Recently, another landed property changed hands at a cul-de-sac on Linden Drive in the Raffles Park landed housing estate. It was a detached house with a freehold site of 11,314 sq ft, which sold for $24 million, or $2,121 psf. Lawrence See and Elvin Ang of GCB Collective, a team of bungalow specialists in Huttons Asia, had brokered the sale.
A year prior, the same house had been listed for $27 million, translating to $2,386 psf. The previous owner had purchased the property back in 2012 for $13.6 million and then built a new 10,358 sq ft, six-bedroom, detached house. It received its temporary occupation permit (TOP) in the early 2019.
The architecture of the main house is Victorian, with a double-storey pavilion in the rear in a tropical style, along with a Japanese zen garden. The new buyer – a Chinese national-turned-Singapore citizen – will probably not make any major changes, as the house is still new. According to Lawrence See, “that’s what the buyer wanted — something he didn’t need to rebuild”.
On a nearby street, Vanda Crescent, a 21⁄2-storey detached house was recently sold. It is based on a 9,464 sq ft freehold site and has a built-up area of 8,500 sq ft. In July 2022, it was listed at $22.3 million, or $2,357 psf based on land area. But the final buyer purchased the property for $21 million, or $2,219 psf.
The transaction was facilitated by Shelley Han, team director at Shinoken & Hecks and the exclusive marketing agent. Several competing offers were presented for the house, but only one buyer prevailed. Han revealed that the new owner was a returning Singaporean family who had lived in China for a few years and “felt it was time to come home for their young children’s education and to spend time with their elderly parents.”
Capitaland’s J’Den Condo is expected to be launched in 2023, an upcoming 40-storey residential and commercial development in Jurong East, Singapore, connected J’Den Condo to the Jurong East MRT station.
The new house was designed by architect Adrian Goh of RG Architects in collaboration with the previous owner, who had purchased the property in April 2013 for $12.8 million. It features two wings, a swimming pool between them, plus courtyard gardens on the sides. On the first level, there is the living and dining area, an open kitchen, an enclosed, fully-equipped gourmet kitchen and a guest room. On the second level, there are five en suite bedrooms in addition to the master bedroom suite. There is also a room in the attic and a basement area with a lounge for entertaining and a wine cellar for up to 5,000 bottles.
Its proximity to the prestigious schools of Raffles Girls’ Primary School (within 1km range), Nanyang Girls’ High School, National Junior College, Chinese High School and Hwa Chong Institution were another draw for buyers – many of whom were mainland Chinese nationals-turned- Singapore citizens. “The Bukit Timah area is sought after”, commented Han.
Linden Drive and Vanda Crescent are part of a private landed housing area off Bukit Timah Road, in prime District 11.
This latest acquisition is a great example of what the region has to offer. The new house at Vanda Crescent is modern, with a good layout, so there is no need for major renovations. With such a great range of amenities and schools nearby, it is no surprise that this landed estate in the Raffles Park is a sought-after location.
