10 Less-Known Old Freehold Apartments With Spacious Units

Everyone knows the usual classification of properties in Singapore: condos, HDBs, shophouses, landed homes, etc.

But there are certain subsets within each category that perhaps need more explaining (and are harder to find). For example, large freehold condos with big units. Or, large freehold condos with big units that have few facilities so that you have low monthly maintenance.

This week, we look at one niche subset - small freehold condos that have limited facilities for more affordable monthly maintenance.

Not everyone feels that common facilities are the best part of private housing. For every one person who likes a big pool or a second tennis court, there’s a buyer who just likes the location, and wishes those monthly costs would go down. This has been especially pronounced in recent years, with some buyers decrying extravagances like concierge services, rock-climbing walls, and free shuttle services (which as drivers they may never use).

For these buyers, we’ve picked out a list of freehold apartments (that are small for exclusivity), that will also spare them the maintenance fees of pricey facilities:

Why skip common facilities?

Apartments without common facilities have lower maintenance fees. A famous example of this is People’s Park Complex, which has some of the lowest maintenance fees; some owners pay as little as $100 a month (but this even excludes free parking, so drivers may not like it!)

There’s also a tendency for the units to be cheaper overall, but it’s hard to isolate this; many “pure” apartment-type projects, such as walk-ups, are also cheaper due to the lack of landscaping or 24/7 security.

In any case, this makes such units appealing to two groups: those who don’t care for pools, BBQ pits, etc., and also landlords. The lower quantum on these properties, plus lower maintenance, means a higher gross and net rental yield.

Here are some interesting options on the market right now:

Project	Tenure	Completion Year	Units
The Hacienda	Freehold	1985	109
Valley Mansion	Freehold	1970	50
Thomson Grove	Freehold	1984	116
Lloyd Mansion	Freehold	1963	36
Kim Sia Court	Freehold	1970	172
Oxley Mansion	Freehold	1963	44
Eber Gardens	Freehold	1991	14
Kum Hing Court	Freehold	1990	112
Botanic Gardens Mansion/Botanic Gardens View	Freehold	1970	112
Siglap Court	Freehold	1984	12

1. The Hacienda

Location: Hacienda Grove (District 15)

Developer: Assobuild Realty Pte Ltd

Lease: Freehold

Completion: 1985

Number of units: 109

Project Name	Transacted Price ($)	Area (SQFT)	Unit Price ($ PSF)	Sale Date	Address	Type of Sale	Type of Area	Area (SQM)	Unit Price ($ PSM)	Nett Price($)	Property Type	Number of Units	Tenure	Completion Date	Purchaser Address Indicator	Postal Code	Postal District	Postal Sector	Planning Region	Planning Area
THE HACIENDA	$2,800,000	1894	$1,478	15 Sept 2022	4 HACIENDA GROVE #03-03	Resale	Strata	176	15909	-	Condominium	1	Freehold	1985	Private	457910	15	45	East Region	Bedok
THE HACIENDA	$3,050,000	1894	$1,610	7 Jul 2023	6 HACIENDA GROVE #02-02	Resale	Strata	176	17330	-	Condominium	1	Freehold	1985	Private	457912	15	45	East Region	Bedok
THE HACIENDA	$2,400,000	1561	$1,538	20 Oct 2022	3 HACIENDA GROVE #04-04	Resale	Strata	145	16552	-	Condominium	1	Freehold	1986	Private	457909	15	45	East Region	Bedok
THE HACIENDA	$5,400,000	3229	$1,672	13 Oct 2022	5 HACIENDA GROVE #01-02	Resale	Strata	300	18000	-	Condominium	1	Freehold	1986	Private	457911	15	45	East Region	Bedok
THE HACIENDA	$2,680,000	1894	$1,415	27 May 2022	3 HACIENDA GROVE #03-02	Resale	Strata	176	15227	-	Condominium	1	Freehold	1986	Private	457909	15	45	East Region	Bedok

The Hacienda does actually have condo-like facilities such as a pool and gym; but these are rather bare-bones, and it more closely resembles the many walk-ups in the Siglap area.

The Hacienda is one of the more private developments, being tucked away at Hacienda Grove (a little-noticed turn off East Coast Road). This is a low-density area, and it’s far enough from the lifestyle stretch (the Katong area) that it avoids traffic and noise.

From the project down to Siglap Centre, you’ll find many eateries from Japanese Izakayas to steakhouses; and there’s an NTUC FairPrice roughly six minutes down the road. A little further down is Siglap Centre, across from which you’ll find a Cold Storage.

The Hacienda is also more conveniently located than it looks. If you hop on bus 14 right outside this project, for example, it will take you straight to the Joo Chiat/Katong area in a few stops; this area has i12 Katong (a mall just across from Parkway Parade), and a long stretch of family-friendly bars and diners.

The upcoming Marine Parade MRT station (TEL) is just across from i12 Katong and in front of Parkway Parade; so some might count this as a viable bus connection to the MRT.

2. Valley Mansion

Location: Oxley Road (District 9)

Developer: -

Lease: Freehold

Completion: 1970

Number of units: 50

Project Name

Transacted Price ($)

Area (SQFT)

Unit Price ($ PSF)

Sale Date

Address

Type of Sale

Type of Area

Area (SQM)

Unit Price ($ PSM)

Nett Price($)

Property Type

Number of Units

Tenure

Completion Date

Purchaser Address Indicator

Postal Code

Postal District

Postal Sector

Planning Region

Planning Area

VALLEY MANSION

$1,880,000

1141

$1,648

30 Mar 2021

62C OXLEY ROAD

Resale

Strata

106

17736

-

Apartment

1

Freehold

-

Private

238647

9

23

Central Region

River Valley

VALLEY MANSION

$1,800,000

1141

$1,578

14 Feb 2020

68D OXLEY ROAD

Resale

Strata

106

16981

-

Apartment

1

Freehold

-

Private

238653

9

23

Central Region

River Valley

If you absolutely must live near Orchard, but still want a freehold home, and your budget is tight, Valley Mansion is one of the few viable choices. This 50-unit project is a remnant from 1970, making it one of the oldest properties we’ve seen, even among freehold projects.

The aesthetics aren’t great, and the façade is dated. At first glance, it looks more like public than private housing. Given its age, you have no facilities to speak of. There's no security, it's a completely open-air car park, and there are no lifts either so you have to walk up - which is why the maintenance costs here can be kept low.

Nonetheless, Valley Mansion has a reasonably convenient location along Oxley Road.

You can get to Orchard Central on foot in about seven minutes from this apartment, and this mall is connected to Somerset MRT station (NSL). This is within the heart of the Orchard shopping belt, so just about every retail and food amenity you need is nearby.

Alternatively, you can walk to UE Square in about 9 minutes. Apart from being a mall, the Fort Canning MRT station (DTL) is just across from UE Square. This means residents have foot access to two different train lines.

For something nearer, you can also take a short walk to the Killiney Road area, where there is a 24-hour NTUC along with several eateries along the road (some of which are open till the wee hours).

There have been talks of en bloc at this freehold apartment given the location, but this has been hampered by the low plot ratio and LKY's former home at Oxley Road. He mentioned in his book that he hoped that his home would be demolished, which could help with changing the planning rules and bringing the land value of the area up - but as of yet, there have been no concrete plans as to what might happen. The piece of land next to Valley Mansion is owned by Far East Organization (where it's been used as a show flat, the last of which was Parksuites). So there could be further interest here, in the future.

There hasn’t been a transaction here in a long time; the last was back in February 2020, when a 1,141 sq. ft. unit transacted at a mere $1.015 million. While it’s almost certain to be higher today, it’s still likely to be a rare affordable choice in Orchard.

3. Kim Sia Court

Location: Jalan Jintan (District 9)

Developer: –

Lease: Freehold

Completion: 1970

Number of units: 172

Project Name	Transacted Price ($)	Area (SQFT)	Unit Price ($ PSF)	Sale Date	Address	Type of Sale	Type of Area	Area (SQM)	Unit Price ($ PSM)	Nett Price($)	Property Type	Number of Units	Tenure	Completion Date	Purchaser Address Indicator	Postal Code	Postal District	Postal Sector	Planning Region	Planning Area
KIM SIA COURT	$2,100,000	1066	$1,971	27 Sept 2021	19 JALAN JINTAN #09-21	Resale	Strata	99	21212	-	Apartment	1	Freehold	-	HDB	229012	9	22	Central Region	Newton
KIM SIA COURT	$3,050,000	1421	$2,147	15 Jun 2023	9 JALAN JINTAN #04-11	Resale	Strata	132	23106	-	Apartment	1	Freehold	-	Private	229006	9	22	Central Region	Newton
KIM SIA COURT	$3,188,888	1421	$2,244	29 May 2023	9 JALAN JINTAN #09-09	Resale	Strata	132	24158	-	Apartment	1	Freehold	-	Private	229006	9	22	Central Region	Newton
KIM SIA COURT	$2,600,000	1066	$2,440	15 May 2023	19 JALAN JINTAN #03-19	Resale	Strata	99	26263	-	Apartment	1	Freehold	-	Private	229012	9	22	Central Region	Newton
KIM SIA COURT	$2,938,000	1421	$2,068	8 Nov 2021	27 JALAN JINTAN #06-31	Resale	Strata	132	22258	-	Apartment	1	Freehold	-	Private	229017	9	22	Central Region	Newton

One of the best-located freehold properties in Orchard, Kim Sia Court has sometimes been forgotten that it's still around. This small apartment project, close to the junction of Jalan Jintan and Nutmeg Road, is just behind Scott’s Square (where you can get easy access to from the back, there's an NTUC Finest right here).

This is toward the “older” end of Orchard Road, where you’ll find venerable malls like Far East Plaza, Lido, and Tangs. But that doesn’t change the fact that residents have the best amenities on their doorstep. The Orchard Road MRT station (NSL, TEL) can be reached in around five to six minutes on foot.

Kim Sia Court does see relatively frequent transactions, with 1,400+ sq. ft. units transacting at just over $3 million in 2023. While that’s pricey by mass market standards, we should say again that this project is situated within the Orchard shopping belt. For units of that size, $3 million is likely going to be as cheap as it gets.

From word on the ground there, there is one potential downside: a former tenant in the area claims some of the other residents are…ahem workers at Orchard Towers, although they never come back there with clients. In any case, entertainment licenses at Orchard Towers are not being renewed, so this issue will likely resolve itself soon.

Nevertheless, we've heard of a number of people who have bought a unit here specifically to wait for an en-bloc opportunity. The issue is the current prices it's already transacting at in the resale market - it's going to take a big offer to tempt sellers to move.

4. Kum Hing Court

Location: Tomlinson Road (District 10)

Developer: –

Lease: Freehold

Completion: 1990

Number of units: 112

Project Name	Transacted Price ($)	Area (SQFT)	Unit Price ($ PSF)	Sale Date	Address	Type of Sale	Type of Area	Area (SQM)	Unit Price ($ PSM)	Nett Price($)	Property Type	Number of Units	Tenure	Completion Date	Purchaser Address Indicator	Postal Code	Postal District	Postal Sector	Planning Region	Planning Area
KUM HING COURT	$4,250,000	1625	$2,615	10 Nov 2021	28 TOMLINSON ROAD #05-34	Resale	Strata	151	28146	-	Apartment	1	Freehold	-	Private	247854	10	24	Central Region	River Valley
KUM HING COURT	$4,250,000	1625	$2,615	4 Jun 2021	36 TOMLINSON ROAD #02-36	Resale	Strata	151	28146	-	Apartment	1	Freehold	-	Private	247856	10	24	Central Region	River Valley
KUM HING COURT	$3,950,000	1625	$2,430	13 Aug 2020	36 TOMLINSON ROAD #05-42	Resale	Strata	151	26159	-	Apartment	1	Freehold	-	Private	247856	10	24	Central Region	River Valley
KUM HING COURT	$3,800,000	1625	$2,338	23 Jul 2020	28 TOMLINSON ROAD #06-28	Resale	Strata	151	25166	-	Apartment	1	Freehold	-	Private	247854	10	24	Central Region	River Valley
KUM HING COURT	$3,500,000	1625	$2,153	24 Feb 2020	36 TOMLINSON ROAD #05-40	Resale	Strata	151	23179	-	Apartment	1	Freehold	-	Private	247856	10	24	Central Region	River Valley

Kum Hing Court is close to the new Orchard Boulevard MRT station (TEL), which is just one stop away from Orchard MRT (NSL, TEL). It’s roughly a six-to-seven-minute walk from the development.

This area, which is between the main shopping belt and Tanglin, is ideal for those who want privacy. You’re close to Orchard, but far away from the traffic and crowds. These apartments are also appealing to those who would trade facilities for space. Unit sizes can get to upward of 1,600 sq. ft., making them very spacious for larger families.

Being closer to Tanglin, the nearest retail is Tanglin Mall, which is around a seven-minute walk. This mall has day-to-day stores like Cold Storage; so if you need to live near Orchard, but hate having to walk in Orchard Road traffic, this apartment may fit the bill.

From word on the ground, one realtor tells us the management has set up a small gym (although other facilities are still absent).

This is opposite the former Park House, which has since gone en-bloc and redeveloped into the ultra-luxurious Park Nova. Those hoping for a collective sale soon should note that Orchard Bel-Air has struggled to find a buyer for its collective sale ambitions. Along with the yet-to-sell-out Cuscaden Reserve, and 3 Orchard-by-the-Park (plus the upcoming Orchard Boulevard GLS site), means that buyers have a lot of options here.

5. Botanic Gardens View

Location: Taman Serasi (District 10)

Developer: –

Lease: Freehold

Completion: 1970

Number of units: 144

Project Name	Transacted Price ($)	Area (SQFT)	Unit Price ($ PSF)	Sale Date	Address	Type of Sale	Type of Area	Area (SQM)	Unit Price ($ PSM)	Nett Price($)	Property Type	Number of Units	Tenure	Completion Date	Purchaser Address Indicator	Postal Code	Postal District	Postal Sector	Planning Region	Planning Area
BOTANIC GARDENS VIEW	$3,000,000	1410	$2,128	28 Sept 2020	19 TAMAN SERASI #06-19	Resale	Strata	131	22901	-	Apartment	1	Freehold	-	Private	257723	10	25	Central Region	Tanglin
BOTANIC GARDENS VIEW	$3,680,000	1259	$2,922	20 Apr 2023	1 TAMAN SERASI #06-01	Resale	Strata	117	31453	-	Apartment	1	Freehold	-	Private	257717	10	25	Central Region	Tanglin
BOTANIC GARDENS VIEW	$3,150,000	1410	$2,234	21 Oct 2022	19 TAMAN SERASI #01-23	Resale	Strata	131	24046	-	Apartment	1	Freehold	-	Private	257723	10	25	Central Region	Tanglin
BOTANIC GARDENS VIEW	$3,750,000	1755	$2,137	7 Apr 2022	9 TAMAN SERASI #09-15	Resale	Strata	163	23006	-	Apartment	1	Freehold	-	Private	257720	10	25	Central Region	Tanglin
BOTANIC GARDENS VIEW	$3,280,000	1410	$2,326	3 Nov 2021	27 TAMAN SERASI #06-33	Resale	Strata	131	25038	-	Apartment	1	Freehold	-	Private	257724	10	25	Central Region	Tanglin

Botanic Gardens View has got very basic facilities, but makes up for it with the location. This small project (144 units spread out over four blocks) is situated along Cluny Road. Right across the road, as the name implies, is the Singapore Botanical Gardens. The closest entry point is the Tanglin gate.

Despite being in a landed enclave, public transport is available. Napier MRT (TEL) is just four minutes away; and this station is just one stop from Orchard Boulevard MRT. This is a best-of-both-worlds scenario, where residents have both the greenery of the botanical gardens, as well as easy access to the Orchard belt.

One potential rough spot, however, is the presence of Gleneagles Hospital nearby (around five to six minutes on foot). While we feel it’s far enough to avoid siren noises, buyers who have taboos may prefer to be situated further away.

This is a nearly identical project to the Botanic Gardens Mansion (just across the road). Neither have facilities to speak of, with a smattering of sheltered car park lots and security being the only frills that are available. This is one of those developments that the location is by far the biggest draw.