We get it, some Condominium developments these days just do not have enough space for you. Heck, some of the older ones too. So, you are thinking of buying a landed house instead. But wait, you do not want to give up on having facilities for you to use at your disposal. Neither do you want to plan the scheduling of maintenance and bear the costs alone. Fret not, this is exactly what this article is about. For those who want full-fledged Condominium facilities and yet want a space big enough for your kids to play in and yet not disturb your peace and quiet (Yes, we know working from home has been tough).
In this article, we explore 20 Condominium developments that have Strata Landed houses. No, we are not talking about Cluster houses or private developments that have Strata Landed houses but are of Apartment status. We recently covered the main difference between the two, link here for your convenience. We are talking about those with approved Condominium status with full-fledged facilities. What is the difference, you might ask.
Well for one, Foreigners are allowed to purchase Strata Landed houses within approved Condominium developments without any additional approval but not those of Apartment Status. In 2012, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) noticed an increasing trend in the number of condominium proposals comprising a mix of strata landed and apartment units within the same development. Thus, in order to align the existing treatment of strata landed housing developments, URA released a Circular on 02 Apr 2012 which no longer accords condominium status to developments comprising a mix of strata landed and apartment units.
What are the benefits of these Strata Landed houses in approved Condominiums?
1. Private developments with Strata Landed houses with approved Condominium status are in a sense limited supply, similar to pure landed houses.
2. If you do purchase a Strata Landed House in one of these approved Condominiums and you decide to sell in the future, you will have a broader audience, which includes foreigners.
3. Between a Strata Landed House in a Condominium and a Cluster House, the Condominium typically has more land space for your quiet enjoyment.
So, where are these developments?
The Ford @ Holland
Address: Ford Avenue (District 10)
Completion Date: 2009
Tenure: Freehold
Last Transacted Price: $4,028,000 (30 Mar 2021)
Last Transacted PSF: $1,223
Number of Strata Landed Units: 10
Total Units: 85
We’re starting off with this quait development in District 10, Holland precinct. The Ford @ Holland is an 85 unit development with 10 units of Strata Terraces at approximately 3,294 Sqft. The 4-Bedroom 3.5-Storey Terrace type comes with a basement area, 2 private parking spaces, a roof terrace, outdoor jacuzzi and most importantly, a lift within the unit.
For those that are unfamiliar with some essential features of landed properties, the lift is one of the considerations for future-proofing the home. It facilitates easy access to all levels for seniors in the household as well as those with mobility difficulties. Additionally, it helps with carrying the laundry up and down if your washing machine and drying areas are on different levels. This eradicates the need for a Granny’s room on the first floor which frees up more space in the common living area. Great for hosting and having guests over. The Powder Room on the first floor is also another essential amenity that reduces the need to go to the other levels in order to use the toilet. Surely, you would not want to have to climb up and down just to use the toilet while watching TV in the living room.
Generally, we like the layout of the Strata Terraces in The Ford @ Holland, coupled with its Freehold tenure, it provides an option for those who are looking to move into a landed home in D10 but want to have condominium facilities at the same time. Although given the size of the development, there are not as many facilities as a larger Condominium development. But there is the benefit of having lesser people to share it with. Besides, located just across the road from Holland Village, there is so much more to do. PSF prices have dipped from their 2007 high and are now in a stabilised trend with a gradual incline. While we do not expect any surge in prices, this Freehold development will bode well with those who prefer a stable store of value in their properties.
Verdure
Address: Holland Road (District 10)
Completion Date: 2012
Tenure: Freehold
Last Transacted Price: $4,980,000 (26 Apr 2021)
Last Transacted PSF: $1,333
Number of Strata Landed Units: 6
Total Units: 75
Still in the heart of the Holland precinct, Verdure is located along Holland Road, a little over a kilometre away from Tanglin gate of Botanic Gardens. Unlike The Ford @ Holland, Verdure is a 2.5-Storey Strata Semi-Detached house. Although it is one floor lesser than The Ford @ Holland, there is not much difference in the actual floor area. In fact, this particular layout, which was the latest transaction for one of the 6 strata landed homes in Verdure, is a little larger at 3,735 Sqft. You may be wondering why there is more floor area but less floors. Generally, Semi-Detached homes are wider, thus they have more floor area per floor as compared to Terraces. This has allowed for an extra bedroom in all but 2.5-storeys. 4 Bedrooms on the second floor and one on the first floor.
Perhaps because it is only all but 2.5-Storeys, the Strata Landed houses in Verdure do not come with a lift within the unit. Thankfully, there is the bedroom on the first floor to be utilised as a Granny’s room. Similarly, you have 2 parking spaces and access to the facilities within the Condominium. The Strata Semi-Detached houses within the development must be very well-liked by the owners, considering the last reported transacted unit was sometime in 2010 before the recently reported transaction on 26 Apr 2021. Well, with only 6 units available, it is very exclusive and given the locale, we can understand why the owners are reluctant to put their units up for sale. There is not enough trending information to deduce a holistic trend of Verdure, but just based on the recent transaction, it has held its value well.
d’Leedon
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Address: Leedon Heights (District 10)
Completion Date: 2014
Tenure: 99 Years from 2010
Last Transacted Price: $6,700,000 (26 Apr 2021)
Last Transacted PSF: $769
Number of Strata Landed Units: 12
Total Units: 1715
Yes, we are still in the Holland precinct. Due to the limited information, we do not have the floor plans for D’Leedon for your reference. However, for your reference, the landed units in D’Leedon are Strata Landed Semi-Detached houses with a whopping 6,695 Sqft to 8,708 Sqft in variation. This amount of internal floor space for Semi-Detached types are typically found on larger plots of land for the regular landed houses. But if you have read the details, you would have noticed the key figure, $769 PSF.
D’Leedon, the former Farrer Court, is a 99-year leasehold development, the tenure started from 2010. The age of the land is about 11 years old, while the development is about 7 years old after being completed in 2014. If we were to compare D’Leedon price per square foot to the earlier mentioned developments, you technically get a 50% discount per square foot. However, this is also due to its leasehold nature which effectively does not have the same continuity attribute as a Freehold property. But due to the amount of internal floor area, the overall quantum of the Strata Landed houses in D’Leedon still top those in The Ford @ Holland and Verdure. The Average PSF prices have dipped since its high in 2018 but has held considerably well as a 99-year leasehold property from the last reported transaction in 2018.
While we often hear that the minimal basis for landed property is at least a 999-year tenure, which is as good as a Freehold tenure. With the current Average PSF across D10 for Semi-Detached houses at $1,814 PSF, to get a large floor area like this in a regular Semi-Detached, the PSF would be almost three times the price in D’Leedon, which would also extend the price quantum proportionately. At that point, you may consider buying separate landed houses instead of just one. This genre of Strata Landed houses is actually a much lower entry price for those who require a vast amount of floor area, like multi-generational families where there are maybe two or three families living together. In a much simpler perspective, it is cheaper to share a taxi between 4 people going to the same destination than to take 4 separate taxis. Besides, in this manner of living under one family’s name, it frees up the other eligible names to purchase other properties for investment purposes.
White House Residences
Address: Stevens Road (District 10)
Completion Date: 2012
Tenure: Freehold
Last Transacted Price: N.A.
Last Transacted PSF: N.A.
Number of Strata Landed Units: 4
Total Units: 12
We have finally moved on from the Holland precinct, but we are still in D10. White House Residences is an exclusive boutique development with all but 12 units in total, with 4 Strata Landed units. While we do not have the actual floor plan, we do know that the landed units in White House Residences are Strata Semi-Detached houses with a private pool for each unit. Yes, there is still the common pool for the eight other residential units. It probably does not get any more exclusive than this. The development is so exclusive that we do not have any transaction information for the units so we cannot speak of the price trends. However, a quick search on some property portals would reveal that the Strata Landed units in White House Residences are currently listed at about $13M to $14M with floor areas ranging from 5,985 Sqft to 6,469 Sqft. Currently, in the vicinity of Stevens MRT station, there are regular Semi-Detached houses listed within the range of $3.5M to $13M, varying in land size, build-up area and proximity to the nearest transport nodes. Clearly, based on the listed prices for the Strata Landed houses in White House Residences, it is commanding a premium for its prime locale. White House Residences is not only opposite from Stevens MRT Station, but Stevens MRT Station has two MRT lines. The Downtown Line and the Thomson-East Coast Line. For a landed property to be this well connected in Singapore, is extremely rare.
Bishopsgate Residences
Address: Bishopsgate (District 10)
Completion Date: 2012
Tenure: Freehold
Last Transacted Price: $25,914,100 (22 Apr 2014)
Last Transacted PSF: $3,899
Number of Strata Landed Units: 2
Total Units: 31
Still, in District 10, Bishopsgate Residences is a boutique development with 31 units. Bishopsgate is off Chatsworth Road which many would be familiar with. This development has only 2 Strata Semi-Detached houses. Again with limited information publicly available, we do not have the floor plan. However, there has been a recorded transaction, sometime in 2014, for one of its Strata Semi-Detached houses for $25,814,100 for 6,620 Sqft, which equates to about $3,889 PSF. Bishopsgate Residences is located within the Chatsworth Park Good Class Bungalow enclave. In addition, there are also three foreign embassies located within the enclave. So, not only is Bishopsgate Residences located in a prime district, but it is also within a prime enclave. Based on current listed properties available for sale, the lowest priced unit within the enclave is $8M for a 4,800 Sqft build-up (3,250 Sqft Land) Semi-Detached while the highest priced unit is $80M for a 7000 Sqft build-up (20,000 Sqft Land) Good Class Bungalow. With these prices in perspective, the quantum for Bishopsgate Residences seems to be relatively reasonable for the amount of build-up space you will be getting within the house.
We know what you are thinking, for this amount of money, this owner could have bought anywhere they probably wanted. However, this is exactly what we emphasised earlier. There are those with a preference to having full-fledged facilities and want to live in a Condominium development. After all, a Condominium development has security personnel which regular landed housing does not. Unless you hire a security guard of course. With only 2 units available in Bishopsgate Residences, perhaps even if you had that amount of money, you may need a fair bit of luck to own one of these exclusive Strata Semi-Detached homes in a top-class address.
Thomson Grand
Address: Sin Ming Walk (District 20)
Completion Date: 2015
Tenure: 99 Years from 2010
Last Transacted Price: $3,100,000 (29 Jan 2021)
Last Transacted PSF: $569
Number of Strata Landed Units: 22
Total Units: 361
We have finally exited District 10, for now. Perhaps this development would interest parents with younger children more. For those who like the central locale, Thomson Grand is located off Upper Thomson Road, on Sin Ming Walk. It also happens to be right beside Peirce Secondary School and within the 2km radius of Ai Tong School and CHIJ St Nicholas Girls’ School. The newly completed Bright Hill MRT Station on the Thomson-East Coast Line is also about a 10-minute walk away, so getting anywhere is relatively convenient. Plus the development is already in a central locale, perhaps the better description would be, it is relatively easy to get home from anywhere.
Thomson Grand is a medium sized development with 361 units sitting atop 20,848 Sqm of land. One key benefit of these medium sized developments is that there are more facilities and space as compared to a smaller development. But that does not mean bigger is necessarily better. Like D’Leedon which has 1715 residential units. So, being a smaller development also means that you will have to share the facilities with lesser people. However, in D’Leedon, the grounds are so extensive that you will unlikely feel like there are 1,715 residential units around. Ultimately, it is a matter of preference. Some families like larger developments and some prefer smaller developments. Prices seem to have dipped from the high in 2011. This reported transaction is the first resale transaction of Strata Terraces in Thomson Grand. For the overall quantum of $3,100,000 of a 5,447 Sqft unit in D20, this is very rare. Especially after considering that most regular inter-terraces are starting around $3Mil for something that requires extensive renovation. If the leasehold status is not a consideration for you, Thomson Grand could very well be one of your considerations.
Woodhaven
Address: Woodgrove Avenue (District 25)
Completion Date: 2015
Tenure: 99 Years from 2011
Last Transacted Price: $2,600,000 (29 Jan 2021)
Last Transacted PSF: $774
Number of Strata Landed Units: 39
Total Units: 337
Probably one of the more affordable options mentioned in this article, Woodhaven is a leasehold Condominium in the Woodlands area, District 25. The latest transaction was recorded in October of 2020 at $2,600,000. For those that prefer to live in a more secluded area away from the hustle and bustle, but close enough to amenities, you will be glad to know that Woodhaven is conveniently located a little over a 10-minute walk away. All the Strata Terraces in Woodhaven are 3.5-Storey with a basement and is approximately 3,358 Sqft, which is a decent-sized terrace. However, the units also do not come with a home lift, so those that prefer to have this amenity might skip this project. The good news for those that have healthy knees, is that one of the biggest Master Plan developments will be coming to D25. The Woodlands Regional Centre plans to seek to transform Woodlands into a Key Commercial Hub in the North. The addition of the Thomson-East Coast line which is currently on Phase 2 of its completion will also improve connectivity to the area. Given the upcoming developments, it might be wiser to enter the unit now than to adopt a wait and see perspective, especially in a fast-moving market. If Strata Terraces in D25 is one of your considerations, these are some points to note.
The Vision
Address: West Coast Crescent (District 05)
Completion Date: 2014
Tenure: 99 Years from 2008
Last Transacted Price: $3,000,000 (19 Mar 2021)
Last Transacted PSF: $599
Number of Strata Landed Units:14
Total Units: 295
The Vision has some of the rare Strata Terraces with 4.5-Storeys. You get a basement, 3 levels of living space and an open roof terrace. The Vision is another medium-sized development with a total of 295 residential units, of which 14 are Strata Terraces. Diving right into the prices, we like the overall quantum for the Strata Terraces with the latest transaction coming in at $3,000,000 for a 5,005 Sqft unit. We think it is very reasonable given the PSF of $599 in District 05. It will be unlikely that you will be able to find something of this size and build in the entire D05 if that is your main area of interest. Furthermore, the developments surrounding D05 will no doubt increase the barrier of entry to the regular landed houses. If you do not know what we are talking about, read our deep-dive analysis done by our Insights team — District 05, The Ticking Time Bomb.
The Average PSF Prices have held modestly well over the years with some recent transactions surpassing the previous highs of the development’s initial years. However, the multiple levels might be an obstacle for family members with mobility issues, plus there is no granny’s room on the first floor, which might cause some to overlook this development. But as a consolation, if you find the layout suitable for you and your family, there is a jacuzzi with each Strata Terrace for your private enjoyment.
The Seawind
Address: Lorong M Telok Kurau (District 15)
Completion Date: 2015
Tenure: Freehold
Last Transacted Price: $3,800,000 (20 Aug 2021)
Last Transacted PSF: $1,135
Number of Strata Landed Units: 23
Total Units: 222
For East-side lovers, The Seawind is located right in the heart of District 15, at Lorong M Telok Kurau. This medium-sized development with 222 residential units consists of 23 Strata Terraces. Those familiar with the area will definitely like the locale and its proximity to many lifestyle amenities. Unfortunately, the Strata Terraces do not come with a home lift, but there is a bedroom on the first floor. Based on the latest recorded transaction of $3,800,000 of the standard 3,348 Sqft unit, we cannot complain. In today’s context, for the same quantum, you may be able to get a 2.5-Storey Inter-Terrace in the same area of good condition which might require minor touch-ups. So, it is really a matter of preference of whether you would like the luxury of condominium facilities or you prefer living privately.
EuHabitat
Address: Jalan Eunos (District 14)
Completion Date: 2015
Tenure: 99 Years from 2010
Last Transacted Price: $2,550,000 (31 Aug 2021)
Last Transacted PSF: $754
Number of Strata Landed Units: 51
Total Units: 748
Due to the limited information available, we do not have the floor plans for the Strata Terraces in EuHabitat. However, for your reference, the Strata Terraces range from 3,380 Sqft to 3,563 Sqft and are 3.5-Storeys tall including the basement. There has been a healthy number of transactions in the period of 2020 to 2021, likely due to having more supply within the development. The 5 recorded transactions have seen a gradual increase in PSF prices, one after the other, which is encouraging for those looking to exit the property. At the most recent recorded transaction of $2,550,000 for a 3,380 Sqft unit, we think the quantum is still acceptable to those who are looking for landed housing. As far as landed housing is concerned, the neighbouring District 15 has recently seen transactions minimally starting from $3Mil for inter-terraces primed for rebuilding. Thus, the entry quantum for this development well below $3Mil will still attract those that want to keep their quantum in the $2Mil range.
Final Words
We have come to the end of Part 1 of this article, do keep a lookout for our next article which will reveal another ten developments with Strata Landed houses in Singapore. Each development mentioned has its own innate attributes which their value is reflective of. The most effective way of determining these factors is through our PLB’s MOAT Analysis which dissects each attribute a certain property has. If you have any queries about any of these developments or you are interested in a more in-depth analysis of other developments, feel free to contact our consultants. Let us know in the comments what you think of these developments and if you would buy them over a regular landed house. Or if you know of any developments with these unique Strata Landed homes, feel free to drop us a comment and we will look into it just for you. Till our next article and as always — PropertyLimBrothers always happy to show you the place!
