Nov 2021 BTO: Analysis for Tanjong Tree Residences and Hougang Olive at Hougang

The sites for Nov 2021’s Hougang BTOs, Tanjong Tree Residences and Hougang Olive, are in similar vicinity to Hougang Citrine, which was launched back in Aug 2021. The existing amenities in this area aren’t very exciting, but there will be amenities (supermarket, coffee shop and other retail shops) on the site of Tanjong Tree Residences. In our analysis, we compare both BTOs and see the few considerations to think about before you pick a unit.

Site Visit

Both Tanjong Tree Residences and Hougang Olive are situated within a relatively industrial part of Hougang.

To the east, you get Defu Industrial Estate (renamed the Defu Industrial Park after a three-phase development to contain and minimise pollution in the area), the 7-storey JTC Industrial City building and a future high-rise industrial building just across the road.

Several light industries are also located to the southwest of the site, while the Kim Chuan train depot and SBS Transit Hougang bus depot are within short walking distance away.

The purple and light purple areas on the map are currently business and industrial sites.

Map courtesy of URA

That being said, the area’s also very residential. There’s a large landed home enclave to the west of the BTOs as well as upcoming Hougang Citrine BTO adjacent to Hougang Olive.

The sites for the two Hougang BTOs. To the right is the landed housing enclave.

The area feels busy, partly because of all the construction developments still taking place in the area but most likely also because of the industrial sites around. However, public housing areas along Hougang Ave 1 were relatively quiet with few foot traffic although things may pick up during school drop-off and pick-up hours since it’s located next to Paya Lebar Methodist Girls’ School (Primary and Secondary).

Hougang Ave 1 is situated on the right of the image. Further down, the school’s located adjacent to the road.

Traffic’s bustling along Hougang Ave 3, the arterial road that fronts part of Hougang Olive. It connects directly to neighbourhoods like Eunos and Ang Mo Kio, and also leads directly to the KPE.

For now, there aren’t many amenities to boast about, save for the supermarket, eating house and retail shops planned at Tanjong Tree Residences as well as a neighbourhood centre that you have to walk a bit of a distance for.

Even the nearest MRT, Bartley, along the Circle Line, is more than a 20-min walk away. There will be an upcoming Defu MRT station station along Defu Avenue 2. Part of the Cross-Island Line, the station will only be ready in 2030 but it will still be quite some distance away from the two BTOs. Our estimate? At least a 25-min walk.

You are going to have to rely on buses mainly. There are planned bus stops along future Hougang Street 12, which divides Hougang Olive from Hougang Citrine. There are also existing bus stops along Hougang Ave 3. The buses there take you to quite a few places so that’s something to cheer about. These neighbourhoods include Serangoon, Ang Mo Kio, Bedok, Novena, Marine Parade, Yishun and Sengkang.

We think the lack of amenities in the area will change once the Paya Lebar Air Base moves out from 2030. It will be a long time coming, but if you are planning to hold out till then, the area is set to become more vibrant with a commercial hub as well as a new town that is set to be larger than that of Bishan.

Image courtesy of URA

Which Hougang development to go for?

Tanjong Tree Residences.

Hougang Olive.

Images courtesy of HDB

So which Hougang development should you go for? In terms of surrounds, Tanjong Tree Residences is a bit quieter since it’s away from the main road but go for this only if you can afford to wait for a home since this BTO’s completion date is more than a year later than Hougang Olive.

The downside to living away from the main road is that reaching the bus stops will be a lot more inconvenient. Some blocks in Tanjong Tree Residences have the advantage of better lift-to-unit ratio, plus some stacks in that BTO will enjoy *relatively* unblocked views as it’s located next to a low-rise landed home enclave.

Pricing wise, Hougang Olive is slightly cheaper, which we think is because some units at Tanjong Tree Residences have balconies. However Hougang Olive has the advantage of having more “isolated” stacks i.e. stacks that are not side by side with another stack. This will definitely afford you more privacy.

Besides the balcony difference, there are additional layout differences. For the 4-room units, Tanjong Tree Residences seem to have a slightly smaller master bedroom but a more spacious kitchen. Tanjong Tree Residences’ household shelter is also located along the walkway, whereas Hougang Olive’s household shelter is located near the foyer. In terms of communal areas, Hougang Olive’s living and dining are arranged in perpendicular shape rather than Tanjong Tree Residences’ more linear shape.

For the 5-room units, Hougang Olive’s layout is a better one for an open-plan concept, since it allows for an open kitchen. Likewise, the master bedroom seems more spacious over at Hougang Olive and the household shelter for Tanjong Tree Residences is located along the walkway with Hougang Olive’s household shelter situated near the entrance of the home. One of the three kitchen layouts in the 5-room units at Tanjong Tree Residences is also smaller.

Unit Analysis for Tanjong Tree Residences @ Hougang

4-room

Balcony versus No Balcony:

• There are two kinds of 4-room layouts. One with a balcony and another without. The balcony space is really small though, at just 3 sqm. We can’t quite tell them apart on the maps HDB provided for now, but HDB will provide more accurate unit layouts during the flat selection process. Here’s a look at the different layouts:
  

  

  

Little to no afternoon sun:

• Stacks are 100, 102, 136, 138, 140, 144 and 146.
• These stacks may be able to escape from the afternoon sun as they are being blocked by neighbouring units.

More privacy:

• Stacks 100, 126, 140 and 146.
• If you don’t want neighbours poking their heads in when they walk by the corridors, go for corner units and avoid ones that have the entrances looking at the lift lobbies or near the rubbish chutes.

Quieter units:

• Stacks 100, 102, 120, 122, 124, 126, 136 and 150.
• Stay away from stacks that are close to the commercial block, since you will likely see a lot of footfall there.
• Also avoid stacks that are close to or facing the playgrounds, fitness corners, pavilion and car park directly.

5-room

Balcony versus No Balcony versus Perpendicular Kitchen:

• There are three different layouts for the 5-room units. One of the unit types has no balcony. The other two types of layouts have balconies, but they differ in how the kitchen is arranged. Layout 3 has a slightly smaller kitchen.
  

  

  

  

Little to no afternoon sun:

• Stacks 112, 114*, 128*, 130*, 134, 154*, 156*, 158*
• *Only for second floor units as they may be partially blocked by the adjacent car park.

More privacy:

• Stacks 110, 116, 128, 130, 132, 154, 156, 158.

Quieter units:

• Stacks 112, 116, 118, 134, 152.
• Go for stacks away from the commercial block, playgrounds, fitness corners, pavilions and the car park.

Better views:

• Stack 156 is the only one that has an almost uninterrupted view of the landed home enclave, which has a 2- to 3-storey height restriction. The ones with park views aren’t the best for decent views, because beyond the park are blocks of high-rise HDB flats anyway.

Unit Analysis for Hougang Olive

4-room

Little to no afternoon sun:

• Stacks 111^, 113^, 115^, 125, 127, 131, 145*, 165, 167
• ^Depending on how tall the medical facility will be, lower floor units may be partially blocked by the building.
• *Only for units that are 3rd floor or lower, since they may be partially blocked by the multi-storey car park.

More privacy:

• Stacks 141, 143, 169, 171.

Quieter units:

• Stacks 137 and 165.
• Go for stacks away from areas where people tend to congregate. These include drop-off points, the pavilion, playground, car park and fitness corners. We also chose units that are not facing the health and medical care facility since it’s likely going to see a lot of people movement, or facing the main roads, Hougang Ave 3, as well as future road Hougang St 12, which will have buses passing through.

5-room

Little to no afternoon sun:

• Stacks 103, 105, 107^, 109^, 121, 123, 129, 139, 147*, 149*, 163^
• ^Depending on how tall the medical facility will be, lower floor units may be partially blocked by the building.
• *Only for units that are on the 3rd floor or lower, since they may be partially blocked by the multi-storey car park.
• Note that stacks 117 and 133 will get the full brunt of the afternoon sun throughout the whole year.

Privacy:

• Stacks 107, 117, 121, 123, 133, 151 and 163.

Decent views:

• Stacks 117 and 133 have decent views as they are facing the park located on the site for Tanjong Tree Residences. Beyond that is a landed home enclave, so it’s pretty uninterrupted.

Quieter units:

• Stacks 117, 119, 121, 133, 135 and 139.
• Go for stacks away from areas where people tend to congregate. These include drop-off points, the pavilion, playground, car park and fitness corners. We also chose units that are not facing the health and medical care facility since it’s likely going to see a lot of people movement, or facing the main roads, Hougang Ave 3, as well as future road Hougang St 12, which will have buses passing through.