Most Profitable BTOs In 2023: These “Ulu” BTOs In The North Made Almost 3x For Its Owners

When is a resale flat at its peak? To most buyers, this is the five-year mark: a flat that’s sold as soon as it reaches the Minimum Occupancy Period (MOP). These flats are the newest possible HDB resale flats you can possibly get, and renovations are still new; so prices may be at a premium.

Here’s a look at where the most profitable five-year old flats have appeared this year, as well as some of the top neighbourhoods:

Do note that these profits were derived from the selling price less the average between the minimum and maximum price of the BTO offered as we do not have the exact purchase price of each BTO.

Five-year old resale flats to date:

3-Room Flats

4-Room Flats

5-Room Flats

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Property Picks41 Upcoming HDB BTO Projects Reaching MOP In 2023/24: Here’s Where To Find Them

by Ryan J. Ong

1. Eastcrown, Eastbrook, and Eastlace @ Canberra

As the names suggest, these three projects are in the same general area. 

Two of these projects, Eastcrown and Eastlace, are within walking distance of Canberra MRT (NSL). There’s not much difference in the distance; Eastlace is certainly a bit closer (roughly six-minute walk), while Eastcrown is really not much further. The MRT is next to Canberra Plaza, which is one of the newer HDB-run malls. There’s an NTUC FairPrice, Guardian, and a Daiso, along with some enrichment schools and eateries. 

Eastbrook @ Canberra is further from the MRT, and we wouldn’t call it walking distance as it may be over 15 minutes. But you can take Bus 169 from the stop opposite Durban Road, and you’ll probably get to Canberra MRT in about five minutes. In any case, there is a Sheng Siong just downstairs as well as multiple food options.

While Canberra is not the most developed area, residents in these projects are unlikely to feel the inconvenience. All three projects are close to the town’s hub, which mitigates the drawback of being in a non-mature town. Couple that with lower initial BTO prices for a non-mature town, and it’s easy to see they had a lot of room for appreciation. 

Bukit Canberra, a sports and community hub, is also up and running. This is one of the largest neighbourhood hubs built in recent decades – besides also having a hawker centre, a polyclinic, the town library, etc. it also has one of the best public pools (an eight-lane lap pool!) 

Unfortunately, it’s a bit far to walk to Bukit Canberra from any of these three projects; but if you cycle it’s a very comfortable distance. 

2. Woodlands Pasture II

This project is not as inaccessible as the maps suggest. While it’s too far to walk to Admiralty MRT (NSL) daily (it’s about a 15-minute walk), you can just use the bus stop at Woodsvale Condo (it’s only 300 metres away). From there, services like 904 can take you to Admiralty MRT in less than 10 minutes. Admiralty Place, a mall near the MRT station, was just refurbished; there’s an NTUC FairPrice here, and there’s now a childcare facility as well. 

The main appeal we see here is Woodlands North Coast. This is a major project that will cement Woodlands as the regional hub of the north. This project will bring new retail options to the area, as well as commercial elements (read: jobs), and Republic Polytechnic. You can see the details here. 

While the project is still upcoming, we expect that bus services in the direction of Woodlands International will provide good access to residents here (e.g. perhaps service 858 from the bus stop opposite Seagate). Buyers willing to settle in for the long term will benefit from this. 

3. Sun Natura & Sun Breeze

Both these projects have a good bus connection to Sembawang MRT station (NSL). Services like 859A (Sun Breeze) and 858A (Sun Natura) can get you there in under five minutes. You can also walk, but some may find it a bit far (13+ minutes). 

Both projects are close to Sun Plaza, which has an NTUC FairPrice, a Koufu food court, and a Guardian (there’s even a Decathlon). This is a small mall (actually Sun Plaza is a mixed-use project, with a condo above), but it’s well-run and suffices for most daily needs. 

There are also a lot of nearby amenities in the form of grocers, coffee shops, hair salons, etc in the immediate surroundings. While all HDB enclaves tend to have these, we notice an especially dense cluster all along Sembawang Crescent Road; this may be the reason why these two projects seem to lead the pack. Even though they’re only five years old and in a non-mature town, their built-up surroundings match those of much older flats. 

Residents may also like the fact that Sembawang Primary, Canberra Primary, and Sembawang Secondary are both nearby (for Sun Breeze, Sembawang Secondary is right across the road); this means there’s no need to move after Primary 6, if your child is going to the related secondary institution. 

4. Woodlands Glen

While Woodlands Glen is not the nearest to the MRT station, it has good bus connections. About two minutes from the project, there’s a bus stop with services like 901. This can take you to Woodlands South MRT (TEL). 

This is just one stop from Woodlands MRT (NSL, TEL), which is where you’ll find Causeway Point. This is the major mall for the neighbourhood, with a FairPrice, Guardian, and all the other usual amenities. 

Besides access to the mall, however, Woodlands Glen has a lot of nearby amenities. There is a Sheng Siong just behind the project, and the local coffee shop is just next door (Block 573). As with the other entries on this list, this project is in a non-mature area (we won’t be using this phrase soon), but is in a well-developed part of its specific neighbourhood. 

There is one small drawback though: there’s a place of worship nearby, so some home buyers may face the possibility of noise. 

For more insights into various new or resale projects, be they HDB or private, follow us on Stacked. We’ll keep you updated with the latest news on the Singapore property market.