How We Found A Proper 3-Bedroom Home Under $3M When Most Resale Options Were Too Old Or Too Expensive

This week, our clients in question had a rockier start than expected. The couple originally bought a two-bedroom + study unit in Robin Regalia, under the belief that they “couldn’t go wrong” with a freehold Bukit Timah property. And while that assumption is far from without merit, there were some issues undermining it. 

Robin Regalia is a small, freehold development located in District 10. The blocks are 10 storeys with a total of 48 units. As we’ve often pointed out regarding such boutique condos, the low unit count often results in a very low transaction volume. This has an anchoring effect, where if the last unit was an outlier that went for an unusually modest price, your unit could be pegged to it as well. 

Case in point, there have only been two transactions at Robin Regalia over the past 12 months:

Transaction Date	Size	Floor Range	Sale Price	$PSF
28 July 2026	1,055 sq ft	01–05	$2,380,000	$2,256
7 May 2026	861 sq ft	01–05	$1,738,000	$2,018

While we can’t reveal too much about the clients’ financial details and proceeds, you can see the problem they faced when selling: there’s no volume of transactions for buyers to base a price on. Even these two transactions are of very different sized units, that provide no help in comparison. 

On top of that, freehold property in District 10 is often pricey to begin with. Starting from this higher base price tends to make appreciation difficult. As such, the couple found that the price had barely appreciated, and they could possibly end up underselling if they disposed of the unit. 

At the same time though, they were in urgent need to move. They purchased their Robin Regalia home when they were younger, but it no longer met their needs; even though the unit had an extra study space, it was still ultimately a two-bedder. They felt that their family, with the child now turning six, needed more room. It was also likely that, later on in the child’s teens, they would have a greater need for greater privacy. 

When you add that they also had a domestic helper, it was a cramped situation; the couple didn’t feel they even had sufficient space to work comfortably from home. 

As such, they wanted a layout that was a proper, family-sized three-bedder. 

They thus faced three issues: the first was selling the Robin Regalia unit at a reasonable price. The second was timing: their child was going to be six years old, and would likely be attending Bukit Panjang Primary School in under two years. The third requirement was, of course, finding a suitable replacement home, at the given size. 

Enlisting Help

Before reaching out to Stacked, the couple contacted several agents and toured several properties on their own. This didn’t help much however, as they felt guidance from many of the agents was limited; sometimes clearly just a push to buy.

It also didn’t help that they had to shortlist homes and handle viewings while they both worked full-time jobs, and were raising a child. The process was overwhelming; and at the time they reached out to us, they felt more confused than when they started. 

Rachel says that “To start off, we had to refocus and develop an overall strategy for what they wanted to do first. Only after that we could talk about which particular properties to consider. 

Initially they didn’t have a clear idea where they should be looking. What we did know was that they had plans to register their child at Bukit Panjang Primary school; although we noted this is quite far north from their current Bukit Timah condo.”

This was compounded by the issues of Robin Regalia’s weaker appreciation. They didn’t know if they should indeed sell, when the gains would have been less than outstanding; a part of them wanted to continue to hold on to it, in hopes of better future returns. 

Separating The Schooling Issue From The Property Purchase

As Rachel worked through the couple’s concerns, it became clear that the husband was also not fully on board with buying another property. This was partly due to his previous experiences, where past agents had shown him units outside a comfortable range. 

At this point, all the resale options they had seen were  generally older, cost more than $3 million, or required further renovation expenditure. Some were big to the point of offering considerably more space than the family needed, hence the very high quantum. 

Rachel says the location of the grandparents also factored into their considerations:

“Moving further East was also brought up, and the husband’s parents did live in Paya Lebar. But the wife’s parents were the ones mainly helping with school pick-ups and childcare, and they lived around Upper Bukit Timah and Hillview; so moving further East was also not very practical.”

At the same time, the husband considered Bukit Timah about as far west as he was comfortable living. Buying a permanent home around Bukit Panjang or Hillview, primarily to accommodate the school run, did not appeal to him.

At this point, Rachel could see a way forward:

The key was to separate where the couple needed to live during their child’s early school years, from where they wanted to settle for the longer term. It would be better not to try and meet both conflicting needs with the same property. 

As such, Rachel Proposed a New Plan That Involved Renting Out Robin Regalia 

This was the plan that Rachel suggested:

If their child secured a place at Bukit Panjang Primary (it was not guaranteed), the couple could first rent a home near the school. While living in this rental unit, they would then rent out their 2+ Study unit at Robin Regalia; and the rental income from Robin Regalia would then offset some of the costs. 

This would simultaneously:

(1) Put them closer to the wife’s parents, who could help with school pick-ups and childcare,

(2) Also allow them to find a rental unit with the greater space they needed 

(3) Do so without having to commit to buying a permanent home, in a west-side location that the husband did not favour

(4) Avoid having to sell Robin Regalia right now, when appreciation has been weak 

This arrangement will continue until their child grows older and becomes more independent (there isn’t really an exact age here, it’s up to them – perhaps when they trust him to take the bus alone, for example). 

At that point, they could reassess the situation. They could then move back to Robin Regalia, although that would mean the space constraints would come back. Or perhaps, if prices had appreciated more by then, they could sell it to fund a more suitable home. 

But Dunearn House Appeared And Offered A Longer-Term Solution

The rental plan pushed the couple’s need to find a replacement home further down the road; but the lack of space was something they needed to solve eventually. 

By coincidence, Dunearn House launched at around this time. Rachel noticed that this new launch happened to check all the right boxes for the family:

For starters, its location was a workable compromise. It was within the Bukit Timah area the husband was comfortable with, while remaining accessible to the wife’s parents in Upper Bukit Timah/Hillview.

Rachel identified a 947 sq ft three-bedder + study on the eighth floor:

Meanwhile this was their unit at Robin Regalia:

First, note that Dunearn House is also a post-GFA harmonisation project, so its floor plan excludes the air-con and RC ledges from its stated 947 sq ft. For Robin Regalia, the stated 861+ sq ft includes these unlivable spaces; so it’s smaller than it is on paper.

Next, note that Robin Regalia has curved sections in the dining area and master bedroom, alongside less regular room shapes. These were trendy for a period, but are less common today for efficiency reasons. By comparison, Dunearn House’s bedrooms have more regular, largely rectangular footprints; this isn’t just easier to fix in furniture (which are mostly designed for square rooms), it ensures fewer wasted nooks and corners. 

Dunearn House also uses a more contemporary layout with living and dining areas running along one side of the unit; this permits the other length of the unit to be organised into three bedrooms and a separate study.

For this family, that additional bedroom is the most important improvement. Robin Regalia has only two proper-sized bedrooms, with the third room actually being just a study. So even though the increase in size appears modest on paper, the actual effect is very significant. 

As an added bonus, the couple even got an excellent queue number (31), getting an early pick of an eighth-floor unit with a good facing; this was priced at $2.981 million. Rachel also notes how lucky this was, saying:

“If we had gotten a later pick we would have been left with the smaller layouts, which may not have worked for them as space was the main reason for moving.” 

Note that the couple ultimately retained Robin Regalia, so we’re not doing the usual upgrading costs breakdown. Suffice it to say that the husband had the financial means to take on Dunearn House with a separate mortgage, and buy under his own name. This did not incur Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty (ABSD), as Robin Regalia was under his wife’s name (both spouses had a property count of just one). 

As a new launch, Dunearn House also fitted into the rental strategy. 

The family could rent near the school during the construction period, then move into their new home once it was ready and their child was more independent.

This approach gave the husband a reason to reconsider buying. Bukit Timah was as far west as he was willing to move, so Dunearn House was within the realm of acceptability. 

The couple would now rent near the school while Dunearn House was being built, and then move into Dunearn House once it was ready. They can rent out Robin Regalia if they wish, and in future, they can decide to move back in, or sell it when it has appreciated suitably. 

Key Takeaways

Schooling needs can be temporary, they don’t always require a permanent purchase. Primary school lasts for six years; this doesn’t mean you have to commit to property ownership just for this span of time. If you’re comfortable where you are, or can’t find a viable long-term home, it’s sometimes plausible to rent rather than buy with too many compromises. 

A suitable layout matters more than the bedroom count alone. The family already owned a two-bedder + study, but its layout made it inadequate. The selected three-bedder + study needed to provide a meaningful improvement in how the household could live and work. You need to look beyond the square footage on paper, when comparing homes. 

Freehold status alone does not guarantee strong appreciation. Robin Regalia’s performance disappointed the couple despite its tenure and address. In this case they were luckier than most – they didn’t have to sell to afford their next property. But some homeowners who over-relied on freehold status and a prestige address have been less fortunate. 

Single-name ownership offers flexibility, with financing trade-offs. The existing ownership arrangement allowed them to consider another purchase under the husband’s name. However, the new loan had to be supported by his income and liabilities; so this part needs to be addressed by a personal finance expert.

Renting can form part of a longer-term housing strategy. In this case, it connected the family’s immediate schooling needs with their eventual move to Dunearn House, while giving them time to decide what to do with Robin Regalia. Contrary to certain misconceptions, renting is not always a “money sink.”

This case study is based on a recent consultation conducted by Rachel Xu (R006569F), a property agent and partner property consultant with Stacked. This write-up walks through the key decisions, trade-offs, and market considerations involved, with insights that buyers and sellers may find useful.

Frequently asked questions

Why did the family decide to rent near Bukit Panjang Primary School instead of buying a home immediately?

The family decided to rent near Bukit Panjang Primary School to accommodate their child's schooling needs temporarily, avoid rushing into a long-term purchase, and to have flexibility while considering their options for a suitable permanent home.

What were the main reasons the family chose Dunearn House as their new home?

Dunearn House met the family's criteria for location, offering a balance between Bukit Timah and the areas their families live in, and provided a more regular layout with three bedrooms and a study, which suited their need for more space and better functionality.

How did the family plan to manage their property ownership during their child's early school years?

They planned to rent a home near Bukit Panjang Primary School during the child's early school years, while renting out their Robin Regalia unit to generate income, and then reassess their housing options later.

What does the case study suggest about the importance of layout versus bedroom count?

The case study highlights that a suitable layout is more important than just the bedroom count, as a well-designed three-bedroom plus study unit can significantly improve living and working space compared to a less efficient layout.

Does owning a freehold property guarantee strong appreciation according to the case study?

No, the case study shows that freehold status alone does not guarantee strong appreciation, as Robin Regalia's performance was disappointing despite its freehold tenure and prestige address.