HDB Reviews Bendemeer Light Review: Conveniently Close To 2 MRT Stations + Amazing Views But Noisy

24 min read

Project:	Bendemeer Light
HDB Town	Kallang/Whampoa
Address:	10A-C Bendemeer Road
Lease Start Date:	2017
No. of Units:	624

Bendemeer Light was launched in the 2012 May BTO exercise alongside 5 other projects – Two in Punggol, one in Choa Chu Kang, one in Sengkang, and another in the Kallang/Whampoa estate (same as Bendemeer Light).

No prizes for guessing which estate was the most popular.

Prices of both the 3 and 4-room flats were going at around $360,000 and $525,000 respectively, making it relatively costly for a BTO, but it certainly didn’t stop people from applying anyway.

In fact, some may have considered this to be quite affordable as evident by a disgruntled buyer who paid more for the DBSS next door – City View @ Boon Keng:

“… what dismayed us was that new BTO flats, Bendemeer Light, which are far cheaper than our DBSS flat, will be built just beside our block. While these new BTO flats will have a smaller floor area than our flat’s, they will not have planter areas, very large balconies and bay windows – features found in DBSS flats that are often considered undesirable by the owners. Moreover, the new flats will block the view of the city from our home. It is hardly fair that we paid so much for our DBSS flat, partly because of the good view, only to have it obstructed.” – Ms. Phoebe Huang (Letter written into The Straits Times forum in 2012).

She’s definitely got the view obstructed part right as Bendemeer Light boasts one of the best city views you can get in Singapore due to its unblocked view towards the CBD and the sea. The fact that it faces the conserved shophouses also secures its view, and units go all the way up to the 40th floor!

It’s no surprise then that 4-room flats are going for around $900,000 – some of the highest in Singapore. For this price, you could get almost any other 4-room flat in Singapore, so would this development still be worth considering?

Read on to find out more in our usual HDB insider tour!

Bendemeer Light Insider Tour

Getting to Bendemeer Light was quite straightforward given it is in a centrally-located place, making it really convenient to reach. Upon arrival though, it’s clear that this is probably one of the most urban developments I’ve visited.

Making my way to the development, I found myself walking along the really busy Bendemeer Road. This isn’t the first ‘urban’ development I’ve been to – The Pinnacle @ Duxton takes the cake for being the most “central” of all HDBs, yet it’s surprisingly quiet and charming. The area around Bendemeer just felt really stifling due to the traffic that seems to really pile on here quite often. It could be due to the really hot weather in recent months too, so this feeling may vary too.

I suppose this is the consequence of living in this area. While there are plenty of shophouses around that add to the charm and don’t “tower” over you, the lack of immediate parks/greenery, or perhaps the Business-zoned next door somehow doesn’t make it feel as homely a place. You usually can’t get both in one place anyway. It’s either convenient but busy and vibrant, or quiet and peaceful, but less convenient.

Moreover, the plot on the southeast side is utilised by a lot of large vehicles like buses and lorries which likely service the business plot next door along Jalan Lembah Kallang.

But I digress – residents living here are likely rolling their eyes as they read this due to the many other positive attributes of the place, such as the extreme convenience and unblocked views. It’s just an observation I’ve made visiting several HDBs where some feel more residential than others, but everyone has their own take!

Upon arrival, you’re greeted by the development sign that has a nice grey and white finish, similar to the overall design of the development.

This isn’t the only entrance into the development though. The second one is located on the north side along Kempas Road which is actually a service road that runs alongside an older public housing block.

Heading further in, you’ll find Bendemeer Light’s one and only drop-off point:

The drop-off isn’t particularly big, fitting just one car at a time. Since there are just three blocks though, this one drop-off is within convenient reach to all three. However, you may have to wait for other passengers to alight at peak hours during heavy rain.

Up close, you’ll see a bench here and one along the sheltered walkway which connects you to all the blocks, so residents would never have to go under the rain or shine within the development (especially important in today’s weather).

Right opposite the drop-off point is the multi-storey car park (MSCP) which is connected via a sheltered walkway:

The exterior is rather pleasant – likely because it’s still quite new and clean. You’ll also notice some planters located on a grey box protruding out. I really like this style as It looks very modern and in line with the overall theme of the development, but I do wish that more greenery is used here especially since lower floor units face it directly.

Having more greenery not only makes an eyesore of a multi-storey car park look more pleasant, but it could also help dampen some of the noise pollution and provide more privacy.

The good news is that only a handful of stacks directly face the car park – those located at block 10A on the lower floor.

Bendemeer Light has a total of 7 floors in its MSCP with 558 lots in total – this makes it almost a 1-1 ratio with 624 units here. A quick check on the availability of lots also shows that there are 243 season parking tickets available in July, and 399 in August. I reckon that with such a central location, owning a car may not be as necessary as in a Punggol HDB that’s 15 minutes away from the MRT.

Inside, you’ll find the car park to be sufficiently bright and spacious. Since this is a multi-storey one, you’ll need to go around and around again to get on the upper decks. It’s not too convenient since first-floor parking is full most of the time, so I definitely would prefer the spiral design that lets you quickly reach the upper decks instead.

This brings me to my next point – there are no link bridges on the upper floors. Residents who park any higher than level two will always need to take the lift down and walk to their block to get home.

This is a mild inconvenience, one of those things you probably get used to but if you have experienced having a direct connection to your block before, you’d probably find it harder to accept. In essence, having a link bridge is like parking on level one – you can “walk to your block directly” without any extra steps. Seems trivial, but since several HDBs (and some aren’t even as expensive as this!) offer it, this could be part of your considerations if you drive.

Like most new HDBs, Bendemeer Light has a car park rooftop garden located above the 8th floor.

Coming out, you’ll immediately see that the rooftop garden is quite decently landscaped here. On my left, you’ll notice this community garden plot – and it’s quite a big one too!

It’s a great idea to put the community garden atop the car park rooftop – this increases visibility to inner-facing residents from blocks around, and it also takes advantage of vertical space considering the small plot that Bendemeer Light sits on.

For those looking at outdoor spaces to gather with friends or family, you can utilise the sheltered space found in the centre of the rooftop garden. There’s just one table and two benches here, fitting a total of 4-6 people.

I also like how the design is congruent with the development style – good attention to detail here.

You’ll also find numerous bench seating scattered around too. I’d reckon people wouldn’t be sitting here in the day though, it’s hot out here!

One problem you’d immediately notice is that the surrounding blocks are close to the rooftop garden. This could be an issue for those who value privacy – if so, perhaps getting a much higher floor could be important. Otherwise, a development with an unblocked facing on a low floor helps too.

Not all inner-facing stacks are affected by this though. Here, you’ll see that the service yards face the MSCP rooftop garden.

There are also open spaces here that people can use for activities. It’s common to find activities like Tai Chi being done in public spaces, and considering there’s a lack of an open area or park nearby, having this could prove to be useful.

Now that we’re done with the rooftop garden, let’s head down to see what the facilities are like!

Given that the development has only 624 units and sits on a small plot of land, it’s unsurprising that there’s just one facility area here – and it’s found in the centre of the development between blocks 10B and 10C.

Here, you’ll find two playgrounds and an adult/elderly fitness area.

The first playground is a little unorthodox. For some reason, I believe that the theme was deliberately chosen to match the colours of the development. It is quite a muted look, certainly not a playground that screams fun.

This reminds me of the same muted playground at SkyTerrace@Dawson. I doubt it matters much, as I still see kids enjoying it as much as any other playground so this is a non-issue.

Regardless, I do like that it allows kids to have a very active play here. It has a wall climbing feature, a pole to slide down, a tube to climb through, a rope bridge for balancing, a ladder you can climb, and a slide you can… slide down from. Sounds like a lot packed into a small area!

Next to it is the second playground – much better in terms of what I’d imagine a playground would look like. From the side, you’ll see that it’s in the form of a bulldozer!

This one is slightly smaller and is probably more suitable for younger kids. There are also several spring riders to the right for toddlers.

Parents looking out for their children would be pleased to see a nearby shelter that you can rest in. The best part is that it’s fully sheltered, so it will provide full coverage from the sun.

Right next to the playground is the Adult Fitness Stations. Some of the equipment here is just meant to improve mobility, while others are strength training. Overall, I’d say that this fitness area is pretty standard – nothing impressive in terms of the range of equipment.

On the opposite end, you’ll find the Elderly Fitness Stations. I’m honestly not sure what the difference is here. The equipment looks the same!

The only clue that this is for the elderly is the small foot reflexology on the side:

There’s also a very small shelter here that’s fully sheltered. It does look a little awkwardly placed given how narrow the width is.

Overall, the facilities on offer at Bendemeer Light are nothing to shout about. The playground is decent, but the fitness stations are lacklustre. The landscaping around is also just average, so the place as a whole is just about acceptable.

Maybe this should be called “Bendemeer Lite” (haha).

Jokes aside, these facilities are really more than enough for the 624 units here, so residents shouldn’t find it to be congested during peak periods.

The last facility is the Precinct Pavilion which is conveniently located just next to the drop-off point that allows guests to easily find the space.

Over here, you’ll find that there are numerous fans around as well as some bench seating on the side. There are two structural columns on the left side that make the space less configurable, but it’s not a big deal since the space as a whole is pretty decent.

Do note that due to the proximity of the blocks around, residents on the lower floors can expect some noise during events.

Now that we’re done with the facilities at Bendemeer Light, let’s head into the blocks to check out the common corridors!

Considering the small plot, there really isn’t much of a “void deck” here. There are some open and void spaces with bench seating, and that’s about it.

Heading in, you’ll come to the lift lobby which is served by four lifts. Given that Bendemeer Light goes up to 40 storeys, lifts here operate so that two lifts go up to the 21st storey only, while another two go beyond that. This helps to reduce wait times.

Coming out of the lift, you’ll find that the common corridor here is a little narrow. While it’s not as narrow as some of the DBSS I’ve seen, it certainly isn’t as wide as some of the other new HDBs that I’ve toured either.

Depending on the block you’re in, there are either 5 or 6 units per floor. None of the units face each other directly, so gates won’t crash with one another as a result of the narrow width, but I think you can agree with me that this isn’t as ideal.

With a narrow corridor, the space in front of the unit becomes very important. Corridor space is not meant for private items – this could get in the way of passage during an emergency so it’s important to keep the area clear. In Bendemeer Light’s case, the space afforded at the porch of the unit isn’t big either, so if having a shoe rack or space outside the unit to put things is important to you, then you might want to take note of this.

From here, you’ll also notice that some units in Bendemeer Light would have their service yard facing the common corridor, reducing privacy for these units.

It’s also at the common corridor where you’ll see the spectacular city (and some sea) view that residents get treated to each day:

There’s also no shortage of city views around:

This is probably one of the main highlights of staying at Bendemeer Light – aside from the convenience of living here which we’ll get to next!

Bendemeer Light Location Review

You’ve probably noticed that Bendemeer Light has no amenities – commercial outlets or a childcare centre that can be found in some HDBs. Given the small plot and central location, having such amenities would have been great but not as necessary as some more inaccessible plots.

In terms of food, Bendemeer Market & Food Centre (hawker) is just an 8-minute walk away. This puts residents within convenient reach of a ton of local fares. That is also the site of Bendemeer Shopping Mall (similar to shops below HDBs).

There’s also an NTUC FairPrice next to it, so residents are also within sort of convenient reach of a major supermarket.

On the southwest side, residents can visit the numerous conserved shophouses along Serangoon Road and Jalan Besar. There are also a ton of eateries in the Tyrwhitt Road vicinity, including the well-known Chye Seng Huat Hardware.

Residents looking for a more traditional shopping experience can also head to City Square Mall. It’s about an 11-minute walk away or 8 minutes by bus. There’s also the Aperia Mall which is a 13-minute walk away. It’s not quite the shortest in terms of walking time, but the fact that a major shopping mall can be reached within this timeframe is pretty good compared to other HDBs I’ve reviewed!

It’s for all of these reasons that explains why Bendemeer Light is such a convenient place to live in.

Families with young children would be happy to find several childcare centres nearby too. A quick check on the two closest childcare centres shows that there is some vacancy “within 1 year”, so enrolment here isn’t as bad as some of the Punggol HDBs that I’ve recently reviewed such as Matilda Sundeck where none have vacancies within 1 year (it does say a lot about the profile of residents staying there).

Those looking out to be close to nature would be glad to know that the Kallang River is relatively nearby. It is around a 10-minute walk, and once you reach there, you’ll also find yourself along the Whampoa Park Connector.

From there, residents can head north towards Ang Mo Kio or North-East towards Punggol. The downside is that the path towards the Park Connector isn’t wide which can be a concern when riding with kids. Those looking to live closer to the Park Connector can consider The River Vista @ Kallang. That development does feel a lot more residential since the surrounding area is less congested with traffic.

Those who enjoy swimming will also be glad to know that the Jalan Besar Swimming Complex is nearby too. Residents can reach the swimming complex in just 9 minutes!

Needless to say, Bendemeer Light brings a huge amount of convenience in terms of amenities to its residents and is probably one of the strongest highlights of this HDB development.

Public Transport

Bus station	Buses Serviced	Distance From HDB (& Est. Walking Time)
‘AFT KEMPAS RD (07249)’	67, 141, 145	50m (1 min walk)
‘BEF LAVENDER ST (60099)’	13, 21, 21A, 23, 64, 65, 125, 130, 133, 139, 147 147A, 857, 857B	50m (1 min walk)
‘BLK 7 (60191)’	31, 140, 985	150m (3 min walk)
‘KWONG WAI SHIU HOSP (60101)’	13, 23, 64, 65, 125, 133, 147, 857, NR6	400m (6 min walk)

Closest MRT: Bendemeer MRT (5-min walk) and Boon Keng MRT (6-min walk).

Bendemeer Light is within a 5-minute walk to two MRTs, making it very convenient. They’re also situated on different lines – North-East and Downtown, making this HDB development a lot more connected than others I’ve reviewed.

Do note that the walk to the MRT is not completely sheltered though. For Bendemeer MRT, you’ll have to cut through this empty plot of land that wouldn’t be too kind to you during wet weather.

The path to Boon Keng MRT is also not fully-sheltered although you can get away with it if you cut through some buildings.

Those looking to reach Raffles Place MRT may find it a little more complicated since it’s not quite along the East-West line. You could take the Downtown Line direct to Telok Ayer station and then walk the rest of the journey since it’s nearby anyway – this should take only 26 minutes including the walk to the MRT.

In terms of buses, the immediate bus stop opposite Bendemeer Light’s MSCP has lots of buses plying through. Here’s what the routes look like:

As you can see, residents would have convenient access to the south, northeast, and east. You’ll notice that buses to the west side are lacking here. The good news is that the bus stop along Lavender Street on the southwest side passes through Bukit Timah to Choa Chu Kang.

There aren’t a lot of options, but if you’re travelling to the west frequently, perhaps Bendemeer Light isn’t quite suited for you.

Private Transport

Key Destinations	Distance From HDB (& Est. Peak Hour Drive Time)
Raffles Place	4.8 km (9 mins drive)
Orchard Road	4.7 km (9 mins drive)
Suntec City	3.8 km (7 mins drive)
Changi Airport	19.7 km (28 mins drive)
Tuas Port	39.6 km (54 mins drive)
Paya Lebar Quarter	4.3 km (8 mins drive)
Mediapolis	12.6 km (17 mins drive)
Mapletree Business City	11.8 km (20 mins drive)
Tuas Checkpoint	36 km (47 mins drive)
Woodlands Checkpoint	22.8 km (32 mins)
Harbourfront Cluster	10.9 km (17 mins)
Punggol Cluster	12.3 km (24 mins)

Immediate road exit:
Bendemeer Road

Summary:
Drivers here can easily hop onto the PIE or CTE from here given it’s just a few minutes’ drive away. This allows quick access to all parts of the island. And given how central it’s located, getting to either end would not take very long.

Groceries

Name of Grocery Shop	Distance from HDB (& Est Time)
NTUC FairPrice	30 Bendemeer Road, 8-min walk

Schools

Educational Tier	Number of Institutes
Preschool	3
Primary School (Within 1KM)	2
Secondary School	3
Junior College	1
Other Tertiary Institutes	–

Schools	Time
My World Preschool	90 m (2 mins walk)
Star Learners @ Boon Keng	330 m (3 mins walk)
Caleum Junior @ Bendemeer	270 m (3 mins walk)
Hong Wen School	1 km (12 mins walk)
Bendemeer Primary School	1.3 km (15 mins walk)
Northlight School	700 m (8 mins walk)
Bendemeer Secondary School	1.3 km (16 mins walk)
St. Andrew’s Secondary School	2.3 km (16 mins via bus)
St. Andrew’s Junior College	2.8 km (23 mins via bus)

Do note that Farrer Park Primary is only within 1KM of blocks 10A and 10B.

Bendemeer Light Development Site Review

Bendemeer Light is made up of 3 towering blocks that go up to 40 storeys high, comprising 624 units with a mix of 3 and 4-room flats. The development sports an overall grey and white theme which is a modern look that’s pretty safe.

As the name suggests, Bendemeer Light is inspired by the beacon-like structures found at the top of each block here which are lit when night falls.

The development was completed in 2016, has a lease start year of 2017, and reached its first MOP in 2021.

While Bendemeer Light towers over you, there aren’t many tall buildings around. In fact, the only tall development is City View @ Boon Keng. On the southwest side are conserved shophouses, while on the northwest side are existing public housing that is low-rise. As such, even though the plot is small, I did not get the claustrophobic feeling here.

If you look closely at the units, you’ll notice that the windows are primarily 3/4 in height in the living room and half-height in the bedrooms. This provides some privacy to the sleeping quarters while providing ample sunlight into the living/dining areas of the home. Full-height windows can also restrict the placement of your furniture along the walls since they wouldn’t look as good, so there are some benefits to half-height windows here.

Unit Mix

Block Number	No. of Storeys	3 Room	4 Room	Total
10A	34/40	71	149	220
10B	34/40	70	114	184
10C	34/40	71	149	220
Total		212	412	624

Bendemeer Light Stack Analysis

The best stacks go to the south-facing units. Residents with such a view will be able to admire the low-rise conserved shophouses, the CBD as well as the sea view – especially those on the higher floors. Here’s what it looks like:

Do bear in mind that those staying close to the major road junction below can expect to hear more noise. And given this is a very urban area, you can expect ambient city background noises throughout the day, especially since there are no tall buildings around to block the sounds.

Towards the north side, residents can also get pretty decent views of the city – provided they are on a higher floor:

Do note that Kempas Residence (est. TOP in 2024) is coming up and is 37 storeys high, so this would further impede the views towards the north:

Those looking to purchase the inner-facing stacks should know that the distance isn’t very respectable – just about 26-27 metres in some cases.

Bendemeer Light Layout Analysis

3-Room (68 sqm)

Pros:	Cons:
Master bedroom can fit a king-sized bed	Not a lot of countertop space
No wasted bedroom walkway	Living room wall is quite short – placement of a large TV could be difficult
Good service yard layout allows for both washer and dryer to be put on both sides	Protruding column between bedrooms hence walls could not be hacked fully
	With a king-sized bed, there’s not much room for a 2nd bedside table
	The main door opens straight to the living room, reducing privacy

4-Room (93 sqm)

Pros:	Cons:
At 93 Sqm, the unit size is spacious for a 4-room flat in a central location.	Protruding column between bedrooms hence walls could not be hacked fully
Spacious master bedroom – can fit a king-sized bed with two side tables and a wardrobe	The main door opens straight to the living/dining area, lacks privacy.
Decent sized bedrooms
Good service yard layout allows for both washer and dryer to be put on both sides
Household shelter is in a good spot in the corner of the home

Bendemeer Light Price Review

Project	Lease Start Year	3 Room	4 Room	5 Room
101 – 107 Towner Rd	1984	$463,500 ($582 psf)	$680,000 ($607 psf)	$848,000 ($563 psf)
22, 24-43 Bendemeer Rd	1974	–	$512,500 ($541 psf)	–
4 – 6 Boon Keng Rd	1996	–	$690,000 ($596 psf)	$935,000 ($689 psf)
Bendemeer Light	2017	$675,000 ($922 psf)	$903,000 ($902 psf)	–
City View @ Boon Keng (DBSS)	2011	$616,000 ($824 psf)	$863,000 ($844 psf)	$1,116,000 ($937 psf)
McNair Towers	2017	$692,500 ($946 psf)	$898,000 ($897 psf)	–
Towner Heights	2004	–	$738,000 ($722 psf)	$815,000 ($688 psf)

The immediate area around Bendemeer Light has quite a few options in terms of the age of the HDB. However, I wouldn’t say that flats in the area are “affordable” given that even the old HDBs at 23-24 Bendemeer Road is still over $500,000 for a 4-room flat.

One way to tell if an area is in high demand is to look at how prices of really old flats have changed. I would expect places with low demand to stagnate if the flat is really old since the effect of depreciation should erode inflationary effects in the real estate market.

However, you’ll see that the HDBs with a lease start date of 1974 have increased a fair bit in the past year. Mind you, these flats have just 51 years left on their lease!

Flats in the 07 to 09 storey range were trading at mid $400K in 2020 and 2021, only to find themselves surpassing the $500K mark this year. While the low volume isn’t a good indication of demand, I think it’s fair to say that if people are willing to pay 10% over last year’s prices for a flat with just around 50 years left, there has to be some meaning to the demand.

It’s no surprise then to see Bendemeer Light is the most expensive on the list given it’s one of the newest in the vicinity. Currently, its 4-room flats are in the $900K range while the 3-room flats are reaching almost $700K.

The highest price recorded so far at Bendemeer Light was $1,000,000 – and this is for a flat on the highest floor. The flat is pretty decent for a centrally-located flat at 93 sqm and is probably the stack that faces the city considering the amount paid.

The next most expensive in the area is unsurprisingly another new flat that has a lease start date similar to Bendemeer Light – McNair Towers.

Those looking for a relatively new and “cheaper” alternative can turn to City View @ Boon Keng DBSS. The development is slightly closer to Boon Keng MRT and the hawker centre at block 29.

For those who prioritise the area and don’t wish to pay top dollar for something new, yet don’t want to buy an HDB that’ll have less than 50 years left when you sell a couple of years down the road, you can go for the older blocks at 4 – 6 Boon Keng Road.

The 4-room flats here still go for below $700,000 and they are huge! Records show that they are about 107-108 sqm. These are even bigger than some of the new 5-room flats!

So where does Bendemeer Light stand in terms of prices? A look at all 4-room flat prices in the past 6 months shows that at $903,000, Bedmemeer Light is within the top 2.28% in terms of most expensive 4-room flats.

The 4-room price is so high that it’s even within the top 7.8% of all 5-room flat prices in Singapore over the same period! The opportunity cost you’d be making when purchasing a 4-room flat here is huge, to say the least.

But if you really look at the transactions, you’ll find that at around $900,000, the 5-room flats are either old, on lower floors of new developments in mature estates, or are in non-mature ones:

Period	Town	Flat Type	Address	Floor	Size (Sqm)	Remaining Lease	Price
2022-04	Bukit Merah	5 Room	77A Redhill Rd	10 To 12	115	82 Years 07 Months	$910,000
2022-04	Clementi	5 Room	114 Clementi St 13	04 To 06	142	61 Years 06 Months	$910,000
2022-06	Tampines	5 Room	519D Tampines Ctrl 8	13 To 15	108	91 Years 01 Month	$910,000
2022-01	Woodlands	Executive	419 Woodlands St 41	07 To 09	177	72 Years 10 Months	$910,000
2022-06	Bedok	Executive	29A Chai Chee Ave	07 To 09	145	73 Years 04 Months	$910,000
2022-06	Serangoon	Executive	520 Serangoon Nth Ave 4	04 To 06	147	69 Years 06 Months	$910,000
2022-07	Hougang	Executive	145 Lor Ah Soo	07 To 09	160	61 Years 03 Months	$910,000
2022-03	Bedok	Executive	10E Bedok Sth Ave 2	07 To 09	144	70 Years 02 Months	$908,888
2022-01	Queenstown	5 Room	49 Strathmore Ave	10 To 12	110	83 Years 06 Months	$908,000
2022-03	Bishan	5 Room	288 Bishan St 24	19 To 21	123	75 Years 03 Months	$908,000
2022-04	Queenstown	5 Room	19 Queen’S Cl	10 To 12	133	73 Years 06 Months	$908,000
2022-03	Toa Payoh	Executive	99B Lor 2 Toa Payoh	01 To 03	145	70 Years 01 Month	$908,000
2022-07	Bedok	Executive	519 Bedok Nth Ave 1	10 To 12	162	56 Years 01 Month	$908,000
2022-06	Queenstown	5 Room	83 Strathmore Ave	07 To 09	125	74 Years 02 Months	$905,000
2022-05	Jurong East	Executive	287A Jurong East St 21	16 To 18	142	75 Years 05 Months	$905,000
2022-07	Tampines	Executive	245 Tampines St 21	04 To 06	150	61 Years 06 Months	$905,000
2022-07	Geylang	Executive	842 Sims Ave	01 To 03	142	62 Years 04 Months	$903,000
2022-04	Bukit Merah	5 Room	119D Kim Tian Rd	28 To 30	110	79 Years 06 Months	$901,888
2022-05	Geylang	5 Room	415 Eunos Rd 5	13 To 15	140	61 Years 06 Months	$900,888
2022-01	Queenstown	5 Room	86 Dawson Rd	01 To 03	104	93 Years 08 Months	$900,000
2022-02	Marine Parade	5 Room	72 Marine Dr	10 To 12	120	54 Years	$900,000
2022-02	Tampines	5 Room	519D Tampines Ctrl 8	13 To 15	108	91 Years 05 Months	$900,000
2022-03	Bukit Batok	5 Room	194A Bt Batok West Ave 6	34 To 36	112	94 Years 04 Months	$900,000
2022-03	Clementi	5 Room	425 Clementi Ave 1	10 To 12	113	90 Years 06 Months	$900,000
2022-03	Toa Payoh	5 Room	138A Lor 1A Toa Payoh	04 To 06	110	89 Years 03 Months	$900,000
2022-05	Bishan	5 Room	444 Sin Ming Ave	19 To 21	120	66 Years 10 Months	$900,000
2022-05	Bukit Timah	5 Room	5 Toh Yi Dr	07 To 09	122	66 Years 01 Month	$900,000
2022-05	Tampines	5 Room	515B Tampines Ctrl 7	10 To 12	114	85 Years 08 Months	$900,000
2022-06	Clementi	5 Room	114 Clementi St 13	01 To 03	154	61 Years 04 Months	$900,000
2022-07	Bedok	5 Room	747B Bedok Reservoir Cres	10 To 12	105	91 Years 02 Months	$900,000
2022-07	Bishan	5 Room	303 Shunfu Rd	07 To 09	126	61 Years 09 Months	$900,000
2022-07	Bukit Batok	5 Room	296A Bt Batok St 22	31 To 33	115	94 Years 09 Months	$900,000
2022-07	Bukit Timah	5 Room	1 Queen’S Rd	04 To 06	123	50 Years 10 Months	$900,000
2022-02	Hougang	Executive	853 Hougang Ctrl	10 To 12	138	74 Years 02 Months	$900,000
2022-03	Tampines	Executive	856D Tampines St 82	04 To 06	154	72 Years 09 Months	$900,000
2022-03	Toa Payoh	Executive	133 Potong Pasir Ave 1	01 To 03	149	61 Years 01 Month	$900,000
2022-04	Clementi	Executive	206 Clementi Ave 6	10 To 12	155	61 Years 11 Months	$900,000
2022-04	Pasir Ris	Executive	410 Pasir Ris Dr 6	01 To 03	155	66 Years 05 Months	$900,000
2022-05	Geylang	Executive	133 Geylang East Ave 1	13 To 15	146	64 Years 02 Months	$900,000
2022-05	Hougang	Executive	834 Hougang Ctrl	04 To 06	147	69 Years 05 Months	$900,000
2022-07	Tampines	Executive	326 Tampines St 32	07 To 09	146	72 Years 06 Months	$900,000
2022-06	Bukit Batok	5 Room	296C Bt Batok St 22	19 To 21	113	94 Years 10 Months	$899,800
2022-03	Geylang	5 Room	1 Pine Cl	07 To 09	110	77 Years 04 Months	$898,888
2022-01	Pasir Ris	Executive	108 Pasir Ris St 12	10 To 12	149	65 Years 08 Months	$898,888
2022-02	Jurong East	Executive	285C Toh Guan Rd	04 To 06	145	75 Years 10 Months	$898,000
2022-05	Bedok	Executive	94B Bedok Nth Ave 4	13 To 15	141	69 Years 11 Months	$898,000
2022-01	Central Area	5 Room	642 Rowell Rd	25 To 27	138	61 Years 01 Month	$895,000
2022-04	Bukit Merah	5 Room	94 Havelock Rd	13 To 15	118	60 Years 04 Months	$895,000
2022-05	Bukit Merah	5 Room	82 Redhill Lane	04 To 06	124	73 Years 06 Months	$895,000
2022-06	Clementi	5 Room	416 Clementi Ave 1	07 To 09	113	90 Years 03 Months	$895,000
2022-02	Tampines	Executive	856E Tampines St 82	07 To 09	147	72 Years 10 Months	$895,000
2022-04	Tampines	Executive	938 Tampines Ave 5	01 To 03	146	65 Years 06 Months	$895,000
2022-04	Woodlands	Executive	807 Woodlands St 81	04 To 06	189	70 Years 09 Months	$895,000
2022-07	Clementi	Executive	111 Clementi St 13	04 To 06	147	61 Years 07 Months	$895,000
2022-07	Woodlands	Executive	322 Woodlands St 32	10 To 12	172	70 Years 11 Months	$895,000
2022-07	Queenstown	5 Room	56 Strathmore Ave	16 To 18	110	78 Years 11 Months	$894,000
2022-03	Tampines	Executive	944 Tampines Ave 5	10 To 12	146	66 Years 02 Months	$892,888
2022-03	Woodlands	Executive	808 Woodlands St 81	10 To 12	189	70 Years 10 Months	$892,000
2022-02	Toa Payoh	5 Room	122 Lor 2 Toa Payoh	04 To 06	124	76 Years 10 Months	$890,000
2022-03	Marine Parade	5 Room	29 Marine Cres	25 To 27	117	52 Years	$890,000
2022-07	Marine Parade	5 Room	28 Marine Cres	13 To 15	126	51 Years 09 Months	$890,000
2022-03	Bedok	Executive	725 Bedok Reservoir Rd	04 To 06	142	61 Years 05 Months	$890,000
2022-03	Bukit Batok	Executive	121 Bt Batok Ctrl	10 To 12	155	62 Years 01 Month	$890,000
2022-03	Clementi	Executive	201 Clementi Ave 6	01 To 03	149	62 Years 03 Months	$890,000
2022-03	Hougang	Executive	853 Hougang Ctrl	01 To 03	143	74 Years 01 Month	$890,000
2022-04	Clementi	Executive	201 Clementi Ave 6	01 To 03	150	62 Years 01 Month	$890,000
2022-05	Bedok	Executive	29A Chai Chee Ave	07 To 09	145	73 Years 05 Months	$890,000

Well, you can’t have your cake and eat it – meaning you can’t have all the mutually exclusive benefits and expect to pay a cheap price for it. Those who desire an almost new flat with good views on a relatively high floor in a central location can’t expect to pay the same amount for a 5-room flat and get it too.

So are prices at Bendemeer Light justified?

Our Take

Let’s put it this way – it has good unblocked views, transport links, amenities, and is within walking distance to the Park Connector. For families, it is within 1km of 3 primary schools.

The cons? It’s seemingly a minor one on the surface, but those who drive would find the lack of a link bridge to be quite an annoyance. And if you’re paying top dollar, I think that’s a reasonable expectation! It does not have fantastic facilities either, but then again, it’s not exactly like HDB buyers take this into consideration too.

I do have my reservations about the area around it. While it is convenient, the area does feel too urban, especially since it’s surrounded by roads that see high traffic. Ultimately, this would really depend on what your priorities are. For this price, you can get almost any HDB in Singapore – so really think if the location or view is something you value, otherwise, perhaps there are better alternatives for you.

The sticky point for many would undoubtedly be the price. The views are good no doubt, but there are a lot more options open at this price point too. While it is within convenient reach to multiple amenities around, some may not value the plethora of shophouses nearby. How often would you really visit that artisan cafe in the neighbourhood? If it’s not often at all, this may not be the place for you and surely a lot less if you had to finance a flat here.

The hawker is great – an 8-minute walk away. But many HDB developments have coffee shops or hawkers nearby too – some even within the development! So for those who do prefer a more peaceful and quiet area- perhaps one that’s next to the Park Connector, or not by a major road junction, this would naturally be passed on.

Ultimately, as with most places in Singapore, a central, convenient location is never going to come cheap. So if the location is one that you prioritise most, this would be something for you to look at.