Touring Happy estate: More affordable freehold landed living near an MRT station from $3.48m

I have a confession. I was somewhat prejudiced against Happy Gardens estate before I visited. You see, I'd previously toured Macpherson Garden estate, which is across the road, and was, shall we say, not very impressed by it. So I wasn't expecting much from Happy Gardens estate. However, a reader requested a tour of it so I duly went over.

Refresher for your memory: Macpherson Garden estate's claim to fame in 2021 was being one of the cheapest landed estates in Singapore. The reason I was not too taken with the estate is that with the smaller price tags come smaller plot sizes and narrower roads. And, as such, the streets were super congested (with parked cars), making driving through the estate none too pleasant and finding parking there almost impossible.

Hence, I was expecting more of the same over at Happy Gardens landed enclave. However, I was pleasantly surprised as the area has a very open feel. Not only are the roads generously sized, but so are the houses. (There are terrace houses over 2,500 sq ft in size, as well as semi-Ds (some over 5,000 sq ft) and even detached bungalows in the area.)

In addition, the houses along Jalan Chengkek are situated along a very wide canal, making them single-loading with no houses behind them (pretty rare in Singapore.) And unless the government redevelops the canal, the houses there are pretty much guaranteed their unblocked back view.

I was worried that I wouldn't be able to park in Happy Gardens, based on my MacPherson experience, so I parked over at Balam Gardens.

Also, note how uncluttered the roads are. No parked cars or dustbins used to chope lots in sight, thanks to the single white line. Most of the estate does not allow parking except for one street (if my memory serves) and, even there, the street lots are URA (paid and designated) lots so the roads were very clear (and easy to walk/drive through.)

Note: I think the house on the right was featured on ChannelNewsAsia — the facade looks similar to the interior of the house shown on the programme but can't be certain. Here's the link for you to judge for yourself! If it is the same one, the house is a lot bigger than it looks from the outside!

Now that we've seen Happy Gardens estate, how did you find it? Before I sign off, let me leave you with the Master Plan.

The yellow plot zoned E is Canossa Catholic Primary School, the closest Primary School. Do note how the shophouses have a plot ratio of 3.0 i.e. very tall buildings can be built on the land (in the absence of further restrictions) which would potentially block the breeze and light.

Although there were several eateries in the shophouses I showed previously, those looked to be more pricey (versus hawker food.) For example, the KL ban mian was $8 and the Thai noodles were $12 or $15. For those who are wondering if there are cheaper options nearby, yes there is one at 79 Circuit Road Hawker Centre. (The dark blue strip next to the Pelton Canal above.)

Personally, I enjoyed my walk about this estate and found it very liveable. Let me know what you think about it, or if you believe another landed estate is more deserving of a tour, in the comments!

ALSO READ: Touring Kew estate: Cheap landed living from $2m in 2023 in a sprawling estate (yes, it's leasehold)

This article was first published in Stackedhomes.