HDB November 2021 BTO in-depth review: Tengah

This November 2021, HDB will offer 4,501 BTO flats across nine projects in two mature and four non-mature estates. Accounting for nearly 50% of the units in this launch will be the two Tengah BTO projects, with a total of 2,132 units to be offered in HDB’s newest estate.

Here’s 99.co’s detailed review of the November 2021 BTO at Tengah

Project name: Parc Clover @ Tengah and Parc Glen @ Tengah

Location: 

• Parc Clover @ Tengah: Tengah Park Avenue, Tengah Boulevard and Tengah Drive
• Parc Glen @ Tengah: Tengah Road, Tengah Boulevard and Tengah Park Avenue

Classification: Non-mature estate

Number of units: 

• Parc Clover @ Tengah: 1,124 (2-room Flexi, 3-room, 4-room and 5-room)
• Parc Glen @ Tengah: 1,008 units (2-room Flexi, 3-room, 4-room and 5-room)

Number of blocks:

• Parc Clover @ Tengah: 12 blocks ranging from eight to 14 storeys, with some blocks housing rental flats
• Parc Glen @ Tengah: 10 blocks ranging from eight and 13 storeys

HDB’s estimated completion date: Q4 2024

Price range:

Parc Clover @ Tengah

Parc Glen @ Tengah

The last launch in Tengah was in May 2021 for Garden Bloom @ Tengah, which saw an overall application rate of 2.6 within three days of application (the final application rate wasn’t available on HDB’s website at the time of writing). Previous launches also saw a similar number for the same flat type, with February 2021 BTO having an application rate of 3.3 and the November 2020 BTO with 2.6.

This time round, two projects will be launched in Tengah, with both located along Tengah Boulevard, on either side of Tengah Park Avenue.

With that, let’s dive into the pros and cons of the November 2021 Tengah BTO projects.

November 2021 Tengah BTO — The Pros

Accessibility

• Both Parc Clover and Parc Glen BTO sites are within walking distance to the future MRT.
• It will be a 10-minute walk to Tengah MRT and Tengah Plantation MRT on the Jurong Region Line (JRL). Tengah MRT will only open in 2027, while Tengah Plantation MRT will open in 2028.
• From Tengah MRT, it will just be two stops to Choa Chu Kang MRT, where you can change to North South Line. And from Tengah Plantation MRT, it will take four stops to get to Jurong East MRT where you can switch to East West Line.
• On top of that, Tengah Boulevard Bus Interchange will be located just across both BTO sites.
• Tengah is designed to be Singapore’s first car-free town. With more walking and cycling paths along the roads, the aim is to reduce the use of private transport. Nevertheless, the town is still accessible for drivers via Kranji Expressway (KJE) and Pan-Island Expressway (PIE) a few streets away.

Food and retail amenities

• There’s a neighbourhood centre currently undergoing construction that’s within five minutes walking distance (and right in front of Parc Clover). It should be up and running by the time the November 2021 BTOs are completed. So you won’t have to worry too much about travelling far to get your essentials.
• For now, the nearest supermarket is Sheng Siong at Bukit Batok West Avenue 8. It should be within 10 minutes walking distance from the flats.

Schools

• Currently, the nearest schools are St Anthony’s Primary, Dunearn Secondary and Swiss Cottage Secondary. All of them are located at Bukit Batok.
• The first primary school in Tengah will be formed through the merger of Juying Primary and Pioneer Primary. It will be relocated to Tengah Plantation (which will be a little further from both BTOs) in 2025.
• Besides these schools, several schools located in the neighbouring Bukit Batok include Dazhong Primary, Princess Elizabeth Primary, Bukit Batok Secondary, Millennia Institute and Dulwich College.
• Based on the URA Master Plan, two land parcels across the Parc Glen site are designated for schools. So we may have a primary and secondary school there.

 

Healthcare facilities

• Another good thing about these two Tengah BTOs is that both will be within five minutes walking distance from the upcoming Tengah Polyclinic. Integrated with the neighbourhood centre, it’s expected to open in 2025.
• Alternatively, residents can head down to Bukit Batok Polyclinic by bus.
• The nearest hospital will be Ng Teng Fong General Hospital at Jurong East.

Type of flats

• Unlike the projects in other estates, all types of flats (2-room Flexi to 5-room flats) will be available here.
• This means that singles will be able to apply here since it’s a non-mature estate.
• And for those with bigger families or who need bigger space, here’s another option they can go for besides the Hougang BTO.

Oversubscription

• As with any other public housing projects, the Tengah BTOs will be oversubscribed. But due to their location, it probably won’t be as oversubscribed as the Rochor BTO, Kallang/Whampoa BTO, and Hougang BTO.
• Plus, there are around 1,000 flats offered for each project, which is very high compared to other projects in this November 2021 BTO launch. So chances of securing a flat here will be higher.

Price

• Compared to the other projects in this launch, prices for the November 2021 Tengah BTO flats aren’t as affordable as we thought.
• Four-room flats have a starting price of S$312,000 at Parc Clover, and S$319,000 at Parc Glen.
• During the last launch in May 2021, prices were going from S$299,000 for the same flat type. Prices were a little higher starting from S$303,000 for the nearby Parc Residences launch in August 2020. So this time round, the starting prices are around this range.

Price appreciation

• There’s probably some potential upside, due to its proximity to Jurong Lake District and Jurong Innovation District.
• Since Tengah is a new estate, it still has land for more developments that can potentially bring up property prices here in future.
• Since flats are still being built here and will only enter the resale market from 2028 onwards, for now, we can look at resale prices in the nearby area.
• For the past five years, resale flats nearby have increased by 15.64%. So it seems that the price increase will be pretty healthy here as well.

 

November 2021 Tengah BTO — the cons

Accessibility

• These November 2021 Tengah BTOs are estimated to TOP in Q4 2024. So you’ll have to wait around three years before the MRT is ready. In the meantime, expect a longer travelling time as you’ll have to rely on the bus (and probably lots of walking and cycling).

Food and retail amenities 

• As of writing, there aren’t any malls being planned to be built in Tengah (yet). But the good thing is that both BTOs are near the border between Tengah and Bukit Batok. So for a quick retail fix, you’ll have to head to West Mall and Le Quest in Bukit Batok in the meantime.

Recreational facilities

• If you’re a nature lover, here’s where you might want to call your new home. The Tengah BTOs will be within walking distance to the upcoming Central Park, which will also feature water bodies for recreation.
• You’ll also be surrounded with lots of greenery, with Common Greens to be located near both projects.
• But other than that, recreational options will be pretty far away.
• These include Bukit Batok Swimming Complex, Civil Service Club @ Bukit Batok and Jurong East Sports Centre. You’ll probably need to take a 20- to 30-minute bus ride to get to these places.
• And while there’s a proposed sports recreation centre at Tengah Way, we don’t know when it will be ready.

What else we noted about the November 2021 Tengah BTO

• The good thing about the location is that the flats will just be a street away from Bukit Batok. So you can head there for more amenities.
• While both projects are estimated to be completed in Q4 2024, Parc Glen has a shorter waiting time of 29 months, as opposed to the estimated 30 months for Parc Clover.
• There will be a childcare at each project, perfect for those planning to have kids.
• Both projects are also close to Parc Residences that was launched in August 2020. In fact, the Parc Clover site is just in front of the August 2020 site, only separated by the Common Greens.
• Parc Clover will have three integrated sold and rental blocks, comprising 24 units of 2-room rental flats.

 

• Since the blocks will be surrounded by other high-rise residential developments, we think there’s a low chance of getting unblocked views for both BTOs. Your best bet for unblocked views will be the north stack of Parc Glen facing Central Park.
• On the other hand, the two land parcels right across the street from Parc Glen are designated for schools. So you’ll have to be prepared for the noise level in future.
• The yellow site on the east side of Parc Glen (marked with the blue drop pin) is currently a reserve site on the URA Master Plan. So it doesn’t have any specific use yet. For now, the east side of it facing Bukit Batok Road is used as a Migrant Worker Onboarding Centre.

 

Our verdict on the November 2021 Tengah BTO

Overall, we think the location is pretty good in the sense that the neighbourhood centre, polyclinic and bus interchange will all just be a stone’s throw away from both projects. The flats will also be within walking distance to the MRT and the park. Additionally, both sites are located just a street away from Bukit Batok. So you can just walk or take a short bus ride there to access more amenities.

The downside is that you’ll have to wait for a couple of years for more amenities to be developed here, including the MRT, schools and the park.

November 2021 Tengah BTO: Should you apply? 

Yes, if you really want to secure a flat during this November 2021 BTO exercise. There’s a high chance of securing a flat here, especially if you’re a first timer. And if you don’t mind living in an estate that’s still in the early stages of development. On the flip side, expect more construction (dust and noise) around the area as more amenities are being built.

This article was first published in 99.co.