Q1 2025 has seen a lot of popular new launches, with high take-up rates; but here's what makes it especially interesting: GFA harmonisation rules are now in full force, and everywhere. No more space-wasting features like giant air-con ledges.

And by now, more buyers are savvy about problems like big planter boxes or bay windows, and this has pressured developers into more creative and efficient layouts. Here are some strong signs of that so far:

1. Pinetree Hill 5-bedroom layout

Pinetree Hill is a leasehold, 520-unit project in District 21. The expected TOP date is in Q3 2027. 

It's very rare that we're positive about layouts with long corridor spaces, as it's wasted square footage. We will, however, make an exception for Pinetree Hill's 5-bedder layout, of which there's only one version.

The reason for the long hallway is the view: the rooms are laid out such that you have a straight, continuous view of the surrounding greenery.

This is exemplified by the larger balcony space which blends into the living/dining area, and has a spectacular view: it's reminiscent of old-school "terrace" style balcony openings, which we haven't seen outside the oldest condos.

This is also one of the main selling points of the project: Pinetree Hill is indeed on a hill, and looks out over the Ulu Pandan and Clementi Forest. 

Besides having water and electrical points, the balcony can fit a full dining table. At around 125 sq ft, you can host full-blown al fresco dinner parties or cocktail receptions.

A private lift is almost expected for a premium unit like this, but notice this one also has a proper foyer: it doesn't open directly into your living room, kitchen, etc.

Besides maintaining better privacy (and pleasing Feng Shui adherents), this means there's room for a coat rack, shoe stand, etc. Most units with foyers tend to be too small to be practical for anything, so this one stands out; it's around 36 sq ft of space. 

The kitchen is separated from the living room by sliding doors, which blend into the background. If you're doing heavy cooking, shut the doors to enclose it and it seems to vanish. If you're hosting a party, open it and you have extra gathering space around a large kitchen island. 

Finally, notice the junior master suite — with the bathroom and nearby powder room — is almost like a sub-unit tucked to the side. Excellent as a guest room, but also easy to repurpose for a family member (or perhaps even a tenant?) staying for some time.  

2. Lentor Central Residences 4-bedroom layout

Lentor Central Residences is a leasehold, 477-unit project in District 26. The expected TOP date is Q3 2028. Lentor Central Residences almost sold out over the launch weekend, and one of the reasons was its excellent unit layouts. This allowed it to stand out from the five other Lentor projects, including the nearby integrated Lentor Modern. 

While we're not a big fan of corridor spaces, there are many mitigating factors here. First, the front entrance doesn't open directly into the living room or kitchen: it seems developers are learning that some homeowners don't like this. 

Next, the Private Enclosed Space (PES) is fully enclosable, and is the first among the six Lentor projects with this feature. This is important to some homeowners, who don't like birds flying in, or a balcony that a pet can clamber off. Also, the developer leaned heavily into a wider frontage for the living/dining area: it makes for a better view, and bigger, more functional PES. 

The kitchen is one of the best among new launches: an efficient U-shaped structure that allows for storage along multiple walls, and a yard that also connects it to the tucked-away store room.

A Jack-and-Jill bathroom opens to two of the bedrooms for efficiency, while the master bedroom gets a sizeable walk-in wardrobe. This is getting rarer among the new launches by the way, and it's a good deal when you don't need to pay contractors to build it for you. 

All this feels larger than the 1,399 sq ft it actually is; and we expect it will see equally high demand once it joins the resale market.

3. 8@BT 2-bedroom layout

The name of this project is a reference to its address, at 6 & 8 Bukit Timah Link. This is a small (158 unit) project in District 21, that is likely to TOP in Q4 2027. 

The first thing that strikes us about this 2-bedroom layout is the inclusion of a powder room. This is usually found in much larger units, but it's a clever twist that makes a lot of sense: a major drawback of 2-bed, 1-bath setups is that the inhabitants need to take turns to use the bathroom; and it's unpleasant going in right after someone else. A powder room helps to mitigate some of these issues, without requiring the inclusion of a whole second bathroom. 

The kitchen has an efficient U-shape layout, and is fully enclosable; there's a kitchen window for proper ventilation if you choose to do that. The multi-functional kitchen sink combines several features like a chopping board and rinser, and you would also notice that the storeroom is placed right in the middle of the kitchen, an ideal spot. The overall setup is good for the serious home cook and the casual one. 

There are several other details that round this out, such as a robot cleaner that comes with every unit. This makes it one of the best 2-bedder layouts among the current batch of new launches. 

4. Aurea at Golden Mile 4-bedroom layout

Aurea at Golden Mile is the redevelopment of the famed Golden Mile Complex, in District 7. This is a mixed-use, leasehold project with 188 units; the residential units are in a tower next to the familiar commercial complex, for which the facade has been maintained. It's expected to TOP in Q2 2029.

The unit we are showing here is the larger of the 4-bedroom variants at 1,789 sq ft. It uses a dumbbell-like layout, with two bedrooms flanking the living room, which is rare to find in today's market.

Interestingly, the ceiling height differs slightly based on the floor: those on the 18th floor and above have around a three-metre ceiling height, while those on lower floors have 2.85 metre ceiling height. 

As always, a private lift comes with a premium unit like this; and as we saw in Pinetree Hill, some developers have picked up buyer preferences. The lift lobby maintains privacy by opening into a foyer, not directly into the living room; there's also space in this area for shoe racks, coat racks, etc. 

For units on odd floors (which is shown above), you'll notice there's a communal planter. The good news is this is not part of your square footage, so it's not like a planter box you have to pay for. If developers want more greenery for their BCA Green Mark or other such purposes, this is the way to do it. 

The balcony area is large enough to host a dinner party, and it's something to be taken advantage of for units with a Kallang Basin view. At 215 sq ft, it's ample outdoor space.

The kitchen comes with a kitchen island, in addition to having both a wet and dry kitchen. This allows for heavy cooking (the unit has sliding doors that can enclose the kitchen), as well as for opening up the space for parties and events; the kitchen island is an excellent bar counter if need be.

A nice touch is that the junior master suite and other smaller bedrooms will at least fit a queen-sized bed. The master bathroom also has a double sink for the vanity and a bathtub. This is something we rarely see in newer condos; but it's an old-school element that works for units of this size. 

We can see from recent launches that developers are adapting to changing needs and trends, one of which is making two-bedders more livable; there was a time when these were thought to be just for tenants. 

This article was first published in Stackedhomes.