Introduction
Woodlands is the regional centre of the North region of Singapore and is the largest planning area in the country. Woodlands saw its first developments take place in 1972 by the Housing Development Board, with the first residential flats being constructed in the area now known as Marsiling.
Since then, Woodlands has seen large-scale residential and commercial development, transforming and growing into a bustling town that is currently home to 268,000 residents.
A Swift Recovery
In 2022, Woodlands earned a spot as the 5th most popular estate in terms of HDB resale transactions, with 3508 HDB resale transactions (worth $1.72bn) taking place within the year itself. Here is a breakdown of the unit types sold in the year 2022:
Unit Type | Units Sold | Highest Transaction | P.s.f Range |
3-Room | 243 | $490,000 | $388-642 |
4-Room | 835 | $610,000 | $364-611 |
5-Room | 567 | $728,888 | $359-599 |
Executive Apartment | 165 | $1,100,000 | $429-541 |
These numbers are a good showing of a swift recovery in the wake of the 2020 COVID-19 market slump. The following graphs illustrate the upwards trend in terms of transaction volume, indicating the strong and steady rise in popularity of HDBs in Woodlands.
Connectivity
Woodlands is made up of a few small sub-towns that are serviced by their very own MRT stations. Admiralty, Marsiling and Woodlands stations located along the North-South Line have been servicing the town's residents since the 90s. Newer Thomson-East Coast Line stations Woodlands North and Woodlands South have greatly improved connectivity for residents in the area, giving them an alternate, convenient ways to commute to central Singapore.
Being closely connected to multiple expressways such as the CTE, BKE and SLE, a car ride from Woodlands to the city centre on a good traffic day will average you around 25 minutes, while residents that utilise public transport can expect a commute of approximately 45 minutes.
Life In Woodlands
Woodlands is a bright and bustling town with tons of amenities to offer, being the regional centre of the North. There are plenty of malls in Woodlands for residents to shop and eat at: 888Plaza, Marsiling Mall, Vista Point, Woodlands Mart and last but not least the iconic Causeway Point are beloved by residents of the northern town.
Across these malls, residents have access to a plethora of retail options with notable brands such as UniQlo, Popular, Sephora and Courts opening outlets in the area. There is even a large cinema run by Cathay Cineplexes in Causeway Point and given the retail offerings in the area, its hard to justify a trip out of the town for most shopping trips.
For schooling options, there are a total of 12 primary and 10 secondary schools in Woodlands, providing plenty of convenient education options across the many smaller neighbourhoods. The infrastructure provided by the new and existing MRT stations and feeder bus services ensures that residents have convenient and easy access to schools in the area.
Woodlands is also home to Republic Polytechnic, the newest polytechnic in Singapore well renowned for offering and specialising in niche diploma courses such as sports science and sonic arts. The polytechnic is also famous for implementing problem-based learning pedagogy and has produced notable alumni such as badminton champion Loh Kean Yew.
Woodlands is also home to the Singapore Sports School, which provides secondary and post-secondary education towards athletically inclined individuals. The school, located in the quaint neighbourhood of Woodlands South blends in perfectly amongst the surround HDB flats, adding flair, vibrance and contrast to the otherwise quiet neighbourhood.
Along with the Singapore American School, which provides lessons following the curriculum in the United States, Woodlands proves to have a couple of niche education options alongside the conventional government schools.
Perspective: The Most Expensive HDB in Woodlands
Considering the rapid rise in popularity of the neighbourhood thanks to the development of amenities and the new MRT lines, it is understandable that property prices in Woodlands has skyrocketed in price - but the question is by how much? Let's take a look at the most expensive HDB in Woodlands, A 2034 sq ft executive apartment located at Blk 834 Woodlands Street 83.
This jumbo sized HDB leased in 1994 and located in the 7th to 9th floor region sold for a whopping $1.1m last year, fetching a p.s.f. value of $541. While such a steep price for a HDB located so far out from central Singapore might surprise many, statistics show that the price of HDB resale transactions in Woodlands have risen tremendously over the last 2 years.
With little sign of slowing down despite the cooling factors implemented by the government, Woodlands looks to be a promising estate in the present future, especially with upcoming developments in the pipeline being built to support the new transport infrastructure. If you own a property in Woodlands, now might be a good time to consider selling!
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