dry” kitchen area

For those who are looking at 4-bedders, there are only 16 units of such type within the development (unless you wish to conisder the penthouses). Consolation is out of the 16, only 4 (ok, maybe 5) have been sold thus far – the wife and I have a theory on why this is so, which we will share in due course.

Click on the link below to get general info and unit type/size details on The Nautical:

http://sgproptalk.blogspot.com/2011/12/new-project-info-nautical-sembawang.html



The sales gallery was rather empty when we arrived, probably because it was a weekday afternoon. There are 2 showflat types on display within the gallery, i.e. the 3- and 4-bedder, ground-floor units. Since most of the units in The Nautical are 3-bedders, we will focus on this unit type for the purpose of our review.

As you enter the unit, you have a choice of turning left into the yard/wet kitchen (one of two entry points) or walking forward into the living/dining area. The living/dining room is a longish rectangular area and given the size, small furnitures are probably in order. You get 60cm x 60cm homogenous-tile floor (which comes with a choice of “warm” or “cool” color themes) and 2.9m ceiling height (3.1m for ground-floor units).

The apartment comes with both “wet” and “dry” kitchen area (sorry about the poor photo quality). Given the size of the apartment (i.e. interior space of no more than 1,000sqft), we actually prefer that the developer dispense with the dry kitchen as it will free up more space for the living/dining area. The “standard” 3-bedder, coincidentally, do not have a dry kitchen.

The “wet” kitchen is a small strip of an area, which is probably just sufficient for one person to work in. In terms of appliances, you get “Electrolux” hood/hob and oven. You also get an induction hob on the “dry” kitchen table-top. However, you have to purchase your own fridge. The other thing that we do not quite like about the kitchen are the cabinets, which come with “standard” hinges (slam! slam!).

The utility room will require a customized bed if intended for housing your helper. There is an additional bathroom next-door and an a space to house your washing machine. The yard is well ventilated by a set of windows, which also means that you probably can hang your laundry out of the window (we apologize again for the photo quality).

Again for the benefits of the visually inclined, below is a photo showing the orientation of each of the living spaces within the apartment.

Both the common bedrooms are tiny – you have hardly any space left after putting in the wardrobe and single bed. Maybe that is the reason why the interior designer had resorted to putting the standing hanger in the balcony!

The common bathroom is fairly good-sized and comes with homogenous-tile floors and ceramic walls. It also comes with bathroom/toilet fittings from “Roca” and “Bravat” and a standing shower stall. The wife and I found the overall design of the common bathroom somewhat basic and the color theme a tad too “plain”

The master bedroom is (you guessed it) small – again the wardrobe and Queen size practically take up all the space within, which is probably why you need to put your writing table in the blacony (?!) The developer should really find more “creative” ways to maximimze spaces within the rooms, rather than coming up with ideas that might look nice in the showflat but absolutely impractical in reality…

The master bathroom is good-sized and we liked the color scheme and design much better (than the common bathroom). However, you still get the same homogenous-tile floors/ceramic walls and shower-stall with your “standard” wall-mounted shower.

Price wise, a  1,119sqft 3-bedder unit on the 2nd floor will cost you $984,200 after a 5% discount. This translates to about $880psf. Prices to increase by about $10K with each floor up.

What we like:

• One can access the yard/wet kitchen area as you enter the main door, without having to walk across the living/dining room. This is especially handy when you are carrying all those fish/meat/vegetable bought from the wet-market.

• All the rooms are regular-shaped with no odd nooks or corners that you need to worry about.

What we dislike:
• The size of the living/dining area and all bedrooms are too small for our liking. But we reckon this is the “sacrifice” you have to make when you fit a 3-bedder apartment inside an internal space of less than 1,000sqft.

• The wife and I are perplexed by the rather huge A/C ledge that comes with each apartment – this is a space that you have little/no use but still have to pay for.

• We are not particularly impressed by the quality of finishing and fittings as seen in the showflat. Then again, maybe this is what we should expect with apartments of less than $1,000psf these days?

• Although the balcony/PES area in the showflat are clearly demarcated, the blatant use of balcony area for inappropriate purposes (writing desk?) to make the showflat looked more “spacious” is rather disappointing.

• Despite the “many” different types of facilities that you will supposed get at The Nautical, we can identify nothing with a “wow” factor. What you get are just “run of the mill” offerings with fancier names. And for a rather sizable project of over 400 units, we would expect at least one tennis court but there are none. (* We stand corrected – There IS a tennis court within the development afterall, as correctly pointed out by one of our readers. It is up on the rooftop of Block 99 so you may want to reconsider about stacks #97 – 102 if you are looking at apartments on the fourth floor, i.e. the tennis court is right above these units. Anyhow, we apologize for the oversight! *)

• One of the main selling point of The Nautical is that the project is supposedly “within walking distance” to the Sembawang MRT Station. However, the distance is at least 2 bus-stops away and probably a good 15 – 20mins’ walk (and we don’t mean a leisurely stroll). So if you intend on taking public transport, chances are that you will find the buses along Sembawang Road a more convenient option. (* We were informed by another reader that there will be a condo bus plying The Nautical & Sembawang MRT Station – something that was omitted by the marketing agent and which we forgot to ask. Seems like we are getting a tad “rusty” on our facts gathering! *)

For those of you still waiting for our theory on the 4-bedder “take-up rate” (or the lack thereof): if you look closer at our photo of the scale-model of The Nautical, you will realize that ALL the 4-bedders are East-West facing. This means that your apartment will feel very much like a sauna on a hot humid Singapore afternoon, as it gets the full impact of the West sun.

Our Parting Shot:
We have heard alot about The Nautical and its supposed strong take-up rate before our trip to the showflat. But based on what we have seen, we are not at all impressed by the offerings. To be fair, the average psf price of below $900psf is probably one of the most attractive around. This is especially when compared to other new projects currently in the market ($980 – $1,500psf for Watertown in Punggol?!). However, the location of The Nautical (rather “ulu” and far from everything else except Sembawang Shopping Centre) and the quality of the project have left little to be desired.

Given such, we reckon The Nautical will probably only appeal to those currently living around Sembawang or nearby areas. As for the rest of us…there are always other projects that you can look at.
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Thomson Grand (Review)

Condo Name:   Thomson Grand
Developer:   Luxury Green Development Pte Ltd (Cheung Kong Group)
Address:   Sin Ming Walk
Site Area:   224,314sqft
Land Tenure:   99-year from 8 Feb 2010
Condo Description:   Development comprising 9 Blocks of 20-storey & 22 Strata Houses 
Total No. of units:  339 Condo Units + 22 Strata Houses = 361 units
Expected TOP:   End 2015

Unit Mix:
2 bedroom Apartment (108 units):   904 – 1044sqft
3 bedroom Apartment (170 units):   1346 – 1421sqft
4 bedroom (34 units):   1658 – 1733sqft
3 bedroom Garden Residence (10 units):   1507 – 1765sqft
4 bedroom Garden Residence (2 units):   2067 – 2099sqft
3 bedroom Penthouse (10 units):  1572 – 1647sqft
4 bedroom Penthouse (5 units):   1787 – 2314sqft
4 bedroom Strata House (22 units):   5102 – 6566sqft

Thomson Grand – nestled right among the oldest and most prestigious Singapore Island Country Club (SICC) in a popular destination for the well-heeled, well-educated and well-mannered. Here the crème de la crème of society congregate. It is a premier community with rich academic influence. It is where beautiful views, the reservoir and expansive greenery, qualities for a very desirable living environment, are in abundance.

That is what the brochure says anyway…

But to the rest of us, Thomson Grand is the latest offering by Hong Kong developer Cheung Kong Group, who is also responsible for projects such as Thomson 800, Costa de Sol, Cairnhill Crest and The Vision.

Thomson Grand is located along Upper Thomson Road – Cheung Kong clinched the 99-year leasehold site for $533psf ppr in late 2009 – If you are coming from Lornie/Thomson Road, the site is across the road and just before the junction at Ang Mo Kio Ave 1 . But the huge sales gallery and its equally huge signage are hard to miss.

The entrance to the sales gallery/showflat is via Jalan Tambur. However, the main entrance into Thomson Grand (once it is built) is actually at the end of Sin Ming Walk. So for those thinking about an “Thomson Road” address, be prepared to be disappointed as your unit in Thomson Grand will say “Block XX, Sin Ming Walk” – the current entry point at Jalan Tambur will remain but solely for vehicle exit purpose only.

As you enter the sales gallery, it feels as if you have stepped into an opera house of sorts. The sales gallery reportedly cost over $8 million to build and incorporates more than 100,000 Swarovski crystals, including the chandelier centrepiece. There is even a Baby Grand (piano) in the main hall. While some may marvel at the money that the developer has splashed on the sales gallery, the wife and I find it somewhat gaudy and ostentatious.

The 361-unit Thomson Grand offers a mix of 2- to 4-bedroom apartments (no 1-bedder or shoebox here) and penthouses, as well as 22 strata terrace houses. The penthouse comes with 4.5m ceiling height (about 2.9m for typical apartments) while the terrace houses are 3-storey high and boosts a dedicated basement car park, garden and private Jacuzzi. There are also 12 Garden Residences each with a garden of up to 550sqft. But for those of you interested in the terrace houses, another disappointment awaits as all 22 units have been fully sold.

Facility-wise, the main talking point must be the Faberge Clubhouse – this resembles a sparkling jewelled egg that rises above the infinite-edged pool. The clubhouse is adorned with decorations from Versace/Armani, furnishings from Fendi complemented by the dazzle of Swarovski crystals. And in the clubhouse, you find a Spa and Jacuzzi, a gym, kids play area and a “Diamond Banquet Room” (we ordinary folks probably refer to this as the function room). There is even a driving range simulator where you can play a round of (simulated) golf with your friends.

Parking lots are all located within the basement – we forgot to ask how many lots exactly but we reckon there will be sufficient lots for at least 1 car per apartment (which is typical of new projects these days). The folks that own the terrace houses will each get a dedicated lot.

There are 3 showflats on display at the sales gallery, which showcase the 2-, 3- and 4-bedroom apartment units. One unique feature of the units at Thomson Grand is that there is only one standard layout for each apartment type – the difference in sizes is just a matter of how big/small the balcony areas are. The other unique feature is that each apartment is served by not one but TWO private lifts – so you probably have a shorter wait to get up/down your apartment but will have double the worry when it comes to lift maintenance/replacement cost.

The wife and I will take a slightly different track for this review – instead of going through the features of a particular showflat type, we will just tell you what we like and dislike about the showflats in terms of layout, furnishing etc and then our overall thoughts about the project. Please tell us if you prefer this review format or our typical (old) format.

Pricing wise, be prepared to pay anywhere between $1,120 – $1,250psf for the 3-bedder apartments (mid-floors). The 4-beddroom apartments will cost in excess of $1,300psf.

The developer is currently running a Fabulous ‘8’ promotion for potential buyers. During the promotion, reserved units with the number “8” will be made available in limited supply. New buyers will get to enjoy a travel package to Russia valued at $8,800 and those with “8” in their identity card numbers will receive additional discounts. So assuming you have two “8” in your I/C, you be entitled to a discount of up to 3% off the price. But we forgot to ask if passport number will work too (for foreign buyers).

What we like:
• The living, dining and kitchen area, as well as the bedrooms are all regular shaped (i.e. no odd-shaped corners or ugly columns). The apartments also do not come with bay windows, which mean more spacious bedrooms.

• Cheung Kong is definitely not stingy on quality with Thomson Grand. All the unit types come with good quality furnishing – 90cm x 90cm large marble-slab floors in the living/dining area, De Dietrich kitchen appliances (hob/hood/microwave/oven), Smeg fridge and the beautiful dry kitchen with a large marble-slab work top. All kitchen cabinets are also installed with Blum mechanism. And we simply loved the sophisticated looking shower-set in the master bathroom as well as the mosaic-laid standing shower stalls!

• Given the orientation and staggered nature of the 9 tower blocks, we expect the view from units on the 6th floor onwards to be rather spectacular. This is especially so for higher-floor units in Block 27, which enjoy 270 degrees of unblocked view.

• The Faberge clubhouse looks rather interesting and should be a great conversation piece amongst your guests when you finally get to host that dinner party at the clubhouse.

• Thomson Grand is within 1-km of one of the most sought after primary school in Singapore – Ai Tong Primary. But we understand that balloting is still the order of the day for kids living within 1-km of the school…in recent years anyway.

What we dislike:
• The balcony area for each apartment type takes up at least 100sqft of space, which means the typical 3-bedder has less than 1,300sqft of interior space while it is only about 1,500sqft with the 4-bedder – too small for our comfort.

• And speaking of small, the wet kitchen is just a rectangular strip of an area and it may be a challenge for two people to work comfortably inside.

• Certain aspects of the apartment layout are somewhat flawed:
      There is no yard to speak of in any of the apartment type, so you probably need to make use of those   ample balcony spaces to dry your clothes (since we know full well that your mechanical dryer cannot do a good job!)
      The home shelter (which most households typically use as a maid’s room) is located in the bedroom area across from the common bathroom. Even if you can fit a proper bed into the narrow strip of an area, it will be rather inconvenient for you (and your domestic helper) due to the lack of privacy and personal space that normally comes with a “typical” apartment layout whereby the home shelter is located in the yard area behind the kitchen.
      The rubbish chute is located inside the wet kitchen (good, as you don’t have to bring your rubbish out to throw) but it is situated way too close to the cooking area (not so good, as it seems rather unhygienic). But with a kitchen that small, something has to give…
      The “back door” exit to the “cargo/common” lifts is located inside one of the common bedroom – there is a door in the balcony of the bedroom that leads out to the external lifts. This seems a bit strange to us, but the marketing agent was quick in pointing out that such layout will allow you to (technically) rent out the bedroom without sacrificing privacy, since it has its own separate entrance/exit. Right… and the tenant can possibly use the washing/toilet facilities by the pool area too!

• The developer has included chandelier-like lightings fitted with Swarovski crystals in all the bathrooms, which supposedly add a touch of class to where you shower/take a dump. However, it came across as somewhat “over the top” to the wife and I. And cleaning those darn crystals will take some work too!

• What you see at the showflat may not necessarily be what you get – those glorious looking marbled walls in the living/dining/dry kitchen area and the marble floors in the master/junior master bedrooms of the 4-bedder showflat are “for design purpose” only. Your actual unit will only come with painted cement-walls and timber flooring for all bedrooms. So if you are buying based on what you see in the showflat, you will most definitely be disappointed.

• All the blocks housing the 3- and 4-bedders are direct West-facing. So there is really no need to install a sauna within your unit, as it will probably feel that way on a typical hot and sunny afternoon. Then again, there are always the air-conditioning and “Sun X” window films!

• Since sound travel upwards, the wife and I reckon that the higher-floor units in the outer most block (No. 27, which supposedly has the best panoramic view) will be a tad noisy given that the stretch of Upper Thomson Road is quite heavily utilized during most times of the day. We have been inside an apartment on the 20+ floor of The Flame Tree condo just down the road from Thomson Grand and the traffic noise was rather deafening.

• The wife and I are rather disappointed with the facility offering at Thomson Grand. Sure you get a fabulous looking egg-shaped of a clubhouse, but the other facilities are almost run of the mill. And for a supposed luxurious development, you cannot even play tennis within the condo!

Our final thoughts:
Do we like the quality of furnishing and interior layout in the showflats of Thomson Grand? Hell yeah! But do we like it enough to pay almost $1.6 million for a 1,356sqft 3-bedder on the 6th floor at Thomson Grand?? Probably not.

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New project info: Riviera 38 to preview next Thursday!

Robert Kuok’s Singapore property unit Allgreen Properties will preview on Thursday next week a 102-unit development at Mar Thoma Road near Toa Payoh/Bendemeer area.

The 999-year leasehold Riviera 38 will have a range of unit sizes, strating from 452sqft for a one-bedroom apartment to 1,980sqft for a penthouse with three-bedrooms and a private swimming pool.

Allgreen says absolute unit prices will start from about $530,000 for a 452sqft one-bedder on the seventh floor. The developer has yet to finalise pricing, but word on the street is that the average price indication being given to prospective buyers is about $1,200psf. A property agent not involved with marketing the project told BT that an “average price of about $1,100-1,200psf would be reasonable”.

Riviera 38 will have 20 one-bedders and another 21 one-bedroom-plus-study units. The remaining units in the development are two-bedders, two-bedroom-plus-study units, three-bedders and penthouses.

DTZ is the sole marketing agent for the project, which will be developed on the former Hup Cheong Mansion site.

Riviera 38 will have a single tower of 27 storeys. Apartments will start from the sixth floor. Facilities in the project will include an infinity-edge swimming pool, children’s pool, jacuzzi, children’s play area, barbecue pavilion, gym and function room.

Source: The Business Times

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A Treasure Trove: 210 units sold in 1 day!

Sim Lian had found buyers for about 210 units at A Treasure Trove by 9.30pm yesterday. The average price for the 99-year leasehold condo project near Punggol MRT station is $866psf.

Sim Lian released 300 of the total 882 units in the project yesterday under the first phase.

The condo project includes Matilda House, a conservation bungalow which Sim Lian will restore and turn into a clubhouse with facilities such as a function room, reading room, lounge and gymnasium.

Prices begin at $703,000 for a 775sqft two-bedder on the second floor. Units in the 16-storey project range from two-bedders to four-bedders (up to 1,658sqft). There are also 42 penthouses (1,528 – 4,876sqft).

The relatively strong sales at A Treasure Trove reflect its competitive pricing, say market analysts.

Source: The Business Times

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New project info: Three Balmoral

With the end of the Hungry Ghost Festival, some developers are rolling out new projects for private previews. Making its debut at the prime district 10 neighbourhood of Balmoral Road is Three Balmoral, a joint venture between the Teo family-owned Tong Eng Brothers and Henry Ng’s Clarus Corp. Ng’s family controls Pan-United, one of Singapore’s largest cement and concrete suppliers.

VIP previews at the freehold Three Balmoral is expected to start over the weekend of Sept 10 to 11. The existing 11-unit apartment block at 3 Balmoral Road will be redeveloped into a 40-unit, 12-storey block. Typical units in the new development will be a mix of one-bedroom-plus-study units of 614sqft as well as three-bedroom units of 1,528 and 1,539sqft. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2014.

“Our units may be compact in size, but we’re not developing shoebox apartments,” emphasises Teo Tong Lim, managing director of Tong Eng. “we also do not compromise on the layout of the units, which are squarish and practical.”

Prices will be in the range of $2,350 to $2,600psf, which translates to $1.5 million to $1.6 million for a one-bedroom unit and $3.5 million to $3.7 million for a three-bedroom unit, says the developer.

All the units, including the one-bedroom apartments, will come with private lift access. On the second level of the 12-storey development are two three-bedroom apartments, each with a private pool and priced at $4 million apiece. There are also four penthouses, of which two are triplex three-bedroom apartments with private pool and roof terrace. Measuring 3,746 and 3,757sqft respectively, they cost just under $7 million each. The other two penthouses are two-bedroom duplex apartments of 1,249sqft each, and priced around $3 million.

The new condo at Three balmoral will be raised 10m above street level and, therefore, most apartments will get unobstructed views of Goodwood Hill, as directly across the development is a colonial bungalow and not another 12-storey condo block, says Teo. “Such views are quite rare along Balmoral Road,” he adds.

As Three Balmoral is located close to Stevens Road, it is less than a five-minutes drive to Orchard Road. It’s also close to good schools such as Anglo-Chinese School (Barker Road), Raffles Girls’ Secondary School and Singapore Chinese Girls’ School. The project is therefore expected to attract a mix of owner-occupiers and investors.

According to Joseph Tan, executive director of residential at CB Richard Ellis (CBRE), the last condominium launch in the Balmoral area was two years ago – for the 85-unit Volari in July 2009. CBRE is the sole marketing agent for Three Balmoral.

Source: THEEDGE SINGAPORE

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Project Spotlight: Latitude

Latitude, a high-end condominium located on Jalan Mutiara in the prime River Valley area, has seen a spike in transactions since late July. The 127-unit freehold condo by giant listed developer CapitaLand was completed late last year. Caveat data downloaded from URA for the period from July 26 to Aug 2 saw four caveats lodged for the sale of four 4-bedroom units sized at 2,766 to 2,928sqft. The quantum prices achieved ranged from $5.84 million to $6.15 million, or an average of $1,944 to $2,224psf.

Latitude comprises three towers, with a 22-storey tower and two 23-storey towers. Units comprise a mix of two- to four-bedroom apartments and four-bedroom penthouses. Two-bedroom units measure 1,324sqft, and penthouses measure 5,317sqft. The property is in the prestigious District 10, just five minutes’ drive from the Orchard Road shopping belt.

In 4Q2007, CapitaLand sold 10 units at Latitude in the first phase of release. Prices achieved then, which in hindsight was the peak of the property boom, ranged from $2,500 to $2,800psf. With the spectre of the US subprime crisis and credit crunch affecting stock markets, market sentiment changed in early 2008, and many developers held back the launches of their high-end projects. According to caveats lodged with URA Realis, only one unit at Latitude was sold in 2008 – to a buyer with an HDB address. It was the sale of an eighth-floor, two-bedroom unit for $3.29 million ($2,487psf).

In 2009, in the aftermath of the global financial crisis and as home buying demand picked up, 48 units at the Latitude were sold, marking the largest number of units sold in a year since its launch. Prices of units sold ranged from $1,640psf for a two-bedroom unit to $2,305psf for a four-bedroom apartment. In 2010, there was a mix of new sales and sub-sales, with prices ranging from $1,738psf for a three-bedroom unit to $2,318psf for a penthouse unit.

Transactions achieved so far this year ranged from $2,504 to $2,239psf, according to caveats lodged with URA Realis. Marketing agents focusing on high-end condos in the prime districts of 9, 10 and 11 consider Latitude an attractive choice among investors and owner-occupiers. Four-bedroom units at Latitude command rental rates of about $15,000 a month, says Vivienne Koo, associate director of Tristar Properties. Thus, investors can achieve rental yields of 3%, which is higher than the average 2% to 2.3% for luxury properties in the prime districts, she adds.

“The Grange, for example, commands similar rents of about $15,000 a month for a four-bedroom unit, but its quantum price is also much higher,” says Koo. According to listings on PropertyGuru.com.sg, a four-bedroom unit at The Grange, located off Grange Road, is priced at $6 million, or $2,800psf.

Another attraction for most potential home-owners and investors is the size of the four-bedroom apartments at Latitude. While most new luxury properties have four-bedroom apartments of about 2,300sqft, those at Latitude are close to 2,700sqft. ” You can’t really find such large sizes in the prime districts anymore, as many of the condominiums built in the old days that feature such large sizes have been sold en bloc, torn down and rebuilt into smaller units,” says Koo.

The units have quality furnishing, spacious kitchens and good layouts, observes Koo. As such, more than half the buyers at Latitude are own-occupiers, and investors make up the rest. Most of the buyers are foreigners, with the project being especially among Indonesians and mainland Chinese. Some of these buyers, especially Indonesians, have purchased two or three apartments to be amalgamated into one large unit to accommodate their extended families. ” This is something that you don’t usually find in condominiums here in Singapore,” she says.

Source: THEEDGE SINGAPORE

The wife and I understand that about 80% of units in Latitude have been sold thus far. So CapitaLand have already made their millions on this project and should be in no hurry to sell off the remaining units. And given the uncertain economic climate and bloodshed seen at the stock markets recently, we will be very surprised if unit at Latitude crosses the $2,200psf mark again in the next couple of months (at least)…
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Seastrand (Review)

Project Name:   Seastrand
Tenure:   99-year leasehold w.e.f 3rd Jan 2011
Location:   Pasir Ris Link
District:   18
Site Area:   215,281sqft
TOP (estimated):   31st Dec 2016
Total Units:   473 apartments + 2 commercial shop units
No. of Blocks/Storey:   10 (7 Block of 11-Storey and 3 Blocks of 12-Storey)
Car Park Lots:   473
Developer:   Far East Organization/Fraser Centrepoint Homes

The wife and I visited the sales gallery of Seastrand over the weekend. This is the latest project jointly developed by Far East/Fraser Centrepoint located in Pasir Ris. The two developers are also responsible for the “Waterfront Collections” along Bedok Reservoir Road.

Seastrand is located on a huge plot of land of about 215,000sqft at the intersection between Pasir Ris Drive 3 and Pasir Ris Drive 4. The main entrance, however, will be on Pasir Ris Link – this is a new road that will be built specially for the project.

The 99-year leasehold project has a total of 473 apartments spread across 10 blocks. It offers a mix of 1 – 4 Bedroom unit types:
• 1-Bedroom (159 units):   581 – 663sqft
• 2-Bedroom (113 units):   914/1001sqft
• 3-Bedroom Compact (98 units):   1133 – 1241sqft
• 3-Bedroom (83 units):   1195 – 1300sqft
• 4-Bedroom Compact (20 units):   1321sqft

A unique feature of Seastrand is that there are no penthouses, while the 4-bedder compacts are effectively 3+Study units.

Facility wise, Seastrand offers everything that one will come to expect from a full-facility condo (tennis court inclusive) and then some. The facilities are spread over the ground level as well as on the 3rd floor, i.e. the rooftop of the multi-storey carpark that wraps around the project. Of particular note are the Water and Strand Villas alongside the Strand Pool – these are outdoor function areas that come with their own Jacuzzis.

Parking lots are available within the 3 levels (basement, 1st and 2nd) of multi-storey parking, which forms an u-shape around Towers A – H. This allows residents to access their vehicles directly from their blocks, which is especially helpful during rainy days. The only exception is Tower J, which is not connected to the multi-storey carpark. Residents here will probably have to make do with “open air” surface parking that is located below their block.

There are three showflats in the sales gallery, showcasing the 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom units. We shall focus on the 1195sqft, 3-bedroom apartment (Type C1b).

However, do note that the floor plan below is NOT that of Type C1b – we were unable to obtain the floor plan for this unit type during our visit. We have included the floor plan for Type Cc1b instead, which is actually the 3-Bedroom Compact with the same layout as Type C1b. The only differences are that for Type Cc1b, Bedroom 3 is smaller and there is no bathroom in the yard area.

As you enter the main door, the dry/wet kitchen is on your left. A dining table that sits 6 (barely) is incorporated into the dry kitchen area, which is actually quite a good idea as it frees up space in the living area.

The wet kitchen (more like the typical kitchen to us, since the so-called “dry kitchen” is not exactly a kitchen per se) is L-shaped and comes with nice solid surfaced worktop, full set (top/bottom) of kitchen cabinets and even a dish drying rack. The developers have also thrown in Delizia hood/hob, Ariston Oven and Microwave and Samsung fridge for good measures.

The yard has barely enough space for laundry, but we quite like the idea of having a wash basin here – this will come in handy for items that need “hand washing”. The washing machine cum dryer (provided) is tucked nicely beneath the kitchen worktop, which frees up space in the yard. A large window provides ample natural lighting and ventilation to the yard area, which also houses the home shelter and a bathroom.

And speaking of home shelter, this is a small rectangular strip of an area, which means that you probably need to customize the bed if you intend to use this as the maid’s room. Another option is a “pull down” bed as illustrated in the showflat. The home shelter is fully enclosed so your maid will have to leave the door open to avoid suffocation while sleeping.

The living/dining area is rectangular shaped and of decent size (relative to the apartment size). It comes with 2.9m ceiling height (3.15m for ground floor units) and for flooring, you have a choice of “warm” theme (60cm x 30cm marble slabs in darker beige colour) or “cool” theme (60cm x 60cm porcelain tiles in lighter beige colour).

The balcony is also rectangular in shape and rather sizable (we reckon 100sqft). Some will probably like the idea of a huge balcony area but we felt it’s a tad… extravagant, considering that the whole apartment is not even 1,200sqft.

The two common bedrooms come with timber-strip floors and full-height (ground to ceiling) windows. The absence of bay windows is a definite plus. We were told that both the bedrooms are of similar size but Bedroom 3 somehow looked smaller than Bedroom 2.

The common bathroom is good size and actually has marble floors/walls, which is a pleasant surprise (considering the “norm” these days with ceramic tiles). It also comes with Newform (Italian) bathroom and Vera (origin unknown) toilet fittings.

The surprise package of the apartment must surely be the master bedroom. The room is huge – we were told that the bed inside the showflat is an “European King”, which is actually bigger than the typical King-sized bed. And yet the room still felt quite spacious even with the bigger bed. We also like the layout of the wardrobe in the master bedroom – you get a L-shaped wardrobe that separates the bedroom area from the attached bathroom, with a “walk-in wardrobe” feel.

The master bathroom is again quite spacious and almost an exact replica of the common bathroom in terms of look and feel. But it comes with a “sunken” bath and rain-shower. We were told that buyers can have the option of either solid or glass-partition walls for this bathroom.

Seastrand has started selling for about 2 months now and we understand that more than 50% of the units have been sold. Units in Towers C, E and G are fully sold and if you are looking at the 3-bedders, only 3 units (Tower B) are left amongst the units that have been launched. The good news is that there will be more 3-bedder (Tower J) and 3-bedroom compact (Towers D1 & D2) units launching soon, but supposedly at slightly higher psf. Then again, with the market circumstances as it is, it remains to be seen if the developers will actually increase prices for subsequent releases.

Price wise, the price for the remaining 3-bedders are about $990psf. The unit on the 4th floor of Tower B (#04-06) costs $1,413,260 after discount. In addition, developers are also giving away a further discount of 1% in furniture vouchers for selected “Star Buy” units. But the vouchers will only be given upon TOP of the project.

Monthly maintenance charges for the 3- and 4-bedders are about $320, which we feel is at the higher end of the scale for a supposed mass-market project.

What we like:
• The quality of furnishing and fittings are definitely more appealing compared to some of the other “mass market” condos that we have seen recently, and is more akin to those that we have come to expect with Far East projects.

• Seastrand is located fairly close to neighbourhood amenities (think minmarts, coffee shops etc) located within the HDB estate across the road, and yet it is not “surrounded” by HDB flats so to speak. It is also within walking distance to Downtown East, where you find a NTUC and all kinds of F&B outlets.

• For those who enjoy greeneries and the sea, Seastrand is about a 7- 10 minutes’ walk to Pasir Ris Park and the beach.

• Parents who need to put their kids into primary schools will be pleased to know that there are several to choose from that’s within 1-km of Seastrand – Casuarina Primary, Loyang Primary, Pasir Ris Primary and Coral Primary (maybe?).

What we dislike:
• Seastrand is supposedly 2 bus-stops (or 3-mins drive) from Pasir Ris MRT station and bus terminal at White Sands Mall. But should you decide to walk it, you may find that it is actually quite some distance away. Consolation is that for the first two years at least, there will be dedicated shuttle-buses from the condo to White Sands & Ikea/Carrefour.

• We reckon that the main road (Pasir Ris Drive 3) leading out to the ECP/PIE will be rather congested especially during the rush hours.

• The plot of land next to Seastrand was recently acquired by MCL Land and will be developed into another private condo project in due course. In addition, the plot of land directly across from Seastrand (where the sales gallery currently stands) is probably slated to be sold for private housing development as well. So depending on how soon building works of these future projects get underway, buyers of Seastrand may have to be prepared to live near a multiple construction sites for awhile.

Our Verdict: The wife and I have nothing really negative to say about Seastrand, except probably the location (too far, which is again subjective). You are certainly getting value for money in the “quality” department, as compared to, say, Woodshaven. It is definitely a project we will consider, should we decide to move to Pasir Ris.

Having say that, a quick check on recent transacted prices at nearby Eastvale – a 13-year-old EC built by CapitaLand that is now fully privatised – reveal that units of 1,100 – 1,200sqft were sold at less than $750psf. And the wife and I actually think that Eastvale is the better located of the two projects (and much nearer to the MRT too!).

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