For many Singaporeans, owning a landed home is the pinnacle of property aspirations. Yet, in an era of soaring property prices, it might come as a pleasant surprise that there are still freehold landed homes priced just above $2 million. The secret? It's all about knowing where to look and stepping beyond the obvious prime areas in central Singapore.

The rest, of course, is up to the negotiating skills of your buyers' agent (arguably more important when it comes to landed properties, where data is often limited, and inspections are vital!) So, where should one begin this exciting hunt? Let's unveil some potential neighbourhoods:

Places where you might find freehold landed for under $3 million

1. Sennett Estate

Sennett Estate is one of the oldest landed enclaves in Singapore. Some homes here date back to the postwar era (the 1950s),  when Sennett Estate was the largest planned housing estate in Singapore (at the time there was no HDB yet, and the colonial government demolished the former Alkaff Lake Garden to build this estate.) 

Because of a housing shortage after the war, they planned to build 1,400 homes on 170 acres of land. The most amazing part? Each home was priced at an average of just $10,000 (repaid at $85 a month over 15 years)!

Over the years, many of the homes have been extensively renovated, or in some cases fully torn down and rebuilt; but you can still expect to find the occasional house that's visibly older than its neighbours. 

Sennett Estate has also become one of the few landed areas with MRT access. Potong Pasir MRT (NEL) is close by and near the MRT station, you'll find The Poiz, which is a mixed-use unit that has a ground-floor supermarket and shops. Potong Pasir is one stop from Woodleigh and two stops from Serangoon, which means there's relatively good access to Woodleigh Mall and NEX Megamall as well. 

For closer amenities, most residents frequent Tai Thong Crescent. This small stretch of road (about nine minutes' walk.) This area has a lot of famous eateries, like the well-known Hoe Nam Prawn Noodles (which is relocating across the road). The Venue Residences is also around here: A mixed-use project that has a number of eateries and bars on the ground floor. 

All in all, this makes Sennett Estate liveable even if you don't drive. One downside though, is the limited availability of childcare in this area; you may have to venture further out to nearby Woodleigh, Serangoon, etc. for more options.

2. Thomson Garden Estate

Note that Thomson Garden Estate has mixed leases, so not every house here is freehold (but the ones we've shown above were all for freehold/999-year transactions.)

Thomson Garden Estate makes a regular appearance on this and many other "cheapest landed" lists. Like Teacher's Estate nearby, the homes here tend to be on the older side. One highly visible quality is that, unlike other many landed enclaves where every home looks contemporary, Thomson Garden is more eclectic. You'll find old-school, single-storey homes from the postwar era, sitting next to sleek contemporary homes. 

Some home buyers may also appreciate that Thomson Garden doesn't have "snob quality." Many of the homes here were passed down from prior generations, so not everyone living here is especially affluent; you'll find a wider spectrum of neighbours than you would in places like Cairnhill or Tanglin.

Thomson Garden has good access to the TEL line via Upper Thomson MRT, which is only around five or six minutes' walk from the estate. Marymount MRT (CCL) may be borderline walkable, depending on the specific location of your house; we'd put it at 11 to 12 minutes. (If you're near enough to Whitley Secondary, you can also take bus 54 from there to get to Marymount station.)

If you walk along Sin Ming Road for less than five minutes, you can reach Upper Thomson Road. Here you'll find a long stretch of artisanal cafes, enrichment schools, pubs, etc. It's not a lot, but it's enough to keep you occupied over a weekend or two. 

One downside to Thomson Garden is that some of the roads can get very narrow, even for a landed enclave. The narrow turns can be a bit harrowing for drivers, especially if you have a larger vehicle.

3. Sembawang Hills Estate

Most Singaporeans know this area for the famous Sembawang Hills Food Centre, which has been in operation since 1974. This hawker centre is right across from the estate, and it provides a nice contrast against the pricier hipster cafes along Upper Thomson. You do also have several rows of shophouses here, which provide a mix of shops like a few for pets, groceries, a gym, a clinic, as well as several restaurants.

Food aside, Sembawang Hills Estate is an aging estate. The bustle and noise from the '70s have moved on from here (and to give you a sense of how "happening" it used to be, Singapore's Grand Prix - before today's F1 races in the city - used to be held around this area.) What's left now is a very quiet estate, close to the greenery of Lower Pierce Reservoir Park. 

There are no large malls or MRT stations nearby, nor would most of the residents want that; peace and quiet are the whole point of living here. That said, there is a bus connection to Mayflower MRT (TEL) if you need it. This is from route 169, at the bus stop near Sembawang Hills FC (right outside the estate).

Another reason for living here is enrolment priority for CHIJ St. Nicholas' Girls, which is within 680 metres of the estate. Some of the houses here may be within walking distance of the school: If you start from the very centre of the estate, it's roughly about 11 to 12 minutes walk.

4. Kembangan Estate

Kembangan had rocky origins. It was one of the worst affected areas during the race riots in 1964, and swathes of the neighbourhood were under a curfew that saw school closures. Besides this moment of infamy, Kembangan as a private housing estate came about much later than its fancier neighbours (e.g., the landed enclave at Siglap). 

Kembangan in its present form only started in the 1980s, when the kamungs here were cleared out to build the new estate. As such, Kembangan has had less time to acquire a reputation as an exclusive landed area (most other landed enclaves would have been around since the 1960s). This slow start is one of the possible reasons why prices in Kembangan may be a bit lower. 

Nonetheless, Kembangan Estate is desirable today. It's one of the rare enclaves with good access to the MRT, with Kembangan station (EWL) being around a 10-minute walk from the estate. Note that this is just two stops away from Paya Lebar Quarter (PLQ), which is a major commercial hub with multiple malls and offices.

For those who want proximity to Paya Lebar, but dislike the urban density of the Geylang area, Eunos and Kembangan are often the next best options (and the area surrounding Eunos MRT is mostly HDB flats, or the giant Parc Esta condo.)

For nearby amenities, one option is to walk over to Changi Road, which takes about five minutes. This particular stretch has numerous eateries, at a range of different budgets. Kembangan residents also tend to share the amenities of neighbouring Eunos (one train stop away). The area around Eunos MRT has a well-developed HDB enclave, with coffee shops, minimarts, and all the other usual amenities. 

As with almost all landed enclaves though, there's no sizeable mall nearby; so you'll need to head to Paya Lebar for more heavy-duty retail.

5. Jalan Kayu Estate

This is another old landed estate, with parts that date back to the colonial administration. The persistence of low-rise housing here is believed to be due to Seletar Airbase, which was also previously used by the British. 

In any case, the age of the estate means Jalan Kayu estate has an eclectic mix of old and new housing styles. There are many old-school shophouses in the area, and some of these eateries have been around since the '50s. Probably the most famous of these is the Thasevi Food, which Singaporeans just refer to as "Jalan Kayu roti prata."

This area is in the midst of extensive change. The nearby Fernvale area has seen the introduction of HDB flats, as well as some large non-landed developments like Parc Botannia. This leads to the possibility of further development and gentrification, which could encroach into Jalan Kayu (e.g., the replacement of older businesses with artisanal cafes and shops, the same way we saw in Joo Chiat and Tiong Bahru.) 

This could further push Jalan Kayu Estate into the ranks of being an affluent and exclusive area, which is not something every resident is happy about. Right now, Jalan Kayu Estate is still regarded as a laid-back and (compared to other landed homes) affordable neighbourhood, despite the rising values of the properties here. 

Jalan Kayu Estate is within walking distance of Thanggam LRT, and you can currently walk through Lor Samak and Fernvale Park to get there. This station connects to Sengkang MRT (NEL), where you'll also find Compass One Mall. 

There isn't much in the way of serious retail and entertainment here, which is expected for a landed enclave. You'd likely head out to Fernvale for more shopping, where you'll also find Seletar Mall and Greenwich V.

ALSO READ: 50 affordable freehold landed homes from $3m in Singapore: Where to find them

This article was first published in Stackedhomes.