If you fancy living in a conservation building, but can’t afford the likes of a colonial black-and-white or shophouse apartment, here’s something that may be slightly more palatable: Mountbatten Lodge, a freehold heritage bungalow that houses 28 smaller flats.
Before we hop into the present, let’s step back in time to look at the storied past of this historic property.
Plantations-turned-Millionaires’ Row
Before the turn of the 20th century, the east coast of Singapore belonged to European settlers such as Thomas Dunman, the first Superintendent and Commander of the Police Force in Singapore. He cultivated hectares of plantations in an area known as Grove Estate, which then passed on to his son William.
Mandalay Villa, built in 1902, was one of the most iconic bungalows in the Mountbatten neighbourhood.
Image credit: Lee Kip Lin & National Library Board
The influx of more wealthy Europeans led to the redevelopment of Grove Estate as an exclusive enclave of beach bungalows in the early 1900s, away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Known as Millionaires’ Row, these massive homes housed some of Singapore’s most prominent families, with the area being renamed after Lord Louis Mountbatten━the Supreme Allied Commander of Southeast Asia during WW2.
Earmarked for conservation in 1993
Flash forward to the late 1900s, and the bungalows of the Mountbatten ‘hood reflected a range of architectural trends through the years: from colonial-era Victorian-style architecture, to more modern Art Deco homes.
Lot 2, House 735, was named a Conservation Building.
Image credit: Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA)
It was at this point, in July 1993, that the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) decided to designate the area as the Mountbatten Road Bungalow Conservation Area, with 15 conservation bungalows that could be bought for 3 options: a family home, hotel or strata-titled residential units.
Redeveloped into 28 freehold apartment units
735 Mountbatten Road, pictured in 1993.
Image credit: Lee Kip Lin & National Library Board
Unlike its other legacy peers, 735 Mountbatten Road, or Mountbatten Lodge as it’s known today, doesn’t have a particularly striking story to tell. What we do know is that it sits on 19,000sqft of land, and was transformed into Mountbatten Lodge by the year 1998, housing 28 freehold apartment units in what looks to be 1- and 2-bedroom configurations, ranging in size between 334sqft to 657sqft.
According to Property Guru, the plot transacted for $7.8m in 1996. For reference, a similarly sized piece of land housing another conservation bungalow at 759 Mountbatten Road was launched for sale for $27m in 2022, while a larger, 32,000sqft plot was listed for $54.5m last year. That’s a jump from approximately $1,300psf to $1,700psf in just the last 2 years.
Mountbatten Lodge today.
Image credit: Terence Tee
Of course, that’s some really big numbers that most of us cannot afford. So let’s consider instead the apartments within Mountbatten Lodge. While none of the flats are on sale at this moment, there are 3 1-bedder units up for rental, priced between $2,450 to $2,500 per month.
Rental price trends for 1-bedroom apartments over the last 1.5 years.
Image credit: PropertyGuru
These latest asking prices for rental units are higher than what they were in H2 2024, though it seems like it goes up and down. This could be due in part to the flats being rented out in different states of furnishing; some units could potentially have been renovated more recently than others.
Last transacted 1-bedroom units at Mountbatten Lodge over the past 10 years.
Image adapted from: PropertyGuru
On the other hand, indicative prices of purchase over the years have shown a steady appreciation in the value of these apartments over the years, thanks to its freehold lease. So if you do get your hands on one of these units, you can be sure that they’ll keep growing in value.
Prestigious District 15 location with lots of amenities
Just 830m away from Mountbatten Lodge is Dakota MRT Station, which makes the District 15 property even more convenient today than it was back in the day when the area was known as Millionaire’s Row.
Image credit: Singapore Sports Hub
Besides the flex of being located just a short stroll away from the MRT station, it’s just a stone’s throw away from the popular Old Airport Road Food Centre, as well as the lesser known Jalan Batu Hawker Centre. Then, there’s Kallang Leisure Park and the Singapore Sports Hub, which is just a 4-minute drive away. Parkway Parade is even nearer, at a 3-minute car journey.
With the units at Mountbatten Lodge being on the small side, they would be more suited to couples and small families, who would be happy to know of educational institutions such as Dunman High School, Chung Cheng High School and Odyssey The Global Preschool just nearby.
A balance of past and present
Image adapted from: Threehaus Works
For an idea of the potential behind one of these 28 flats, interior design firm Threehaus Works transformed a 2-storey, 657sqft apartment, with its high ceilings, skylight, and long, narrow layout into a mid-century modern cabin.
Image adapted from: Threehaus Works
Bear in mind that you’d have to work within the limitations of the conservation building, but this project proves that with some creativity, the space can be magicked into a modern retreat with touches of the past.
Live in historic Mountbatten Lodge from $2.4k/month
The narrow layouts and scant floor area may not be for everyone; living in a refurbished old building that dates back to the early 20th century even less so, if you’re one to be spooked by ghosts of times past. But if you’d like to live on Singapore’s very own Millionaire’s Row of the early 1900s, keep an eye out for listings at Mountbatten Lodge.
For more interesting reads:
- Woodlands HDB flat with a bird enclosure
- Real-life Crayon Shinchan home in China
- Overkill Ryan Tan’s $150k condo reno with ryokan bathroom
Cover image adapted from: Terence Tee, Threehaus Works
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