Is The Upcoming 552-Unit Nava Grove Worth A Look? What You Need To Know About Pinetree Hill’s Direct Rival

It’s not every day that you see two new launch condos popping up right next to each other in quick succession. Nava Grove, located just beside Pinetree Hill (perhaps a little too close for some), is launching at a busy time of the year when several other new launches are also coming up.

But given how Pinetree Hill was the first major launch in 14 years in the neighbourhood, some may have felt that the launch numbers were pretty muted (it sold nearly 29 per cent of its 520 units at launch). It has found its footing though, with a healthy momentum pushing it to more than 70 per cent sold at the time of writing.

So while you can say that Pinetree Hill did “enjoy” a first-movers advantage here, there are also benefits in being the second. There were surely some learnings and takeaways to apply to improve Nava Grove, and the marketing of Pinetree Hill would also have opened up more interest in the area.

For those of you still debating about whether Ulu Pandan is an ideal location to stay, here are some of the key details to know about this upcoming launch:

The Nava Grove Land Parcel

Clementi, a town with a stellar reputation, naturally attracts attention with any new condo launch. But what sets Nava Grove apart is that it is one of the “greenest” developments to date, offering views of Ulu Pandan and the Clementi Forest.

Nava Grove comes from a Government Land Sale (GLS), which was Pine Grove Parcel B. One 7th November 2023, MCL Land and Sinarmas Land submitted a winning bid of $1,223 psf (a total bid price of $692.388 million). The next two closest bids were from UOL and Wing Tai, at $988 and $834 psf respectively. These bids were admittedly quite conservative, but there are good reasons.

(To our knowledge, this is Sinarmas Land’s first residential development in Singapore, although MCL Land is established by now).

The bids were likely impacted by nearby competitor Pinetree Hill, which is still selling right now. For comparison, Pinetree Hill is currently averaging about $2,500+ psf, so it’s expected that Nava Grove will be about the same or slightly higher. From what we’ve heard, launch prices will be lower than Pinetree Hill, but to what extent and which unit type it would be is still up in the air.

One key difference between the two is that Nava Grove is subject to the new GFA harmonisation rules i.e. aircon ledges are not included in the strata area which developers can charge for.

Also of interest is the former HUDC estate of Pine Grove, which constitutes a large adjacent plot. This ageing development from 1984 was privatised long ago, but has struggled to push through an en-bloc sale due to its vast size. If it does go en-bloc, it could create a sizeable residential alternative in future. 

That aside, the location – near the intersection of Ulu Pandan and Clementi Road – has a strong appeal to those who prioritise green space. Nava Grove is close to Clementi and Dover Forest and is within the Mount Sinai private residential enclave. It has proximity to the Ulu Pandan Park Connector and Rail Corridor, so this is bound to attract nature lovers and more outdoors-bound families.

Nava Grove has a land area of 270,000 sq. ft., and will have 552 units. As an interesting aside, the developer opted to elevate the site (usually a pricey move on their part!) 

Nava Grove’s site is three to six storeys above Ulu Pandan Road, with the second-floor units elevated by an additional four storeys; so the second floor units have an effective height of about seven to 10 storeys. This elevation provides better views and also reduces any road noise.

Nearby amenities 

Nava Grove isn’t within close walking distance of an MRT station, although you could walk to Dover MRT in about 15-minutes or so. There is a bus stop at the nearby Pandan Valley condo, however, with services like 156. This provides a direct bus to Clementi Interchange (EWL, CRL). The Clementi MRT station is also connected to Clementi Mall, the largest shopping centre servicing the area; so while you can’t walk there, the amenities are still arguably good. The area surrounding the mall is also highly mature, with a huge range of coffee shops, minimarts, and other heartland amenities.

Note that Clementi MRT is just one stop from Dover, which is connected to Singapore Polytechnic. For those attending NUS, we’d estimate a roughly seven-minute drive. 

There are also plans for a commercial node in Dover, which would benefit residents at Nava Grove if they come about. This will mean more shops, more dining, etc. around the area of Dover Forest, but this is all on paper at the moment. 

Nava Grove also has access to the Ulu Pandan Park Connector, which links up to Ghim Moh, Holland Grove, and Bukit Batok. If you’re cycling, it’s also a reasonable distance to get to the Rail Corridor. The greenery is the main appeal here, at a tradeoff to immediate convenience.

Pei Tong Primary, as well as the School of Science and Technology, seem to be within a one-kilometre radius, while Henry Park Primary, Nan Hua, and Clementi Primary/Secondary are also nearby. There isn’t complete certainty yet if Henry Park would be within the one-kilometre radius, unlike certain blocks over at Pinetree Hill.

Details on the units and unit mix

From what we know, over 90% of all units will have a North-South orientation, thus avoiding sun glare. 80% of the units will have a view of one of the condo’s three pools, or the surrounding greenery.

There are no one-bedders in Nava Grove, and the majority of units are family-sized; this might appeal to buyers who don’t like seeing a lot of tenants. Notably, the four-bedder units have 23 units that come with dual-key options; this might be a draw for extended families who want to maintain some privacy. Private lifts are available, but only for the largest four and five-bedder options. What is interesting is that every single unit here will have a store available (which is certainly a benefit for the smaller unit types).

Note that there are 552 units but just 442 lots, which is a similar situation over at Pinetree Hill. Judging from the sales numbers so far, this doesn’t seem to give buyers too much cause for concern despite the lack of proximity to the MRT station.

Facilities that we know of

In keeping with the area’s strength (greenery), the landscaped areas include some conserved trees; and we’re told the pools will use a more freeform, organic shape. The facilities will include three pools – one of them being a large, 50-metre lagoon pool – as well as a lazy river to float along. Other facilities include the usual tennis court, multi-purpose court, a pet lawn, and a forest walk.

About 20 per cent of the available land space is used for residential units, so a generous 80 per cent is given over to common grounds. The landscaped areas are also said to reflect the nearby Clementi Forest, to create a more seamless blend between the two spaces. 

We’ll provide a more detailed breakdown as more information becomes available.

An initial take of Nava Grove

From the recent sales numbers, there seems to be increasing demand in the location where Nava Grove is launching. The neighbouring Pinetree Hill was the first condo launch in this area in close to 14 years; the surrounding projects (e.g., Pandan Valley and the Pine Grove HUDC estate) date back to the 70s or 80s, so there’s a massive age disparity between existing resale and new launch options here. 

We’d say this mitigates the competition issues between Nava Grove and Pinetree Hill. While they’re both viable alternatives to each other, they’re both the only new choices; and they have comfortable, mid-sized unit counts of around 500+ units, which doesn’t saturate the area with supply.

There is a worry of excessive competition in the future, if the former HUDC estate or Pandan Valley go en-bloc, or the huge residential sites across the road on the Master Plan. Those are massive plots that can accommodate large numbers of new homes. We don’t see that happening anytime soon, however, given that developers are quite cautious about such large plots (and because existing residents might balk at the cost of replacement properties today).

It’s also a good location for families who don’t like moving around: there are Primary and Secondary schools nearby, and then a Polytechnic and NUS in the surroundings too. This can accommodate a child throughout the entirety of their education, without having to relocate. 

That being said, families who are less outdoorsy – and who dislike having to use connecting buses – might find the green space more ulu than enjoyable. Urbanites will probably want to look for an option closer to Clementi Mall. Other than that, it will come down to a close comparison between layouts and facilities at Pinetree Hill.