May 2018 BTO: Site and Unit Analysis for Fernvale Dew (Sengkang)

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Plot of land where Fernvale Dew is set to be located. Dated 4 July 2018

Along with BTOs in Yishun, Tampines and Toa Payoh, this BTO in Sengkang was launched during the May 2018 sales exercise. Fernvale Dew is located along Sengkang West Road, Sengkang West Avenue, and Fernvale Lane, and is within a cluster of other BTOs in the area. [gallery cstype="gallery_lightbox" columns="1" size="full" ids="73689"]

BTO cluster surrounding Fernvale Dew

 

What’s in the area?

If you prefer a quieter estate, Fernvale Dew is probably not for you. The BTO is situated in the midst of everything. You have future industrial buildings popping up on the West, high-rise residential estates in the North and South directions and a soon-to-be-build school in the Eastern side of the estate. [gallery cstype="gallery_lightbox" size="full" columns="1" ids="73690"]   Transportation and accessibility Transportation wise, it’s a 10-15 mins walk to the nearest LRT station, Fernvale. Fernvale LRT station is 4 to 5 stops away from Sengkang MRT. There are existing bus stops in the northern and western sides of the estate, with buses going towards Serangoon, Bishan, Ang Mo Kio, Yishun and Punggol. There are also bus stops along Fernvale Lane (southern side of the BTO) and it runs to Toa Payoh. For drivers, you will be mainly using the TPE and SLE to reach areas like Woodlands. You can also get to the CTE easily, reaching neighbourhoods like Ang Mo Kio, Bishan and Serangoon relatively quickly. Retail and dining In terms of shopping and retail, The Seletar Mall is less than a 10-min walk away. There is a healthy number of dining and service options in the mall, and the supermarket is NTUC Fairprice Finest. The nearest NTUC however is actually just a 5-min walk away along Jalan Kayu after passing by a Chinese temple. Walk further up and you will find popular supper spot, Jalan Kayu. Walk towards the Southern direction of the BTO for 10 minutes, and you will find Greenwich V, another mall. The mall is smaller than The Seletar Mall, but there are also quite a number of food and dining options to choose from. The supermarket there is Cold Storage. Education There will be a childcare center within Fernvale Dew itself. There will also be a school located next to the estate. Existing primary schools in the area are Fernvale Primary School and Sengkang Green Primary School. The nearest secondary school is Pei Hwa Secondary School.  

Which are the best units to pick?

Peace and Quiet Choose units away from the noise of the traffic and bus stops, away from the hustle and bustle of the nearby school, and away from the hubbub of the activity zones like the childcare centre, the playgrounds and the fitness centres if you want some peace and quiet. Seek these units out for some tranquillity: [gallery cstype="gallery_lightbox" columns="1" size="full" ids="73691"] 400C: 256, 242, 244 400B: 224, 222, 240, 238 400A: 218, 220, 206, 206 401F: 348 400E: 266 401A: 274, 276 401B: 308, 310, 294, 296 401D: 312, 314, 324, 326   Privacy Go for units at the corners, away from the lifts and refuse chute, and ones that don’t have neighbours passing by. You should also consider how close a block is from the next block. Some units are situated in blocks with nearby blocks that are too close for comfort. These stacks have the most privacy: [gallery cstype="gallery_lightbox" columns="1" size="full" ids="73692"] 400C: 246 400B: 226 400A: 200 401G: 368, 374 401F: 352, 360 401E: 342, 330 401D: 316 401B: 290 401A: 284 400E: 260, 270   No Western Sun Having the western sun can be a good thing if it’s facing the service yard where you hang out your laundry, but not so if it’s facing the main rooms at home. In general though, avoid units that are facing the north-west and south-west directions, which are where the afternoon suns in Singapore come from. These units are the most cooling: [gallery cstype="gallery_lightbox" columns="1" size="full" ids="73693"] 401A: 284, 282, 274 401B: 308, 310, 294, 296 401D: 324, 326 401E: 330, 328, 346 401F: 348, 350, 354, 352 400A: 204, 206 400B: 234, 236  

What else to consider?

One other factor to think about is whether you want to be closer to Fernvale LRT, which is important if you take the MRT to commute to work on a daily basis. In this case, you should go for blocks 401D and 401E. If you will be taking the bus, it pays to be located nearer to the bus stops. Opt for blocks 401B, 401D, 400A, 401G and 400C. Unless you’re opting for a unit that’s further inside, there’s really no way to avoid the traffic noise since the estate is pretty much surrounded by roads. However, if you’re getting a unit along the road, you might want to opt for one facing Fernvale Lane. We think it might be quieter in the long haul, since it’s a less major road compared to Sengkang West Road and Sengkang West Avenue, both of which are used heavily by drivers to reach the expressways. [gallery cstype="gallery_lightbox" columns="1" size="full" ids="73694"]

Traffic along Sengkang West Ave on a weekday evening

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Traffic along Fernvale Lane on a weekday evening, a much quieter road

For units located close to the school that will soon built, it’s an option if you don’t want to be facing the traffic. However, avoid those units if you tend to spend a lot of time at home. Schools tends to be a hubbub of activity throughout the day. If you want to have a shorter walking distance to the retail malls, go for 401C and 401E for The Seletar Mall, and 400C, 400B and 400A for Greenwich V. All site and location maps are courtesy of HDB.  

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