When you think about the quintessential Singaporean heartland town, what may come to mind is the older yet vibrant town of Ang Mo Kio. Yes, it may not have the hustle of a youthful Punggol, or the prestige of Queenstown, but that really doesn’t matter. Ang Mo Kio quietly soldiers on as one of the pioneer towns that channels the Singapore spirit.
If you’re currently in the market for a condominium for your next home, you might already know that one of the newest kids on the block in the condo market is AMO Residence, a private development jointly developed by UOL, Singapore Land Group, and Kheng Leong Company.
What’s particularly exciting is that AMO Residence is the first condo launch in Ang Mo Kio since the last one in 2014, and true enough, it’s proven to be quite popular amongst homebuyers. While balloting for units has already closed, there might still be a chance for you to get a unit if you’re lucky.
We take a dive to what makes the condo a great choice for homebuyers, plus we speak to PropNex agent Samuel Sim on his take on the hits and misses of AMO Residence.
Location
Image adapted from: Google Maps
Right off the bat, we must say that the condo is situated in a very decent location. While its official address is listed at Ang Mo Kio Rise, it’s really located along the major road of Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1, as seen in the map above.
For starters, its location allows you to easily travel to other parts of Ang Mo Kio, or even venture further out to places like Bishan and Serangoon, which are but a short 10 to 15-minute bus ride or drive away.
It’s also conveniently located right at the junction between Ave 1 and Upper Thomson Road, which means that you can easily pop over to places like Thomson and Marymount, or head up to the town of stranger things – Yishun.
Image credit: The Smart Local
Admittedly, the main Ang Mo Kio MRT station is a bit of a hassle to travel to because it is quite a distance away. However, AMO Residence is quite close to the nearby Mayflower MRT station, which is part of the new Thomson-East Coast Line and only about a 10-minute walk away.
Other than that, the proximity to nature spaces like Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Part and Lower Peirce Reservoir means that it’s quite easy to pop by these places to enjoy a nice stroll or hike.
Image adapted from: Google Maps
Another key draw of AMO Residence is that it’s quite close to a couple of reputable schools. According to Samuel, it has been proven that, at least for families, one of the key decision factors in purchasing a new home is the availability of good schools in the vicinity.
In this case, AMO Residence is the only condo within a 1km radius of schools like Ai Tong Primary School and CHIJ St Nicholas Girls’ School. Samuel believes that this is one of the top selling points that AMO Residence has to offer.
AMO Residence floor plans and facilities
Units
Image credit: AMO Residence
According to the condo’s official brochure, there are a total of 372 units, ranging from the smallest 2-bedroom units to the large penthouses, though the latter only has a grand total of 3 units on offer.
Image adapted from: AMO Residence E-Brochure
For the 4-bedroom unit – which is actually equivalent to a 5-room BTO – it has a pretty generous floor space of about 120sqm or 1,291sqft. This is slightly larger than the typical 5-room BTO flat, and according to the floor plan, even comes with a private lift and lift foyer. You don’t see too many of those around!
Image credit: ShowFlat.info
Another strong selling point of AMO Residence is that it’s offering 5-bedroom apartments, which are rather uncommon, and an exclusive offering of private condos. There are 22 of such units for sale, and they come at a very generous 137sqm (1,475sqft) which is pretty comparable to some jumbo flats or maisonettes out there.
If you’re looking for a unit with the best views, Samuel recommends North-facing units along stacks 3-6 and 11-14. These units generally look out to the landed property along Upper Thomson and the greenery of Lower Peirce Reservoir, and so offer better views compared to the rest which face neighbouring HDB blocks.
Site layout and amenities
Image adapted from: AMO Residence E-Brochure
Looking at the condo’s site layout, what immediately strikes you is the amount of greenery around the estate, and the integration of 5 pools located mostly on the South-side of the condo. There are of course your usual condo amenities like a gym, tennis court, function rooms and BBQ pits; with a few additional interesting add-ons like a waterfall feature, aquatherapy pool and a ‘Pet’s Scape’.
Image credit: AMO Residence E-Brochure
Prices
Image credit: AMO Residence
While official prices have yet to be released at the time of writing, there have been a few hints dropped by UOL. According to reports, prices for the units will start from $1,890psf, meaning that a 2-bedroom unit will start from upwards of $1.26M, a 3-bedroom unit from $1.81M, a 4-bedroom unit from $2.48M, and a 5-bedroom unit a hefty $2.85M.
Granted these are considerably high prices, but remember that you’re paying for a private condo located in a very decent, central location. It’s also the first condo launch in Ang Mo Kio since 2014, and so there’s bound to be a strong pent-up demand.
Popularity
AMO Residence is shaping up to be a very popular option, and possibly even to the point of being oversubscribed, shares Samuel. Over the 9th-11th July long weekend, there were over 7,500 people who came down to view the showflat, and even after that Samuel has been seeing large numbers of interested buyers making appointments to view the showflat.
A 3D walkthrough of the AMO Residence showflat.
Image adapted from: AMO Residence
Apart from just buying for residential purposes, buyers would also naturally be thinking about resale value, should they choose to sell it in the future. Given that the condo is located in the popular mature estate of Ang Mo Kio, and for the other location highlights we’ve talked about earlier, Samuel says that there will undoubtedly be a healthy demand in the market for units.
In particular, future resale demand will be buoyed by 3 main groups of people: those looking to upgrade from a HDB to a condo, young couples/families who want to stay close to their elderly parents in Ang Mo Kio, or landed property owners living nearby who want to downsize to a condo for retirement.
Seeing how popular AMO Residence is, one can reasonably expect a good amount of appreciation in value over the next few years, which will mean a decent profit for those who are lucky enough to get a unit at launch.
Overall review of AMO Residence
Image credit: AMO Residence
To conclude, AMO Residence is poised to be one of the most popular properties launching in 2022. Apart from its fantastic connectivity and abundance of amenities and proximity to nature, the overall facade of the estate is shaping up to be a very lush and relaxing space for residents to enjoy. So if all of that has got you interested in a unit at AMO Residence, what would be your next steps?
Unfortunately, the pre-sales ballot has since closed on 19th July, and so you won’t be able to put in a bid for a unit. But all is not lost!
The next milestone for AMO Residence would be Booking Day, which is scheduled for 23rd July. Other than balloting, this is also the day when the official prices will be released. As such, there is a good chance that people may drop out or choose not to pursue their purchase, either because they’ve had a change of heart or realise that they cannot afford the financing for a unit.
Assuming there are flats still available after the 23rd, then interested buyers can then head to the showflat to purchase a unit.
Given that the condo is expected to be completed at the tailend of 2026, there is also a chance that people may drop out from now until then, due to a range of factors like couples breaking up, or unexpected circumstances cropping up. This would then give late buyers the opportunity to snap up these ‘bounced’ units.
If you’re more or less set to try and get a unit at AMO Residence, here’s wishing you all the best and hopefully you’ll be able to get a unit of your choice.
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Cover image credit: AMO Residence, ShowFlat.info
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