Nov 2020 BTO Tampines: Unit Analysis for Tampines GreenEmerald

Tampines GreenEmerald, launched last month in the Nov 2020 BTO sales exercise, joins one of the many BTOs in the area. Highlights include a less than 10-min walk from the Bedok Reservoir MRT station on the Downtown Line and the nearby Bedok Reservoir, located just across the road from the development. Here is an overview of the site as well as a look into the considerations to think about if you decide to go for a unit here.

Overview

Bordered by the large Bedok Canal, the site for Tampines GreenEmerald is relatively quiet, with much of the area still under development. On the other side of the canal are primarily private condominiums. Bedok Reservoir is close by, so you do get a sense of nature in the area. Go further north and you will find a large residential cluster mainly made up of public housing.

Tampines GreenEmerald site on the left, taken in Nov 2020 during a weekday site visit.

Bedok Reservoir Road to the left. Tampines GreenEmerald on the right.

There aren’t a lot of nearby amenities for Tampines GreenEmerald as of now. The nearest ones so far are located at Tampines GreenGem BTO, which is still under construction. The site for Tampines GreenGem will house a supermarket, an eating house and other retail options. » Read more about Tampines GreenGem here. The area is great if you love the outdoors. Besides its close proximity to Bedok Reservoir, it is also adjacent to the Bedok Park Connector, which links you up all the way to East Coast Park.

Considerations when choosing a unit at Tampines GreenEmerald

1. AVOID: Traffic noise

Bedok Reservoir Road sees a relatively heavy flow of traffic, especially during peak periods. It directly connects to the entrance of the PIE and also sees a number of buses plying through. Avoid these stacks if you don’t want to be disturbed by traffic noise. 960A: 404, 406, 408, 410, 412 961A: 418, 420, 422, 424, 426, 428, 430

2. AVOID: High human activity zones

For privacy, peace and quiet, you don’t want to be surrounded by areas that have frequent high human activities. These include areas like the bus stops, pavilions, childcare centre, the car park, playgrounds and fitness stations, where people tend to congregate. Part of the site is also reserved for a health and medical care building, which is likely going to see high human traffic. As such, these are the stacks to avoid: 960A: 400, 402, 412 961A: 414, 424, 426, 436 961B: 444, 446, 448, 450, 452, 454 961C: 466, 468, 470, 472, 474, 476, 478 962A: All units

3. CHOOSE: More privacy

Value your privacy and don’t want your nosy neighbours peeking into your flat while they take out the trash? Go for these corner units. 960A: 402, 404, 408, 412 961A: 414, 420*, 430, 432, 436 961B: 446, 448*, 450*, 454 961C: 468, 472*, 474*, 476* 962A: 486*, 496, 504 *Service yard faces the common corridor

4. CHOOSE: Away from the western sun

In Singapore, the hot afternoon sun comes in two directions: north-west and south-west. The former will happen from March to September, while the latter takes place from September to March. These are the units to pick: 960A: 412 961A: 432, 434 961B: 446, 448, 450 961C: 464 962A: 492, 494, 496, 498

Other considerations to think about:

• Note that Tampines GreenEmerald will be built using the Prefabricated Prefinished Volumetric Construction (PPVC) method so quite a number of finishes (including vinyl flooring) will come with the unit, which you cannot opt out of.
• Because the nearby Paya Lebar Air Base is set to move out only in 2030, you might still hear some aircraft noise occasionally. We didn't hear any however during our site visit.
• Consider stacks facing the Bedok Canal if you want a good distance from neighbouring blocks or structures.