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The Most Underrated Housing Estates In Singapore (That You Should Maybe Look At More Closely)

Do you live in a housing estate that’s underrated or overrated?


Property has always been a popular topic in Singapore. This should not be surprising, with one of the highest home ownership rates – at 87.2% – in the world. From the wealthiest in the country snapping up good class bungalows (GCBs), to the upper-middle income earners upgrading, to condominiums to those who are just starting out purchasing their BTOs.

Even in the midst of the worst GDP contraction in Singapore’s history last year, property prices defied the economic slump, increasing 2.2% in 2020. In the first half of 2021, it has already risen 4.0%.

Depending on who we ask, it won’t be surprising to hear people claiming that Orchard, Bukit Timah, Holland Village, Sentosa, Tanjong Pagar, or East Coast, are some best locations to live in. There are also housing estates that are sought-after, even if they’re not labelled the best, such as Bishan, Marine Parade, Tampines, Bedok, Kallang Whampoa, Clementi, and more. Even locations such as Jurong, Woodlands, Sengkang are housing estates that are increasingly popular on the back of government initiatives.

For example, in the latest August 2021 BTO exercise, the oversubscription rate for 4-room BTO flats at Jurong East and Hougang was 15.1 times and 24.9 times. Meanwhile, the oversubscription rate for 4-room BTOs in Kallang/Whampoa and Queenstown was 8.5 times and 7.7 times.

Read Also: Neighbourhood Estate Guide: Will Sengkang Be The Next Supertown In 2030?

What we’ll try to do in this article is look at some of the most underrated housing estates in Singapore that have gone under the radar. Of course, prices are a function of popularity, and just maybe, savvy property buyers could find good deals in these locations.

#1 Tengah

Tengah is a brand new estate in the west of Singapore. Many heartland locations in Singapore are typically supported by those already living in the estate. This is why Tengah may be underrated – similar to how Punggol and Sengkang estates were starting out close to 20 years ago.

At the same time, Tengah does not have the allure of other relatively newer housing estates such as Bidadari – which is flanked by popular estates such as Bishan and Toa Payoh – and Punggol – which offers seaview for homeowners.

Being a brand new estate also has its advantages. Tengah is able to start on a blank slate. The government has earmarked the housing estate to incorporate a forest living theme. It will house modern city living concepts such as Singapore’s first car-free town centre and come with demarcated cycling and walking paths on both sides of the road.

Read Also: Neighbourhood Estate Guide: Smart Forest Living In Tengah – Singapore’s First Car-Free HDB Town Centre

#2 Pasir Ris

While Pasir Ris is considered a mature estate, it may be under-appreciated by many Singaporeans. One reason could be because it has to live in the shadow of Tampines, a large and relatively well-loved housing estate. Being the last station on the green line in the east, there is also a perception that we are far away from the “action”.

However, a main draw for Pasir Ris residents is that it is one of the few housing estates in Singapore where residents can walk from their doorstep to the beachfront (without a major highway in between).

With a major shift in work-from-home trends due to COVID-19, living further away from the CBD may become less relevant too. In fact, it could be more advantageous to live further away from the CDB as prices may be lower and there could be more leisure activities for the  family.

That being said, Pasir Ris is a large mature estate with over 147,000 residents. This provides support for properties in the estate. In the recent Pasir Ris 8 integrated development launch, prices rose multiple times in a single day and sold more than 85% of its units within the first weekend.

Apart from the new integrated development and new mall that comes with it, it’s hard to say that Pasir Ris is going to incorporate many additional amenities that isn’t already there in the coming years.

Read Also: Neighbourhood Estate Guide: Is Pasir Ris The Place For Seaside Living?

#3 Geylang

Regardless of where we live, Geylang is will not be an unfamiliar estate. However, it may be an undervalued estate.

Looking at the Google Map capture below, Geyland estate (in red circle) is closer to the CBD region compared to other popular housing estates such as Bukit Timah and Clementi. However, it is typically not used in the same sentence as the two other housing estates.

Source: Google Maps

In terms of price transactions of HDB flats. Resale HDB flats also transact for cheaper than HDB flats in Clementi.

  • 3-room HDB flats: Geylang is about 10% cheaper
  • 4-room HDB flats: Geylang is about 19% cheaper
  • 5-room HDB flats: Geylang is marginally cheaper

Source: 1Q 2021 Resale HDB prices

Looking at condominium transactions, it tells a similar story. Broadly looking at condominium sale prices from January 2021 to August 2021, the average price of a Geylang condominium was $1,247,673, while the average price of condominiums sold in District 5  (of which Clementi is part of, but also Pasir Panjang and Hong Leong Garden) was $1,489,370. Of course, this is very broadly speaking, but the average price difference is about 20%.

Of course, we may also have to consider why Geylang may be undervalued, and one big reason could be its association to vice activities. With stricter safe management measures due to COVID-19, it could be Geylang’s chance to redefine its heritage.

Read Also: May 2021 HDB BTO Sales Launch: Location Guide – Bukit Merah, Geylang, Tengah, Woodlands

#4 Potong Pasir

Potong Pasir is another estate that is potentially underrated. First, it is a better location compared to Serangoon and Bidadari.

In the map below, the red circle represents Potong Pasir, while the blue circle to the top is Serangoon and the blue circle to the right is Bidadari. While Serangoon is a prized housing estate, it is further away from the CBD. Bidadari is right beside Potong Pasir, but probably needs several years to catch up as it is another extremely new housing estate that is also undergoing heavy construction works.

The blue circle to its left is Bishan. While there may be many other reasons why Bishan is a highly prized housing estate, it can be stretched to say that Potong Pasir is a comparable (if not better) location.

Source: Google Maps

To the left of Potong Pasir is Toa Payoh – which provides its residents with more amenities.

Perhaps one reason for the Potong Pasir not being given the “respect” its location deserves is because it is slightly under-developed – perhaps as a result of its status as an opposition stronghold for close to three decades between 1984 to 2011. Nevertheless, since coming back into PAP control,

As Bidadari builds out, Potong Pasir residents will enjoy greater amenities as well.

 

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