Fresh news has just dropped about the latest October 2024 HDB BTO sales exercise, which will be the biggest BTO launch in recent years━featuring the largest number of new flat offerings, as well as the widest variety of estates to date. It will also see the debut of the new flat classification system, categorising BTOs into Standard, Plus, and Prime depending on their location.
Just yesterday, the HDB announced further details regarding the upcoming BTO exercise, ahead of its official launch next week. The most important information that we assume most prospective homebuyers were keenly waiting for pertains to the new flat classification itself, and confirmation on which estates will be classified as Standard, Plus or Prime.
Only one estate classified under Prime
In our earlier October 2024 BTO exercise guide, we predicted how the estates would be classified, and here’s how we performed:
| Estate | What we predicted | Actual classification |
| Ang Mo Kio (Central Trio) | Plus | Plus ✅ |
| Bedok (Bayshore Vista and Bayshore Palms) | Prime | Plus ❌ |
| Bedok (Kembagan Wave) | Plus | Plus ✅ |
| Bukit Batok (West Brickville) | Standard | Standard ✅ |
| Geylang (Merpati Alcove) | Plus | Plus ✅ |
| Jurong West (Taman Jurong Skyline) | Standard | Standard ✅ |
| Kallang/Whampoa (Crawford Heights) | Prime | Prime ✅ |
| Kallang/Whampoa (Kallang View) | Plus | Plus ✅ |
| Kallang/Whampoa (Towner Breeze) | Plus | Plus ✅ |
| Pasir Ris (Costa Riviera I and II) | Plus | Standard ❌ |
| Sengkang (Fernvale Oasis and Fernvale Sails) | Standard | Standard ✅ |
| Woodlands (Marsiling Ridge) | Standard | Standard ✅ |
Overall, most of our predictions were spot on save for Bedok (Bayshore) and Pasir Ris, where we had overestimated their perceived value and classified them higher than their eventual classifications.
As most of us will know by now, Prime estates are designated as such because they are deemed to be in the choicest and most central locations, and while they come with the most subsidies, they’re also slapped with the most restrictions. For instance, apart from having a 10-year Minimum Occupancy Period (MOP) and subsidy recovery upon sale, owners will also not be able to rent out the entire flat, and full BTO eligibility conditions are applicable on resale, such as the income ceiling for couples or singles.
To much surprise, this upcoming BTO exercise will only feature one Prime BTO project: Crawford Heights in the Kallang/Whampoa estate. However, we’re certain that there will nonetheless be high demand for the Crawford Heights BTO project, due to the many attractive points about this estate.
Crawford Heights in a nutshell
Image credit: HDB
Altogether, Crawford Heights will offer 312 new BTO flats for sale, consisting of 3-room and 4-room unit types. It is situated at the junction of North Bridge Road and Crawford Street, and just a short walk away from Lavender MRT Station and Kallang Riverside Park.
In case you were interested, here are some of the application rates, for 3-room and 4-room flats respectively, of past projects in the Kallang/Whampoa precinct:
Source: HDB
Source: HDB
Overall, while most applicants will stand a good chance of securing 3-room flats, demand for 4-room flats will be a lot more competitive. Plus, it is quite possible that this time around, we will see a higher number of applications for this project, especially since it is the last BTO exercise for the year.
So, what makes Crawford Heights so appealing?
New open-concept white flats a draw for young couples
Flats in the Crawford Heights project will be piloting the new open-concept white flat layout. These will be the first HDB flats that “will not have internal partition walls or beams, offering homeowners a blank canvas to design and customise their living spaces according to their preferences and needs.” Essentially, it gives homeowners the flexibility to decide how to configure their flat, such as building walls and furnishing their home according to their needs.
Homebuyers will have the option of choosing the new open-concept layout when they are invited to book a flat. Of course, if they prefer not to do so, they can opt for the standard HDB options available.
Image credit: HDB
Because of the novelty of such a concept, and the ability to configure your home in any way you like without being constrained by immovable elements like beams or internal partition walls, this will undoubtedly be a hot pick for young couples. Our take is that most people in that demographic will relish the opportunity to design their dream home. As such, you can probably expect this to be one of the star appeals of Crawford Heights.
Fantastic location with accessibility to public transport
Naturally, when it comes to the value of a property, where it’s located is a core consideration that has consistently stood the test of time━and Crawford Heights boasts a fantastic location. After all, that’s probably the primary reason it’s been classified as Prime in the first place.
For starters, it is situated in an estate that is relatively close to the city and central Singapore. This means that if you work in the CBD, commuting to and from work will be a breeze, saving you a fair amount of travel time. If you drive, downtown CBD is at best a 15 to 20-minute drive away; East Coast Park is even nearer, at 10 minutes out. These are the perks of living in central Singapore, where most destinations are within an easy drive━even getting to Tuas will take you under 40 minutes.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
In terms of public transport options, the closest MRT station would be Lavender, which is just a short 5 to 10-minute walk away from Crawford Heights. This gives you access to the East-West Line. From Lavender, it is only a 15-minute train journey to Raffles Place, 20 minutes to Paya Lebar, and 30 minutes to Buona Vista.
Alternatively, there is also Nicoll Highway MRT Station, which is a slightly further, 15-minute walk away. The station grants residents access to the Circle Line: from Nicoll Highway MRT Station, it is only 12 minutes to Esplanade, 18 minutes to Dhoby Ghaut, and 30 minutes to Botanic Gardens.
For those who are lucky enough to secure a unit on the higher floors, they will also get to benefit from stunning views of Rochor Canal and Marina Reservoir. We believe that depending on the orientation, residents will also be able to have a view of the Singapore skyline, which means the possibility of catching fireworks from the comfort of home.
Abundance of amenities nearby
Another benefit of Crawford Heights is that because it is situated in a built-up estate, there is no lack of amenities, unlike an up-and-coming development like Tengah. Within the immediate neighbourhood, there are plenty of amenities such as supermarkets, convenience shops, and F&B options that will cater to residents’ needs.
Source: Kaizenaire
The closest shopping mall would be the relatively new City Gate, a mixed-development mall that has a range of F&B, retail, fashion, health and even education stores. Otherwise, here are some of the other options that are not too far away:
- Golden Mile Food Centre
- Haji Lane
- Jalan Besar Sports Centre
- Suntec City
Source: CNA
In addition, Crawford Heights will just be a short commute away from the future Kallang Alive Precinct. As announced by PM Lawrence Wong at this year’s National Day Rally, the Kallang Alive Precinct will be the future home of all things sports here in Singapore, with a wide array of sporting facilities like a tennis hub, football hub, indoor stadium, national stadium, and more. The Singapore Sports School will also be moving there, which makes this estate more attractive to families with children intending to apply to the school.
Lack of schools might be a turnoff for some
One drawback of Crawford Heights is that there are no mainstream schools in close proximity. The closest schools would be in the nearby estates of Farrer Park, Bendemeer or Geylang, which are a short drive away. However, they are outside the 2km radius of Crawford Heights, and so residents won’t get to enjoy any priority admission benefits.
Given the fact that Crawford Heights comes with a 10-year MOP, the lack of nearby schools will naturally dissuade some prospective homebuyers, especially those already with young kids or those who are looking to have kids in the next few years. Of course, some won’t see this as too much of a problem if they can make the necessary arrangements for transport, so it really depends from family to family.
Our take is that this will certainly temper down demand slightly, as homebuyers look for other BTO projects in this exercise with schools nearby, such as the likes of the other Kallang/Whampoa BTO projects, or even in Bayshore or Geylang.
Crawford Heights━How does it match up to the other estates, and who should apply?
Source: Google
Apart from the fact that there are no nearby schools, Crawford Heights will undoubtedly be a star pick for this upcoming October 2024 BTO exercise.
Will it be the most popular estate for this coming launch? Possibly, but only because many might have been expecting the Bayshore BTOs to be classified as Prime flats, which would have dampened the demand somewhat. Now that we know the Bayshore projects will be classified under Plus instead of Prime, we can probably expect even more demand for those projects, which might turn some attention away from Crawford Heights.
Based on our assessment of Crawford Heights and its surrounding area, we’d say that the main demographic that would most be attracted to this estate are either young couples who are not intending to have children anytime soon, more affluent couples, or families with older kids. Living on the city fringe certainly has its perks, but ultimately such benefits would appeal to a more specific demographic.
Even though it will come with significant sale restrictions as a result of its Prime status, such as residents having to stay for 10 years before they’re able to sell the flat, there will be plenty of rewards for those who are willing to wait out this MOP. One can easily expect the resale value of these flats to grow considerably over 10 years; when it does eventually fulfil its MOP, it will likely set a record price similar to that of Alkaff Vista in Bidadari.
Coupled with a fantastic location with an abundance of amenities and lifestyle options, lack of schools notwithstanding, Crawford Heights is set to be amongst the top choices with applicants in this coming BTO exercise.
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Cover image adapted from: HDB, Google Maps
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