NORTHSHORE RESIDENCES
HDB has continued to jack up the supply and choices of flats in Punggol with the latest May BTO launch. What sets this BTO apart from the other recent Punggol BTO launches thus far is the neighbourhood centre within the site, plus the integration of additional smart and eco-features that are being pioneered in the Northshore District. Previous Punggol BTOs already have eco-features such as separate chutes for recyclable wastes, eco pedestals, ABC water design features etc. Let’s have a closer look at some of these features as part of the project analysis and whether it comes into play with regards to its popularity and pricing. |
Location
The Northshore district is the north-westernmost district in Punggol. To quote the ST article below, the Northshore district will “boast the newest seafront public housing as well as the area’s tallest residential buildings.”
Connectivity |
Amenities |
Samudera LRT. The development will be served by the extension of Punggol Way and Northshore Drive which are both currently under construction. The best option for interested buyers who wish to visit the site will be to take the Punggol LRT and survey the area around Samudera LRT.
SchoolsPunggol View Primary School,
Punggol Green Primary School, Edgefield Primary School, Edgefield Secondary
School, Punggol Secondary School.
Creative Cluster & Learning CorridorNorthshore Residences is separated from the upcoming Learning Corridor which will house educational institutions and connect to the Creative Cluster.
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The immediate area isn’t that rich with amenities at the moment, with the nearest convenience stores at Punggol plaza or even Seng Kang. Eating places are limited to a food court at the nearby Parc Vista that is already up and running. The upside is that there will be a neighbourhood centre right between the two estates. The neighbourhood centre is a huge plus to residents in terms of convenience will ensure that residents have access to adequate facilities when they move into their new homes. With the increase in the number of HDB shops, residents will benefit from a wider array of affordable goods and services (Source: URA/HDB).
RecreationNorthshore is within walking distance to Marina Country Club, Punggol Waterway and Punggol Promenade. Punggol Point is slightly further away but easily accessible by LRT. Residents with cars can drive across the Seletar North Link bridge and explore the Seletar Aerospace Park with its clusters of colonial era houses and some restaurants.
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Eco-Precint
First public housing estate to test-bed smart technologies, use of environmental modeling in planning and design.
Eco-friendly living: separate chutes for recyclable waste, regenerative lifts, use of sustainable and recycled products,
Smart features: smart car park system, smart lighting, pneumatic waste conveyance system (PWCS), infrastructure provisions within the home for adoption of smart technologies such as Home Energy Management System (HEMS)
Eco-friendly living: separate chutes for recyclable waste, regenerative lifts, use of sustainable and recycled products,
Smart features: smart car park system, smart lighting, pneumatic waste conveyance system (PWCS), infrastructure provisions within the home for adoption of smart technologies such as Home Energy Management System (HEMS)
Unit Layout and Selection
The 4-room layout is as per the recent bunch of BTO launches, with the bedrooms aligned and bomb shelter situated right next to the flat entrance. Some pros and cons: advantages being that there is some sort of area demarcation between the living and dining areas, and a storeroom that doubles up as an enlarged shoe cabinet. The downside to this is that the living area feels compressed, and the kitchen area is smaller compared with layouts that have the household shelter between the kitchen and guest bathrooms (see above). One of the bedroom doors opens into the dining area, and there is some dead space in the gap between the opened entrance door and the bomb shelter wall. Innovative home décor ideas should be able to find some use for this space.
Something that would appeal to home buyers looking to do something a little different with their home layouts is the option for the open kitchen concept. The flat comes by default with an open kitchen, and home buyers will have to pay ADDITIONAL for the partition wall between the kitchen and living/dining area if they choose to seal off the kitchen area. Compared to some condo developers who charge buyers to demolish partition walls even when the buyer has indicated at the off, HDB really has done home buyers a favour here with this option, saving buyers who want to do an open kitchen concept further demolition costs during the renovation. Furthermore, whether you opt for the open kitchen concept or not, you can still choose from all the 5-room flats available as the stacks are not determined by the presence of this partition wall.
Site layout
The site layout is quite straightforward, with the dwelling units lined up in 12 blocks on both sides. Northshore Residences I is to the south of the site and has 5 residential blocks compared to Northshore Residences II which is to the north of the site. The outward facing units will face either Northshore Drive or Punggol Way, while the inward facing units will face the rooftop gardens and amenities.
Although not directly on the seafront and definitely not having views of the Straits of Johor, residents can still enjoy the extensive network of second-storey walkways connecting residents outwards to the sea. (http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/singapore/story/walkway-new-punggol-district-be-above-ground-20130627). The lack of sea view is somewhat compensated by the direct link to the seafront promenade.
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The neighbourhood centre is sandwiched between both the estates. It will also offer residents purpose-built public spaces for daily activities or regular community events. The neighbourhood centre will also have a community plaza to increase opportunities for community bonding.
The carpark will take up the basement level and 1st storey, with residents amenities built on the carpark rooftop. Future residents of Northshore Residences I will have the advantage of living closer to the Samudera LRT station. Northshore Residences II may also suffer from having the PWCS facilities housed within the site.
The carpark will take up the basement level and 1st storey, with residents amenities built on the carpark rooftop. Future residents of Northshore Residences I will have the advantage of living closer to the Samudera LRT station. Northshore Residences II may also suffer from having the PWCS facilities housed within the site.
Unit Selection
We will treat Northshore I and II as a whole development and concentrate on which are the more favourable stacks to choose instead.
First and foremost, to manage expectations, none of the units will get a seaview due to the two adjacent residential plots to West and North-West of the development. Applicants who really want a sea-view can wait for the August 2015 BTO launch (which we will come to later on).
General pointers, blocks closer to the neighbourhood centre such as 405B, 406C, 408A and 409A may be subject to more noise and human traffic flow at the foot of the block. Proximity to the neighbourhood centre also means being nearer to the link bridge that will connect to the earlier mentioned 2nd-storey walkways that link to the seafront promenade.
Some additional comments on the unit layouts:
HDB has really shown some flexibility in design by allowing applicants to opt for enclosed or open kitchens, giving residents more flexibility and the possibility of costs savings with their flat design. The 3-room, 4-room and 5-room unit design very similar to 3Gen flats (see below), with one of the bedrooms located next to the flat entrance, minus an attached bathroom. Some condo launches have also used a similar design for the dual-key units.
First and foremost, to manage expectations, none of the units will get a seaview due to the two adjacent residential plots to West and North-West of the development. Applicants who really want a sea-view can wait for the August 2015 BTO launch (which we will come to later on).
General pointers, blocks closer to the neighbourhood centre such as 405B, 406C, 408A and 409A may be subject to more noise and human traffic flow at the foot of the block. Proximity to the neighbourhood centre also means being nearer to the link bridge that will connect to the earlier mentioned 2nd-storey walkways that link to the seafront promenade.
Some additional comments on the unit layouts:
HDB has really shown some flexibility in design by allowing applicants to opt for enclosed or open kitchens, giving residents more flexibility and the possibility of costs savings with their flat design. The 3-room, 4-room and 5-room unit design very similar to 3Gen flats (see below), with one of the bedrooms located next to the flat entrance, minus an attached bathroom. Some condo launches have also used a similar design for the dual-key units.
2-room
Type 1: there aren’t that many Type 1 flats available
Type 2: Unfortunately for those intending to apply for the 2-room flats, the larger Type 2 units are all facing the LRT tracks The smaller Type 1 units fare slightly better and are inward facing. All the Type 2 2-room stacks are south-east facing and line up parallel to the LRT tracks. Of the 2-room stacks, 104-130 in Northshore Residences 1 are closest to the LRT station. Given the LRT is relatively quieter compared to the MRT, privacy will be the bigger issue here.
Type 1: there aren’t that many Type 1 flats available
Type 2: Unfortunately for those intending to apply for the 2-room flats, the larger Type 2 units are all facing the LRT tracks The smaller Type 1 units fare slightly better and are inward facing. All the Type 2 2-room stacks are south-east facing and line up parallel to the LRT tracks. Of the 2-room stacks, 104-130 in Northshore Residences 1 are closest to the LRT station. Given the LRT is relatively quieter compared to the MRT, privacy will be the bigger issue here.
3-room
Almost all the 3-room units are north-west facing and definitely subject to some form of afternoon side. There is the slightest chance that the 172 stack will be able to overlook the park site and get some of a sea view.
4-room
4-room flats take up the largest percentage of the flats available (519 out of 1402), and are all inward facing. for now, it is uncertain whether there will be any noises due to the PWCS collection centre plus its accompanying generator and diesel rooms at the 1st storey. To be on the safe side, avoid the lower floors for the 270 and 272 stacks.
5-room
Depending what you’re looking for, stacks 142, 144, 278 and 280 offer residents more privacy than the other stacks due to their location at the extreme ends of the site. Stacks 238 and 240 are directly next to the neighbourhood centre. Apart from stack 142 and 280, the 5-room units are all west-facing.
Pricing
Conclusion
With Northshore Residences I & II, it feels like applicants choosing particular unit types will not have much variety in terms of locational advantage to play with. 2-room flats will mostly end up facing the LRT tracks, while the 3-room and 5-room flats are majority west-facing. those opting for the 4-room flats may be the biggest winners here as the 4-room units there are the most number of units available and are all inwards facing.
The development’s biggest draw is the proximity to the neighbourhood centre which will make buying groceries and provision of other amenities so convenient, which will be keenly felt in a new town like Punggol. It is also directly next to the Learning Corridor and Cluster which would boost its rental potential.
That said, the Northshore district is supposed to stand out for its sea view. Those opting for this development will not get any seaview from the unit and will have to walk to the promenade to enjoy the seaside. The upcoming Punggol BTO launch in Aug 2015 will have units that are directly sea-facing, albeit slightly further from the LRT station.it will feature 2710 units of 2R, 3R, 4R, 5R and 3Gen flats spread out over 3 estates with parks in between (see below).
The development’s biggest draw is the proximity to the neighbourhood centre which will make buying groceries and provision of other amenities so convenient, which will be keenly felt in a new town like Punggol. It is also directly next to the Learning Corridor and Cluster which would boost its rental potential.
That said, the Northshore district is supposed to stand out for its sea view. Those opting for this development will not get any seaview from the unit and will have to walk to the promenade to enjoy the seaside. The upcoming Punggol BTO launch in Aug 2015 will have units that are directly sea-facing, albeit slightly further from the LRT station.it will feature 2710 units of 2R, 3R, 4R, 5R and 3Gen flats spread out over 3 estates with parks in between (see below).