HDB Reviews The Peak @ Toa Payoh Review: Convenient Central Living Close To 3 MRTs But Pricey

25 min read

Project:	The Peak @ Toa Payoh DBSS
HDB Town	Toa Payoh
Address:	138A-C, 139A-B Lor 1A Toa Payoh
Lease Start Date:	April 2012
No. of Units:	1,203

The Peak @ Toa Payoh is probably one of the most well-known DBSS out there (apart from Natura Loft). This time – for a good reason.

Being a mature estate with high plot ratios all around, The Peak @ Toa Payoh (true to its name) stands tall at 40/42 storeys and is one of the tallest DBSS in Singapore.

As such, many buyers who look in this area are those looking for high-rise living that’s affordable (by today’s standards) in a central location, with an outdoor balcony feature as an added bonus if that’s their preference.

This naturally means that the development is also “The Peak” in other ways – financially. Buyers can expect to pay top dollar to live here. In fact, 5-room flats here are already averaging over a million dollars, and they’re the majority unit type in this development (802 in total).

And it’s not like this popularity is just a recent phenomenon. Launched over 10 years ago in 2009, The Peak @ Toa Payoh was met with much fanfare with queues of about 100 people lining up outside the show flat even before it opened at 8 am!

Prices weren’t cheap then too, with 5-room flats costing north of $700,000 – a lot for HDBs back then.

So if you’re considering staying in a mature, central location, is The Peak @ Toa Payoh worth its high price? Let’s take the usual HDB tour to find out!

Updated 31 May 2022: Added that the journey to Toa Payoh MRT is fairly sheltered up till the road crossing.

The Peak @ Toa Payoh DBSS Insider Tour

The Peak @ Toa Payoh is located along Lorong 1A Toa Payoh which has two entrances and exits. If you drive around either corner onto Lorong 1A Toa Payoh, you’ll find the development’s two signages just outside.

It’s easy to miss, but judging from the name as well as the towering blocks here, The Peak @ Toa Payoh has a strong presence of its own.

Heading inside, you’ll find that there are three drop-off points spread across the development, ensuring that each block is adequately serviced.

The first is located at block 138A. From here, you’ll see that it has the usual roundabout design which sports quite a modern feel – in line with the overall aesthetic of the development. It’s also sheltered, but I do wish that the shelter was larger as it can only fit one car at a time if it does rain.

Regardless, having multiple drop-offs helps ensure that there is adequate room for vehicles to manoeuvre even during peak hours.

From here, residents can take a sheltered walk to blocks 138A and 138B. You do also get adequate seats, and I like that proper bench seating with a backrest is provided.

This is much more comfortable as opposed to a hard bench without any backrest. The bench design is also quite pleasant considering how the use of wood colours helps break the monotonous grey colour scheme.

One thing you’ll notice here is the presence of a sculpture. Just like with Lake Vista @ Yuan Ching, placing a sculpture here does make the drop-off feel more welcoming. And it’s not just the sculpture, but the landscaping around it that plays a part too. Judging from the looks of it, the landscaping here seems promising!

I must point out that this isn’t necessarily a feature of DBSS designs though, so plus points for the design here!

Do note that several units around the drop-off here would face some noise and privacy issues given how close to stacks are to it. This can be particularly bad during peak hours and meal times, as delivery riders would be stopping and parking here in the interim.

The other drop-off point is located on the opposite end which services blocks 138A and 138B. Just like the first drop-off, it has a nice roundabout design that’s also sheltered. Similarly, it can only fit one car at a time, though I do not see this as much of an issue.

The third and final drop-off is located at block 139 and services the residential block 138C. This drop-off is right outside the precinct pavilion which seems to be deliberate in design since visitors can very easily reach the event space without having to find their way around.

Nearby, you’ll also find a Parcel Santa under the Locker Alliance. Having this facility allows residents here to easily arrange their parcel delivery to be stored safely and is very useful for those who do not have someone at home to wait for deliveries.

Next, let’s check out what the car park here is like!

The car park’s exterior blends really well with the overall theme of the development, but what’s impressive is the trees that are planted outside which help break the concreteness of it. However, the view from here isn’t as important as the inner-facing view, as several low-floor stacks directly face the car park:

From here, it’s obvious (again) why lower-floor units facing the car park would go for lower prices and tend to take a longer time to sell. Residents facing the car park will face privacy issues, headlights flashing in once in a while and will bear the full brunt of any car alarms or door slams that occur. It’s also commonplace to hear car tyres screeching late into the night too – and can be annoying if you are the type to leave your windows open often.

That being said, the multi-storey car park is almost a common feature and certainly more so for DBSS. It’s just cheaper to build and for developments where affordability is still a primary concern, a multi-storey car park is the go-to solution. Perhaps this is one reason why Natura Loft is seen to be quite desirable as its car park is “underground”.

The car park is pretty standard – it’s spacious and has air wells to help bring in more natural light. These are common features though, so I can’t say that The Peak @ Toa Payoh is special in that regard.

One thing that I do miss is a link bridge. Residents who park on floors above level 1 would need to take the lift down before making their way over to their block. While the entire journey is sheltered, it’s just a lot less convenient than being able to walk directly to your block. It’s definitely cheaper not to build one, but having one would’ve been nice. For example, SkyTerrace@Dawson is one HDB with sheltered link bridges on every level of the multi-storey car park (even on the visitor lot level), making it really convenient for residents to just walk straight to their block.

Next, let’s head on up to the car park rooftop garden!

Once you step out, you’ll see that the rooftop garden has some greenery around for you to admire, but it isn’t really anything to shout about.

The area does feel very open, given the lack of tall shrubbery. While it’s not exactly as impressive as the one at City Vue @ Henderson, I’m definitely not complaining especially after seeing the pseudo-garden at Pasir Ris ONE. I can imagine this serving as some form of visual interest too, as evident by the towering blocks looking down on this space.

This brings me to my next point – there are also some units that face the rooftop garden directly with some windows being a little too close for comfort. Usually, this is not an issue if it’s just the service yards facing the garden, but in The Peak @ Toa Payoh’s case, the living quarters and balconies face it. While it is a privacy issue, I reckon this would be on the back of any buyer’s mind considering how infrequently travelled the rooftop garden is – my concern is the car park itself!

Walking on though, you’ll find that the stock greenery may be lacking, but the community spirit here isn’t:

I was really impressed to find such an active community garden over here. There were many varied plots filled with different species of plants that piqued my interest and are a classic example of how a common facility like this can be utilised to build a community and bring residents closer.

You’ll also find an open space in the rooftop garden – perfect for those who wish to do some outdoor exercise. That being said, there are no facilities here, though it’s not very commonplace to find that on a rooftop garden.

Lastly, I’d like to highlight that while the car park seems to be well-maintained, the rooftop garden certainly needs some patching up:

It’s definitely unsightly, and not a nice sight to see.

Now that we’re done with the rooftop garden, let’s head back down to check out the ground-level facilities.

We’ll start off our tour where we left off before visiting the car park – the Precinct Pavilion. This is located right at the drop-off point at block 139.

The Precinct Pavilion is quite bright, airy and adequate in size. There are fans provided on the side, but only two bench seatings are provided. This is not really an issue, as those holding events here are expected to bring their own seats. There are also four electrical sockets provided at the side. This is lower than the usual 6-8 that you’ll find in most Precinct Pavilions, but again this is not really an issue.

Now let’s check out the fitness areas and playgrounds. In The Peak @ Toa Payoh, you’ll find that the facilities are broken up into two sections: one on the east, and another on the west.

The facilities on the west side are right in front of the Precinct Pavilion, of which you’ll find the usual playground, adult as well an “elderly wellness station”.

The playground here looks pretty decent, with two swing sets, a merry-go-round and a colourful playground.

The merry-go-round is particularly interesting as this is not something I usually find in residential developments in Singapore – both HDBs and condominiums.

The playground itself features two very sizeable slides as well as multiple climbing structures. I very much prefer the traditional playground styles like this considering it’s familiar to children rather than the confusing “art pieces” I’ve found in some experimental playgrounds such as the one at Forfar Heights.

For parents watching over their children, you’ll be glad to find a fully-sheltered seating area just around the corner – with a pretty comfortable bench seating too!

Next, you’ll see the adult fitness stations here. You can find some simple static equipment and a pull-up bar, but apart from that, it seems a little lacking. I’m not asking for gym-standard equipment here, but it would’ve been nice to see more varied equipment, though I must say that the lack of space here is a limitation.

There’s also a foot reflexology area here which is dubbed the “elderly wellness station”. It’s not something that is popular, so I can’t say that this would be missed even if it were not included. Perhaps it’s because the times I visit are quite warm, so perhaps the evening time would see more people using it. Nonetheless, it doesn’t cost much to make, and even if it’s not particularly useful for you, it does serve as some form of a varied pattern design.

One obvious disamenity here is noise and the lack of privacy: despite it being quite quiet here, I can imagine it being used during the evenings when it’s less warm, thereby resulting in lots of noise generated at the playground. Lower floor units would have to contend with this, so if you’re looking to purchase a unit here, do visit in the evenings to see if this is a dealbreaker for you.

Now that we’re done on this side, let’s head over to the east section of the development to see the remaining facilities.

The playground here is also pretty impressive – you get a slide and several climbing structures, everything you need in a playground. There’s also a see-saw, so it’s nice to see some variety. There’s also a rocking structure too.

One thing I did notice here is the lack of equipment for very young children. The playgrounds, sea-saw, merry-go-round, swings and rocking structures are not suitable for toddlers. As such, parents with toddlers here might be disappointed by the lack of appropriate play structures.

That said, parents would be glad to know that there’s a fully-sheltered seating area here too for comfort while watching your kids.

Nearby, you’ll find the second set of fitness stations – this one has slightly more equipment than the other. Combined with those on the west side, I do believe that overall, there is a sufficient amount of equipment here.

Given this is a DBSS, you might expect to find a barbeque pit area here – and if that’s so, you wouldn’t be disappointed because The Peak @ Toa Payoh features three barbeque pits. These also come with a metal cover for hygiene (and reserving) purposes, as well as very decent seating areas all around – including chairs with backrests!

There are also several bench seatings and a sheltered area with seats here suitable for larger gatherings. This offering is much better than when compared to Belvia – however, we must remember that Belvia only has 488 units compared to The Peak @ Toa Payoh with 1,203 units so, in terms of proportion, Belvia seems better.

I’m also pleased to see that the pits here aren’t as impractical high as those in Pasir Ris ONE!

While I enjoy the idea of having a facility such as this around, it could pose as a source of noise to those living on lower floors. You can immediately see how close some of the units are to this area. As a result, units here would have to deal with the barbeque smell (some would argue that it’s actually not too bad!) and the constant chatter/laughter that comes with any large gathering. It’s one thing to face more noise and privacy issues living on lower floors, but it’s another to be situated right next to where large gatherings can be potentially seen, heard and smelled.

Apart from that, I do like that the barbeque area is quite spacious, though I imagine that gatherings here would likely take place in the evening/night considering there’s only one sheltered seating area here.

With that, we come to the end of the facilities at The Peak @ Toa Payoh. But before we end our insider tour, let’s head to the common corridor to check out what they’re like!

Heading to the block, you’ll undoubtedly notice one of the unique selling points of staying here: the gated lift lobbies.

So far, Lake Vista @ Yuan Ching and Trivelis are the other two DBSS I’ve reviewed that also come with gated lift lobbies. This is great for those who want that added feeling of security and it does deter people from slotting spam flyers on your gate (Oh how I hate those! I don’t care that you sold a flat here at a record-breaking price!).

Truth be told, I don’t really think that a gate really deters non-residents here if they truly wanted to get in. Unlike a condominium with a security guard, it’s easy to trail behind someone else since even residents themselves do so. I suppose it’s still better to have one, than without any security at all – as this is probably the most cost-effective option.

Heading into the lift lobby, you’ll find that the lift lobby is relatively well-maintained and clean. One thing I did notice is that there is a lack of natural light in here, though the lighting does make up for it.

There are 4 lifts per block in total with two lifts serving levels 1 to 22, while another two serve levels 22 – 42. I do like that it’s split into two zones which can handle volumes more efficiently, particularly during peak periods.

Heading out, you’ll find a glaring disadvantage to staying here: the narrow common corridors. Is this the curse of the DBSS?

The pathways here are pretty narrow, with doors being too close to one another. As you can see, the walkway here is just 4 tiles wide, probably the bare minimum to meet SCDF’s requirements.

Towards the end, you can see just how close the gates are to one another is one reason why no one is able to put a shoe rack outside.

What I do like is that there is a step up into the home which allows for a rug to at least be placed outside so you can step on it before wearing your shoes. This does come at a disadvantage for wheelchair users though!

When considering a home purchase, do take into account the journey back. You’re not just buying the layout, space and view. You’re buying how you feel when you go home, so if a narrow corridor irks you (you’ll know when you visit), then do take this into consideration! You can read our in-depth look at what to consider when buying a resale HDB for more details!

Before ending our insider tour, I’d like to highlight one downside. There’s no preschool/childcare centre located in this DBSS. For young families or couples expecting, this is something you should take note of! There are also no commercial outlets within the development, so residents would have to travel out of the development to meet their daily amenity needs. That being said, you would be staying in Toa Payoh which brings about a host of good amenities on its own – the subject of our next point!

The Peak @ Toa Payoh DBSS Location Review

Our previous Toa Payoh HDB review was Central Horizon which had a pretty good location near Toa Payoh MRT. The Peak @ Toa Payoh – while closeby to Central Horizon, certainly does not boast as good an amenity offering as it’s further from Toa Payoh Hub and Toa Payoh Mall as compared to Central Horizon.

Moreover, the two direct plots next to The Peak @ Toa Payoh is currently empty, meaning it has lesser potential amenity offering:

That being said, being in the very mature estate of Toa Payoh does mean that the development is still surrounded by amenities from other residential and commercial blocks. For example, located on the north side is the Toa Payoh West Market And Food Court) that’s just a 5-minute walk away (unsheltered):

And while The Peak @ Toa Payoh is further from Toa Payoh Hub than Central Horizon, the difference is just about 1-2 minutes by foot – but this depends on your block of course. Those who stay on the east side would be a lot closer to Toa Payoh Hub.

In fact, residents from The Peak @ Toa Payoh can also head to Central Horizon’s eating house located on the east side of the development should they choose so. It’s sort of on the way towards Toa Payoh Hub where all the action is:

And let’s not forget Toa Payoh Mall too, with a plethora of F&B and retail options:

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For those who love reading, there’s also a library located nearby:

In terms of Park Connector access, The Peak @ Toa Payoh is not quite connected to one, but it is close by. Residents would need to cycle south for a couple of minutes before heading onto the Toa Payoh Town Park and connecting to the Whampoa PC.

The pathways toward the Park Connector are not exactly wide enough for pedestrians and cyclists to share, and it’s along the main Lor 2 Toa Payoh road – so it’s not the best experience. That being said, at least it’s within a couple of minutes’ cycling time!

Apart from the Park Connector, families would be happy to hear about the playground south of The Peak @ Toa Payoh: Play @ Heights Park.

This park has a wet and dry area. The wet area allows kids to splash around and cool off, while the dry area features sand pits with swings. Despite being located between HDB blocks, the area still appears to be quite big!

Overall, the area has a good mix of amenities for daily convenience as well as fun for the family, so I do see The Peak @ Toa Payoh to be a very good choice for those who are conscious of these two factors.

Public Transport

Bus station	Buses Serviced	Distance From HDB (& Est. Walking Time)
‘BLK 139A (52149)’	59, 141, 231	1-minute (50m)
‘BLK 138B (52191)’	129, 232	1-minute (50m)

Closest MRT: Toa Payoh MRT – about an 8-minute walk. Braddell MRT – about a 9-minute walk. Caldecott MRT – about an 11-minute walk. Timings to the MRT depend on the block.

The Peak @ Toa Payoh has the advantage of being within walking distance to two MRT – Toa Payoh and Braddel, and about 11-minutes away from Caldecott MRT (CC & TEL).

The presence of Caldecott MRT really changed the accessibility for residents in the area, as it opens up options to travel up north and east easily through the Thomson-East Coast Line, as well as to the southwest and northeast region too via the Circle Line. is its proximity to quite a central MRT – Toa Payoh.

Unfortunately, the walk to all three MRTs is not fully-sheltered. However, the walk to Toa Payoh MRT is fairly sheltered since residents can cut through the HDBs down south. The road crossing at Lor 2 Toa Payoh is still unsheltered though, but at least you can get away with most of the journey with shelter!

Those looking to take the bus directly outside the development will be glad to know that at least this is fully sheltered to block 138B:

In terms of bus connectivity, the bus stop directly outside connects residents to the Kallang area, as well as all the way to Changi Village.

Taking the bus to the interchange, however, brings the connectivity to a whole new level:

If you are looking to travel to Raffles Place, however, taking the MRT would be a lot more straightforward as it’s just a 25-minute ride (door to door!).

Private Transport

Key Destinations	Distance From HDB (& Est. Peak Hour Drive Time)
Raffles Place	10 km (17 mins drive)
Orchard Road	6.7 km (13 mins drive)
Suntec City	7.9 km (15 mins drive)
Changi Airport	21.1 km (28 mins drive)
Tuas Port	38.5 km (53 mins drive)
Paya Lebar Quarter	7.5 km (10 mins drive)
Mediapolis	10.1 km (19 mins drive)
Mapletree Business City	11.9 km (24 mins drive)
Tuas Checkpoint	34.9 km (47 mins drive)
Woodlands Checkpoint	21.9 km (29 mins)
Harbourfront Cluster	11.8 km (23 mins)
Punggol Cluster	13.7 km (25 mins)

Immediate road exit:
Toa Payoh Central, Lorong 2 Toa Payoh, Lorong 4 Toa Payoh.

Summary:
Drivers would be happy to know that Toa Payoh sits near the intersection between the CTE and the PIE, allowing very convenient access to the north, south and east-west of Singapore.

Groceries

Name of Grocery Shop	Distance from HDB (& Est Time)
NTUC FairPrice	Toa Payoh Hub, 7-min walk
Giant	181 Lorong 4 Toa Payoh, 4-min walk

Schools

Educational Tier	Number of Institutes
Preschool	6
Primary School (Within 1KM)	4
Secondary School	3
Junior College	2
Other Tertiary Institutes	4

School	Distance From Condo (& Est. Walking Time)
Sparkletots Preschool – Within the development	Within the development
Previous Angels Playland – 400m (5 min walk)	400m (5 min walk)
Jessin Kindergarten – 500m (6 min walk)	500m (6 min walk)
Mindchamps Preschool – 400m (5 min walk)	400m (5 min walk)
Toa Payoh Methodist Preschool – 140m (2 min walk)	140m (2 min walk)
Akarui Early Years Learning Centre – 400m (5 min walk)	400m (5 min walk)
CHIJ Primary (Toa Payoh) – 800m (9 min walk)	800m (9 min walk)
First Toa Payoh Primary School – 1.9 km (22 min walk)	1.9 km (22 min walk)
Kheng Cheng Primary – 800m (9 min walk)	800m (9 min walk)
Pei Chun Public School – 1.3km (15 min walk)	1.3km (15 min walk)
CHIJ Secondary (Toa Payoh) – 900m (10 min walk)	900m (10 min walk)
Beatty Secondary School – 1.4 km (16 min walk)	1.4 km (16 min walk)
Raffles Girls’ School (Secondary) – 1.3km (15 min walk)	1.3km (15 min walk)
Catholic Junior College – 3.1km (36 min walk)	3.1km (36 min walk)
St Joseph’s Institution – 16 min by bus	16 min by bus
St. Andrew’s Junior College – 29 min by bus	29 min by bus
Raffles Institution – 21 min by bus	21 min by bus
Nanyang Junior College – 13 min by bus	13 min by bus
Eunoia Junior College – 32 min by bus	32 min by bus

The Peak @ Toa Payoh DBSS Site Review

Developed by Hoi Hup Sunday J.V., The Peak @ Toa Payoh has a total of 5 blocks comprising 1,203 units that range from 3-room to 5-room flats. The development stands tall at 40/42 storeys high and is one of the tallest DBSS projects around.

It was launched back in 2009 and took 3 years to build. The first MOP was reached in 2017.

My first impression of The Peak @ Toa Payoh was quite a positive one. The architecture and design of the building, while not particularly unique, have a nice and clean look:

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While the colour scheme sports the same grey and white tone that many other DBSS has, the proportion of colours as well as the design of the exterior made quite a difference. Not to mention the exterior maintenance here is quite good!

The area is also surprisingly peaceful considering it is in a very mature town. This could be chalked down to its presence next to two empty plots as mentioned earlier, so plus points for that!

Walking around, you’ll find that the space does feel sufficiently open. This is because the blocks here are spaced out over the plot and aren’t packed together so closely on each side.

Open spaces such as this around also helped give a little breathing space to the site despite having 5 towering blocks.

There’s even some space for a sizeable community garden that’s very active!

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That said, you’ll inevitably face privacy issues as you use the facilities here considering it’s only a couple of metres away from them. Residents of the lower floor units here would likely notice this on viewing, so be sure to visit during the evening when it’s more likely to be utilised.

You’ll also find that there are plenty of sheltered walkways between blocks here, so cutting across the development in the sweltering heat or rain wouldn’t be an issue.

You’ll also find the landscaping to be quite well done. Trees and medium-height shrubbery can be spotted which also helps provide some level of privacy for ground floor units.

However, I wish that there were more higher plants around the walkways. Some ground floor units (as seen below) have almost no privacy barriers.

Some are right next to the refuse chute as shown below:

You may be wondering – 1,203 units spread across a plot of land that is around 28,000 sqm – this is around 23 sqm per unit. Belvia has 488 units spread across around 17,000 sqm which is around 34 sqm per unit. Doesn’t this mean The Peak @ Toa Payoh loses out?

To answer this, we must consider the common area that you’ll access most often. Belvia’s plot and facilities are focused at the centre of the development whereas The Peak @ Toa Payoh seems to have a larger common area with two playgrounds spread out. Hence, even though the ratio of ground size to units is worse for The Peak @ Toa Payoh, the area would feel more open. Of course, considering the higher number of units, the facilities are expected to be more used than in Belvia since it has 1,203 units compared to just 488 units on the latter.

Finally, I’d like to talk about the landscaping here. As much as I didn’t like Belvia’s restrictive plot, I must say that the landscaping there is nicer than the one at The Peak @ Toa Payoh. The former’s landscaping looks a lot more deliberate and manicured as compared to the one here.

Unit Mix

Block	3 Room	4 Room	5 Room	Total
138A	19	63	164	246
138B	19	60	158	237
138C	19	60	158	237
139A	19	60	158	237
139B	19	63	164	246
Total	95	306	802	1203

The Peak @ Toa Payoh Stack Analysis

All of the stacks are either north-west or south-east facing, meaning regardless of where you purchase, you’ll get about 5-6 months of the sun coming into your home directly. Whether it’s the morning or afternoon sun depends on which side you pick!

For those who are looking at getting the best views, you’ll want to consider the stack facing north-west. Most would have pocket views of the MacRitchie Reservoir area and the distance out is mostly unblocked apart from either the blocks within The Peak @ Toa Payoh, or Toa Payoh Crest. The best stacks would be the north-west stacks located in block 139A as it’s further from Toa Payoh Crest. Just take note that you’ll need to deal with the afternoon sun for half the year!

Do take note that certain outward-facing stacks would be facing the opposite HDBs directly and the distance depends on the stack you stay in. It’s all around 40m and under which is not the best as 50m is what I would consider a comfortable distance. This is really down to personal preferences so it’s best for you to see the view on your own to decide.

Inner-facing stacks can be a little uncomfortable too, depending on which stack you choose. Certain stacks have a distance of under 30 metres, so again, do check out the view to see if this is a dealbreaker to you or not before deciding.

The Peak @ Toa Payoh Layout Analysis

3-Room Flat Type 1 (70 sqm)

Pros	Cons
Good size for a 3-room unit	Irregular walkway entrance
Decent size bedrooms	Bay windows and planter takes up space.
	Lack of proper yard area for laundry.

4-Room Flat (91 sqm)

Pros	Cons
Decent size bedroom	Irregular walkway entrance
Balcony area, great for those that value outdoor space	Bay windows and planter take up space.

5-Room Flat (113/114 sqm)

Pros	Cons
Good size 5-room unit.	Overlarge balcony, bay windows and planter box takes up space.
Decent size bedroom
Balcony area, great for those that value outdoor space
Flexible space to create a study area

The Peak @ Toa Payoh Price Review

Project	Lease Start Year	3 Room	4 Room	5 Room
141 – 142 Lor 2 Toa payoh	2001	–	$656,000 ($713 psf)	$910,944 ($730 psf)
143 – 144 Lor 2 Toa Payoh	2002	–	$720,000 ($735 psf)	$879,000 ($742 psf)
145 – 152 Lor 2 Toa Payoh	2006	–	$800,000 ($821 psf)	$940,000 ($794 psf)
Central Horizon	2009	–	$736,000 ($837 psf)	$960,000 ($807 psf)
The Peak At Toa Payoh	2012	$638,888 ($848 psf)	$860,000 ($878 psf)	$1,080,000 ($873 psf)
Toa Payoh Central	1974	$360,000 ($510 psf)	$470,000 ($520 psf)	–
Toa Payoh Crest	2018	$668,000 ($913 psf)	$920,000 ($919 psf)	–
Toa Payoh Sapphire	1999	–	$760,000 ($697 psf)	$960,000 ($719 psf)

With the million-dollar HDB headlines appearing more and more now, there shouldn’t be any surprise that 5-room flats at The Peak @ Toa Payoh are going for just over a million dollars. Buyers who are looking to make a purchase here would have to expect top dollar considering its mature estate status, newness and high-rise living.

While you’d expect to see the DBSS being the most expensive in the area, you’ll notice a new contender (at least since our Central Horizon review) has appeared – and it’s even more expensive! Toa Payoh Crest is located just north-west of The Peak @ Toa Payoh and its 4-room flat went at a median price of $920,000!

Meanwhile, its 3-room flat is almost reaching $700,000 – even the average 4-room flat price in Singapore is much less than this.

So far, these were based on 5 transactions, all of which happened in May 2022 as I am writing this. The lowest recorded 4-room flat went for $851,888 which is really high for a 4-room flat, and this was even on the first three storeys!

It’s further from Toa Payoh MRT than The Peak @ Toa Payoh, but closer to Caldecott MRT. This is the BTO that “stole” the MacRitchie Reservoir views towards the north-west, and is probably one reason why prices could be high here. Of course, it’s not the main reason since we’ve seen even a very low floor 4-room flat breaking the median 4-room flat price at The Peak @ Toa Payoh. As such, buyers who wonder if they paid “too much” for their HDB flat here wouldn’t have to wonder any more considering the neighbouring HDB costs more despite being just 6 years older.

So at $600K+, $800K+ and $1M+ for a 3, 4 or 5-room HDB at The Peak @ Toa Payoh, you must be wondering whether it’s worth it. Considering the recent record-breaking $1.4 million dollar HDB headline as well as the short supply of private residential alternatives for these prices, it seems that it’s worth considering especially given its location in a mature estate.

For those who like the area and want something that isn’t too old, you can consider Central Horizon as it has a smaller 4-room flat type. If you’re okay with a lease start date after 2000, you can also go for those along Lor 2 Toa Payoh which trades around 17-20% less in terms of quantum and $PSF.

Our Take

Overall, I’m quite positive about The Peak @ Toa Payoh. I had a great impression of it on arrival given it wasn’t very noisy and the exterior seems generally well-maintained.

Its facilities aren’t anything to shout about, but I like that there are two zones of facilities within the development which are well-spaced out. There’s also a unique water playground just opposite.

Given its location in a mature estate, the development is also within convenient reach to good amenities such as the hawker centre up north and the host of F&B options/supermarkets closer to Toa Payoh Hub/Mall.

Toa Payoh Town Park is also not too far away, and residents can hop onto the Kallang/Whampoa Park Connector after a couple of minutes cycle along the regular pedestrian pathways.

With all of this in mind, The Peak @ Toa Payoh’s strength is really in its location and it definitely helps that residents will have pretty decent city views/views of the MacRitchie Reservoir area due to the high floor offerings this DBSS has.

If you are considering a home that isn’t too old in a central location with a balcony, then perhaps the price here seems reasonable and is something to seriously consider. Personally, for me, The Peak @ Toa Payoh is a serious contender given its convenience and decent bedroom sizes (unlike other DBSS!).