Buying Neighbourhood Of The Week: Bukit Timah (District 21)

Bukit Timah is the neighbourhood for the upscale nature lover / family own stay type. This is a prime area, where landed housing and private condominiums outnumber HDB flats. 

Unlike Orchard or the CBD however, Bukit Timah is a green enclave; the highlight is Bukit Timah Nature Reserve instead of another giant mall. And while some areas of Bukit Timah are less accessible – such as the landed housing estates – this isn’t considered a drawback. Exclusivity is the point in this neighbourhood, and it’s assumed that anyone who lives in landed housing here has private transport.

Bukit Timah is also a long-established expatriate enclave, and plenty of rare Good Class Bungalows (GCBs) are in or near Bukit Timah.

Facts about Bukit Timah

• District 10
• Bukit Timah is a planning area with eight sub-zones: Anak Bukit, Coronation Road, Farrer Court, Hillcrest, Holland Road, Leedon Park, Swiss Club, and Ulu Pandan 
• Estimated population of 77,430 as of 2019, with a population density of 4,417 per km². This is significantly lower than Singapore’s average of 8,358 per km².
• Approx. size of 17.5 km². 
• Bukit Timah Hill is the highest natural point in Singapore (163 metres), and Bukit Timah Nature Reserve is the largest primary forest in Singapore. 

Primary Schools

• Bukit Timah Primary School
• Henry Park Primary School
• Methodist Girls’ School
• Nanyang Primary School
• Pei Hwa Presbyterian Primary School
• Raffles Girls’ Primary School

Secondary Schools

• Anglo Chinese School
• Singapore Chinese Girls School
• Hwa Chong Institution
• Methodist Girls’ School (Secondary)
• Nanyang Girls’ High School
• National Junior College
• St. Margaret’s Secondary School

Other School

• Hwa Chong Institution
• National Junior College
• Ngee Ann Polytechnic
• Singapore University of Social Sciences
• St Francis Methodist School
• DIMENSIONS International College 
• German European School
• Hollandse School
• Singapore Korean International School
• Swiss School in Singapore

Malls

• Bukit Timah Shopping Centre
• Beauty World Centre
• Cluny Court
• Coronation Shopping Plaza
• Crown Centre
• KAP
• Raffles Holland V Mall
• The Grandstand

MRT Station(s)

• Beauty World
• King Albert Park
• Sixth Avenue
• Tan Kah Kee
• Farrer Road
• Holland Village

Average Flat Prices

The average price of an HDB flat in Bukit Timah over the last 6 months is $602 psf. Since 2010, the average price of a flat in Bukit Timah has appreciated by around 31 per cent.

3-room flats

The average price of a 3-room flat in Bukit Timah over the last 6 months is $532 psf. This is up by around 12.7 per cent compared to 2010.

4-room flats

The average price of a 4-room flat in Bukit Timah over the last 6 months is $592 psf, up around 26.8 per cent from 10 years ago. 

5-room flats

The average price of a 5-room flat in Bukit Timah today is $606 psf, up around 44.7 per cent from 10 years ago.

Overall Non-Landed Private Residential Prices in District 21

Average condo prices in District 21 (Upper Bukit Timah, Ulu Pandan, Clementi Park) averages $1,707 psf, up around 45 per cent from $1,175 psf 10 years ago.

Top 10 Projects Ranked By Capital Gain

Project Name	Tenure	Completion	Capital Gain (%)	Historical Price ($PSF)	Current Price ($PSF)
Mandarin Park	Freehold	1972	98.8	932	1,853
Hoover Park	Freehold	–	98.6	1,110	2,205
Summerhill	Freehold	2002	74.2	797	1,388
The Beverley	Freehold	2012	70.3	784	1,335
Signature Park	Freehold	1998	57.7	832	1,312
Hume Park II	Freehold	1997	50.7	779	1,174
Southaven II	999 years	1999	49.9	779	1,168
Bukit Regency	Freehold	1995	46.7	828	1,215
Hong Kong Park	999 years	–	46.4	1,194	1,748
Hume Park I	Freehold	1995	45.3	695	1,010

Bottom 10 Projects Ranked By Capital Gain

Project Name	Tenure	Completion	Capital Gain (%)	Historical Price ($PSF)	Current Price ($PSF)
Suites De Laurel	999 yrs	2012	-33.5	1,363	906
Jardin	Freehold	2012	-13.1	1,770	1,539
Freesia Woods	Freehold	2003	-3.9	882	848
Greenbank Park	Freehold	1981	-3.1	1,021	989
Binjai Crest	99 yrs	2004	4.2	549	572
Floridian	Freehold	2012	5.2	1,647	1,732
Pine Grove	99 yrs	–	7.6	830	893
Pandan Valley	Freehold	1978	10	850	935
Astor Green	99 yrs	1995	11.3	936	1,042
The Cascadia	Freehold	2010	15.2	1,425	1,642
The Raintree	99 yrs	2008	15.8	904	1,047

Top 10 Projects Ranked By Rental Yield

Project Name	Tenure	Completion	Gross Yield (%)
The Hillford	60 yrs	2016	5
Suites De Laurel	99 yrs	2012	4.3
Freesia Woods	Freehold	2003	3.6
Hua Guan Gardens	999 yrs	1985	3.4
Binjai Crest	99 yrs	2004	3.4
Nottinghill Suites	Freehold	2014	3.3
Suites at Bukit Timah	Freehold	2014	3.1
Kilburn Estate	999 yrs	Unknown	3.1
Le Wood	99 yrs	2000	3
Astor Green	99 yrs	1995	3

Notable recent launches:

Forett @ Bukit Timah

This is a freehold condo with 633 units. It’s located along Toh Tuck Road, about 850 metres from the Beauty World MRT station. The launch was on July 2020, and it has sold 34 per cent of its total units so far.

Key drivers to note:

1.  Bukit Timah could see a lifestyle boost from the completion of the Rail Corridor

The Rail Corridor redevelops a former 24-kilometre railway line, that has since been disused. The stretch is being transformed into a long park, with food, recreational activities, and retail. 

Slated for completion in 2021, it will run through Kranji, Bukit Timah, Buona Vista, and a few other neighbourhoods. Bukit Timah Railway Station will act as both a heritage centre, and a base for community activities. 

The excitement is somewhat mitigated by the fact that Bukit Timah has no shortage of parks and nature walks; this may be one more of an amenity that Bukit Timah residents already have in abundance. Nonetheless, it does add to their lifestyle options. 

2. The Jalan Anak Bukit site has an upcoming mixed-use development, near the Beauty World MRT station

The tender for the 3.2-hectare site is already open. The site is expected to yield 865 private residential units, and 7,500 sqm for shops and restaurants. The requirement is for a “green urban village”, that will link into Bukit Timah’s nature theme. 

This is especially significant to Bukit Timah’s retail scene, as existing malls – such as Beauty World Centre and Bukit Timah Shopping Centre – have become dated. As such, the new retail and food options here are likely to make it the next hotspot in Bukit Timah. 

3. General transport improvements are underway 

Two more upcoming MRT stations – Stevens and Napier – are planned to open in 2021. In particular, Stevens MRT will act as an interchange station with Downtown Line Stage 2 (DTL2). 

Road improvements are underway for Clementi Road and the PIE, and in the Jalan Anak Bukit area. This will improve general traffic conditions.

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