[Feb 2020 BTO] Unit Analysis for Canberra Vista at Sembawang

By all accounts, Canberra Vista, the BTO launched in February 2020, is very well located, which explains why the bigger flats in this Sembawang estate were 10 times oversubscribed compared to just 7 times for the similar sized flats at the Toa Payoh BTOs. In this article, we look at what’s around the area and see what are the best units to pick if you are thinking of getting a flat here.

What makes Canberra Vista so great?

	Canberra Vista
Location	Along Canberra Drive
Total units	1,467
No. of blocks	15
Highest floor	10
Type of units	2-room Flexi, 3-, 4-, 5-room, and 3Gen flats
Scheduled completion	2Q2024 to 3Q2024
Nearest MRT	Canberra MRT (just next to the estate)
Amenities	Canberra Plaza neighbourhood centre (right across the road from BTO), Sembawang Shopping Centre (approx 15-20 min walk), Northpoint City (approx 20 min walk)

One of the main reasons why this BTO was so popular during the Feb 2020 Sales Launch was because it's located just next to the recently completed Canberra MRT station along the North-South Line.

Site for Canberra Vista, as of Feb 2020.

The BTO is flanked by condominiums and surrounded by other BTOs. During our site visit, the area wasn’t overly bustling, although we expect it to be more vibrant once the surrounding amenities are up and running. Traffic along Canberra Link was sizeable as it’s a major road linking both Sembawang Road to the Yishun neighbourhood, while Canberra Lane and Canberra Drive were a lot quieter. This might change when the other high-rise developments in the area come up though, so do take note.

Quiet road along Canberra Drive.

Amenities-wise, it is a short walking distance to the soon-to-be-opened 3-storey neighbourhood centre, Canberra Plaza, and a 15 to 20-min walk to Sembawang Shopping Centre located along Sembawang Road as well as Northpoint City in Yishun. The road also houses a number of eateries, mostly popular with the late-night crowd.

Canberra Link. To the left is the location for the upcoming Canberra Plaza. To the right is Canberra Vista.

It’s also a 20-min walk to recently revamped Sembawang Hot Spring Park, as well as Bukit Canberra, which is an upcoming 12-hectare sport and community hub that will comprise facilities such as the largest ActiveSG gym with indoor and outdoor pools, a polyclinic, a senior care centre and a hawker centre. The development is set to open progressive this year and is expected to be completed in late 2021. As you can see, there are lots to expect. Canberra Vista will only be ready around 2023, which is in time for the all the surrounding amenities to be completed.

What to look for when picking a unit at Canberra Vista?

Avoid stacks that are close to the MRT tracks

As Canberra MRT station is along the North-South Line, which is an overhead MRT line, you’ll want to avoid stacks that are too close to the train tracks as you will be disturbed by the constant noise. We highlighted in red the stacks that will likely be impacted from the noise. Stacks in the periphery like stack 337, 335, 111 and 113 might seem relatively far away from the tracks, but because they don’t have another structure in front of them to block the noise, they will likely also be affected.

Canberra Vista MRT noise

Pick stacks closest to the MRT exits for convenience

Whilst being close to the MRT station will mean constant subjection to the noise from the tracks, it will also mean you will reach the station a lot faster than the rest of your neighbours in the estate. These blocks are closest to the two MRT exits nearest to Canberra Vista (exit A and exit E): 376B, 376C, 377B, 377C and 379

Canberra Vista MRT exits

Want a cooler flat? Choose stacks not facing the hot afternoon sun

In Singapore, the hot afternoon sun comes in two different directions: north-west and south-west, depending on the time of the year. Stacks with common-used areas like the living room and bedrooms facing these two directions will mean you feel the heat the most when you come back home in the evenings, so you'll want to avoid those. Do note also that stacks not in the periphery will likely have other structures and neighbouring blocks to help provide some shade, mitigating the effects of the western sun. These stacks will likely be cooler than the rest of the stacks in Canberra Vista. 376A: 101, 115, 117 376B: 119, 121, 133 376C: All units except 141 377A: 155, 171, 173, 175, 177 377B: 181, 183, 185, 187, 189, 197 377C: 207, 209, 211, 213, 223, 225, 227, 229, 231, 233, 235 378A: 255 378B: 271 378C: 289 379A: 293, 299, 301, 303, 305, 307 379B: 325, 327, 329, 331, 333, 335 379C: 343, 345, 347, 349, 351, 353, 355, 357, 359, 361, 363, 365 380A: 375, 377, 379, 391, 393 380B: All units except 397 and 399 380C: 415, 421, 423, 425, 427, 429

Canberra Vista hot west sun

Keep your privacy with these corner units

For more privacy, go with corner units that don't have neighbours passing through, and are also away from the elevators and rubbish chute areas. These are the ones to pick: 376A: 101, 115, 117 376B: 123 376C: 141, 143, 151 377A: 157, 169 377B: 179, 181, 193, 195 377C: 219, 221, 235, 237 378A: 241, 243, 251, 253 378B: 259, 261, 269, 271 378C: 277, 279, 287, 289 379A: 307 379B: 319, 321, 335, 337 379C: 353, 367, 369 380A: 379, 389 380B: 409 380C: 429

Canberra Vista Privacy

What else to take note?

• Stacks 105 and 103 are good choices if you want to face some green. Views at these stacks will likely also be relatively unblocked if you go with a unit on a higher floor, since the area behind the park are low-rise private homes.
• Stacks facing the Sungei Simpang Kiri will also be relatively unblocked since they are facing a huge canal. These stacks are: 353, 355, 335, 337, 305, 307, 427, 429, 407, 409, 377, 379.

Sungei Simpang Kiri. To the left is the site for Canberra Vista, as of Feb 2020.

All site maps are courtesy of HDB.