Since the COVID-19 market slump in 2020, the real estate industry in Singapore has since made a solid recovery. From 2021-2022 alone, we witnessed a whopping 55,835 HDB sales take place. Today, we take a look at which estates in Singapore are the most popular in the resale market and the features that make them attractive to property buyers.
1. Sengkang
Located in the North-East region of Singapore with origins as a fishing town, the Housing Development Board started rapid development starting in the mid-90s with the aim of transforming Sengkang into a residential hub.
Today, the former kampung is the most popular town in Singapore with regards to buying and selling activity, with 5051 HDB resale transactions valued at SGD$2.5 billion from 2021-2022.
Despite its location in the OCR, living in Sengkang might not be as remote as you think. Travel to the central region of Singapore can be achieved in 20-30 minutes through the North East Line or the Central (CTE) and Tampines (TPE) Expressways.
Another key feature of Sengkang is its Light Rail Transport (LRT) service. These mini-trains create a network that connects all the small residential areas to one another, providing ease of access to the wide range of amenities that Sengkang has to offer.
The town boasts three large shopping malls: Compass One, The Seletar Mall and Rivervale Mall. These malls provide many food options to the residents in the town, alongside a community library and cinema.
Anchorvale CC is another key attraction to living in Sengkang. In addition to providing the standard services a community centre does, such as providing classes and facilities for recreational activities, it is also co-located with the Sengkang Sports and Recreation Centre. The centre which spans 4 hectares has facilities such as a swimming pool with water slides, 2 full sized hockey pitches (which were used at the 2010 summer youth Olympics), and 12 badminton courts.
Sengkang also has its very own General Hospital, the newest in Singapore, being opened in 2019. There is also a community hospital and a Polyclinic in the town, making it a good option for families with elderly members.
2. Punggol
Often heralded the sister town of Sengkang, Punggol is also located in the North-East Region of Singapore. Like Sengkang, the town began development in the late 90s, and has become the second most in-demand estate in Singapore with a total of 4750 HDB resale transactions worth $2.54 billion from 2021-2022.
Punggol has always had a reputation for being “ulu” or far out of the way of civilization. However, thanks to the North East Line, and TPE, the town is about 35 minutes from central locations. The smaller residential areas around the town are also serviced by a LRT system, making access to the main rail line and the amenities around the town easily accessible to residents.
What Punggol is truly known for is its reputation as a quaint waterfront town. Ever since the completion of Punggol Waterfront in 2011, Punggol has grown in popularity for its picturesque looks, combining beautiful water and nature features with modern HDB architecture. However, there is more to the town: both Punggol Settlement and the nearby Coney Island are fantastic places to enjoy the nature and waterfront experience and add beauty and colour to the town — perfect for a family weekend outing.
The town is also chock full of fantastic amenities, with locations such as One Punggol Hub, SAFRA Punggol and Waterway Point offering a wide range of recreational activities to do. Punggol is now packed full of eateries, as well as retail and leisure experiences with modern facilities such as an IMAX cinema and a fantastically designed library.
Similar to Sengkang, families that stay in Punggol have a multitude of options when it comes to enrolling their children in a school, with over 20 schools in the North-East towns, alongside easy access to other options along the North-East Line.
This wealth of amenities and conveniences combined with the tranquil nature of waterfront living give Punggol a certain charm and make the town a desired location for families and those looking to own a modern home in a young neighbourhood. Not bad for a former fishing village!
3. Tampines
Beloved by Singaporeans that live in the East (or Easties, as they like to be known), Tampines is the regional centre of the East region. Home to about 5% of the country’s population, Tampines is a bustling estate that has seen strong real estate activity, with 3853 HDB resales taking place from 2021-2022 worth $2.11 billion.
Despite its OCR location in the east, Tampines is well connected to the rest of Singapore via the PIE and TPE, requiring only 20 minutes of drive time to reach the city’s central locations. In addition to the East-West Line, the Downtown Line (introduced in 2017) has also greatly improved accessibility to the town for public transport users, providing alternative travel routes for users. One can expect a 30-40 minute commute to the city centre on average.
With the upcoming development of the Thomson-East Coast Line in the region, one can expect these travel times to grow even shorter with more options for connectivity in the future.
The first regional centre in Singapore, Tampines has grown from its early days as a remote neighbourhood in the 80s, flourishing into a vibrant residential and commercial hub servicing one of the largest and most diverse communities in the country. Tampines is also extremely close to Changi Business Park and Changi Airport, making it a convenient location for people who work near these areas.
In contrast to the two North-East towns that were mentioned earlier, Tampines is a mature estate — meaning there is a wealth of amenities readily available in the area. Tampines is well known for its trifecta of shopping malls: Tampines Mall, Tampines One and Century Square combine to provide residents and visitors with 550 retail and F&B outlets, a virtually unlimited number of options to meet your every need.
Another retail destination available to residents is the Tampines Retail Park, which sports megastores IKEA, Giant and Courts. These three super-sized stores are a fantastic retail location for homeowners looking to furnish or spruce up their home.
For food lovers, Tampines is home to a myriad of hawker centres sporting local delicacies such as the Hawker Centre @ Our Tampines Hub and Tampines 201. For those looking for a more modern and chic dining experience, Tampines is also home to many small, independent cafes with western food, cakes and coffee for you to enjoy.
Residents of the Tampines area have easy access to 12 primary schools, 10 secondary schools and 3 tertiary education institutions. Notable schools include Poi Ching School, Ngee Ann Secondary School and Tampines Polytechnic. The town is also serviced by a polyclinic and is located just 5 minutes away from Changi General Hospital. This makes Tampines an ideal location for families with both young children and elderly members.
From the wide range of amenities to the colourful HDB blocks that give Tampines its unique character, it is not hard to see why Tampines is one of the most popular locations for people looking for their next home.
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