I’ve Lived At The Trilinq For 3 Months: Here’s My Insider Review Of What It’s Really Like Living Here

13 min read

The Trilinq was one of those condos that we’ve recently identified as a slow seller, but that has worked out quite well – if you’ve bought in at the later stages. 

It had quite an interesting story, to begin with. So the story goes that the developer actually wanted to sell it slowly over the course of the 3 years construction, rather than sell out in a weekend. When done right, the price staging could net higher profits. But because of the general slow market, towards the end of its sales in 2017, the average price dropped to $1,200 – $1,300 psf (launch was at an average of $1,505 psf). Their hand was forced because the estimated ABSD fee would have been $50.9 million. 

Which coincided with how Jasmine (*not her real name for privacy reasons) came about acquiring a unit at Trilinq. Ironically, she “ruled it out 6 years ago when looking for an investment property during the property downturn”. The reason? 

“The PSF prices were on the higher end at that point compared to the rest of the properties in the vicinity”. 

And so with that, here’s how Jasmine made her decision to buy Trilinq, and her review so far on what it’s been like staying there. 

How Trilinq Compares To Other Estates

Jasmine had four primary considerations when they were looking for their new home. It was essential for her that the property would align with their preferences for the unit, development, location, and price.

For the unit or layout, she was specifically looking for a 3-bedroom unit about 900 square feet or more in size with a squarish layout. She also wanted a place with natural sunlight coming from the North or South – so no West sun. An enclosed kitchen with provisions for a gas stove, a store room, and a study room are all extremely important. Finally, as far as unit characteristics go – a single balcony that had a nice view.

She preferred a medium to large size development within 10 years of TOP and had proper facilities. “Definitely not a boutique development, but also not one that is a mega-development,” she said.

When it comes to location, the estate should ideally be within Clementi or the West Coast area where she grew up. It should also be within 10 minutes radius of an MRT and with good transport nodes. Amenities such as restaurants, hawkers, and supermarkets should be nearby but not directly facing a major road or highway.

“My budget was around $1.6 million for a unit which has at least three bedrooms and not a crazy PSF amount.” Ideally, the place should have a good upside for capital appreciation and rental, should she decide to sell or rent out the place in the future.

Here are the condo estates she explored while cross-checking with her criteria before finally arriving at a decision to stay at Trilinq.

Clement Canopy

“I really like the landscaping of this condo, the gorgeous lagoon pools, and the unit layout,” Jasmine recalled. “I’d say it’s a close contender to The Trilinq.”

Clement Canopy is slightly newer, TOP 2019 vs 2017. She said the rooms are slightly larger in size compared to Trilinq. “If I recall correctly, there’s an additional balcony in the master bedroom which I feel is quite a waste of space.”

Jasmine was also not convinced about paying around $200K to $300K premium over the Trilinq for a 3-bedroom unit at that time.

There’s a supermarket and coffee shop right outside, but she said it was further away from the MRT. While some units have views overlooking the AYE, those on the higher floors get to have a sea view. They also don’t have a store room and only allow induction cooker.

Twin VEW

Twin VEW was newly TOP when Jasmine visited the estate. She especially liked its landscaping and the condo’s premium hotel vibes. However, it was quite far off from the MRT and amenities.

She also felt that there were far too many condos in the area, so it would be very competitive when reselling or renting out. Additionally, it was also a 99-year leasehold in an area with lots of freehold or 956 years of leasehold properties.

Whistler Grand

It was 2.5 years ago when Jasmine viewed Whistler Grand’s show flat, and she quite liked the premium feel of the development. However, at that point in time, she wasn’t ready to buy yet because of the four years SSD of her investment property.

When she started her property hunt late last year, though, they were already fully sold. Only larger units above her budget or smaller sub-sale units were available at a premium. Plus, it also had similar concerns as that of Twin View.

Gem Residences

Jasmine can’t remember the exact floor of the unit she viewed, but it’s higher than the 30th floor and “had an amazing view of the city.” While she found the price attractive, the timing didn’t quite work out for her.

They also viewed a low-floor unit that lacked privacy as it was so near the compound’s fence. She said that her mom also didn’t like the semi-open kitchen layout.

Sims Urban Oasis

Many of the units she viewed in Sims Urban Oasis had a Jack and Jill bathroom in the 2nd bedroom. When she viewed a couple of units on the lower floors that were close to the pool over the weekend, she found that they lacked privacy. Plus, it was extremely noisy in the area.

Tre Residences

Jasmine also viewed a number of units at Tre Residences, where she could get even a 4-bedroom unit within her budget. However, there are numerous caveats to this development. While it’s close to MRT, the noise was really disturbing for those units facing the tracks. On the other hand, those facing the HDB flats lacked privacy.

“What really turned me off was that the couple of units I viewed were sub-partitioned further in the living room so that they could have additional tenants and maximise their rental income,” she said. Her mom also didn’t quite like the Geylang location.

What Made Trilinq Stand Out From Other Choices

Eventually, the mum and daughter team decided to get a resale condo in a familiar location. Jasmine said that what attracted them to Trilinq Condominium in the first place was that it ticked off most of their criteria.

Let’s look at how exactly this high-rise development aligned with their standards.

Unit 

Jasmine viewed a number of units at The Trilinq. The very first was a 3-bedroom mid-floor unit, but it was facing the road, and the condition of the unit wasn’t very good. She decided to look for other available ones.

“At first, I didn’t even consider the unit I eventually bought because it was on a low floor,” she recalled, “but I decided to check it out anyway because of the difficulty in securing viewing appointments.” She was not really comfortable with low-floor units due to the lack of privacy and noise. But she found out that with Trilinq’s buildings slightly raised up, a low floor unit didn’t feel that low after all.

“What really attracted me to this unit was the fact that it had a very nice view of the main pool at eye level.” She said it was also in superb condition even though it had already been tenanted out. Plus, it wasn’t previously renovated, so there’s an option to renovate it to her liking.

Fittings 

Jasmine said that her unit came with fittings from renowned brands. SMEG for the oven, stove, and sink, Grohe for taps and showers, and there’s also Duravit for the sink and toilet bowl. While the flooring is not too luxurious – timber strips in the bedroom and tiles for the rest – she thinks they’re practical and easy to maintain. She also noted that the kitchen countertop is made of Samsung Staron, and the toilet vanity top is made of marble.

Layout

Trilinq’s layout for their single-floor units is quite functional and packs a lot into the space. She said having no bay windows is crucial since, in her previous investment property, it was flanked with bay windows which wasted a lot of space. “So it’s really not about the floor size, but the functional or usable space.”

She shares that some of the units in Trilinq have awe-inspiring living rooms with lofts and high ceilings. While having a high ceiling makes a considerable difference in the look and feel of the unit, Jasmine admitted that it’s not for her. She said she prefers paying for functional space, so she went for a regular unit instead. Besides, at 2.9m this is already higher than the average condo unit out there. 

Development

Trilinq Condominium is still a relatively new development, having been completed in 2017. Jasmine said it has decent facilities such as a good-sized gym, a tennis court, a couple of function rooms, and a few BBQ pits. It even has several swimming pools and beautiful landscaping with lots of greenery.

She likes how the blocks are well spaced out, even with 755 units. “You won’t feel like you’re staring right into your neighbour’s home even with inner-facing units,” she added.

“The maintenance fee is at $924.48 per quarter including GST for my 3 bedroom unit, which I think is pretty reasonable.”

Location

With the condo only a decent 6 to 8-minute walk to MRT, Jasmine believes this is probably the nearest condo to Clementi MRT.

“While Clementi Mall is not a huge shopping mall, it does have a Fairprice Finest supermarket there, multiple F&B outlets, and some shops.” She can easily get affordable local food since the estate is near a hawker centre at Clementi Central. “We don’t lead an extravagant lifestyle, so access to cheap local fare and casual dining restaurants appeals to us,” she said, “more so than probably some locations with lots of fine-dining and expensive shops.”

Jasmine shared that it just takes either a quick drive or bus ride to get to Jurong East, which has lots of huge shopping malls.

“The development is right next to Nan Hua Primary School, which I’m an alumni of,” she said. “The school moved over to this campus at Jalan Lempeng when I was in Primary 2.” Even if Jasmine is not married and doesn’t have children yet, her place would give her the option and convenience to send her future children to Nan Hua. She added that being in proximity to a school adds value for reselling the property in the future.

She feels good about purchasing a unit at Trilinq because the location makes it good for renting out or reselling at some point in the future. The increasing flat prices in Clementi and proximity to business hubs and educational institutions all contributed to this benefit. 

Prices

Compared to many other developments in the market today, Jasmine said that the prices in Tirlinq are quite reasonable. She bought her 3 bedroom unit for $1.39 million. The prices have continued to increase, and she shared that recent transactions for similar-sized units are now above $1.5 million. “I think I got a pretty decent deal since the unit two floors above mine on the same stack was sold at $1.5 million.”

What A Typical Trilinq Day Looks Like

“I like waking up to the nice resort view with natural sunlight in the morning.”

Jasmine usually starts her day on weekdays by having breakfast at the dining table. “Since I work from home most of the time, I spend a large chunk of my day in the third bedroom where my study is.”

Sometimes, though, she heads out for meetings, so the proximity to MRT is a huge advantage. She can also opt to ride the bus, having multiple bus routes available. If she feels like driving, Jasmine can get to expressways quickly.

“During lunchtime or in the evenings, I would sometimes head to Clementi or Jurong East to pick up food or groceries,” she said.

On the weekends, her friends or family would usually come over for meals. “Since I only have a small dining table in my unit, I usually bring bigger groups to the sky terrace for a meal where there are lots of tables, chairs, and sofa, and a nice view.”

She organised a BBQ once and recalled that there are four BBQ pits available, with two of them having shelters. These pits are gas-operated, “so it’s cleaner and does not require charcoal.”

Again, the proximity to expressways, MRT, and bus stations also comes in handy on the weekends if she decides to meet with friends and family or go shopping. “There’s also a few buses going directly to Orchard Road and doesn’t take too long from here.”

A Look Behind Trilinq Condominium’s Facade

In the span of time that Jasmine has been staying in Trilinq, she has already noticed some nuisances that she has to deal with, from her unit itself to the estate’s surroundings.

First off, the inconveniences in her unit.

“The constant traffic noise can be quite annoying when the windows are opened, even if I have an inner-facing unit,” she said. Fortunately, keeping the window shut can eliminate the noise effectively.

While her unit has a good layout and is functional, the rooms are on the smaller side. She admitted that it needs some getting used to, especially since they moved from a much larger space. The master bedroom can accommodate a king-sized bed and two side tables, with ample walking space on the sides. In the second bedroom, she could fit a queen-sized bed and a small side table, but it doesn’t leave much space.

The third bedroom is a lot smaller, though, and can only accommodate a single bed. Jasmine decided to use this room mainly as a study and dressing room.

The wet kitchen has a pretty long countertop, but because it doesn’t come with a built-in dish rack, so the one Jasmine bought takes up some of the countertop space. 

They’re also experiencing some space issues in the dining area. “The dining area is quite narrow, so it could be quite tight to enter the kitchen if there’s someone sitting at the dining table.”

Next, as much as Jasmine has utilised the common areas, there are some aspects that could be improved.

Compared to some other newer developments, Trilinq doesn’t have a co-working space. “For someone who needs a quiet environment for a WFH setup, it can be quite annoying sometimes when there’s renovations going on in neighbouring units,” she said.

For those who commute, the walk to the MRT station and bus stop is also unsheltered. “I would need to carry an umbrella if it rains when I take the public transport.”

Jasmine was used to having the rubbish chute inside the house, so she finds it a little troublesome that it’s not so in Trilinq. “But some people may like it as it is cleaner,” she said.

Some common areas in the condo show some signs of ageing and have dirt on the walls. “They’ve recently installed some laminates on the wall in B1, B2, and L1 lift lobby to prevent them from looking dirty.” She thinks that other areas could probably benefit from a repainting job soon.

She recalled that she had some issues with her intercom system. “The management office folks have been generally quite helpful and friendly,” she commented, “they arranged for the intercom vendor to come to my unit to fix it rather quickly.”

While Jasmine has no gripes about the management and staff, she was hoping that the development would construct a sheltered walkway to at least the nearest bus stop from the side gate.

Considerations Potential Buyers Should Know

We asked Jasmine for some specific information potential buyers won’t usually find online. Aside from what you already read, these can prove useful if you’re planning to get a unit at Trilinq Condominium.

“The DB is actually located outside the unit which is quite unusual,” she replied. She said it comes with some space below, so they use it as a second storage room. It’s where they stow away unused stuff so as not to clutter her store room.

Compared to what is shown on Google Maps, the best way to reach the MRT and bus stops is not through the main entrance. “The side gate is very helpful and is a lot nearer than the main entrance that Google shows,” she revealed.

Also, the units in blocks 28 and 28A have bomb shelters inside, while block 28B’s bomb shelter is in the stairwell.

She said that you would have different views and noise levels depending on which block your unit is located and which direction it’s facing. “The south west facing units on block 28B directly faces the construction of Parc Clematis. But this block is further set back from the main road so you don’t get as much traffic noise.”

Staying At Trilinq Condominium

When we asked Jasmine about her favourite parts about staying at Trilinq Condominium, she responded happily:

“The view from the house is spectacular. It feels as though I’m living in a resort every day. The pool and greenery around can instantly lift your mood.”

Inside her unit, she loves the 2.9-metre high ceiling, allowing her to build carpentry all the way up. And because of the layout, she was able to place a lot of storage spaces, whether it’s in the kitchen or living room.

The condo’s proximity to Clementi Central and public transport stations are also some of her favourites. Even if she chooses to drive, expressways are nearby, so she can quickly get around by car.

Speaking of cars, she said the car park has sufficient lots. “I don’t have to worry about not having a parking lot when I drive and come home late at night.” Even her guests have plenty of places to park. And since the car park is located beneath blocks, it’s much more convenient than multi-storey car parks.

For amenities, Jasmine likes that the development has multiple pools and sky terraces. “We have a main pool, a lap pool, a party pool, and an oasis spa pool,” she described. “The spa pool has Balinese vibes, and they’re all not crowded which is great.”

Jasmine and her mom plan to stay at The Trilinq for a good period of time. “I think overall I’m quite happy with what I got, I like the convenience of the location and practicality of the unit.” So unless her family demographics or needs change, Trilinq Condominium will continue to be their home.

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