We review the May 2022 BTO launch sites: Bukit Merah, Queenstown, Jurong West, Toa Payoh and Yishun

With demand for HDB flats at a peak, the May BTO launch is bound to be hotly contested. In fact, HDB has mentioned that May 2022 will see a bumper crop, just for this reason.

We're seeing around 5,330 flats across six sites, so you have quite a few options to choose from:

HDB towns in the May 2022 BTO launch

BTO launch sites will be in the following towns in May:

• Two sites in Bukit Merah (Mature)
• Queenstown (Mature)
• Toa Payoh (Mature)
• Jurong West (Non-mature)
• Yishun (Non-mature)

1. Bukit Merah May 2022 BTO

Bukit Merah will offer two launch sites, both close together and on opposites sides of Tiong Bahru Road. 

Note though, that there will only be three-room and four-room flats on offer here, so those looking for something bigger in size will probably have to settle for another location.

Although HDB hasn't made the announcement, it could be likely that these sites will fall under the Prime Location Housing (PLH) scheme. 

Besides the central location, notice that the last two PLH projects also did not feature five-room options. Another factor is price. During the last BTO launch in Bukit Merah, Telok Blangah Beacon raised eyebrows due to pricing.

The four-room flats ranged between $602,000 to $710,000, one of the steepest to date for new flats. As such, we feel it's likely that the May 2022 batch of flats will need higher subsidies; and PLH is designed to accommodate that through Subsidy Recovery (SR). 

Most recent BTO in Bukit Merah:

Site 1: Along Alexandra View

The site consists of around 780 units, of three and four-room flats. 

This site is the closest to the MRT station (where the Avenue South Residence show flat was), being right across the road from Redhill station (East-West Line).

This station is just four stops from Raffles Place, providing fast access to the CBD. Redhill Market and Redhill Food Centre are also next to the MRT station (which has a few small food options too), providing for most day-to-day needs.

In addition, the flats here will be next to Artra, a mixed-used condo development. There's an NTUC FairPrice in Artra, along with a childcare centre, and some eateries.

While this is one of the most convenient locations, it's not for everyone. The proximity to Alexandra Road can mean traffic issues, and serious noise during the CBD rush hour.

MRT track noise will be an issue here too, so it's definitely a trade-off for its convenience. It's also quite a densely packed area, with Artra, the Metropolitan, Ascentia Sky, and Echelon crowding out views in different directions. 

Still though, we expect the sheer convenience and accessibility will more than makeup for that; and we'd be surprised if this isn't wildly oversubscribed.

Site 2: Junction of Henderson Road and Tiong Bahru Road 

This site consists of 1,660 units, of three and four-room flats. 

This is a bit further away from the MRT than the Alexandra View site, but still within walking distance.

It's a bit further from Redhill MRT, being about a nine-minute walk but it could be closer to Tiong Bahru MRT too — perhaps around six minutes (but you could be much closer to one than the other, depending on where exactly your block is located).  

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As a trade-off to being further from the MRT, this site provides more greenery. It's across the road from Tiong Bahru Park and Henderson Park; this will benefit any units facing the direction of Lower Delta Road and Tiong Bahru Road.

There is also the advantage of Tiong Bahru Plaza here, which although isn't a big mall, it does have quite a wide variety of cafes and restaurants, along with a Golden Village cinema on the top floor.

And let's not forget, you are also close to the hip Tiong Bahru neighbourhood, with the always busy hawker centre, and the many cafes and food options to choose from as well.

Just across Bukit Merah View Road, residents will have access to the Bukit Merah View Market and Hawker Centre; or they can cross over Henderson Road, where there are flats with the usual "downstairs HDB" amenities like minimarts. 

As an aside, if this new site is PLH, it could provide a windfall for anyone selling a Henderson Road flat. The flats along Henderson Road are getting on in age (many were built in 1975) — but if they're not subject to PLH restrictions, whereas the new units across the road are, some buyers may opt for these resale options instead. 

2. Queenstown May 2022 BTO

This site offers 860 units of three and four-room flats. 

Those who failed to get a Queenstown flat last year (August 2021 launch) have a second chance with this location. The site is roughly 10 minutes walk to Buona Vista MRT station, which is an interchange (East-West Line and Circle Line). One of the biggest malls in the area, Star Vista, is also next to the MRT.

For more immediate amenities, Ghim Moh Market and Food Centre is just across the road; there is a Giant Express located here, along with a few other convenience stores. 

One of the big appeals here is the Greenway — this is the Ghim Moh/Buona Vista entry point to the Rail Corridor; this is likely to appeal to bicyclists and outdoors types. Also, if you have family members studying at Singapore Polytechnic, note that Dover MRT is just one stop away from Buona Vista. 

The site is roughly a five-minute drive to the lifestyle hub of Holland Village. 

Most recent BTO in Queenstown:

3. Toa Payoh May 2022 BTO

This is the smallest BTO site with just 380 units, so expect it to be very oversubscribed. The units are a mix of two, three and four-room flats. Again, for those looking for bigger flats, this will not be the location for you.

While this is supposedly "walking distance" from Braddell MRT, we'd hesitate to make the claim. It's a rather long walk and we're certain it's over 10-minutes; so not everyone will consider it convenient. Nonetheless, Braddell MRT is on the North-South line, and only four stops away from Orchard. 

For immediate amenities, you really just need to cross the road. On the other side of Lorong 6, the old HDB flats there have the usual assortment of coffee shops, beauty salons, clinics, etc. If you cross on the other side (Lorong 7), you'll find a Sheng Siong supermarket.

Some buyers may not like the proximity of a place of worship nearby though, located just across from Lorong 7. We feel it's far enough that it won't cause noise issues, but that will have to be seen when the flats are built.

Recent BTO in Toa Payoh:

4. Jurong West May 2022 BTO

This site consists of 1,010 units, with the full range of two, three, four, and five-room flats. 

Whether you'll like this site comes down to a simple question: are you an outdoors type?

If you are, you'll love it because it's next to Jurong Lake Gardens, along with all the usual kayaking, bike trails, picnic spots, etc. Just cross over Yuan Ching Road and you're there. 

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It will have a wide frontage of the Jurong Lake Gardens (with the upcoming new Chinese Garden and Japanese Garden), so the views should be quite spectacular.

Other than that, the surroundings are mostly HDB blocks, with the usual amenities that entails (convenience stores, playgrounds, etc.) The Taman Jurong Shopping Centre is also roughly a 10-minute walk away; this is an HDB mall, and it includes a food court, NTUC FairPrice, and Unity pharmacy. 

If you need large malls, cinemas, and long rows of restaurants nearby, you should look elsewhere; those types of amenities are lacking in the general area. 

Lakeside MRT station (East-West Line) will be under a 10-minute walk (depending on which block you stay at), which is pretty convenient. The station is also just two stops from Jurong East, which is the retail and office hub of the west side.

Long-term wise, the area is part of the Jurong Lake District's transformation to Singapore's second CBD, so the supply of jobs and inflow of infrastructure and support to the area should see a better potential in the future.

Most recent BTO in Jurong West:

5. Yishun May 2022 BTO

This site offers 640 units of two, four, and five-room flats. There's a niggling issue with this site, which we'll cover below. 

The site is a little far from Yishun MRT station (North-South Line), at a walk that's roughly 10 minutes. Whether that's convenient is subjective. The site is next to the Khatib-Bongsu Park Connector, which will appeal to cyclists; and the HDB clusters here are quite well built up, regardless of Yishun's non-mature status. 

Cross the Yishun Central Road, and the HDB flats offer a good number of coffee shops and convenience stores. Alternatively, head in the opposite direction and cross Yishun Central 1 Road; in about seven minutes you'll find another cluster of eateries, and a Sheng Siong supermarket. 

Now, on to the more uncomfortable issue:

Yishun Community Hospital and Khoo Teck Puat hospital are next to the site. Being this close to a hospital is not usually desirable; many home buyers will worry about ambulance sirens at night, or heavy traffic. It remains to be seen if that will be an issue, but it is uncomfortably close for many. 

Some buyers also have taboos about living near hospitals; and even if you don't, your future buyers might.

That said, this can also be a strength. Being so close to the hospital may appeal to those who, at some point, intend to rent out their HDB flat. As hospitals tend to employ a lot of foreign workers, rentability is quite high here. Elderly home buyers may also appreciate the proximity to healthcare. 

As an added perk, Khoo Teck Puat has a food court and convenience stores that add to the amenities. 

Most recent BTO in Yishun:

Conclusion

This batch of BTO launch sites shows HDB is quite serious about ramping up supply; and we are surprised at the number of strong offerings compacted into the May launch.

We're pretty sure that the mature areas are going to be oversubscribed, PLH or not, so you should act fast. For more on developments in the Singapore property market, or if you need help securing a home, contact us on Stacked. 

This article was first published in Stackedhomes.