CLEMENTI CREST
We start off with a review of what we feel is the pick of the bunch in a well-established and much-loved estate: Clementi Crest. There haven’t been many new HDB launches in Clementi in recent years, the last being Clementi Ridges in 2012 which had 684 units of 3-, 4-, and 5-room flats. This time round, there are only the larger 4- and 5- room flats on offer, in a very attractive location. |
Location
In spite of the price premium over the other developments in the May launch, the number of applicants for this development tells the story of its popularity, with a subscription rate of 13.1 for the 5-room flats and 8.1 for the 4-room flats. This is likely due to the development’s proximity to transport, amenities and schools.
Connectivity |
Amenities |
SchoolsNotable schools within the vicinity include:
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Clementi Mall is within walking distance and this is a great convenience in terms of shopping for groceries and basic necessities, food and entertainment. There is also a public library here which is a big plus to those who like to read.
Also within walking distance is the newly reopened Eng Wah Clementi cineplex. For those who grew up in Clementi, this is an iconic location in Clementi. Also around for many years is Yamaha Music School. In terms of healthcare, the Clementi Polyclinic is a 3-minute walk away. Those looking for private or specialized healthcare can seek treatment at other existing clinics at Clementi Ave 2 Town Centre. There are also several TCM clinics in the area including the Public Free Clinic Society at Clementi Avenue 5 and Ma Kwang at Clementi Avenue 3. In terms of hospitals, there is NUH which is at Lower Kent Ridge Road, and two new hospitals at Jurong - Ng Teng Fong General Hospital and Jurong Community Hospital. Using the AYE as a marker, on the development’s side of the AYE are Clementi Sports Hall and Clementi Swimming Complex. Just across the AYE is a whole bunch of sporting amenities such as Clementi Stadium, West Coast Recreational Centre and just a bit further down is the West Coast Park Connector which links Pandan Reservoir and West Coast Park. Really, just the variety of sporting facilities available will make this development one for the sports buffs. |
Site layout
The MSCP complex and residential block cluster are located to the north and south of the site respectively, which relieves most of the units from bring directly opposite the MSCP (except stack 355). Considering there are only 2 blocks in this development but a 7-8 storey MSCP and 2 entry/egress points in the site, the MSCP was probably designed to ease the current parking congestion for visitors to the town centre, so future residents will have to keep take into account some competition for parking lots in future. The units are mostly outwards facing as well, facing the nearby developments. A quick glance at the URA master plan and existing surroundings will tell you that spectacular unblocked views are not to be expected with this development, especially for the eastwards facing 4-room flats as the adjacent town centre has a plot ratio of 5.0 (highest floor) which is higher than the site’s plot ratio of 4.7 (highest floor). The units on the higher floors of the 5-room flat should get a better view as they are higher up than the existing HDB blocks 427, 428 and 429. However, this should not detract from the main draw of this development which really is the excellent location in a mature estate.
Unit Layout
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.
Unit Selection
HDB has cut the choices very clearly with this development: 4-room flats facing eastwards towards the existing town centre cum HDB blocks, 5-room flats facing south-west towards Clementi Ave 3; so in a way, unit orientation will come down to which kind of unit the buyer chooses (with the exception of 2 of the 5-room stacks which are north-west facing). In terms of location, all the stacks are within pretty much same walking distance to the town centre, MRT and bus interchange.
For the 4-room flats: stacks 357 and 359 will have the town centre at their doorstep, while stacks 367 and 369 will be further from the noise at the town centre and have the fitness station right at the foot of the block.
Onto the 5-room flats: Of the westward facing stacks, 353 and 351 are slightly nearer to the town centre whereas stacks 363 and 361 may give the buyer some peace and quiet from the hustle and bustle. In honest, overall it’s a small development, the distances between the blocks is not huge, and stacks 353, 351, 363 and 361 will all turn out very similar. The southern-most stack 361 may be able to look past Block 427 and overlook the sports recreation centres and AYE, but that’s about it really. Residents for these four stacks should still expect some afternoon sun, and to avoid this, the only other options are the north-facing stacks 355 and 365. Of the two, the unit to avoid would be 355 which faces the MCSP directly, but this should be less of a problem for units from the 10th floor onwards which will overlook the MSCP instead. The MSCP is a tiered MSCP, with the western portion being 8 storeys and a roof garden on the 9th floor. Given HDB’s recent emphasis on the aesthetics of rooftop greenery, this may not be such a bad thing.
For the 4-room flats: stacks 357 and 359 will have the town centre at their doorstep, while stacks 367 and 369 will be further from the noise at the town centre and have the fitness station right at the foot of the block.
Onto the 5-room flats: Of the westward facing stacks, 353 and 351 are slightly nearer to the town centre whereas stacks 363 and 361 may give the buyer some peace and quiet from the hustle and bustle. In honest, overall it’s a small development, the distances between the blocks is not huge, and stacks 353, 351, 363 and 361 will all turn out very similar. The southern-most stack 361 may be able to look past Block 427 and overlook the sports recreation centres and AYE, but that’s about it really. Residents for these four stacks should still expect some afternoon sun, and to avoid this, the only other options are the north-facing stacks 355 and 365. Of the two, the unit to avoid would be 355 which faces the MCSP directly, but this should be less of a problem for units from the 10th floor onwards which will overlook the MSCP instead. The MSCP is a tiered MSCP, with the western portion being 8 storeys and a roof garden on the 9th floor. Given HDB’s recent emphasis on the aesthetics of rooftop greenery, this may not be such a bad thing.
Pricing
The indicative price range for the 4-room flats is $478,000 to $621,000, which works out to between $477 to $620 psf. The 5-room flats are going for $576,000 to $725,000, about $473 to $596 psf. From a direct comparison, it appears the 5-room flats slightly more value for money on a psf basis.
The most recent BTO in Clementi was in March 2012, Clementi Ridges. Then, the price was $438,000 to $576,000 for a 4-room flat, and $550,000 to $679,000 for a 5-room flat. This works out to $437 to $575 psf and $452 to $558 psf respectively. This shows an increase in price of about 7-8% since 2012.
Recent transactions in the vicinity are as follows:
The most recent BTO in Clementi was in March 2012, Clementi Ridges. Then, the price was $438,000 to $576,000 for a 4-room flat, and $550,000 to $679,000 for a 5-room flat. This works out to $437 to $575 psf and $452 to $558 psf respectively. This shows an increase in price of about 7-8% since 2012.
Recent transactions in the vicinity are as follows:
This works out to $515 to $520 psf for 4-room units on 4-7th storey, and $535 psf for the unit on 7-9th storey, a 10% premium over the prices of the Clementi Crest 4-room units on lower floors.
To quote PropNex Realty Ismail Gafoor “ Usually there is a 30-35% discount across the board between a BTO and resale flat. For Clementi Crest, the discount is barely 14-15%. Buyers will have to accept that they are not getting huge discounts, but in terms of location and upside capital appreciation in the near future, it is still bright for Clementi. (Source: CNA)
To quote PropNex Realty Ismail Gafoor “ Usually there is a 30-35% discount across the board between a BTO and resale flat. For Clementi Crest, the discount is barely 14-15%. Buyers will have to accept that they are not getting huge discounts, but in terms of location and upside capital appreciation in the near future, it is still bright for Clementi. (Source: CNA)