HDB BTO Launch August 2020: We Analyse Each Neighbourhood

9 min read

Thanks to Covid-19, the HDB launch exercise in May was cancelled. This has led to HDB combining May’s offerings with August, so we now have the biggest BTO launch exercise to date. It’s the first time you’ll have eight different locations to pick from:

• Ang Mo Kio
• Bishan
• Choa Chu Kang
• Geylang
• Pasir Ris
• Tengah 
• Tampines 
• Woodlands
  

To make it easier for you to pick, here’s a quick look at the highlights of each neighbourhood; along with the performance of their HDB flats over the past decade:

1. Ang Mo Kio

380 units, 4-room and 5-room options

Things to note:

• Mature estate
• Three schools very nearby 
• Site is close to Mayflower MRT 
  

The site here is located along Ang Mo Kio Street 21, just across the road from Mayflower Secondary School. About another 10 minutes out, there’s Ang Mo Kio Primary and Ang Mo Kio Secondary schools.

The main highlight will be the upcoming Mayflower MRT station, which is meant to be completed sometime this year. It will be within a six-minute walk of this particular site. 

Note that overall, Ang Mo Kio is a highly desirable neighbourhood – not only is it mature with a lot of schools and amenities, it’s also quite close to the city centre. As such, you should expect to pay a bit of a premium for a flat here. 

Performance of existing 4-room and 5-room flats in Ang Mo Kio:

Over the past 10 years, 4-room flats in Ang Mo Kio have appreciated around six per cent, from $427 psf to $453 psf.

5-room flats have appreciated 6.25 per cent, from $469 psf to $498 psf.

4-room resale flats in the area average $452,680 today, while 5-room resale flats average $633,625. 

2. Bishan

470 units, 2-room, 3-room, 4-room options

Things to note:

• Mature location
• Close to wet market
• A lot of schools nearby
• Very far from the Bishan MRT station and hub
  

This site is at the intersection of Bishan Street 11 and Braddell Road. Right across the road from the site is the neighbourhood centre, which includes a wet market. There are a notable number of schools that are within a 1km radius of the site, the nearest being Kuo Chuan Presbyterian Primary and Secondary schools, and Guangyang Primary and Secondary schools.

Do take note, however, that the site is a 15-minute bus ride away from the Bishan MRT station and the town centre. 

Performance of existing 3-room, and 4-room flats in Bishan:

Price data for two-room flats is not available

3-room resale flats in Bishan have appreciated from $476 psf to $503 psf over 10 years; up around five per cent. 4-room resale flats have appreciated from $444 psf to $512 psf, up around 15.3 per cent.

On average, a 3-room resale flat in Bishan will cost around $353,556 today, while a 4-room resale flat would cost around $546,345.

3. Choa Chu Kang

570 units, 2-room, 3-room, and 4-room

Things to note:

• Close to Keat Hong LRT station and Teck Whye LRT station
• Close to ITE College West
• Right next to a neighbourhood park
  

This site is in a fairly quiet part of Choa Chu Kang, at the intersection of Keat Hong Link and Choa Chu Kang way. It’s about a seven minute walk to the Keat Hong LRT station or Teck Whye LRT station. ITE College West is just a few minutes down the road.

Other than that, the area is especially built up or heavy on amenities. You should expect to hop on the LRT and head to Lot 1 for most of your groceries and shopping; otherwise, Keat Hong Shopping Centre is your next closest bet. 

Performance of existing 3-room and 4-room flats in Choa Chu Kang

3-room flats have seen prices appreciate by about 2.46 per cent, from $355 psf to about $364 psf today. 4-room flats are down by 2.27 per cent over the same period, from $333 psf to $325 psf today.

The average 3-room resale flat in Choa Chu Kang will cost you around $276,000 today, while the 4-room resale flats average $347,660. 

4. Geylang

420 units, 3-room and 4-room options

Things to note:

• Mature location
• Near the famous Old Airport Road Food Centre
• No, it’s not near the red-light district 
• Close to Dakota MRT station
  

The site is a good distance away from any vice activities. It’s located where Jalan Dua intersects with Cassia Link, about six minutes’ walk from Dakota MRT station. The Geylang Neighbourhood Police Centre is just at the head of the site, if you need that assurance.

One highlight is that the site’s very near the famous Old Airport Road Food Centre, which will draw supper lovers and foodies. Broadrick Secondary School is also just about six minutes away.

Performance of existing 3-room and 4-room flats in Geylang

3-room resale flats in Geylang have fallen in price by about 9.25 per cent, from $427 psf to about $386 psf today. 4-room units have appreciated from $426 psf to $488 psf (up abput 14.7 per cent) today.

The average 3-room resale flat here will cost you about $258,250, while the average 4-room resale flat will cost you $499,264.

5. Pasir Ris

1,070 units, 2-room, 3-room, 4-room, and 5-room options (note: There will be a rental-only block of 144 units, and they’re a mix of 1-room and 2-room flats. There will be an additional 56 2-room rental flats, forming part of another block).

Things to note:

• Somewhat close to Pasir Ris MRT station
• Across the road from Elias Park Primary School
• Right in front of Pasir Ris Park 
  

This site is at the intersection of Pasir Ris Drive and Pasir Ris Green. It’s about an eight minute walk to the Pasir Ris MRT station; so it will benefit from the upcoming integrated development of Pasir Ris Central (this will include a bus interchange, polyclinic, and town plaza with retail and food amenities). Note that Pasir Ris Central will have a residential element as well, so follow us on Stacked if you want to be updated on this condo.

Elias Park Primary School is just across the road, while Park View Primary and Hai Sing Catholic school are also in a 1km radius. 

Outdoorsy types, who will appreciate the large Pasir Risk Park, will like this site; it’s right next to the flats here. 

Performance of existing 4-room, and 5-room flats in Pasir Ris

(No data provided for 3-room flats, as transactions recorded don’t go back far enough) 

4-room resale flats in Pasir Ris have appreciated almost 25 per cent in a decade, from $345 to $430 psf. 5-room resale units have appreciated by around 16.7 per cent, from $332 psf to $388 psf.

A resale 4-room flat here today will cost about $456,000, while a resale 5-room unit would cost around $511,750.

6. Tengah

1,040 units, 2-room, 3-room, 4-room, and 5-room units

Things to note:

• Uhhhh…first mover advantage, maybe?
• The MRT is really far away.
• Actually, everything is really far away for now.
  

Tengah is the newest, and currently least developed, HDB town. There really isn’t much we can say, as a look at the map shows that everything is being planned or under construction. 

This site is where Bukit Batok Road intersects with Bukit Batok West Avenue 5. There’s a proposed neighbourhood centre with a polyclinic that’s not up yet, a proposed park (Forest Fringe), and Tengah Plantation MRT station will service the area (in about seven years, so don’t hold your breath).

The closest MRT station is Bukit Batok MRT, but you’ll need a bus as it’s not in walking distance. Come to think of it, maybe you better drive, as you also don’t have much in the way of retail or eateries here. 

Tengah could maybe provide a first-mover advantage if you jump in now, as prices are likely to be low; kind of like how Jurong was before it’s dramatic Jurong Lake District transformation.

Tengah is new, so there’s no suitable volume of transactions or transaction data available yet.

7. Tampines

1,760 units spread over three different sites; 3-room, 4-room, and 5-room options

Things to note:

• All three sites are nowhere near Tampines Hub
• The two sites at Tampines North (near Sungei Api) are notably more developed than the third site (Tampines West, near Bedok Canal)
• Tampines West, straddling Bedok, could benefit from some neighbouring amenities
  

The Tampines North sites are along Tampines Street 64. While still far from Tampines hub and the Tampines MRT station, this area will have its own Tampines North MRT station (in nine long years though). 

The Tampines North sites are a bit more developed. They’re relatively close to IKEA and Giant Hypermarket; and the area has quite a few coffeeshops spread throughout. 

Tampines West is less developed for now, but can benefit from its proximity to Bedok Reservoir, and amenities in Tampines like Fengshan market.
 

In any case, please don’t be under the impression that these sites are the same “Tampines” as the one you’d see near the MRT station, with Tampines Mall, Century Square, etc. There’s a reason we haven’t highlighted these sites as mature locations, despite Tampines being a mature town.

Performance of existing 3-room, 4-room, and 5-room flats in Tampines

We’ve broken this into three graphs (3-room, 4-room, and 5-room)  so it’s easier to read

3-room resale flats in Tampines have appreciated from $405 PSF to $438 PSF, or about eight per cent. The average price is currently around $$333,500.

4-room resale flats have appreciated from $371 PSF to $427 PSF, or about 15 per cent. The average price today is $445,160.

Resale 5-room flats are up from $352 PSF to $429 PSF, or about 22 per cent. The average price is about $557,700.

8. Woodlands

2,110 units over two sites, 2-room, 3-room, 4-room, and 5-room options for Woodlands Central site, 2-room and 4-room options only for Woodlands South site

Things to note:

• Close to MRT stations (for both sites, but Woodlands South is closer)
• The Woodlands Central site is notably more built-up and convenient 
• Woodlands South only has 2-room and 4-room options 
  

The Woodlands Central site is at the junction of Woodlands Avenue 2 and 5. The Woodlands South site is along Woodlands Drive 17.

 Between the two, Woodlands Central is probably going to draw more crowds. Not only does it have a wider range of flats, it’s also close to Causeway Point, and the centre of the upcoming Woodlands Regional Hub. The MRT station is just around a six-minute walk from this site. As the name implies, it’s pretty much in the centre of the neighbourhood, so it has the better retail and food amenities.

The Woodlands South side is a little more empty (although some might like the fact traffic and noise are at lower levels). The site is also much closer to the MRT station; it’s right next to Woodlands South MRT station. This is a decent fall back option for those who can’t get a place closer to Woodlands Central.

Performance of existing 3-room, 4-room, and 5-room flats in Woodlands

There is insufficient transaction data for 3-room flats at this point.

4-room resale flats in Woodlands have appreciated around 1.4 per cent over the past decade, from $330 PSF to $335 PSF. 5-room resale flats have appreciated just over two per cent, from $312 PSF to $318 PSF. 

4-room resale flats here cost about $345,000 today, while 5-room flats cost $409,215.

Which BTO site do you think has the most hidden potential? 

Let us know your thoughts, as well as your questions. In the meantime, for those who are looking at HDB but cannot bear the rate, here are the resale HDB prices in April 2020.