5-room HDB flats are some of the most sought-after options when it comes to public housing in Singapore. The ample space in each unit means that couples and families can cosy under one roof without feeling too cramped. However, most people associate 5-room flats with high resale prices, and they’re not necessarily wrong about their assumptions.
Thankfully, there are many HDB towns that won’t have you breaking the bank if you’re in the market for a 5-room HDB flat. What’s more is that these estates all have freshly-MOPed BTO developments, so the lease on the units are more than 94 years old*.
Here are 10 HDB towns you should narrow your real estate search in if you and your family are in the market for a 5-room resale flat at an affordable price.
*All prices derived from Data.gov.sg as of December 2022..
1. Bukit Panjang – Fajar Hills
Up first on our list is the Fajar Hills development at Bukit Panjang. Located along Fajar Road in District 23, the estate was built in 2016, which means it’s still relatively new, all things considered.
A sample floor plan of a 5-room flat here.
Image credit: 99.co
The 5-room units here are around 1,216sqft and have a standard layout where entry into the bedrooms is located along a corridor in the middle of the unit.
Based on actual resale transactions here from 2021 to the present, 5-room units at Fajar Hills were sold for anywhere from $525K-$646K, or around $431-$531psf. For reference, these units were priced from $306K by HDB during its launch in 2012.
Image credit: Google Maps
Fajar Hills is shaped like a lower-case “b”, and has plenty of amenities from schools to supermarkets within its immediate vicinity. There is a multi-storey carpark located in the middle of it so parking won’t be an issue. For those who prefer public transport, Bangkit LRT station is also a hop-and-skip away from the estate.
2. Choa Chu Kang – Keat Hong Crest & Pride
Next on the list of affordable HDB towns with 5-room flats is Choa Chu Kang, particularly the Keat Hong Crest & Keat Hong Pride developments. They’re located right opposite each other with only Keat Hong Close separating them. The unit is also 1,216sqft in size, which is around the average for BTO developments.
Keat Hong Crest came first as it was built in 2016 with around 208 5-room units made available.
Image credit: SRX
The layout of a 5-room flat at Keat Hong Crest looks like your typical floor plan at first glance, but the central positioning of the living & dining space means that a bedroom flanks both sides of the walls. This might be a very minor inconvenience for whoever is staying in that lonely bedroom, especially if karaoke or movie nights are a common event in your household.
Keat Hong Pride was a recipient of the HDB Design Award.
Image credit: HDB
The other HDB project with affordable 5-room flats is Keat Hong Pride. Built in 2017, most units would’ve reached MOP in 2022.
Image credit: BTO HQ
The layout of the 5-room units at Keat Hong Pride are more standard. One thing we like about it is that the bomb shelter is located by the kitchen, freeing up more space in the main living areas for the dining room and a potential home office.
5-room units at both developments were sold starting from $528K-$722K over the last 2 years, with many of the units selling below $700K. A good indication of how much you should pay would be somewhere between $434-$598psf.
3. Hougang – Hougang ParkEdge
Image credit: Google Maps
One estate that’s a bit closer to Central Singapore with affordable 5-room HDB flats is Hougang. The estate’s BTO development, Hougang ParkEdge, was built in 2016, meaning it hit its MOP not too long ago.
Image credit: BTO HQ
The 5-room units here are also the standard 1,216sqft with a pretty typical layout. However, it’s important to note that the space allocated for the “suggested study” in the sample floor plan shows that it’s a pretty tiny space; it’s just a little over half the size of the standard bedroom. For those with huge families wanting to board that up with walls, it’s good to reconsider the options with an interior designer to help maximise the usable area.
Prices for Hougang ParkEdge 5-room flats range anywhere from $570K-$770K based on sales in the past 2 years, so you should expect to pay around $468-$633psf. Yes, it’s slightly pricier than Bukit Panjang or Choa Chu Kang. But if you’re not fussed about the views from your window, a low-floor unit would cost less, letting you budget more for your renovation.
One downside to this development is that there are no major MRT stations located nearby; Hougang MRT is a brisk 20-minute walk away, and there is no direct bus to the train station. On the plus side, Punggol Park is situated right next to the estate, making it easy for you to have some post-work leisure time.
4. Jurong West – Boon Lay View
Over to the other side of Singapore at the booming town of Jurong West, the BTO development Boon Lay View is one of the more affordable options for 5-room HDB flats with a lease of over 95 years. It was launched as part of the November 2013 BTO exercise and completed in 2017.
Each of the 5-room units stands at a slightly-larger 1,227sqft – inclusive of the air-con ledge – which might make it seem roomier compared to the other BTO projects that were launched around the same time. There are also some units with the bomb shelter located by the front door, while others have it located inside the kitchen.
The floor plan on the left has the bomb shelter by the front door and an open-kitchen concept, while the right floor plan has the bomb shelter located within the closed-off kitchen.
Image credit: BTO HQ
5-room units at Boon Lay View have been sold from $584K for a low-floor unit to $735K for one of the top-floor units. A good estimation of 5-room flats here is around $475-$599psf. Majority of the units have been sold within the $600K range rather than the $500K or $700K extremities.
Image credit: Robin Chan/PropertyGuru
One caveat about living in Boon Lay View is the accessibility to public transportation. Its namesake MRT, Boon Lay MRT Station on the East-West line, is an 18-minute bus ride away. While sure, there is a direct bus to the train station, it’s still a bit of a hassle that adds commuting time to your journey.
Thankfully, there are plenty of amenities nearby to make up for that fact. Boon Lay Shopping Centre is just a 7-minute walk away, while Boon Lay Place Market & Food Village is right next to the mall.
5. Punggol – The Verandah @ Matilda, Waterway Sundew, Punggol Edge
Punggol is well-known for the constant development going on in its domain, and you can be sure that there will be a constant stream of newly-built BTOs that MOP year-on-year. 3 recently MOPed BTO projects that caught our eye are The Verandah @ Matilda, Waterway Sundew, and Punggol Edge.
A 5-room apartment at The Verandah @ Matilda designed by The Minimalist Society.
Image credit: The Minimalist Society
The Verandah @ Matilda is located along Sumang Lane and Punggol Field, with Soo Teck LRT Station being a 10-minute walk away. With only 5- and 4-room units available here, it’s indicative that HDB intends for this to be a community of growing families.
Image credit: HDB
Prices for 5-room flats at The Verandah @ Matilda skew towards the steeper end of things, with the lowest transacted sale at $630K, while the highest transacted sale here was for $750K for the 1,227sqft apartments. Still, it’s a steal compared to the many other apartments with asking prices of over $1 million dollars.
Over by the Punggol Waterway is the Waterway Sundew development. With waterfront living options, this puts the price range of 5-room flats here from $575K-$730K, which is a lot more reasonable compared to the Verandah @ Matilda. The neighbouring development Waterway View also has 5-room units at higher prices – think $682K-$850K, which makes Waterway Sundew that much more attractive for its price point.
Image credit: HDB
The 5-room units at Waterway Sundew are 1,205sqft, a smidge smaller than the ones over at The Verandah @ Matilda. In the middle of the pack are the apartments at Punggol Edge. Launched around the same time as Waterway Sundew, the 5-room units at the opposite end of the Edgedale Plains road come in at around the standard 1,216sqft method.
What got our attention were the 5-room flats sold here over 2021 and 2022: 25 units were sold from $495K-$655K, making them some of the most affordable 5-room units in Singapore.
6. Sembawang – EastWave @ Canberra & EastBank @ Canberra
Nearby in Sembawang, 2 similarly-named BTO developments – EastWave @ Canberra and EastBank @ Canberra – have hit their MOP this year, making way for a new batch of homeowners exploring the resale market. Both developments are situated right next to each other, with only Canberra Street separating them.
Image credit: Streetdirectory.com
A plus point is that EastWave is just 5 minutes away from Canberra MRT, and its accessibility is one of the biggest selling points. Which makes it all the more surprising that resale transactions of 5-room units in these developments have stayed within a reasonable price range of $600K-$725K. There are also 335 5-room units in this development – out of 714 in total – which increases the odds of you finding a suitable unit here.
EastBank on the opposite side, while being a smaller development at a total of 372 units, shouldn’t be discounted either. The community comprises mainly 4- and 5-room units across 4 blocks, with 179 units dedicated to 5-room layouts. Resale transactions here have been slightly higher than that at EastWave, with 5-room flats sold from $630K-$728K.
It also helps that the area is also relatively developed already, so you won’t have to worry about construction occurring opposite your home if you’ve just moved in. Canberra Plaza and Sembawang Central with its huge Sheng Siong supermarket is also within walking distance of both developments, so there’s no real need to leave the immediate vicinity for daily necessities.
7. Sengkang – Fernvale Lea, Fernvale Rivergrove & Rivervale Delta
Just like Punggol, Sengkang is another BTO-heavy neighbourhood with plenty of developments finally reaching their resale potential during this period. Three developments we’d recommend for those seeking an affordable 5-room flat are Fernvale Lea, Fernvale Rivergrove, and Rivervale Delta.
A 5-room flat’s living room at Fernvale Lea.
Image credit: @nowhomes.yunalim
Fernvale Lea and Fernvale Rivergrove are situated opposite each other with Fernvale Link separating the two BTO projects. The former has a total of 350 5-room units while the latter only has 252 5-room units. Both types stand at around 1,216sqft per unit.
A standard 5-room floor plan at Fernvale Lea.
Image credit: DirectHome
The 5-room unit sales at Fernvale Lea have ranged from $513K-$643K since it MOPed in 2021. Hot tip: When searching for units here on property listing sites, make sure to include both Fernvale Link and Sengkang West Way, as blocks 469A, 469B, and 469C are demarcated under a different street compared to the rest.
A typical 5-room floor plan at Fernvale Rivergrove.
Image credit: Freb
Next door, the 5-room units at Fernvale Rivergrove have sold for prices from $530K-$625K, with the majority of the sales happening in 2021.
Both developments are located right by Kupang LRT Station, although Fernvale Rivergrove is situated closer to the train station. There are also plenty of schools within the vicinity, and The Selatar Mall is just a 9-minute walk away from the housing district.
8. Tampines – Tampines GreenLace
Tampines is one of the mature towns that Eastsiders often swear by, and for good reason too. While most of the housing in this estate has been around for some time, there is one BTO that launched in 2012 and recently hit the MOP: Tampines GreenLace.
Located along Tampines Street 86, this BTO is one of the only developments in the neighbourhood that has MOPed within the last year, so all the leases at this address have at least 94 years or more left. Past sales of 5-room units here range from $628K-$760K, with most of them being below the $700K mark. It’s a little on the pricier side, but living here would come with all the perks of living in a mature estate.
Image credit: 99.co
Tampines GreenLace boasts 165 5-room units out of 380 total units, and based on available public records, 25 of the units have already been sold on the resale market.
While it is near the Ayer-Rajah Expressway, the estate is a distance away from Tampines MRT; it would take about 10 minutes by bus, and a 15-minute stroll if you’re a breeze walker.
9. Woodlands – Admiralty Flora, Woodlands Pasture, TreeTrail @ Woodlands
One popular non-mature estate that Singaporeans flock to is Woodlands, and there are three BTO developments you should keep in mind if you’re looking to buy a 5-room resale flat: Admiralty Flora, Woodlands Pasture, and TreeTrail @ Woodlands.
The first, Admiralty Flora, is a 4-block development comprising 4- and 5-room units only. It is located along Woodlands Drive 73 and all things considered, a brisk 10-minute walk to Admiralty MRT station. The Greenwood Sanctuary park is also right by its doorstep, which is great for those who don’t want to be surrounded by a concrete jungle.
The site plan at Admiralty Flora
Image credit: HDB
Each of Admiralty Flora’s 5-room units measures around 1,216sqft, a typical size for today’s BTO projects. And since it MOPed this year, over 20 units have been sold on the resale market from $598K-$728K. This works out to be around $491-$598psf.
Nearby is the dual-development, Woodlands Pasture I and II. Of the 1,018 units combined, around 35% – or 353 – are 5-room flats that are about 12 minutes away by foot from Admiralty MRT station. Woodlands MRT, on the other hand, is further as it requires a 16-minute bus ride if you don’t want to be drenched in sweat by the time you walk there.
The location of Woodlands Pasture I and II.
Image credit: HDB
28 5-room units have already been sold at Woodlands Pasture ranging from $485-$565psf. This puts the highest transacted sale at $688K, which is still below the ideal price of a 5-room resale of $700K.
Last, we turn our eyes to TreeTrail @ Woodlands. The 6-block development is also another site which comprises only 4- and 5-room flats, and its close proximity to Woodlands MRT Station makes living here all that more attractive compared to the other two developments. There’s also the park connector on its borders so active residents can clock their steps easily.
An example of the floor plan of a 5-room unit at TreeTrail @ Woodlands.
Image credit: HDB
A 5-room flat at TreeTrail @ Woodlands can range from $415-$569psf, with higher-floor units commanding higher prices as is the norm. Based on 50 transactions that have occurred since flats MOPed in 2021, you can expect to pay around $505K-$692K for a 5-room unit here.
10. Yishun – Angsana Breeze, Acacia Breeze, Oleander Breeze
Just because Yishun made headlines earlier this year for joining the $1M HDB resale club, doesn’t mean that the northside neighbourhood isn’t affordable. Three BTO projects that MOPed in 2021 – Angsana Breeze, Acacia Breeze, and Oleander Breeze – all have 5-room flats that range from $410/sqft all the way up to $625/sqft.
Image credit: Street Directory
One of the “newest” BTO projects in Yishun is Angsana Breeze. Located along Yishun Avenue 4, this development MOPed in 2022 and already has had plenty of resale transactions ranging from $452-$625psf for a 1,216sqft 5-room flat. That works out to a range of $550K-$760K if you have your sights set on a unit at Angsana Breeze.
Right next to Angsana Breeze is the Oleander Breeze estate which has seen more affordable resale transactions. Since 2021, over 30 transactions have been made at Oleander Breeze from $548K-$670K, or around $450-$550psf for a 1,216sqft 5-room flat.
With both developments bordering each other, they share similar location-based benefits. Khatib MRT station would require either a 5-minute bus ride or a 15-minute walk, although Oleander Breeze residents would have to factor in a bit more travel time. The nearest shopping mall, Wisteria Mall, is also just 5 minutes away on foot.
A 5-room flat’s living room at Acacia Breeze.
Image credit: Eugene Goh
A little further away is Acacia Breeze. Launched as part of the November 2011 BTO exercise, the 5-room flats here range from 1,205-1,216sqft and have been sold for $495K-$628K since it MOPed in 2021.
The affordability of units at Acacia Breeze might stem from the distance away from the nearest MRT station, a marker of how attractive a location is to most Singaporeans. Unfortunately, the only direct bus to Khatib MRT is a 10-minute walk away, even though the bus journey is only one stop. On the other hand, Wisteria Mall is also a breezy 5-minute jaunt away.
Affordable 5-room HDB resale flats in Singapore & where to find them
It’s no secret that the bar of “affordable” housing in Singapore has risen year by year, and the irony isn’t lost on us that a $600K flat is classified as an affordable flat. Nonetheless, it’s important to consider all the factors of these HDB towns and the BTO projects listed above. They are all 5-room flats with leases of 94 years and above.
What’s more, with the cooling measures now firmly in place, listing prices might not be as heart-stopping as it was earlier in the year when a new flat is sold for over $1M.
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Cover image credit: HDB, @nowhomes.yunalim, HDB
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