New launch: 38 i Suites

The wife and I have received information about the impending launch of 38 i Suites on 31st March.

Project Details
Project Name : 38 i Suites
Developer : Sustained Land Pte Ltd
Address: : 38 Ipoh Lane
District: 15
Tenure : Freehold
Site Area : 24,039sf
Type of Development : 16 Storey Residential Flat Development with Level 1 Carpark and 4 Storey Multi-storey Carpark with Facilities Sky Terrace and Swimming Pool on 6th Storey 
No. of Units : 120
No. of Parking Lots : 120

Project Features
• Location: Nestled between Paya Lebar and Dakota MRT stations.
• Layout:  No home shelter, bay windows or planter boxes.
• Unit types:  1+Study, 2-bedroom, 2+Study and penthouses.
• Parking: 1 level of parking on the ground floor, plus 4 levels of multi-storey parking from 2nd – 5th floor.
• Facilities:  Entire level on the 6th floor dedicated to wellness and lifestyle facilities
• Fantastic View:  Units starts from level 7th ( approximately 25m off the ground).
• Reputable Schools:  Surrounded by good schools such as Haig Girls, Tanjong Katong Primary, Chung Cheng high, Kong Hwa Primary, Tao Nan School and Dunman High School (not all are within 1-km though).

Unit Sizes & Indicative Prices
• 1 Bedroom + Study (45 units): 452 – 506sqft  (From $6xxK onwards)
• 2 Bedroom (36 units): 484 – 667sqft  (From Low $7xxK onwards)
• 2 Bedroom + Study (27 units): 667 & 689sqft  (From $8xxK onwards)
• Penthouses: 1+ Study , 2-Bedroom & 2 Bedroom + Study  (12 units): 990 -1356sqft
(All penthouses comes with private pool, from $1.1xx million onwards)

Floor Plans
http://www.scribd.com/embeds/51577658/content?start_page=1&view_mode=list&access_key=key-a1up0wnpn2iwm8evffv(function() { var scribd = document.createElement(“script”); scribd.type = “text/javascript”; scribd.async = true; scribd.src = “http://www.scribd.com/javascripts/embed_code/inject.js”; var s = document.getElementsByTagName(“script”)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(scribd, s); })();

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Waterfront Isle: Review

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District:   16
Location:   Bedok Reservoir Road
Developers:   Far East Organization/ Frasers Centrepoint
Tenure:   99-year Leasehold
No. of Blocks:   4 (15-storey each)
No. of Units:   561
No. of Parking Lots:   580
Expected TOP:   2015

This review is specially for Veron, who has asked us about WATERFRONT ISLE yesterday.

WATERFRONT ISLE is the fourth and final project in the “Waterfront” series of condominiums co-developed by Far East and Frasers Centrepoint. The project was launched on the third day of Chinese New Year (5^th Feb) and have already seen strong take-up rate of around 70%.

WATERFRONT ISLE is situated along Bedok Reservoir Road, adjacent to Waterfront Gold and overlooking the Bedok Reservoir. The 99-year leasehold project resides on a plot of about 224,000sqft, and consists of 561 units in total housed in 4 main blocks (Block 730, 732, 736 & 738) of 15-storey each. Each block consists of 2 towers, each with its own lift lobby. The project is expected to TOP in 2015.

In terms of unit mix, WATERFRONT ISLE offers a range of 1- to 4-bedders, as well as penthouses. And with the 3-bedder units, you have a choice of either the 3-bedroom (Standard) or the 3-bedroom (Compact) – this essentially is a 2+Study unit. The typical sizes of each unit types are:

• 1-Bedroom (122 units): 581 – 850sqft
• 2-Bedroom (204 units): 893 – 1206sqft
• 3-Bedroom (188 units): 1152 – 1389sqft
• 4-Bedroom (43 units ): 1378 – 1442sqft
• Penthouses (4 units): 2482 – 2930sqft

1-Bedroom (Type A)                         4-Bedroom (Type D)

3-Bedroom (Type C)                                          2-Bedroom (Type B)

WATERFRONT ISLE, like its 3 other “Waterfront Collection” predecessors, is a full facility condo project. A large portion of its ground is dedicated to water and water-themed lifestyle offerings – various “themed” swimming pools, isle cabana, island pavilion with hot tub etc. Tennis enthusiasts will be happy to know that there are 2 “sunken” tennis courts in the project, which are essentially just your normal tennis court built slightly below the ground level – maybe to reduce chances of tennis balls flying across the fences (?!)

 
Two features that particularly caught our eyes are:
• Isle Villa – this is a modern looking piece of architecture that is built on stilts and located beside the main pool, which houses the 3 function rooms (2 air-conditioned and 1 outdoor).

• Sky Terrace – this traverses the rooftops of Block 370 and 372 (i.e. the two blocks facing Bedok Reservoir), and is accessible by two sets of dedicated lift between the 2 blocks. For those owners with lower-floor or inward-facing units, this is the perfect spot to enjoy the reservoir view and surrounding sights.

For those with cars, you be pleased to know that WATERFRONT ISLE is one of the few new projects these days that actually has more parking lots than units – a total of 580 lots are available in the two levels of basement carpark.

There are 2 showflat types on display at the sales gallery
• A 900+sqft 2-bedroom unit (Type B)
• A 1200+ 3-bedroom unit (Type C)

Upon entering the showflat for the 2-bedder unit, we were immediately hit by a sense of déjà vu. Of the 4 projects in the “Waterfront Collection”, WATERFRONT ISLE is probably the one with the strongest Far East signature in terms of looks and designs of the apartment units.

The living area is expectedly small, so it will be a challenge to try and fit both a regular sofa-set and dining table in here. You probably end up using the dry kitchen table-top for dining purposes. The living area comes with 60cm x 60cm compressed marble flooring and 3m high ceiling (2.85m if you plan to install false-ceiling).
 

The dry kitchen comes standard even for the 2-bedroom units. Only difference is that the dry kitchen in the 2-bedder is basically just a marble top, whereas those for the 3- and 4-bedders come with an additional sink for washing purpose.

The wet kitchen is a rectangular strip of an area, and comes equipped with the standard hod/hoob/oven and fridge. However, the coffee-maker, wine-fridge and washer/dryer that you see in the showflat are all “for display purposes” only. The kitchen cabinets come installed with Blum “anti-slam” drawers, while the black marble work-top looks really slick.

The 2-bedder unit comes with a small home shelter behind the kitchen area, but no yard or “maid’s” bathroom. The wife and I understand that some of the 3-bedder units do not come with a yard or “maid’s” bathroom either.

The common bedroom is…you guessed it… small, and the bay windows do not help. It comes with wood-strip floors and a tiny 2-panel “modular” wardrobe.

As if acknowledging the fact that the bedrooms are small, the developers have come up with options that may save you some space – but not for those with height anxiety though.

The common bathroom is decent in size, and we are pleasantly surprised to find marble flooring and walls (as opposed to homogenous-tile). You also have a choice of either a “light” or “dark” tone for the bathroom wall colors. Below is an example of the “light” color-tone option.

The master bedroom is not big on size either – a Queen bed, two small bedside tables and you probably have little space left for anything much else.

The master bathroom is huge in comparison to the rest of the living areas. And for the shower cubicle, you get to choose from one of the three options:

• Long bath-tub with surrounding glass partition walls
• Sunken bath with either glass or concrete partition walls
• Standing shower stall with either glass or concrete partition walls

Below is an example of the “dark” color-tone option for the bathroom walls.

Price wise, we understand that the current list price for units at WATERFRONT ISLE range from around $1200 – 1300psf. This is in comparison to the launch price of around $920psf back in February.

However, the list price is before developers’ discount, which comprises two components – a straight discount (10% upon booking) and a “furniture offset” (given at TOP).

For bookings made before 24th March, a 13% discount (i.e. 10% straight + 3% furniture offset) is given. For bookings after 24th and before 28th March, the discount is reduced to 12%. For booking after 28th March and before 2nd April, only 10% discount will be given (i.e. no furniture offset).

The wife and I have requested and received the folowing list-price for 4-bedroom units (1378sqft, Type D1) in Block 730 that face the reservoir:

• #11-03 (Tower A1) – $1,753,330 or $1,272psf
• #11-05 (Tower A2) – $1,787,270 or $1,297psf

As a comparison, below are the latest median transacted prices for units at the other “Waterfront Collection” projects:

• Waterfront Waves:   $812psf (Apr 2010)
• Waterfront Key:   $1052psf (Feb 2011)
• Waterfront Gold:   $968psf (Feb 2011)

On what we like and dislike about WATERFRONT ISLE, a lot of these are similar to what we have detailed in our reviews for Waterfront Gold. So rather than repeating ourselves (also to give you added incentives to check out our post for Waterfront Gold), we will highlight those that are particular to this project.

What we like:
• The furnishing in the showflats of WATERFRONT ISLE is the best that we have seen of the 4 projects in the “Waterfront Collection”, and more in-line with the type of quality that we expect from Far East. That is probably also the reason why the developers are marketing the project at a higher price point.

• The project is supposedly within walking distance to Bedok Town Park MRT station, which is part of the future downtown Line 3 (DTL 3), which is scheduled for completion in 2017. This may raise the rental prospects of the project once the MRT station commences operation.

What we dislike:
• Some of the towers in WATERFRONT ISLE looked to be too close to each other for our comfort. This is especially so with the inward-facing clusters of Tower A2, B1 and C1.

• The unit sizes (less than 1400sqft for a 4-bedder?) are too small for our liking. This translates to small living spaces, which we are most uncomfortable with.

In summary, the wife and I felt that WATERFRONT ISLE is probably the “Lexus” amongst the 4 projects within the “Waterfront Collection”, and is priced thay way too. It will probably be the one that we will go for, if we can get over the “size” hurdle or alternatively, find the couple of millions to buy one of the 4 penthouses.

Last but not least, we shall complete the review by giving you a birdseye view of what the whole “Waterfront Collection” will look like, site-wise – that’s ALOT of new apartments if you ask us.

Waterview: 200 units sold!

According to BT today, Sim Lian Group is understood to have sold about 200 units at its Waterview condo at Bedok Reservoir since it began previewing the project on Tuesday this week. The average price is $838psf.

On the other side of Bedok Reservoir, along a stretch boasting a more scenic view of the water, Frasers Centrepoint and Far East Organization are selling units at their Waterfront Gold project at about $980psf and at Waterfront Key at around $1,000psf.

Sim Lian has so far released about half or 348 units of the 696-unit Waterview condo.

The 99-year leasehold project will be officially launched today, accompanied by an advertising campaign.

Units in the 15-storey development range from two- to four-bedders; there are also six-bedroom penthouses. Sizes range from 786sqft for a two-bedroom apartment to 4,768sqft for a penthouse.

The project is at the corner of Tampines Avenue 1 and 10, next to The Tropica.

Sim Lian is developing the project on a site that it clinched at a state tender in March this year for $421psf of potential gross floor area.

Most of the units in the Waterview’s 12 blocks face the reservoir, Tampines Quarry or swimming pools in the development.

The condo’s walls will be washed white and have blue glass windows to reflect the water theme for the project.

After reading the BT report, the wife and I wonder if the quality of Waterview condo will be any better than what we have seen of Sim Lian’s projects so far. As some of you may be aware, Sim Lian is also the developer of Clover by the Park in Bishan. And speaking from our once “close association” with this project, the interior furnishings and fittings of Clover are not much to shout about. But this is just our… humble opinion… as always.

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Vacanza @East: Showflat photos

The wife and I were at the sales gallery of Vacanza @East over the weekend.

We were surprised to learn that this project is still in its “previewing” stage despite being marketed since end-September.

Here are some of the photos we have taken of the sales gallery and showflat – a 1,399sqft, 4-bedroom ground-floor unit (Type D2-G).

We will post our review…soon.

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VACANZA @EAST: Close to 90 units sold!

Hoi Hup and Sunway sold nearly 90 units at their Vacanza @East condo by the end of Tuesday, when the project previewed to those who had registered interest with the appointed marketing agents DTZ and Huttons. This is according to a BT report today.

A VVIP preview was held on Monday for staff/directors of Hoi Hup and Sunway as well as their special guests.

The average price for the 12-storey freehold project is about $1,090psf.

Buyers were mostly Singaporeans and the most popular units were two- and three-bedroom units.

In absolute price terms, units sold range from nearly $550,000 for a 484sqft one-bedder to slightly above $2 million for a three-bedder penthouse of over 1,900sqft.

Initially two blocks comprising 141 units were released but as potential buyers started requesting for apartments in other stacks in the 473-unit project, the developers began releasing more units.

Vacanza comprises one- to four-bedroom units as well as penthouses. It will have a clubhouse, gymnasium, a tennis court, a lap pool, fitness station and lawn.

Market watchers point out that the project, located at Lengkong Tujoh, is next to the Pan Island Expressway, near Singatronics Building and Bedok Industrial Estate. It is about a kilometre away from Kembangan MRT Station.

Hoi Hup and Sunway are developing Vacanza on a 207,000sqft site which they bought in October last year for $158 million, or about $445 per square foot of potential gross floor area, including an estimated development charge of about $36 million at the time.

The site, which was vacant at the time, was sold by Lee Tat Development. The residential site has a 2.1 plot ratio (ratio of maximum potential gross floor area to land area) and a 12-storey maximum height under Master Plan 2008.

Vacanza’s appeal is supposedly due to it being a freehold project in a quiet estate amidst a landed housing enclave. However, the wife and I wonder how much of the “PIE noise effect” will Vacanza be subjected to, especially when the site is located along this busy expressway…

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VACANZA @EAST: Preview starts today!

The BT today has reported that Vacanza @East, a freehold condo in the Kembangan area, is previewing from today.

This is a joint-venture project between Hoi Hup Realty and Malaysia’s Sunway group.

The average price is expected to be slightly over $1,000psf for the 141 units being released in two blocks of the 12-storey project. Vacanza @East will have a total 473 units in seven blocks.

The project comprises one to four-bedroom units as well as penthouses.

About 39% of uinits have either two bedrooms or two bedrooms with a study. Another 30% are three-bedders.

View our previous post about this project here:
http://sgproptalk.blogspot.com/2010/09/new-project-details-vacanza-east.html

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New project details: VACANZA @EAST

The wife and I have received the following details on VACANZA @EAST from one of our contacts (thanks John!).

This is a project that may be of interest to those looking for a freehold condo unit in the East and do not mind smaller units. But it’s location right next to the PIE may be an issue…

Project Name:  Vacanza @East
District:  14
Location:  34 Lengkong Tujoh (Kembangan)
Description:  7 towers of 12-storey each, contemporary designed building with full facilities 
Total number of units:  473
Land Size:  200,000sqft
Land Tenure:  Freehold
Expected TOP:  December 2014

Unit Mix (Typical)

• 1-Bedroom (46 units):  484sqft 
• 1+Study (24 units):  560sqft
• 2-Bedroom (183 units):  807sqft
• 3-Bedroom (142 units):  1012sqft
• 4-Bedroom (44 units):  1253 sqft
• 2 – 4-Bedroom Penthouse (34 units):  1400 – 2600sqft

Marketing Brochure
http://www.scribd.com/doc/37081557/Vacanza-East http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf?document_id=37081557&access_key=key-23a6ckfoa7w5y1qnaemu&page=1&viewMode=slideshow
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WATERFRONT GOLD (Teaser)

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The wife and I finally managed to visit the sales gallery of WATERFRONT GOLD yesterday morning.

Here are some of the photos that we have taken of the showflat –  this is a 1216sqft, 3-Bedroom unit.

Our review of this project will follow soon (* fingers crossed *).

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WATERFRONT GOLD: 68 units sold

The BT today reported that 68 of the 150 units for sale at WATERFRONT GOLD were sold as of yesterday.

These were units released by the developers (Frasers Centrepoint and Far East) last Friday.

The 99-year leasehold condo, which has a total 361 units, is priced at $950psf on average.

Over 70% of units sold were smallish apartments – one bedders, one bedroom + study units and two bedders.

Buyers were predominantly Singaporeans and there was a roughly equal split between those with HDB and private addresses. In absolute price terms, the cheapest unit sold was about $550,000 for a 581sqft one-bedder on the second level. Both penthouses released (about 2000sqft each) were sold at an average price of about $1025psf or $2.1 million each.

Frasers Centrepoint Homes claimed that they are testing the upper end of prices in the upgraders’ market and positioning WATERFRONT GOLD as an upper-mid market condo rather than a mass-market product. This is due to its location and facilities, which includes a sky park with a dedicated express bubble lift. The toilets in the development will also have marble floors.

The developers are offering two of the project’s five blocks, or 150 units, as part of a “deliberate attempt not to sell out the project”. They want to sell progressively and keep the remaining three blocks until the location of the Bedok Reservoir Station on Downtown Line 3 is announced.

WATERFRONT Gold is the third in a series of four condos that Frsers Centrepoint and Far East are developing on the former Waterfront view site.

Waterfront Waves was first released in January 2008 at an average price of about $750psf, followed by the launch of Waterfront Key in July last year at $735psf on average.

The developers have been raising prices in these two projects.

Waterfront Waves is now fully sold and the remaining 100-odd apartments at Waterfront Key are now selling at average prices of $850psf for poolview units and $950psf for reservoir-facing units.

The wife and I wonder if the developers will really stick to their “deliberate attempt not to sell out the project” strategy if buying sentiments return to the previous March/April level and prices start climbing again…
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FLAMINGO VALLEY (Review)

The wife and I decided to drop by the sales gallery of FLAMINGO VALLEY this morning. The sales gallery, which is opened for about 2 weeks now, is located at the actual site, along Siglap Road. As some of you are already aware, Frasers Centrepoint Homes bought the freehold site in an en bloc sale back in 2007 and have decided to retain the name of the old development.

Here are the project details of the new FLAMINGO VALLEY

District:   15
Location:   Siglap Road/East Coast
Address:   460 – 480 Siglap Road
Developer:   Frasers Centrepoint Homes
Tenure:   Freehold
Estimated site area:   335,000sqft
Expected TOP:   April 015
Description:   10 Blocks (6x 5-sotrey and 4x 3-storey)
Total number of units:   393
Total number of carpark lots:   393 (all basement)

For a mid-size project with only 393 units, FLAMINGO VALLEY has a mind boggling number of unit types that include lofts and “dual-key” units.

Unit Types & Sizes:
• 1BR+Study (41 units):   517 – 678sqft
• 2BR (65 units):   818 – 1087sqft
• 2BR+Study (24 units):   969 – 1195sqft
• 2BR Loft (4 units):   990sqft
• 3BR (126 units):   990 – 1593sqft
• 2BR “Dual Key” (15 units):   786 – 936sqft
• 3BR “Dual Key” (21 units):   1216 – 1518sqft
• 4BR (48 units):   1593 – 1927sqft
• Roof Terrace PH (21 units):   1647 – 3111sqft
   (2BR/3BR)
• Duplex PH (26 units):   2067 – 2669sqft
   (3BR/4BR w family area)
• Single Level PH (2 units):   2971sqft
   (4BR)

Facilities:
FLAMINGO VALLEY is a full-facility condominium (refer to site plan). The main feature is the Rainforest Valley, with its breathtaking 11-metre high Skybridge and glass lift, as well as the impressive 11-metre cascading water wall.

The first thing that struck us is that the site is actually rather huge for a project with 393 units. However, it is too early to tell if the ground is really as spacious as it is being touted. This is because the 10 blocks are all low-rise that stretches around the 335,000sqft irregular plot.

There are 2 showflats in the sales gallery:
• 1593sqft, 4-Bedroom unit (E1)

• 1206qft, 3-Bedroom unit (C1)

The furnishing/fittings for both showflat are much the same, so we will just go through these generically.

• Living/Dining: Rectangular shape and relatively good size. It comes with 60×60 marble-slab flooring and 2.9m ceiling height.

• Balcony/Plant Box: Rectangular shape and very functional. The balcony/planter box area for the 4-bedder is rather huge – we reckon it is about 200sqft.

• Dry Kitchen (4-bedder): Solid-surfaced worktop with cabinets below and it comes with a sink.

• Wet Kitchen: Rectangular and rather small for both showflat types. Comes with solid surfaced worktop, top/bottom-tier cabinets, “Bosch” brand hob/hood/oven/microwave. However, the kitchen is almost fully enclosed with little/no external ventilation.

• Yard: A decent-sized area that has a dedicated washer/dryer area (separate units need to be stacked though). A door leads to the air-con compressor area, which makes easy access for the service guy. The air-con compressor area is also spacious enough to be used as a drying area for laundry.

• Utility/Maid’s Room: A longish narrow room for the 4-bedder. Bed will definitely have to be custom-made. A small “Maid’s toilet” is located next door.

• Junior Suite (4-bedder): Looks a tad small, with timber strip flooring from good wardrobe space. The attached bathroom is of decent size and comes with “Duravit” bathroom and toilet fittings. However, you only get one of them standard wall-mounted shower.

• Common Bedrooms: These are rather small. Comes with the same timber strip floors and standard wardrobe.

• Common Bathroom: Good-sized, with marble floors and ceramic-tile walls. Storage cupboard is found behind the large mirror as well as underneath the bath sink. It also comes with similar “Duravit” bath/toilet fittings and wall-mounted shower in the shower stall.

• Master Bedroom: This is surprisingly huge for both showflat types. The wardrobe is also ample – you get an L-shaped wardrobe for the 4-bedder that is tucked in one corner of the room, which gives you a “walk-in closet” feel.

• Master Bathroom: Again this is quite huge for both showflat types. The 4-bedder has a long bath and adjacent standing shower (no rain shower though), while the 3-bedder has only a standing shower stall.

What we like:
• The layout of the units – all areas are regular in shape and very functional. The bedrooms are tucked away from the main living/dining area, which allow for better privacy.

• The large plot size of FLAMINGO VALLEY (355,000sqft) in relation to the number of apartment units (393), which will supposedly give you a sense of spaciousness around the development.

• The lush surrounding and extensive facilities within the development – the various themed gardens, Skygarden with its glass lift and the 11-m waterfall look particularly interesting.

• There is the choice of either Opera Estate Primary (co-ed, and supposedly a rather good school) or St. Stephen Primary (boys) that is within 1-km of FLAMINGO VALLEY.

What we dislike:
• The wife and I are not impressed with the quality of furnishings and fittings provided, especially in relation to the price. The brand and look of kitchen appliance within the showflat is particularly disappointing for a project of its status.

• There are currently no designated visitor’s parking lots in this development. We were told by the marketing agent that some surface parking lots for visitors may eventually be provided, but there are no guarantees. Should they be no decidated visitors lots, visitors will have to use the same parking lots provided by residents – a potential point of contention among redidents. And if you are familiar with the location where FLAMINGO VALLEY is sited, it is a nightmare trying to find roadside parking nearby.

• The only access into/out of FLAMINGO VALLEY is via Siglap Road. This is a rather busy road lined by houses/apartments on either sides. Given the increased number of apartment units (from 112 previously to 393 now) in FLAMINGO VALLEY and another new project (Siglap V – 114 units) coming up further down the road, one can expect even more congestion along this stretch of road when these projects are fully occupied.

• FLAMINGO VALLEY is located next to Muslim cemetery. One can argue that the whole of Bishan used to be one big burial ground before, but is now one of the most sought after residential address. However, the bodies buried under Bishan are exhumed and that makes quite a fair bit of difference… at least to the wife and I.

Pricing wise, units in FLAMINGO VALLEY are selling for $1150 – $1250psf. As an illustration:

• Block 476 #02-53, 1593sqft Type E1 (4BR) – $1,981,800 or $1244psf
   * This is one of the best facing units – towards the main pool.
• Block 480 #02-73, 1593sqft Type E1 (4BR) – $1,934,100 or $1214psf
   * This unit is west facing – hot!

We will avoid stacks #01, 02, 05, 06, 09 & 10 of Block 460 (as these faces the main Siglap Road – noisy!) and stacks #19 – 27 of Block 468 (faces the cemetery)

The monthly maintenance is surprisingly affordable though: The 4BR owners will pay around $270/month while the Penthouse owners (2,200+sqft) will pay around $330/month.

Overall, the wife and I felt that FLAMINGO VALLEY is somewhat over-priced, considering it is located almost at the fringe of district 15 and the quality demonstrated within the showflats. And call us “puntang” if you like, but the wife and I will not part with almost $2 million dollars to stay next to a cemetery.

Give us a shout if you are interested in the floor plan of other unit types – just do not ask us to email you ALL the floor plans.
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