We Waited 5 Years For Our BTO At Dakota Breeze: Our Review Of What It’s Like To Live There

Everyone wants a BTO, but you aren’t guaranteed one due to the luck of the draw of the balloting system. Plus, there’s always the wait time of the construction as well, which was made worse by the pandemic. 

Mrs. Leong and her husband first applied for their HDB BTO in May 2017. But like many couples, they had to wait nearly 5 years (until April 2022) to be able to collect the keys for their unit in Dakota Breeze. This was delayed from the original estimated completion date of June 2021. They were thankful though, as although they applied under the Married Child Priority Scheme, their queue number was outside the range of the number of available 4-room flats.

The renovation for their new place was actually completed in just two months, but it wasn't until September 2022 that they decided to move in. In fact, she even had some of the reno works documented on her TikTok account, @worththeleongwait.

"The barricades around the playgrounds and other common areas were recently removed in October 2022," Mrs. Leong said, "which has made walking to the MRT much easier."

Choosing to BTO a unit at Dakota Breeze was a no-brainer for them because of two very significant factors.

One is that her parents live within a 10-minute walking distance from Dakota Breeze. The other factor is that her in-laws are just a 10-minute straight bus ride away.

What Made Dakota Breeze A Win-Win Choice

Back in 2017, Mrs. Leong and her husband considered another HDB flat in Jalan Tiga.

It was going for about $670K back then, but she said they didn't like the layout, which was very important to them. Her husband also prefers waiting for a new BTO with a fresh 99-year lease.

Besides a BTO being able to fetch a higher price in the market after MOP, a BTO unit may also help cut down on renovation costs. Being a brand-new blank canvas, you don't have to worry about piping or re-wiring. 

There were a number of factors that made Dakota Breeze a BTO worth the 5-year wait for the couple. Aside from its proximity to both their parents and in-laws, there's also the underground MRT.

Location and Amenities

"Located just downstairs of Dakota Breeze, Dakota MRT is just around a 2 to 5 minutes slow walk from any of the five blocks in the development." Plus, more importantly, Mrs. Leong said they especially love that it's an underground MRT as an overground MRT would have the sounds of passing trains every few minutes.

There are also six shopping malls nearby. Dakota MRT is just one stop away from Paya Lebar, which has four shopping malls, namely PLQ Mall, SingPost Mall, Paya Lebar Square, and KINEX Mall. It's also just two stops away from Stadium MRT, which has two more shopping malls – Kallang Wave Mall and Leisure Park Kallang.

"Taking the train from Dakota to the CBD area is just 6 MRT stops, which is equivalent to a 12 minutes train ride," she elaborated. "From leaving our front door to tapping into our office lobby, the total commute time is about 20 to 25 minutes... and we absolutely love this!"

Facilities

When it comes to facilities, Dakota Breeze has three playgrounds, two rooftop gardens, and three fitness areas. There's a childcare preschool at Blk 92 and 91B, and it also has direct access to the park connector. On the first story of the multi-story car park, there's a supermarket, eating house, and other retail shops that will be completed in 2023.

Additionally, the rebuilding of Mountbatten Community Centre – just next door within the HDB BTO Dakota One – will be completed a few years from now.

As for the food options, there are lots of them nearby. Dakota Breeze is just a 2 to 5-minute walk away from the famous Old Airport Road Food Centre, NTUC Fairprice at Jalan Tiga, and plenty of other restaurants along Guillemard Road.

Layout

Like many other homeowners, the layout of the unit was extremely important to them. Compared to the common location of the household shelter, being in the living room, theirs is in the kitchen. It's a rare layout indeed, as there are only five stacks in Dakota Breeze, which has this type of floor plan – 1 in each block.

Additionally, what they got is a corner unit, so it's the farthest away from the rubbish chute. She also added that it's a standalone stack, so there is no shared living room wall with a neighbour.

Mrs. Leong said they plan on living at Dakota Breeze for as long as possible due to the convenience, such as the proximity to both their parents and in-laws, both their work offices, their daughter's current and future schools, supermarkets, shopping malls, and food centres.

"We are incredibly grateful and blessed to have this home, with a BTO price that is definitely more affordable than private housing. And with a home loan that was secured in Jan/Feb 2022 when fixed rate packages were 1.35-1.38% for 2-3 years!"

The Disadvantage Of Being The First To Move In

The couple's major gripe stems from the fact that they are one of the first few to move in.

"The renovation noise on weekdays and Saturdays can be quite loud. Thankfully, we're working in the office on weekdays and we usually head out on weekends to avoid the renovation noise."

We also asked Mrs. Leong what she believed could be improved about the HDB.

Her reply wasn't so much about what could be improved but more about the completion of the ongoing improvement.

"The multi-storey car park level 1's supermarket, eating house, retail shops, and Blk 92 and Blk 91B's child care are currently being renovated. Once they're open in 2023, we expect to have an even better experience here at Dakota Breeze."

What Potential Buyers Should Know About Dakota Breeze

Dakota Breeze also has great potential to increase its value even more because of the redevelopment of Geylang.

"Once the Paya Lebar Airbase moves out in the next few years, there will be a significant redevelopment of the Geylang area over time," she said.

URA has confirmed and announced its plan to redevelop the Geylang area after the Paya Lebar airbase moves out, which could happen a few years from now. And they're all looking forward to it.