10 Unique Condos Where Most Of The Original Owners Have Not Sold Since Day 1

Most condos will see at least a few units being resold every year; but there are some that buck this trend. A rare few projects have gone for years, or even decades, with few to no resales; and this is a point of interest for some buyers. It could indicate traits that are hard to replace, so buyers refuse to move; or it could sometimes mean the opposite (e.g., the location or maintenance is so bad, that listings are ignored). In any case, here are some of the anomalies we’ve spotted:

Condos with the fewest resales over the years

1. Grange 70

This 20-unit boutique condo may be one of Far East Organization’s least known projects, as the developer tends toward much larger condos. Built in 1999, Grange 70 is just across the road from the MOE headquarters. 

It’s overshadowed by many of the fancier, bigger, Orchard area – projects; but this is still a superb location, within walking distance of Orchard Road. The stretch from Wheelock down to Ngee Ann City is the closest to this condo; and River Valley Primary is within enrolment distance. 

As with most boutique condos, however, facilities are small and bare-bones; and some may not like that Grange 70 is pushed up quite close to Grange Road. This is the part of the road where it turns off toward Paterson, Scotts, and Orchard Road, so there’s quite a bit of traffic, and a good reason to opt for a higher floor.

The units here are highly rentable given the location; but investors may dislike the sheer number of bigger, and newer, luxury condos that have emerged around Grange 70. Another factor that explains the lack of transactions may be foreign and company ownership – a check on Square Foot Research shows the project is half owned by foreigners and half by an entity (which is Far East themselves, presumably). 

This is possibly held as a rental asset, and if so we wouldn’t expect any transactions in future either; as the developers can well afford to hold this property. 

This property is a few minutes’ walk from Cliveden (see below).

2. Cliveden at Grange 

Location wise, Cliveden at Grange has the same general benefits and drawbacks as Grange 70 (see above). Like Grange 70, this is a project that suffers from the sheer number of competing projects nearby; the entire stretch of Grange Road is chock-full of luxury condos like the Colonnade, Spring Grove, Paterson Residence, etc. 

This project was one of the many luxury condos launched in 2007, and prices back then were at an average of $3,600 psf, with the highest reaching $4,313 psf. Due to the high prices, the units here ranged from $7 million to more than $10 million for the regular units – which were mostly snapped up by foreigners. Subsequently, prices have dropped since and could be one of the reasons why you don’t see many transactions here (buyers here have strong holding power, or may be hoping that prices return to the early days). 

Nevertheless, it’s hard to see that happening anytime soon, especially if you judge by the most recent transaction. A 2,842 sq. ft. unit was sold at just $1,777 psf, a far cry from the $3 to $4,000+ psf numbers in 2007 (the original owner made an eye-popping $7 million loss). 

While spacious, do note that Cliveden has a rounded layout, as you can probably guess from the exterior. While the circular design was in trend at a point in time in Singapore, you’ll know this isn’t always a great thing, as it presents a design challenge and tends to require more custom work; but some buyers may enjoy the panoramic view it provides. 

The panoramic view isn’t greenery or a waterfront though, it’s the Orchard-area skyline, and some landed properties; so this may be more for urbanites. We’re also told that, from some units, the Marina Bay Sands area is part of the view. 

At 110 units, this is still a small project by industry standards; but it is more sizeable than many boutique options nearby, and the land area is big enough to allow for more greenery and larger pools. It frankly does still look modern for its age, and some people may still be surprised to learn that it was launched in 2007. 

3. Le Marican

If you want landed-area living, this boutique 12-unit condo may call out to you. Le Marican has the bonus of being next to the enclave’s park space (Jalan Daud Park), so there’s a bit of green space for the children to run around as well.

Le Marican definitely benefits from the development of Eunos’ neighbour, which is Paya Lebar. Paya Lebar Quarter (PLQ) is a huge aggregation of malls, eateries, and Grade A office space, which is a major amenity for Eunos and Geylang residents as well; and from this project, it’s less than a 10-minute car ride.

Transactions are few and far between; but in April of ‘22, we noticed a 571 sq. ft. unit transacting at a mere $650,000; practically the price of some HDB flats right now. Given the desirability of low-density areas, this was good value. 

Like most properties in landed enclaves though, you must drive if you live here. There’s nothing but houses all around, and there’s no public transport in easy walking distance. For landed-enclave lovers though, this is a feature, not a bug.

4. KJ Mansion

Rosyth Road is a predominantly landed area, but boutique condos like KJ Mansion are also quite common along this stretch. With only 10 units situated in a quiet part of the enclave, this project is meant to give a sense of landed living.

One of the main advantages of KJ Mansion is its proximity to Serangoon Garden – even in heavier traffic, you’ll probably just need six or seven minutes to get there. This provides access to MyVillage (a small mall with a Cold Storage), as well as famous eating places like Chomp Chomp. KJ Mansion is about an equal distance from NEX Megamall, which is the major retail provider for the Serangoon area. 

While most landed enclaves have poor public transport access, KJ Mansion is an exception; the nearby bus stop along Yio Chu Kang Road provides a wide range of services, including a direct bus to NEX (bus 43). 

Since Serangoon MRT (CCL, NEL) is connected to NEX, this means residents can have train access in just a few bus stops. It’s not within walking distance of an MRT, but this is not bad for a landed enclave.

Given the high prices of landed homes near Serangoon Garden, as well as Serangoon and Woodleigh themselves (near the MRT stations), we’d guess whoever owns units at KJ is unwilling to fork out for a pricey replacement in the same area. It also helps that the project is on a 999-year lease, so ageing is less of an issue.