New Launch Reviews Sengkang Grand Residences Review: A Condo With Everything You Need
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Reuben
- November 19, 2019
- 19 min read
Our Verdict
90%
Overall RatingSengkang Grand is great for those who love having a mall at their doorstep. Investors can also benefit from the ease of finding a tenant here due to the MRT situated just below the condo. However the facilities, roads, proximity to the MRT and low-rise towers can create a noise issue for residents.
Reviewed by Reuben on 19 November 2019
What we like
- All-in convenience
- Living above a shopping mall
What we don't like
- — Noise factor
- — Unavoidable crowds
| Project: | Sengkang Grand Residences | District: | 19 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Address: | Sengkang Central | Tenure: | 99 years |
| Site Area: | 401,012 sqft | No. of Units: | 680 |
| Developer: | CDL + CapitaLand | TOP: | 2023
|
First, it was Sengkang. Then, it was Punggol. Now, all eyes are on Buangkok MRT as it prepares to welcome its very own integrated residential cum shopping mall development.
2 real estate powerhouses in the form of CDL and CapitaLand will join the partnership for the first time in 10 years – their sights set on a November 2023 TOP.
From the get-go, it is easy to see why future residents bristle in anticipation at the convenience of an all-in-one shopping mall as well as their very own MRT station at the doorstep.
What’s more, with a solid housing mix of 1-4 bedroom (680) units spread across its 9 towers, you can expect quite the mix of demographics here – a factor that is bound to add colour and diversity to the space.
One thing that the residents of Sengkang Grand Residence should have in common, however, is their love for the lovely lagoon, pristine landscaping, and unique facilities (think trampoline area and parkour gym) in the condo’s vicinity.
Still, living here might not all be a bed of roses.
Fees aren’t the most affordable (considering its District 19 locale), and it could undoubtedly get a tad noisy lower down in the towers.
That being said, uptake has been incredible since launch – and it’s only a matter of time before all the units are snapped up.
Without further ado, let’s head over to showflats!
Sengkang Grand Residences Insider Tour
| Circle Lounge | BBQ Pavilion | Aqua Pod |
| Social Pavilion | Poolside Pavilion | Dip Pool |
| Welcome Pavilion | Teepee Gardening | Gourmet Pavilion |
| Trampoline Thrill | Tower Tree Slide | Playhouse Lawn |
| Kid’s Play Pool | Mini Golf | Animal Sculpture Playground |
| Pet’s Play | 50m Lap Pool | Yoga Lawn |
| Parkour Gym | Five Senses Garden | TreeTop Walk |
| Spectrum Spa Pool | Hammock Lawn | Aqua Hammock |
| Floating Tea Deck | Wellness Spa Pool | Swinging Day Bed |
| Bubble Leisure Pool | Gym | Social Function Room |
| Social Lounge |
Some people have baulked at the average $1,700 PSF selling price at the Sengkang Grand Residences, but with brisk sales of 216 units since launch, you can’t really argue with the demand! One tell tale sign of the commitment to quality of the development is through the showflat, and on first impressions, they seem to have done just about enough. For a project that is a combined effort between CDL and CapitaLand, however, I can’t help but have higher expectations of it.
Sitting right above the mall, Sengkang Grand Residences looks about the same as any one of the other new launch integrated developments. Not to say that the design is bad, it just looks like any one of its other competitors. If you aren’t an avid property follower, you’ll be hard pressed to tell them apart from each other.
The 50m lap pool here looks quite impressive, particularly as it is lagoon-shaped. One good thing is that it is always prettier to look at from a higher vantage point!
At 401,012 square feet of land with 9 residential blocks, Sengkang Grand Residences is definitely more spacious than other integrated developments like North Park Residences. The landscaping plays an important role here in softening the look of all that concrete and giving it that homely habitat feels. With the reputable CDL and CapitaLand behind this, I think you shouldn’t be too worried about the execution of the project.
From here you can see the giant skylight that is the ceiling of the Sengkang Grand Mall. Some people have remarked that it is a waste of space, as that space could have been better utilised, which I’m inclined to agree. On the other hand, it does provide the mall with much needed natural daylight, so I can see some merits to it. Perhaps a Changi Jewel inspired waterfall would have been too much to ask here, eh?
So the biggest attraction of Sengkang Grand Residences is no doubt the fact that you get everything under one roof. It is basically a 3-storey retail mall with a supermarket, community club, childcare centre, MRT station, bus interchange, and even a hawker centre all in one place. You literally do not have to go anywhere else if you wanted to, as it is almost like a self-sustaining town.
That aside, there isn’t a dedicated lift from the first level direct to the residential units itself. You’ll have to take two lifts to get home, which I can foresee being quite annoying if done daily. Talk about a first-world problem!
Hopefully, they are able to attract good hawker stalls to set up shop, but I love that there is one integrated right into the development. Hawker Centre’s are by far and away a staple for many Singaporeans and I hope that with new and more viable avenues, it can provide the platform for the younger generation to continue this trade.
At 160,000 square feet of retail space, Sengkang Grand Mall is quite a decent size. To give you a better idea, a similar-sized competitor would be the mall at Hillion Residences at 174,730 square feet. For a proper shopping experience, however, malls like the Ion mall in Orchard come in at over 600,000 square feet. With that said, CapitaLand has tonnes of experience in knowing how to curate a retail mall’s offerings to draw in traffic so this should be a relatively safe bet.
Sengkang Grand Residences 1 Bedroom + Study Review
At 474 square feet, the 1 bedroom plus study unit at Sengkang Grand Residences is just about an acceptable size. It is an overall efficient layout, with barely any wasted spaces at all. My only nitpick would be the slight exaggeration of it being allocated the term plus study, as in reality, it is just a small corner by the master bedroom (which I’ll touch on later).
Like most of the other new launch 1 bedroom units, the entranceway has merged with the kitchen to create a good-sized space. The counter is sufficiently long to fulfill most cooking-related tasks. I like that the entranceway is wide too, so even if you had 2 or 3 people here it would not be too much of a squeeze.
If you are really into cooking, most 1 bedroom units would not really be adequate as you’ll need to open the front door and balcony to air the place all the time. However, seeing as there is a hawker centre along with all the food options in the mall, this really wouldn’t pose a problem for 99.9% of people considering a unit here to stay.
The living and dining area combined together is actually quite sizeable. With the ID work done, the long bench seating actually makes the place seem longer than it actually is.
You could fit in a round dining table here that can seat 3 people, and still have enough room to walk around.
Because of the entrance to the bedroom, you are limited to how wide a TV you can place in the living area. So for those of you that have dreams of a super large TV, this is a constraint that you will have to deal with.
If you prioritise indoor living space, this will be music to your ears as the balcony at the Sengkang Grand Residences is kept to a minimum.
The bathroom in the 1 bedroom unit is nothing to shout about, with adequate space for 2 people at a time (if necessary). There are two entrances so you can access it from both the living area and the bedroom.
The bedroom is on the small side here, with just enough space for a queen-sized bed.
If you’ve been wondering where on earth the study area is it is actually tucked into a corner as part of the bedroom.
Because it was advertised as a 1 bedroom plus study, you’ll naturally have a higher expectation of this study area. I think if this was just shown as a 1 bedroom unit with this corner eked out and shown in this usable way, it would have been so much more impressive. It is a cosy space, that’s for sure.
Sengkang Grand Residences 2 Bedroom Premium + Study Review
At 764 square feet, the 2 bedroom premium is slightly larger than the regular 2 bedroom units at the Sengkang Grand Residences. I’m not a fan of the long entranceway to get into the unit, but everything else is very much usable space.
Like I said above, the entranceway into the 2 bedroom unit is long and unnecessary in my opinion. I suppose if you built some cabinets along the side, you could take advantage of the space for more storage.
Once you step further in, however, the ID for this unit has really brought out the best of the space. The kitchen area is actually L-shaped and bigger than most units.
I really like the kitchen island concept here, as it is something you rarely see in the smaller units. If you are a foodie or an amateur home cook this would be a definite attraction. Because the kitchen island can essentially double up as a dining space too, you could do away with a dining table altogether if you are up to do something different.
The result is more space in which you can allocate to the living areas. Which is just as well, as the living room is not the biggest.
Like the 1 bedroom unit, the wall that you would usually dedicate to a TV console is rather short so you are quite limited in your choices here. Moving it to the wider wall on the right doesn’t quite cut it either as the couch will then be in an awkward position. On a positive note, the ID for this unit is really on point. The green tones are colourful wallpaper really add a cheery aspect, which somehow makes it seem very homely. I know this isn’t what you’d get in the actual unit, but there are some valuable tips that you can take away from here.
The balcony is an average size for a 2 bedroom unit, and there is enough space for outdoor dining too if you so wish.
The common bedroom here is small, and on this platform design, I think the lack of space is even more apparent despite how cosy it looks.
The common bathroom here is quite spacious considering the size of the unit.
The master bedroom is just okay in size, with storage space that is on the smaller side.
Similar to the 1 bedroom plus study unit, the study area here is actually just a corner that has been carved out. In other developments, this would have been a balcony, but I do like this little nook here that you can use for either a study or dedicated dresser area.
All in all, for me personally, one of the better designed 2 bedroom units that I have seen. This is the pick of the bunch out of the 3 showflat units available.
Sengkang Grand Residences 3 Bedroom Premium + Flexi Review
At 1,012 square feet, the size of the 3 bedroom premium unit is actually not too bad. But if you look closely the unit layout is not terribly efficient, with its long entranceway plus hallway that leads to the bedrooms.
Likewise to the 2 bedroom unit, there is this huge entranceway that is really not the best utilised here. At the very least there is storage space available at the side.
The kitchen is okay for a 3 bedroom unit. There will be a sliding door so as to keep it an enclosed space.
The counter space available is actually quite limited on both sides, so you might find it a bit of a squeeze if you have kitchen equipment like a rice cooker that you use often.
The living and dining space is not very big, hence the need for quite a lot of mirrors here to give the space more presence.
As with most showflats, the dining table shown here will probably be too small for a family to dine comfortably. Flushing it to the corner does make the most sense from a space perspective.
The living room here thankfully has a longer wall in which you can put your TV console. But the width of the living area is quite short here as any normal-sized TV console plus couch would probably make the space feel constricted. It’s probably better to look towards mounting the TV on the wall instead.
The balcony here is almost square-like and is adequately sized for some simple seating arrangements.
There is a small room on the left facing the hallway that you can use depending on your needs. In this case, a foldaway bed was installed which can be used as a helper’s room or guest room. You can also look to use it as a (large) storeroom or even a study area. But frankly, this flexibility comes at a cost as the rest of the bedrooms are not the biggest around.
The small room is accessible from the kitchen as well, where there is a tiny bathroom here with a small yard space on the outside for your washer/dryer.
The common bathroom here is very averagely sized.
Unlike the other two units, there isn’t a small corner here that you can use for a study/dresser corner. Instead, you have the luxury of balcony space. Personally, I actually prefer the indoor space, but I can see the merits of having a personal balcony for the master bedroom as well.
Lastly, the master bedroom here is of average size. No special bathtub here despite its premium status!
Sengkang Grand Residences Location Review
The north-east region of Singapore has seen massive makeovers since its days as a ‘kampong town’. Today, an abundance of HDBs and Condos alike cover its skyline – a throng of busy residents spewing from them come rush hour.
It is also a relatively affordable ‘heartland’ estate that caters to most demographics even if it is a little ways from central Singapore.
Geographically situated evenly between the tranquil Punggol Promenade nature area and the feverish Serangoon Nex central hub, Sengkang Grand Residences is also surrounded by an immediate string of amenities that have no doubt popped up over time to cater to the frequent Buangkok MRT ‘stoppers’.
Transport
| Bus Station | Buses Serviced | Distance From Condo (& Est. Walking Time) |
| ‘Buangkok Stn Exit B’ | 27, 43, 43M, 43e, 102 | 40m, 1-min walk |
| ‘Opp The Riverdale’ | 80, 82, 87, 88, 89, 119, NR6 | 700m, 8-min walk |
| ‘Bef Buangkok Drive’ | 109, 156, 159, 159A, 161 | 750m, 9-min walk |
Closest MRT: Buangkok MRT, Immediate
Having an MRT station directly under your feet is usually a blessing… unless you can feel the rumble of the trains coming into and leaving the station. Which, in this case, should be highly unlikely.
Yes, Buangkok MRT isn’t the most central, but it is 3 stops from Serangoon MRT (for those who require the Circle Line) and Punggol MRT (for the nature and water-related hobby lovers). It is also 8 stops from Little India MRT (Downtown Line) and 9 stops from Dhoby Ghaut MRT (Circle and North-South line) – an approximate 21 and 25-minute ride respectively.
There are also a variety of buses servicing the area as well as the Night Rider 6 for our late-night commuting friends.
Private transport accessibility: Good
| Highway/Major Road | Distance From Condo (& Est. Off-Peak Drive Time) |
| Hougang Avenue 2 | 2km, 3-min drive |
| Yio Chu Kang Road | 2.3km, 3-min drive |
| Tampines Road | 2.9km, 4-min drive |
| Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3 | 3.3km, 4-min drive |
| CTE | 4.4km, 5-min drive |
| Upper Serangoon Viaduct | 4.5km, 6-min drive |
| KPE | 2.5km, 3-min drive |
| TPE | 3km, 4-min drive |
| SLE | 7km, 7-min drive |
| PIE | 11.6km, 12-min drive |
| ECP | 14km, 12-min drive |
| AYE | 17.7km, 14-min drive |
| BKE | 18.4km, 14-min drive |
All the timings here were scaled to their minimum possibilities. Factoring in the traffic lights and number of residential developments in the entire area (not to mention the shopping malls), you should expect one and a half to twice the drive time on the regular.
Also, the fact that Sengkang Grand Residences is located deep into the north-eastern Singapore territory means that private transport traveling costs/time wouldn’t bode well for those who frequent the CBD for work.
Considering the condo’s premium, it would be a lot wiser to look for a place closer to town that would cost the same or even cheaper!
Still, Sengkang Grand Residences’ private transport accessibility gets a ‘Good’ mainly due to its immediate proximity to the KPE (a saviour for people living in the north-east). A direct route from Buangkok Drive straight into the tunnel will definitely come in handy for many a resident living here.
Groceries
| Name of Grocery Shop | Distance From Condo (& Est. Off-Peak Drive Time) |
| FairPrice – Compass Link | Immediate |
| FairPrice – Sengkang East Avenue | 1.4km, 5-min drive OR 750m, 9-min walk |
| FairPrice – Rivervale Plaza | 2.1km, 5-min drive |
| FairPrice Xtra – Hougang St. 91 | 2.7km, 8-min drive |
| FairPrice Finest – Seletar Mall | 4.3km, 10-min drive |
| Cold Storage – Compass One | 2.4km, 7-min drive |
| Cold Storage – Greenwich | 4.3km, 10-min drive |
| Cold Storage – Hougang | 4.4km, 10-min drive |
Maybe it’s just me, but when you come to the heartlands, it always feels like groceries are available wherever you go.
The same can be said for this area. With over 10 FairPrices to choose from in the area, we decided to leave you with the closest/’grandest’ 5.
Sadly, there isn’t an immediate Cold Storage or many in the vicinity for that matter – which is probably due to the lack of general demand for one from residents here.
Not that any of these really matter anyway, when you have a supermarket right at your doorstep!
Shopping Malls
| Name of Shopping Mall | Distance From Condo (& Est. Off-Peak Drive Time) |
| Hougang Mall | 1.6km, 4-min drive |
| Hougang Green Shopping Mall | 1.6km, 6-min drive |
| Compass One | 1.8km, 7-min drive |
| Rivervale Plaza | 2.1km, 5-min drive |
| Buangkok Square Mall | 2.6km, 6-min drive |
| Hougang 1 | 2.7km, 8-min drive |
| Rivervale Mall | 2.8km, 7-min drive |
| Punggol Plaza | 4.3km, 9-min drive |
| Greenwich V | 4.3km, 10-min drive |
| Seletar Mall | 4.3km, 10-min drive |
| Waterway Point | 5.4km, 13-min drive |
Yes we know, this list goes against the very grain of living above a newly built shopping mall (*fights against internal screaming*).
But the truth is, we do eventually get bored of our usual sights. For the adventurous and those who like to diversify, a solid mix of heartland malls and newly renovated shopping centres await.
Schools
| Name of School | Education Level | Distance From Condo (Est. Off-Peak Drive Time) |
| Little Readers & Genius Tots | Preschool | 240m, 1-min drive OR 3-min walk |
| Myworld @ Compassvale Ancilla | Preschool | 1.6km, 6-min drive OR 800m, 10-min walk |
| Eshkol Valley | Preschool | 1.8km, 5-min drive |
| Sengkang Methodist Children Centre | Preschool | 2.9km, 6-min drive |
| Cambridge @ Fernvale | Preschool | 3.5km, 8-min drive |
| Palm View Primary | Primary | Immediate |
| North Vista Primary | Primary | 800m, 3-min drive OR 200m, 3-min walk |
| Punggol Primary | Primary | 1.6km, 7-min drive |
| Yio Chu Kang Primary | Primary | 1.6km, 4-min drive |
| Nan Chiau Primary | Primary | 1.8km, 6-min drive |
| Hougang Primary | Primary | 2.2km, 6-min drive |
| North Spring Primary | Primary | 2.2km, 6-min drive |
| Sengkang Primary | Primary | 2.3km, 6-min drive |
| Anchor Green Primary | Primary | 2.4km, 6-min drive |
| Springdale Primary | Primary | 2.4km, 9-min drive |
| Rivervale Primary | Primary | 3km, 7-min drive |
| Compassvale Primary | Primary | 3km, 8-min drive |
| Sengkang Green Primary | Primary | 3.6km, 8-min drive |
| Fernvale Primary | Primary | 3.7km, 8-min drive |
| Fern Green Primary | Primary | 3.8km, 9-min drive |
| Greendale Primary | Primary | 4.5km, 9-min drive |
| Horizon Primary | Primary | 4.5km, 9-min drive |
| Edgefield Primary | Primary | 4.7km, 10-min drive |
| North Vista Secondary | Secondary | 1.2km, 3-min drive |
| Montford Secondary | Secondary | 1.3km, 4-min drive |
| Sengkang Secondary | Secondary | 1.4km, 5-min drive |
| Hougang Secondary | Secondary | 1.9km, 5-min drive |
| Nan Chiau High | Secondary | 2km, 5-min drive |
| Serangoon Secondary | Secondary | 2km, 6-min drive |
| Xinmin Secondary | Secondary | 2.4km, 7-min drive |
| CHIJ St. Joseph’s Convent | Secondary | 2.5km, 6-min drive |
| Compassvale Secondary | Secondary | 2.9km, 7-min drive |
| Pei Hwa Secondary | Secondary | 3.1km, 7-min drive |
| Bowen Secondary | Secondary | 3.2km, 8-min drive |
| Edgefield Secondary | Secondary | 3.9km, 10-min drive |
| Greendale Secondary | Secondary | 4.2km, 9-min drive |
| Punggol Secondary | Secondary | 5km, 10-min drive |
| Anderson Serangoon Junior College | Junior College | 6.4km, 14-min drive |
| Tampines Meridian Junior College | Junior College | 7.5km, 15-min drive |
| Nanyang Polytechnic | Polytechnic | 7.8km, 17-min drive |
| Temasek Polytechnic | Polytechnic | 11.8km, 16-min drive |
| Ieera Business School | University | 3.4km, 9-min drive |
| Singapore Institute of Technology (NYP Campus) | University | 8.2km, 18-min drive |
| Singapore Institute of Technology (Temasek Campus) | University | 12.4km, 17-min drive |
| Curtin Singapore | University | 16.3km, 21-min drive |
Given the unit mix, it isn’t surprising that a sizable number of residents here would include families with kids.
Which is why the incredible diversity of primary and secondary schools in the area is so important. Note however, that these are mostly ‘neighbourhood’ schools – so if you really want your kid to study in a mission/top-notch school, you and/or your kids might have to undergo long commute times to school.
Furthermore, there aren’t many tertiary education options in the area, which would once again spell longer traveling times for those who require it.
Additional Pointers
- Noisy Neighbours
As mentioned earlier, living in an integrated development has its pros and cons. One of the latter involves a heightened noise level from the hustle and bustle of the mall below. This will be especially evident over the weekends, public holidays, and during lunch and dinner hours in general. As such, be sure to settle for a higher floor if you can. Not to mention, coming home every day to the throngs of crowds. If you come from a quieter development this could take you a while to adjust.
- Busy Boulevards
Adding to the noise factor would be the potential road congestion outside the development during the heightened activity timeframes (mentioned above). Given the location, it is needless to say that there will also be an increased number of cars in the area as opposed to CBD developments (where owning a car mostly isn’t a need at all).
While there isn’t much we can do about this, we can take refuge in knowing that Sengkang Central (the road outside the proposed development) is at least 2-laned on either side – which would potentially ease some traffic here.
- Food Fiesta
With the heartland also comes hearty food options. A string of hawker centres, simple restaurants, bakeries, and convenience stores line the surroundings. Not only will purchases here be generally more affordable than in the mall, it also helps to provide that extra diversity and potential authentic local taste that many commercial food outlets are found wanting in.
- Family Friendly
Numerous playgrounds, education centres (sorry kids!), schools, and entertainment options make it one of the nicer places to raise children. What’s more, there are a couple of nature options (Punggol Promenade and Park) that could make for a great day out with the family
Sengkang Grand Residences Development Site
With 401,012 square feet of land to fill, it seems like the developers have done a good job in introducing facilities that you wouldn’t often see in most properties such as mini-golf, an animal sculpture playground, trampolines, and even a play lawn for your pets to roam!
It is also extremely family-friendly and caters to all the generations and various social needs with its 5-tier ‘club areas’. More than that, it seems very nature integrated with its Treetop Walk, Misty Garden, Cascading Water Feature, and Five Sense Garden implementations.
Adding on to this is their strategic placements. Instead of allocating these ‘club areas’ into a similar cordoned area, the developers have decided to spread it across the site. It relatively evens out noise impact and helps reduce individual tower favourability.
Still, we can expect the trampoline and tower tree slide area to be potentially noisier for residents of towers 78 and 80.
One last thing to highlight is the in-condo road that (although provides access to all the blocks) will result in additional vehicle noise in the development – adding on to that from the Compassvale Bow and Sengkang Central roads outside.
Popping over to the unit mix
| Unit Type | No. Of Units | Size of Units (sqft) |
| 1-Bedroom + Study | 131 | 474 – 506 sqft |
| 2-Bedroom | 95 | 624 – 678 |
| 2-Bedroom + Study | 10 | 624 |
| 2-Bedroom Premium + Study | 136 | 732 – 764 |
| 3-Bedroom | 148 | 936 – 947 |
| 3-Bedroom Premium | 56 | 1023 – 1055 |
| 3-Bedroom Premium + Flexi | 55 | 1012 |
| 4-Bedroom Premium + Flexi | 49 | 1313 – 1324 |
As mentioned a couple of times before, Sengkang Grand Residences caters to most target audiences with its unit mix.
In line with the newer developments, units here are of average size, though it is good to know that unit layout is mostly space-efficient.
It is also worth highlighting the limited number of 4-bedders, so if that is something that you are looking at, be sure to put your hat in right away to avoid losing out.
Furthermore, bear in mind that the ‘study’ in the 1-bedroom + study unit is really just a small space in the bedroom situated next to the window.
Best Stacks
Here are some of the best stacks that we have identified for the Sengkang Grand Residences.
For stacks 72, 88, 86, 84 and 82, these have East facing which avoids the west sun. However, you might have to contend with traffic noise along Sengkang Central as this is the side where the bus interchange is located at.
Here are some of the specific stacks selected based on units:
| Unit Type | Stack |
| 2 Bedroom Premium | 53, 25, 13 |
| 2 Bedroom + Study | 33 |
| 2 Bedroom | 26 |
| 1 Bedroom | 39 |
| 3 Bedroom | 14, 54 |
| 4 Bedroom | 19, 32, 60 |
The units chosen here mainly avoid the west sun plus have the furthest distance from your opposite neighbour, giving you the most privacy available.
Sengkang Grand Residences Price Review
| Project Name | Tenure | TOP | Average Price (PSF) |
| Sengkang Grand Residences | 99-years | 2023 | $1,746 |
| The Rivervale | 99-years | 2000 | $748 |
| Esparina Residences | 99-years | 2013 | $1,121 |
| The Quartz | 99-years | 2009 | $995 |
| Jewel @ Buangkok | 99-years | 2016 | $1,303 |
| Compass Heights | 99-years | 2002 | $810 |
| Watertown | 99-years | 2017 | $1,344 |
| Woodleigh Residences | 99-years | 2022 | $1,851 |
Given the estate’s age, we find a variety of HDBs and Condominiums in the area. Some older, some newer.
Now if you were to compare Sengkang Grand Residences to its neighbouring condominiums, you’d quickly realise the massive valuation difference despite location.
Yes, it’s a newly launched development. But really, its integrated development status allows it to command a much higher premium.
Furthermore, as you can see from the other integrated developments on the list, Sengkang Grand Residences’ price generally seems to be on par with the rest when you scale down the various price-related factors like proximity to town and age.
When you consider that 80% (and climbing) of integrated developments in Singapore have gone on to appreciate since launch, you’ll understand why the demand is so high for units here.
That’s not even the best part.
Do you see Compass Heights’ current PSF of $810? That’s actually a whopping 136% increase from its initial $343 average PSF launch price!
Admittedly, that was launched at a very different time, but still, it is rather impressive numbers.
Our Take
Personally, I think if you are looking at this area, Sengkang Grand Residences is worth taking a look at.
It might not be as solid an investment as the Watertown in Punggol (all the new up-and-coming Punggol amenities are bound to result in some massive appreciation stats there), but definitely still worth considering.
It’ll also be very interesting to observe the average rental price and demand here even if the latter should be relatively lower than that of town.
From a homeowner’s standpoint, however, I must say that the added convenience is very welcome – though if it wasn’t for an investment opportunity, I would most definitely not fork out this amount of cash for a place here.
An above-average condo noise level (and that’s saying something, given Singapore’s average noise levels), relatively smaller unit spaces as compared to older developments, and its general location away from the city centre are basically the major cons for me here. Not to mention, this area of Singapore is actually quite saturated with integrated developments. On the purple line alone you have the Poiz Residences, upcoming Woodleigh Residences, Compass Heights, and Watertown. So very honestly speaking, as a home buyer that has convenience at the top of your priorities, you are almost spoilt for choice here.
In crux, however, I feel that its array of in-condo facilities on offer, investment opportunity, proximity to schools and convenience factors greatly outweigh the cons of the Sengkang Grand Residences.
I would consider a place here if I was on the lookout for a solid investment opportunity or just a new home in general.
Just as long as I’m not working in the CBD!
What this means for you
You might like Sengkang Grand Residences if you:
- • Are an investor:As mentioned, 80% of integrated (with MRT) developments in Singapore have appreciated over the years. Not to mention the ease of finding tenants due to the added convenience.
- • Enjoy living above an all-in-one development:Having Sengkang Grand Mall at your doorstep is probably the biggest perk of living here.
You might not like Sengkang Grand Residences if you:
- • Greatly value peace and quiet:An abundance of children-catered facilities, lower-rise towers, roads (in and out of the condo) and the general shopping mall at your feet is bound to increase noise levels here.
- • Appreciate large unit spaces:While unit spaces here aren’t extremely small, they also aren’t massive due to the way newer condos are architected – a bummer for those who love space.
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[…] On the other hand, there are those who lament the lack of privacy and noise that comes with integrated developments, especially when the existing Pasir Ris MRT on the East-West Line is overground, adding further noise pollution for residents. I expect prices of Pasir Ris 8 to start north of $1,700 psf for most units, in line with its OCR integrated development peers such as Sengkang Grand Residences. […]
Hi Reuben, thanks for your review!
4 years on and the project is almost achieving TOP status, with the mall completed. Considering the real estate resale market now and with many new launches since, would you still maintain your 90% verdict?