Living in a landed house has its perks: no elevators to wait for, fewer neighbours to disturb your peace, and there’s the prestige that comes with an address with no unit number. But owning a landed property requires deep pockets. Unless you’re shopping for an HDB terrace house like this listing in Jalan Bahagia which has an asking price of only 6 figures.
Yes, you can call yourself the proud owner of a terrace house for less than a million bucks, which is something that not many people can do today. Here’s some more information on the listing, where Jalan Bahagia is, and whether paying $800K for an HDB flat is worth it.
The listing
The unit for sale has a huge shady tree right at its doorstep.
Image credit: Google Maps
For just $845K, you can be the proud new owner of an 839sqft HDB terrace house, which means you’ll be paying around $1,007 for every square foot. Compared to other terrace house listings in the estate, this is the cheapest house for sale as of the time of writing.
The terrace house itself is a 3-room, with the ground floor comprising a small yard, living room, kitchen, and bathroom. The upper floor is split into 2 bedrooms, and one room has exposed beams that give the space some rustic charm.
Image credit: PropertyGuru
Despite the flat having been built in the early-1970s, the current homeowners have tastefully renovated its interior to bring it into the 21st century.
Image credit: PropertyGuru
False ceilings with cove lighting and air conditioning have been put into the home. The kitchen has also been opened up to make the ground floor look and feel more spacious.
The kitchen.
Image credit: PropertyGuru
The configuration of homes like this makes it perfect for younger couples who are just starting their families. Having 2 bedrooms facing each other on the second floor also means that parents will be able to check on their kids in an instant.
The bedroom is big enough to fit a queen-sized bed, more wardrobes, and a TV with more space to boot.
Image credit: PropertyGuru
Where is Jalan Bahagia
HDB terrace houses only exist in 2 neighbourhoods in Singapore: Stirling Road in Queenstown and Jalan Bahagia in Whampoa.
Image credit: Google Maps
This listing is in the Whampoa estate and sits between the PIE and CTE. One would think that a landed house would also have a driveway for cars, but these HDB terrace homes do not have that feature. Instead, the entire estate shares 2 open-air parking lots and a couple of roadside lots for drivers who are confident enough to parallel park.
Jalan Bahagia’s cluster of HDB terrace homes.
Image credit: Google Maps
Having visited the neighbourhood before, Jalan Bahagia is a quiet part of town that is much like any other landed housing estate. But similarly, the estate is not the most accessible to amenities, and almost everything would require a walk of 10 minutes or more.
The closest supermarket is FairPrice at Shaw Plaza, and the nearest MRT is a toss-up between Toa Payoh MRT and Boon Keng MRT. Thankfully, there are a couple of bus stops around the area which would be able to get you to your destination without you needing to walk under the sweltering heat.
How much do HDB Terrace flats usually go for?
HDB terrace flats don’t often go on sale. But when they do, they make a splash. For example, a unit at 39 Jalan Bahagia made the news back in 2021 when it sold for $1.26M. But it was a corner unit that had around 2,260sqft, which makes the high price tag slightly more understandable. Today, a similar but smaller unit at 1,517sqft is on the market for $1.25M.
Comparatively, this current unit at 48 Jalan Bahagia is about a third of the size and has only 40+ years left on its lease, which might explain why it’s priced so much lower than its neighbouring units. Other units on the same block were previously sold for $730K-$780K, with the last sale on 48 Jalan Bahagia being transacted back in 2021 according to records found on EdgeProp.
In 2022, a neighbouring HDB terrace that was just slightly bigger at 861sqft was sold for $844K, indicating that this current listing’s price is to be expected. On average, these HDB terraces are cheaper than the maisonettes that have been sold in the same neighbourhood over the past year; many of the said maisonettes in Toa Payoh are upwards of $900K, with some over $1M.
A newer maisonette in Singapore has a lot more space compared to the HDB terrace houses.
HDB terraces are also getting overshadowed by other unique HDB property types like maisonettes and lofts as they are usually bigger in size and in swankier locales. Plus, they are newer, which means they come with a longer lease and can be passed down to the next generation.
HDB terrace in Jalan Bahagia
If you have always dreamt of living in a landed property but you’re on a smaller budget, this HDB terrace house in Jalan Bahagia has come at the right time. With an asking price of $845K, you don’t have to worry about taking on a huge mortgage just to live a life of landed luxury.
However, its size would mean that you can’t move your entire kampung into the house. Rather, homes like this would be the most suitable for families with only one child, or dual-income-no-kid couples. After all, it’s only technically a 3-room HDB, which means there are only 2 bedrooms.
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Cover image credit: Google Maps, PropertyGuru
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