HDB November 2021 BTO in-depth review: Jurong West

Update as of Nov 17, 2021: This article has been updated with information released during the November 2021 BTO launch. 

HDB will offer 4,501 flats across nine projects in two mature and four non-mature estates in the November 2021 BTO sales launch. The Jurong West BTO will be one of the three projects to be launched in the west, with 221 units of 3-room and 4-room flats.

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

Project name: Nanyang Opal

Location: Jurong West Street 92 and 93

Classification: Non-mature estate

Number of units: 221 units (3-room and 4-room)

Number of blocks: Two 14-storey blocks

HDB’s estimated completion date: Q4 2025

Price range:

Prices will only be announced during the November 2021 BTO launch. In the meantime, SRX has come up with these estimations based on nearby resale transactions and launch prices from recent BTO launches.

This marks the first launch in the non-mature estate in two years. The last BTO launch in Jurong West was in February 2019, which saw two projects being launched: Boon Lay Glade and Jurong West Jewel.

With that, let’s dive into the pros and cons of the November 2021 Jurong West BTO project.

November 2021 Jurong West BTO — The Pros

Accessibility

• A plus point about the MRT access of this Jurong West BTO is that Boon Lay MRT, which will serve as an interchange of the upcoming Jurong Region Line (JRL), will also be one stop away. The line will be ready from 2027 onwards, one to two years after this BTO is completed.
• On top of that, it’s four stops to Jurong East MRT, where residents can change to North South Line to get to the north of Singapore.
• For drivers, Pan-Island Expressway and Kranji Expressway are just a couple of streets away.

Food and retail amenities

• But the main highlight of the November 2021 Jurong West BTO is that it’s very close to a neighbourhood centre. Here, you can find a wet market, hawker centre and the NTI Food Court, all within a five-minute walk.
• There’s also Pioneer Mall around a 10-minute bus ride, where the nearest supermarket, Giant, is located.
• A little further is Gek Poh Shopping Mall at around a 14-minute bus ride away.
• If you’re looking for more options, there’s always Jurong Point one stop away, where there’s a huge variety of retail and dining offerings.

Schools

• The Jurong West BTO is also suitable for those planning to have kids as there are several schools in the area.
• The closest ones are Xingnan Primary and Juying Secondary as they’re just within a six-minute walking distance. (We don’t count Juying Primary here, since it will be merged with Pioneer Primary in 2022 and relocated to Tengah in 2025.)
• In addition, schools within the 1km radius include Jurong West Primary and Pioneer Primary.
• Other schools nearby include Westwood Primary, West Grove Primary, Frontier Primary, Boon Lay Secondary, Jurong West Secondary and One World International (Nanyang Campus).
• NTU is also just across the PIE — perfect for those whose child is planning to study there.

Childcare centres

• Besides schools, there’s a lot of childcare centres in the area. For instance, Smart Berriis Preschool at Jurong West St 9, Sparkletots at Jurong West St 92 and Sunflower Preschool at Yunnan Crescent are all within five minutes on foot.
• There are also a few MOE Kindergarten in the vicinity, with the nearest ones being those at Jurong West Primary (opening in 2022) and Frontier Primary. Both will be around an 11-minute bus ride. Another MOE Kindergarten nearby is at Westwood Primary.

Recreational facilities

• There’s a good mix of recreational options here.
• For starters, Jurong West Sports Centre is a nine-minute walk from the Jurong West BTO site. The centre comprises a stadium, swimming complex, sports hall and tennis centre.
• SAFRA Jurong will be around 20 minutes away by bus. Amenities you can find here include outdoor sports facilities like a futsal court, swimming pool and tennis court, as well as eateries.
• Prefer nature? You can take a 20-minute bus ride to Jurong Central Park for a stroll.
• A little further is Jurong Bird Park at around a 10-minute drive.
• In the years to come, you can also expect more recreational options when Jurong Lake District opens. This includes a tourism development next to Chinese Gardens from 2027 onwards. Fingers crossed that it will be a theme park!

Price

• As we’ve predicted in an earlier version of this review, flats here are some of the more affordable ones in the November 2021 BTO launch since they’re located in the westernmost residential area of Singapore.
• In this launch, the starting price for a four-room flat is S$264,000.
• In comparison to the last BTO launch, 4-room flats at Boon Lay Glade and Jurong West Jewel were going for S$257,000 onwards (excluding grants).

Price appreciation

• Interestingly, there’s been a pretty healthy price appreciation in Jurong West. Over the past five years, prices of 3-room and 4-room resale flats have increased by 9.47%.
• We’re also seeing decent price increases for BTO projects here that have entered the resale market in recent years.
• For instance, since entering the secondary market in 2017, prices of 3-room and 4-room flats in Boon Lay Meadow have increased by 14.24%. A similar increase of 12.83% is also seen in 4-room flats in Boon Lay Grove (the project doesn’t have 3-room flats). And there’s an even higher price increase of 18.32% for 3-room and 4-room flats in Boon Lay Fields.

ALSO READ: Most affordable resale HDB flats you can buy if you are aged 30 and under

November 2021 Jurong West BTO — the cons

Accessibility

• The bad thing about this Jurong West BTO is that it takes around a seven-minute bus ride to get to the nearest station at Pioneer MRT.
• And while the area will be served by the JRL, the closest station on the line, Gek Poh MRT, will be around a 14-minute bus ride away.
• So in terms of its proximity to the MRT, the BTO site isn’t very convenient.

Healthcare facilities

• Apart from the NTUC Health Nursing Home next to the site, healthcare facilities are not as accessible here. For instance, Pioneer Polyclinic will be around 13 minutes away by bus.
• And it will take around a 20-minute drive to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, which is a bit far.
• There’s a proposed health and medical centre within five minutes walking distance from the BTO site, but as of writing, we don’t know the kind of healthcare services it will provide.

Type of flats

• Only 3-room and 4-room flats will be up for balloting in this November 2021 BTO project. So this project will be more suitable for smaller families.
• Another downside is that there are no 2-room Flexi flats here, so singles won’t be able to ballot for a flat here.

Oversubscription

• Despite the ulu (remote) location, we think this project will be oversubscribed. There’s a low chance of getting a flat here since only 221 units will be available. After the Choa Chu Kang BTO, this project offers the lowest number of units in this launch.
• Application rates for the last launch in February 2019 ranged from 2.2 to 6.3 for three-room to five-room flats. So we can expect application rates to be in the same range.

What else we noted about the November 2021 Jurong West BTO

• Just like the Hougang BTO, this BTO is near a Chinese temple. In fact, the temple is just next to the site. So expect some noise during festivals.
• And on the west side of the BTO is an NTUC Health Nursing Home.
• Other than the temple and nursing home, the Jurong West BTO site is surrounded by residential developments of HDB and landed properties.
• If you’re looking for unblocked views, go for the south stacks facing the landed homes at Yunnan Gardens.

• Another aspect that this BTO shares in common with the Hougang BTO projects in this November 2021 launch is that the balloting won’t be available for singles, as there are no 2-room Flexi flats offered. Plus, the 2-room Flexi flats in the Choa Chu Kang BTO will only be available for the elderly aged 55 years and above. This limits singles to just Tengah for this BTO launch.
• This project is also similar to the Jurong East BTO in the August 2021 launch, where there’s no 5-room flats offered.
• This will be one of the HDB that’s nearest to NTU. There’s some rental potential here if you’re planning to rent out your flat to NTU students after the Minimum Occupation Period (MOP) has ended.

HDB resale flats for sale in Jurong West

See all listings

138B Yuan Ching Road

Singapore 612138 · D22

3 2

1,130 sqft

$739,999

450 Jurong West Street 42

Singapore 640450 · D22

3 2

1,119 sqft

$425,000

656A Jurong West Street 61

Singapore 641656 · D22

3 3

1,195 sqft

$588,888

677A Jurong West Street 64

Singapore 641677 · D22

3 2

1,000 sqft

$450,000

405 Jurong West Street 42

Singapore 640405 · D22

3 3

1,593 sqft

$608,888

682B Jurong West Central 1

Singapore 642682 · D22

3 2

1,238 sqft

$590,000

495 Jurong West Street 41

Singapore 640495 · D22

3 2

904 sqft

$420,000

180B Boon Lay Drive

Singapore 642180 · D22

2 2

731 sqft

$400,000

659D Jurong West Street 65

Singapore 644659 · D22

2

1,001 sqft

$499,000

274C Jurong West Street 25

Singapore 643274 · D22

4 2

1,356 sqft

$599,000

Frequently asked questions

How to apply for BTO?

You’ll first need to check your eligibility. If you're planning to take an HDB loan, apply for the HDB Loan Eligibility letter. Keep an eye out for the BTO sales launches every three months in February, May, August and November, whereby you can ballot for a flat.

When can you apply for the November 2021 BTO?

You can apply for the November 2021 BTO after it’s announced. The application period will be open for one week.

Can a second-timer buy BTO?

Yes. You’re considered a second-timer if you have owned or sold an HDB flat bought directly from HDB, resale flat bought using CPF Housing Grant, or an EC/DBSS flat from the developer. You’re also deemed a second-timer if you have taken some form of housing subsidy (e.g. through SERS or HUDC estate privatisation).

This article was first published in 99.co.