Updated 28 Oct 2023: This unit has been sold! But for those who are exploring EAs, this is still a good read to know the market!
What are Executive Apartments (EAs)? These are HDB flats that are bigger than the HDB 4-rooms and 5-rooms. They usually come with three bedrooms and additional features such as a utility room and/or a balcony to provide a more spacious living environment.
How spacious are we talking about? Well, the usual 4-room BTO flats are about 90 - 91sqm. The 5-rooms BTOs are about 111 sqm. This unit is 144 sqm or 1,550 sqft, which is about 30% bigger than the 5-room HDBs and 60% bigger than the 4-room BTOs. In fact, this unit feels much bigger than its stated size because of its efficient layout!
For those who wanna know more what to look out for when buying a HDB flat in Bishan, click here to read all about it.
Here's 10 reasons why this unit is such an awesome gem!
1. Very rare sale: One of the most efficient Bishan HDB EA layout
The floor plan is really awesome - all the areas are in rectangles or squares. There is no wasted corridor space and no odd shape in any corner of the house. And how often do you see such a wonderful spacious rectangle for both living and dining areas. The moment you step through the door, you are welcomed by this massive space.
The owners have also thoughtfully expanded the utility room (see pink line at bottom left) which is perfect as a helper room, study room or even an extra bedroom. This utility room even comes with a window for better ventilation.
The balcony has also been merged with the living area (see pink line at bottom right) which creates an seamless flow of communal space into the living area.
The master bedroom door has been repositioned to optimise that corner nook. With this shift, it creates a squarish layout at the dining area and the owners have also added built-in carpentry in that nook for extra storage in the master bedroom.
One of the very rare layout in the market today - this layout allows for the bedroom 3 to have a jack-and-jill ensuite toilet with the common bath. This will be a plus point for anyone taking that room, especially seniors. For those who are considering to rent out in future, this room would be able to command a higher rental premium than the usual common rooms.
2. Great facing and no west sun
One of the many gripes of Bishan units is the west sun. Some units even have direct west sun shining into its entire hall.
The main door faces mostly south
The balcony gets angled east sun
All bedroom windows face north and are tucked in the quieter corner which is away from the road traffic
None of the walls get the west sun
This unit is blessed to be generally north-south facing which makes it very breezy and airy. Check out how windy it was during one of the viewings!
3. Almost private lift landing
Another common question from buyers - is this corner unit? Yes, this is a corner unit and on top of that, there are only two units on this floor - your neighbour and you. This is such a prized privacy for many HDB flats.
Plus there is a great unblocked view from the main door where you have direct sight from Bishan to Toa Payoh and beyond. This explains why this unit is bright and windy. Based the top three reasons, this is already very rare sale for a Bishan HDB EA!
4. Well-renovated and well-maintained
The major renovation was done in 2012 with some refurnishing works in 2015. The entire plumbing and electrical system had been revamped and this block has also completed its Home Improvement Programme. The air-conditioning system was recently upgraded in 2019.
The owners also took effort to re-tile the entire house including the living and dining area, kitchen and all bedrooms. Wood-textured floor tiles were added in the bedrooms to give a warm and cosy ambience as you drift off to bed. These tiles are super easy to maintain and highly durable.
Overall, the renovation style is modern and classy with its earthly tones and an occasional splash of purple. The kitchen area has been completely re-done, and these overall improvement works will save buyers a lot of headache, money and time.
All you need to do is to bring the furniture and your luggages.
5. Spacious bedrooms
How big are the bedrooms? The master bedroom spans over 5m in length and close to 4m in depth. This translates to a whooping 20 sqm amount of space. What does this mean? Well, the area of a king-size mattress is 4 sqm, so I will leave it for you to imagine the space.
What about the common bedrooms? The two other bedrooms are mirror image of each other at 15 sqm. These bedrooms can easily fit a king/queen bed or two single beds with a study table and many other furniture.
6. Excellent connectivity
Located at Street 12, this unit is served by a variety of bus routes with easy access to Bishan MRT and Junction 8. Depending on the route you prefer, you are 2 (purple icons) or 3 bus stops away (green icons) from Bishan MRT Interchange.
Alternatively, you can also take a 10-min walk (blue line) below the blocks towards the Bishan Central area. Once you reach the MRT station, you are served by two MRT lines - red North-South line and the yellow Circle Line and its connectivity is unparalleled.
1 stop to Ang Mo Kio future Cross Island Line
2 stops to Serangoon purple North-East Line
2 stops to Caldecott brown Thomson-East Coast Line
3 - 5 stops to Botanic Gardens, Newton or MacPherson dark blue Downtown Line
6 stops to Paya Lebar green East-West Line
For drivers, you have easy access to CTE, PIE and Lornie Highway and within 15 - 25 minutes of travelling time, you are at key locations of Singapore such as Orchard, CBD, Woodlands, Sentosa, Changi and Jurong!
7. Close proximity to amenities
One key advantage of being in a mature estate is the plentiful amenities at its door step. Just a few blocks away, there is a coffeeshop, 24-hr convenience store and clinic. A short 400m is the Bishan Street 12 old town area where there are a wide range of food outlets, traditional medicinal shops, wet market and retail shops for your every day need.
A few more steps and you will be at the Bishan Central area where there is a 24hr Kim San Leng coffeeshop, 24hrs Giant supermarket. If one supermarket is not enough, there are also NTUC Fairprice and Fairprice Finest for all your grocery needs. This neighbourhood of shops offers a plethora of shops such as enrichment centres, value stores, hardware shops, fruit stalls and many more.
8. Ample of school options
For those who are vexing about schools, you will be pleased to know that there are ample school options as follows:
Primary Schools Within 1KM:
Kuo Chuan Presbyterian Primary School (affiliated to Kuo Chuan Presbyterian Secondary and St.Andrew's Junior College)
Kheng Cheng School
First Toa Payoh Primary School
Pei Chun Public School
Primary Schools Within 1-2KM
Catholic High Primary (affiliated to Catholic High School)
CHIJ Our Lady of Good Counsel (affiliated to CHIJ St. Joseph’s Convent and Catholic Junior College)
CHIJ Primary (Toa Payoh) (affiliated to CHIJ Secondary (Toa Payoh) and Catholic Junior College)
Marymount Convent School
St. Gabriel's Primary School (affiliated to St. Gabriel’s Secondary School to Catholic Junior College)
Townville Primary School
Yangzheng Primary School
Secondary And Tertiary Schools Within Estimated 2KM radius:
Raffles Institution
Raffles Girls' School (Secondary)
Catholic High School
Kuo Chuan Presbyterian Secondary School
CHIJ Secondary (Toa Payoh)
Guangyang Secondary School
Beatty Secondary School
Whitley Secondary School
Nanyang Junior College
St. Andrew's Junior College
Eunoia Junior College
9. Option for 4th/5th bedroom
With this amount of space and this flexible layout, you have an option to adding a 4th bedroom and the utility room can also double-up as a 5th bedroom for your family needs.
10. Rarity in today's market
How rare are executive apartments in Singapore? Well, there are close to 15,000 HDB flats in Bishan and only 9% are executive flats. Among this 9%, it comprises of single-floor executive apartments and two-storey executive maisonettes. Overall, there are more executive maisonettes than executive apartments in Bishan.
As at Sep 2023, there are close to 350 transacted units in the past 12 months and only 5 units or 1% are executive apartments
Why should we buy an old HDB flat that costs over a $1m?
This is another question that buyers often ask me during the viewings. My answer is, "Well, it really depends on your needs."
If you wish to see capital gains in your property, then you are shopping in the wrong aisle. Older spacious condominiums or HDBs won't fit your bill at all. I would be glad to show you other property types such as new launch units, newly TOP units or units with possible en-bloc potential that are most likely to see capital gains.
But if your family is hoping to find a spacious home in mature estates at a relatively good price point compared to private properties, then older HDB resale units would meet your needs.
Just like buying a car - when you enter a showroom to test-drive a car, you are mentally prepared to buy a depreciating asset because your family needs a car.
All cars - sports car, continental cars, asian cars, big cc cars or small cc cars - will become zero value after 10 years (albeit some small refunds from its scrap value). Similarly, all leasehold properties - condominiums, walk-up apartments, HDB etc - will become zero value at the end of its 99-years lease.
For buyers who are looking to buy older resale units, then my question would be, "what is your preferred car type?".
Personally, this EA at Blk 134 Bishan feels like a loyal Toyota Camry to me. Being a rare EA in a prime central district, it is surely a premium range of HDB unit. Plus it definitely delivers an eye-popping luxurious wow in terms of its accessibility, size, layout and decor. At the same time, like a reliable Toyota, this HDB unit will be an ideal option that provides a wonderful, safe and stable home for your family. What do you think?
This Bishan HDB EA was definitely a rare sale and it is already off the market. It was love at first sight for this beautiful family of buyers. If you wish to be in the waitlist for such units, click on this link to receive future notifications!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Pris Low has close to 20 years experience in the non-profit sector - representing consumers in their conflicts with retailers and advocating for the less privileged in our community.
Her social service background has helped her to be sensitive and attentive to her clients' needs and feelings so that she can prepare them, both financially and emotionally, to welcome their new homes.
She has thrived because she doesn't tell her clients what to do. She hears their needs and explains the options to them. She respects every choice made by her clients because she feels that there is no wrong decision as long as it meets their needs and they are aware of the possible pitfalls and prepare for it.