If you’re an Eastie, you’ve probably walked past Jalan Chempaka Puteh and Jalan Chempaka Kuning on your way to supper at Simpang Bedok. A lesser-known fact is that these two quiet, residential streets are home to some of the most affordable landed properties in Singapore. In this article, we’ll dive into the history of these iconic streets and explain why these Chempaka landed homes are so cheap.
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Image credit: Phil Eden
History of Jalan Chempaka Puteh and Jalan Chempaka Kuning
Jalan Chempaka Puteh and Jalan Chempaka Kuning are residential communities with a rich history. These two adjacent streets are situated in the low-density Tanah Merah Kechil/Bedok Road landed enclave.
In the 1960s, 144 terrace and semi-detached houses were built to provide housing for displaced residents. During that period, Singapore was undergoing rapid urbanization, leading to the clearance of many kampongs.
The land previously belonged to the late property owner Koh Sek Lim, who passed away in 1948. Currently, it is managed by Camelot Trustees, which assumed trusteeship of the estate in July 2021.
53 Jalan Chempaka Kuning
Image credit: Bernard Horsfield
When walking through the estate, you’ll notice how the landed properties along Jalan Chempaka Kuning and Jalan Chempaka Puteh exude an old-world charm. The architecture of these homes reflects a bygone era and stands out from the more modern properties found elsewhere on the island.
Image credit: Google Maps
Living in a Chempaka landed home offers great convenience. Over the years, shops and restaurants have popped up, while jungle and farmland have made way for new developments. Today, residents are just a 15-minute walk from Tanah Merah MRT station on the East-West Line, and only five minutes from Bedok Shopping Complex and Simpang Bedok.
Image credit: Google Maps
Why are Chempaka landed homes so cheap?
The main reason why landed properties along Jalan Chempaka Puteh and Jalan Chempaka Kuning come with surprisingly affordable price tags is because of their dwindling leases. These homes sit on 70-year leasehold land, with the lease starting from 1964 — which means there are only about 10 years left.
They’ll be the second residential land plot in Singapore to reach the end of its lease, the first being the Geylang Lorong 3 homes, whose lease expired in 2020.
As of now, there hasn’t been any official word on what will happen to these homes when the lease ends in 2034. According to a Straits Times article, a Camelot Trust spokesperson shared that the company is weighing its options and trying to provide the “best possible outcome for all parties.”
Transaction history of Chempaka landed homes
Despite the dwindling leases, transactions have remained largely profitable. Based on 110 URA transactions for Chempaka landed homes, 38 homes were sold at least twice between 1995 and 2023. Of these, 27 resale deals made a profit, while 11 incurred a loss.
It’s worth noting that these sellers weren’t property speculators. The median holding period for a Chempaka landed home was seven years, with the longest being 22 years. Plus, the low initial cost of these homes — paired with the steady price growth of landed properties over the years — makes for a pretty ripe formula for a profitable sale.
That’s why many homeowners have walked away with gains. For instance, a 4,300 sq ft semi-detached house along Bedok Road was sold for $800,000 in April 2022 — netting the seller a $458,000 profit, having bought it for $342,000 back in 2001.
Are Chempaka landed homes still worth buying?
Buying for own-stay purposes
Image credit: Google Maps
Despite the uncertainty surrounding the future of these landed homes, some property owners remain undeterred — and are still investing in Chempaka properties. A quick search on PropertyGuru shows that the lowest asking price (as of 20 March 2025) for Jalan Chempaka Puteh landed homes and Jalan Chempaka Kuning landed homes is just $600,000. That’s $254.89 psf for a 2,268 sqft (floor area) home. For comparison, a similar-sized freehold house in the nearby Tanah Merah landed enclave would set you back around $4 million.
If you’ve always dreamed of living in a landed home, getting a Chempaka property might just be your most affordable option — it’s even cheaper than some BTO flats. That’s why even with just 10 years left on the lease, some buyers still see it as a worthwhile expense.
Image credit: Google Maps
Here’s another way to think about it: renting a Chempaka landed home will cost you around $7,800 to $8,800 a month. That’s on par with other landed homes in the same size range across the Tanah Merah neighbourhood.
But if you’ve got the cash upfront, buying one for $600,000 and living in it for 10 years means your monthly cost works out to about $5,000—for a home just a 15-minute walk from Tanah Merah MRT. That’s still cheaper than renting.
Of course, there are some downsides. Older properties tend to have higher maintenance costs — a sinking expense you won’t recover. And with only 10 years left on the lease, getting a bank loan might not be an option. Plus, lease decay means the property value is likely to drop even further as it edges closer to expiry.
Buying to rent out the property
Some savvy investors have done the math and taken a calculated gamble by buying a Chempaka landed home to rent out. If you manage to secure a reliable tenant, you could earn a tidy sum from rental income alone.
Whether you’re eyeing a Chempaka landed home for your own stay or rental purposes, it’s important to remember that all leasehold properties will eventually have to be returned to the state when their lease runs out. Existing owners are unlikely to receive compensation for their homes, with any potential bonus (if any) subject to the Government’s goodwill.
The fate of Chempaka landed home owners
Long-time residents of these two Chempaka streets mostly want to stay put. Many have a sentimental attachment to the neighbourhood or feel it’s too much of a hassle to move in their later years. Buying or renting a similar-sized house would place a financial strain and eat into their retirement savings.
Even renting a smaller condo unit in today’s market may not be feasible for some. And downsizing to an HDB flat would require adjusting to significantly less space.
There’s still some hope that the trustees may offer a lease extension, but it’s worth noting that leaseholds rarely come with a built-in right to extend beyond the original term. Until Camelot Trust makes a decision, the fate of these homeowners hangs in the balance. Hopefully, a resolution will be reached before August 2034.
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Cover image adapted from: Phil Eden, Google Maps
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