I Visited An $11M Freehold Townhouse And A $10M Penthouse On Emerald Hill – Here’s Why They’re So Rare

The prime residential enclave on Emerald Hill is one of the most distinct freehold neighbourhoods off Orchard Road. No where else in Singapore boasts the same mix of conservation residential shophouses and luxury condominiums, next to the prime shopping belt.

The homes here are rarely put up for sale since most of the conservation houses can easily fetch more than $10 million, and owners command exceptionally strong holding power. Even the condos in this neighbourhood, such as The Laurels and Urban Suites, typically fetch over $2,600 – $2,800 psf.

Which is why the sale of a portfolio of 26 units at Residences at Emerald Hill, a luxury 33-unit condo at 119 Emerald Hill Road, caught my attention when the properties were put up for sale on April 16.

It is also the type of units listed for sale that warrants attention, especially the four 3-storey townhouses that each span 5,788 sq ft and are priced from $11 million ($1,900 psf), as well as two duplex penthouses of 3,744 sq ft and 5,767 sq ft which start from $10 million ($2,670 psf).

There are also six 4-bedroom plus study units of 2,196 – 2,282 sq ft that are going for more than $6 million ($2,732 psf), and 14 three-bedroom plus study units of 1,658 – 1,851 sq ft which are listed for over $4.7 million ($2,835 psf).

Some of the units, including the townhouses and penthouses, will be sold with existing tenancies, according to JLL, the sole marketing agent for the sale of this portfolio of units. Collectively, the entire portfolio is valued at $180 million.

Stacked was invited to view some of the units for sale, and we’ll take a closer look at one of the four townhouses for sale, a four-bedroom unit, and the penthouse.

Home on the hill

Residences at Emerald Hill is one of the few condos that sit at the top of the hill in this residential enclave, and this height gives most of the low-floor units a clear view over most of the conservation houses.

All four of the townhouses in the development front Emerald Hill Road, and the most of the units on the higher floors, including the penthouses, face towards the lush gardens of the Istana and the cityscape of Bugis and Beach Road in the distance.

Although this relatively small residential enclave is next to the bustling Orchard Road shopping belt, the neighbourhood is a pocket of colonial charm that is quiet and serene. Strict development controls put in place since 1989, when the area was designated as a conservation zone, means that the area’s low-rise profile and heritage roots are protected.

Ownership of these conservation homes are restricted to Singaporeans and are bought as ‘trophy’ homes by these locals who value owning a piece of Singapore’s architectural history.

It is still one of the most centrally located areas in the Central Region, and it is close to the Mount Elizabeth area where there are landmarks like Mt Elizabeth Hospital and Goodwood Park, as well as the prime Cairnhill Road residential neighbourhood.

There is heightened attention to this area given recent news. On April 22, the owners of High Point, a luxury condo at 30 Mt Elizabeth, launched the fifth collective sale of the District 9 condo. It is now on the market for $580 million or about $2,641 psf per plot ratio.

Meanwhile, the government has kickstarted the rejuvenation of Newton, which it plans to transform into a mixed-use urban ‘village’ that will add about 5,000 new homes. The first development site on Peck Hay Road was launched for sale on April 10.

Turning back to Residences at Emerald Hill, let’s check out one of the three-storey townhouses for sale.

Strata-Landed Terrace Houses aka Townhouses

Townhouses are increasingly rare among new private residential developments in Singapore, and less than a handful of new condos in recent years have included this type of housing. None of the nearby condos on Emerald Hill Road, or the adjacent Cairnhill Road, feature townhouses in their unit mix.

In Residences at Emerald Hill, there are four of these three-storey townhouses and each features a basement with a private car porch and a roof terrace. Each townhouse spans 5,791 sq ft.

These townhouses may be the best opportunity for permanent residents and foreign buyers to own a type of landed home in this exclusive enclave, where ownership of the conservation houses is limited to locals.

Moreover, the benefit of these townhouses is that residents can still enjoy the range of condo amenities such as the swimming pool, which can be directly accessed from the first floor of each unit. Other amenities in the condo include a jacuzzi, a gymnasium, barbecue pits, and a designated cigar room.

Each townhouse features a private lift that serves all floors from the basement to the roof terrace. The private basement car porch has space for two cars, a luxury the conservation houses don’t enjoy.

The basement is modest and largely for service areas such as a utility room for storage and a household shelter. There is a powder room which is a good addition for guests and residents, so that they don’t have to go back up to the upper floors to freshen up. And the inclusion of a bathroom next to the utility room, which can fit a single bed, could double as accommodation for a live-in helper.

You can view the unit layout on our website here.

The layout is very regular which benefits the five ensuite bedrooms on the second and third floors. But this also means that the living and dining area on the first floor is relatively compact, especially if we compare it to five-bedroom units in some new projects.

There are dedicated wet and dry kitchen areas and the dining room should be able to comfortably fit at least a six-seater table in the centre of the room. For the convenience of guests, there is also another powder room next to the dining area.

Meanwhile, the second floor comprises the junior master bedroom and two ensuite bedrooms. Overall, the bedrooms are quite spacious with the junior master bedroom enjoying a good amount of natural light during the day, since its view overlooking Emerald Hill Road is largely unobstructed.

Meanwhile, the third floor consists of the master bedroom, the fourth ensuite bedroom, and a study. The master bedroom is the most spacious bedroom with enough space to fit a lounge, in addition to the walk-in wardrobe and ensuite bathroom – which features his-and-her vanity and a bathtub.

The regular shape of the unit is apparent throughout the living areas and there are no long corridors, except for the walkways next to the stairs. The arrangement of the master bedroom next to the study and another bedroom means that it could easily be reconfigured into a very spacious suite with space for a private study and dressing room.

On the other hand, the roof terrace might need the most attention to bring out its best features. While it houses the private swimming pool, this also takes up much of the usable space leaving the pool deck feeling relatively compact, especially if loungers are added.

Four-Bedroom Apartment – Type C: 2,282 sq ft

When Residences at Emerald Hill was launched for sale in 2013, the take up rate was slow with only seven units sold to individual buyers. Most of the units were three-bedroom units of 1,657 sq ft, but three 4-bedroom units were also snapped up.

Back then, these four-bedders transacted for $4.95 million ($2,169 psf) for a unit on the seventh floor, $5.2 million ($2,27p psf) of a unit on the ninth floor, and $6.54 million ($2,868 psf) for a unit on the eighth floor, according to URA caveats.

Now, there are six of these four-bedders included in the portfolio of units, and they are going for more than $6 million ($2,732 psf) each, according to JLL.

Although this unit is not as regularly shaped as the three-bedroom units, it makes up for this with a clear separation between the private living areas and communal spaces. From the private lift, which opens out to a private lift lobby, the unit opens out to the living and dining area which extends out to a balcony.

The view from the balcony is towards Cavenagh Road and the Istana, and most of the high floor units will have a wider view towards Bugis and Beach Road. Meanwhile, the master bedroom will have city views towards Cairnhill.

The kitchen is well-configured and can be enclosed, and it leads to the service yard that connects to a utility room and a toilet. This arrangement accommodates a live-in helper. A service lift also opens out to the yard, which facilitates deliveries.

A corridor separates the living room from the private living areas and bedrooms. Each of the common bedrooms are ensuite, and the master bedroom has space to accommodate a walk-through wardrobe to the bathroom which features a his-and-her vanity and a bathtub. The master bedroom also includes a balcony.

Residences at Emerald Hill was completed in 2011 and back then there was a tendency among most developers to include bay windows, and we can see this feature across most of the bedrooms at this condo. Overall, these bay windows generally do not make the space feel smaller, but some residents may be hard-pressed to creatively utilise these spaces.

Duplex Five-Bedroom Penthouse – Type D: 5,737 sq ft

The penthouses are definitely the crown that top Residences at Emerald Hill. There are two – a smaller 3,746 sq ft five-bedroom duplex, as well as a 5,737 sq ft five-bedroom duplex. Here, we’re going to check out the largest unit.

The reason why the 5,737 sq ft unit is so much larger is because it is an amalgamation of two units, sitting above both stacks of three-bedrooms (Stack 1 and 2). Meanwhile, the 3,746 sq ft penthouse sits above the four-bedroom (Stack 3).

This also means that the larger penthouse has the benefit of two private entrances served by different lifts, with one opening out to the living and dining room while the other directly serves the family hall and four bedrooms on the lower floor.

To be frank, orienting yourself to the layout of this unit might take a bit of getting used to, and the space can feel a bit overwhelming when you first visit.

The living room and attached balcony offer the best views. The height and vantage point are very rare to come by in this part of Emerald Hill, even Orchard Road to some extent. It certainly is an ideal way to wow guests, and I don’t think the penthouse residents could get tired of the view.

Next to the living room is the dining area and a study, as well as a spiral staircase that leads up to the pool deck on the upper floor. There is also a so-called gourmet dry kitchen that connects to an enclosed wet kitchen, and then a thin service yard that ends in a helper’s room.

I have some thoughts about the configuration of the living, dining, and kitchens. It’s not a common layout, and the arrangement gives the impression that each of these spaces are distinct rather than seamlessly flowing through, and into, each other.

Then there is the rather long and angled corridor connecting the private living areas, which gives the impression that the unit is divided into two wings. This can be desirable for some owners who value the privacy of their living areas like the bedrooms, while welcoming guests if they host frequently.

This separation is even more beneficial if you consider that most guests would be flowing from the living and dining room on the lower floor to the pool and pool deck on the upper floor, which can be accessed through the spiral staircase.

There is another set of stairs from the bedrooms that also leads to the upper floor, to a family hall and the master bedroom suite.

My thoughts on Residences at Emerald Hill

As I shared at the start of this article, luxury homes in Emerald Hill are rarely put up for sale and it is challenging to get a glimpse into the luxury apartments – especially townhouses and penthouses – that line this prime residential enclave.

Moreover, it is nearly unheard of that a portfolio of 26 units get listed for sale in one development. Some sources I’ve spoken to have shared that the prospect of acquiring all of these units, as well as the remaining seven belonging to individual owners, has piqued the interest of some serviced apartment and co-living operators.

But we will most likely see the units in this portfolio sold to different individual owners. The average asking price is just too appealing for most well-informed high net-worth buyers to ignore.

With most of the units going for less than $3,000 psf, it’s a compelling purchase considering that some new 99-year leasehold projects are changing hands at around the same or higher levels. For others, the fact that some of the units have been leased to long-term tenants will be a chance to add high yielding assets that are located in a prime neighbourhood.

In addition, the condo’s freehold tenure will give it an added boost for those buyers who value the long-term capital growth that such properties tend to record, especially ones in the prime district.

“We have observed an increasing popularity with home buyers in recent years of units which are sizable and well designed,” says Nicholas Ng, senior director of Capital Markets at JLL Singapore.

He rightly points out that there are no comparable projects in this vicinity with this many available units on sale right now, and the range of units in this portfolio appeal to discerning homeowners and investors.

The collective sale launch of High Point, and the government’s ongoing efforts to reposition Newton, will increasingly turn the spotlight on this corner of Orchard Road in the coming months. The collective sale launch also highlights the scarcity of new ultra-luxury developments in Cairnhill and Mount Elizabeth, but demand for luxury homes is mounting.

The sale of these 26 units at Residences at Emerald Hill also brings to mind the sale of several units at The Draycott. You can read more about that project, and the units for sale, here.