Nov 2022 BTO: Unit Analyses for Ghim Moh Natura, Queensway Canopy and Ulu Pandan Banks at Queenstown

There were a whopping three Queenstown BTOs launched during the November 2022 sales exercise, two of which are offered under the Prime Location Housing (PLH) scheme. We take a closer look at the BTOs and see the best units to pick for each of them.

BTO	Ghim Moh Natura	Queensway Canopy	Ulu Pandan Banks
Location	Bounded by Ghim Moh Road, Ghim Moh Close, Commonwealth Avenue West, and the Rail Corridor	Bounded by Queensway, Queen’s Crescent and the Rail Corridor	Bounded by Commonwealth Avenue West, Ghim Moh Link and Ulu Pandan Park Connector
PLH model?	YES	NO	YES
Total no. of units	991	996	1,330
Unit types	2-room Flexi, 3- and 4-room	Community Care Apartments, 3- and 4- room	3- and 4-room
No. of blocks	4	5	7
Highest storeys	15 to 40	6 to 40	6 to 44
Estimated completion date	1Q2028	4Q2028	3Q2029
Pricing	2-room Flexi 1: $206K - $244K 2-room Flexi 2: $261K - $314K 3-room: $364K - $487K 4-room: $516K - $696K	Community Care Apartments: $82K - $111K 3-room: $392K - $488K 4-room: $551K - $695K	3-room: $362K - $504K 4-room: $546K - $725K
Nearest MRT station	Buona Vista MRT station on the East- West and Circle Lines (~8-min walk)	Queenstown MRT station on the East- West Line (~16-min walk)	Dover MRT station on the East-West Line (~5-min walk)
Primary schools within a 1-km radius* *distance based on approximation, may differ depending on block	• Fairfield Methodist School (Primary) • Henry Park Primary School	• New Town Primary School • Queenstown Primary School	• Henry Park Primary School
Amenities within a 15- min walking distance	• 20 Ghim Moh Road Market & Food Centre • The Star Vista • Holland Drive Market and Food Centre • Eateries and restaurants at The Metropolis • Rochester Mall • Holland Village • Entrance to Rail Corridor	• Eating House and mini mart at upcoming Queen’s Arc BTO • NTUC Fairprice at Stirling Road • Meiling Market and Food Centre • Queensway Shopping Centre • IKEA Alexandra • Anchorpoint Shopping Centre • Entrance to Rail Corridor	• NTUC Fairprice Ghim Moh Link • Food Court at 19A Dover Crescent • Sheng Siong at 25 Ghim Moh Link • The Star Vista shopping mall • Koufu food court + MacDonalds at Singapore Polytechnic • Ulu Pandan Park Connector

 

Site Visit to Ghim Moh Natura

The site for Ghim Moh Natura sits right next to Ghim Moh Ascent BTO, which was launched earlier this year. We covered that previously in a separate analysis here. Not much has changed since our last site visit to the area. The land remains open up and empty still.

Site for Ghim Moh Natura.

One of the biggest advantages of living in this area is the access to the rail corridor. It gets pretty crowded during the weekends though, where the surrounding vicinity is a common pitstop for those enjoying this green trail since it’s located near the popular 20 Ghim Moh Road food centre. You will likely see quite a bit of foot (and bicycle!) traffic in the area.

Future residents of Ghim Moh Natura will also enjoy the benefit of being close to the MRT station—very walkable to Buona Vista station via an underpass. There, you’ll also be able to quickly get to The Star Vista and The Rochester Mall.

You’ll also be able to get to Holland Village with its flurry of eateries, markets and food centres by walking across the Rail Corridor via an existing pedestrian bridge. There’s really nothing more you can wish for.

The bridge to get to Holland Village.

The area itself is relatively quiet for most parts of the day. Ghim Moh Road fronts it, but the road isn’t an overly busy one despite having a temporary bus terminal (it will be removed following the construction of Ghim Moh Ascent BTO) along it. You get more vehicular traffic during lunch hours and in the morning when the market is open. The nearby market is also an immensely popular one among folks in the west.

Ghim Moh Road.

Ghim Moh Market and Food Centre.

The much busier Commonwealth Avenue West fronts the other side of Ghim Moh Natura, but residential blocks are buffered by the multi-storey car park and an upcoming park, so the heavy traffic along this road shouldn’t pose too much of an issue.

 

Site Visit to Queensway Canopy

Queensway Canopy is the only Queenstown BTO launched in Nov 2022 that isn’t under the PLH scheme. And while it isn’t as attractive as its other Queenstown cousins, seeing as it’s not the nearest to an MRT station, it still has a few things going for it.

Site for Queensway Canopy.

IKEA and a few minor shopping malls like Queensway Shopping Center and Anchorpoint Shopping Centre are within walking distance. And if you take the pedestrian bridge across Queensway, there’s a little enclave right before Mei Ling Market and Food Centre that is beginning to look like a hipster joint with its array of cafes.

As with Ghim Moh Natura, the entrance into the Rail Corridor is located right next to the BTO.

Queensway Canopy will also sit within Singapore’s first health district, which will see measures taken to encourage preventive healthcare. Queen’s Arc BTO, the BTO launched back in Aug 2021 and located right next to Queensway Canopy, has a jogging loop on its roof garden. For Queensway Canopy, the BTO will see several community care apartments within the site, an ActiveSG gym, and an Active Ageing Centre on the first floor of its car park.

The downside to this BTO site is that it’s adjacent to an arterial road (that has a ton of buses passing through) and a major intersection, so you will likely get the full brunt of traffic noise (+pollution).

It's located right next to Queensway, a busy arterial road.

Along Queensway.

An upcoming road, Queen’s Crescent will be constructed beside the BTO. This will serve as an additional entrance into Alexandra Hospital, which will be expanded with the first phase ready by 2030. A few stacks are facing this new road, so do note that these stacks may be subjected to siren noises from ambulances from time to time.

There is also a mosque nearby, on the other side of the Rail Corridor. For those who venture to these parts, you’ll recognise it as the slightly secluded, characterful mosque that has a water point for hikers along the Rail Corridor. The entrance to it is on the other side as well, so we don’t think it will cause too much of an issue.

 

Site Visit to Ulu Pandan Banks

We also paid a visit to the site for Ulu Pandan Banks, which is known as the BTO whose construction will clear out part of the Dover Forest. Unfortunately, it’s unlikely you will be able to hear the beautiful sounds of the forest we heard during our site visit when you move in by 2029.

Ulu Pandan Banks is the biggest Queenstown BTO among the three launched in Nov 2022. It’s also the one that has the longest waiting time (6 years at least!), likely owing to the technicalities and logistics of removing an entire green lung.

No more greenery once the BTO is up.

Site for Ulu Pandan Banks.

So what else is around the site? There are a couple of eateries surrounding the BTO and within short walking distance, some of which are under existing HDB blocks and some are located within the nearby Singapore Polytechnic. The nearest supermarkets are also situated under the adjacent HDB blocks and within walking distance.

The nearest supermarket is within a short walking distance.

There's The Star Vista mall for retail therapy and dining at restaurants. It’s walkable, but if you don’t want to be under the hot sun, it’s just one train station away from Dover MRT, which is around 5 mins by foot from the BTO.

Dover MRT.

Commonwealth Avenue West fronts this BTO site, and it’s an arterial road and one that gets quite busy during the peak hours since it leads into several educational institutions near the area. And then there’s also the overhead MRT tracks running above Commonwealth Avenue West adding to the noise levels. Thankfully, the multi-storey car park serves as a bit of a noise buffer.

We would definitely recommend getting units at stacks facing the other side though since those overlook the Ulu Pandan Canal (for some otter spotting) and low-rise private housing.

 

Unit Analysis for Ghim Moh Natura

Colour Code:
Pink	2-room Flexi
Green	3-room
Yellow	4-room
Purple	Community Care Apartments

 

Cooler stacks away from the afternoon sun, which comes from either the northwest or southwest directions.

50A	100, 102, 114
50B	124
51A	140, 142
52A	154, 156, 158, 160

Stacks with privacy, away from the prying eyes of your neighbours walking by and away from the rubbish chutes and lifts.

50A	102, 108
50B	124
51A	132, 142
52A	146, 160, 156

Quieter stacks away from the main roads and areas where people tend to gather e.g. playgrounds, rail corridor, the upcoming park on site, car park, fitness station, drop-off porch and pavilion.

50B

120, 122

Stacks that potentially have unblocked views.

These stacks will be facing 5- to 7-storey buildings across the rail corridor, pick ones on a higher floor for potentially unblocked views.	100, 102, 112, 114, 140, 142
These stacks are facing the 7-storey car park. Beyond that, it’s the main road and the MRT tracks. Pick a floor above the 7th floor for potentially unblocked views.	130, 132, 144, 146
Our top pick for unblocked views. Overlooks the rail corridor.	152

Other considerations when choosing a unit at Ghim Moh Natura:

• The nearest bus stop for this estate is located along Ghim Moh Road, with residents at Blk 51A having the most convenient access.

 

Unit Analysis for Queensway Canopy

Cooler stacks away from the afternoon sun, which comes from either the northwest or southwest directions.

As the blocks at Queensway Canopy are relatively staggered (the stacks range from 6 storeys to 40 storeys), it’s best to check out the development’s 3D model to determine which stacks will be shaded from the afternoon sun by the neighbouring stacks.

For now, we can only determine that these two stacks are unlikely to get much of the afternoon sun:

204B	156 and 158

Stacks with privacy, away from the prying eyes of your neighbours walking by and away from the rubbish chutes and lifts.

CC (community care apartments)	100, 110, 124, 126
204A	148
205A	166
205B	194

Quieter stacks away from the main roads (Queensway and Queen’s Crescent - the latter will be less busy, but it may be subjected to ambulance sirens once the hospital is expanded) and areas where people gather, e.g. playgrounds, rail corridor, car parks, fitness stations, drop-off porches and pavilions.

CC	112, 114, 116, 118, 120
204A	134, 144, 150, 152
204B	154
205A	162, 164, 170, 180
205B	188

Other considerations when choosing a unit at Queensway Canopy:

• As this BTO’s not located near an MRT station, you may want to select a block that’s close to the existing bus stop if you rely on public transportation. The existing bus stop is along Queensway, and Blocks 205A and 205B are the closest ones to it. There may be a potential bus stop along the upcoming Queen’s Crescent road, but it may only take off when there is demand for it.

 

Unit Analysis for Ulu Pandan Banks

Cooler stacks away from the afternoon sun, which comes from either the northwest or southwest directions.

Based on the information by HDB, the blocks along Ulu Pandan Canal are designed much shorter (between 6 to 12 storeys) than the other blocks (between 33 to 44 storeys) along Commonwealth Avenue. As such, most of the inward-facing stacks in the shorter blocks are likely to get some shade from the opposite stacks.

57B	221, 223, 233, 235
57C	241, 243, 245, 247
58B	293, 295

Stacks with privacy, away from the prying eyes of your neighbours walking by and away from the rubbish chutes and lifts.

57A	203, 207, 213, 215, 217
57B	223, 225, 227, 229, 231, 233, 235
57C	239, 241, 243, 245, 247, 249, 251
57D	253, 257, 263, 265, 267
58A	275, 277, 279, 281, 283, 285, 287
58B	291, 293, 295, 297, 299, 301, 303
58C	305, 309, 315, 317, 319

Stacks that will be able to enjoy views of the Ulu Pandan Canal and potentially unblocked views.

You’ll want to pick a unit above the car park, above the MRT tracks and the Singapore Polytechnic buildings across the main road for unblocked views. Our recommendation is to go for a unit above the 7th floor.	201, 203, 217, 219, 253, 255, 269, 271
These stacks are facing Ulu Pandan Canal and the landed housing enclave beyond. The private houses are mostly 3 to 4 storeys tall, so if you are picking a unit at these stacks, you may want to opt for a unit on a floor above them for better views.	225, 227, 229, 231, 237, 239, 249, 251, 277, 279, 281, 283, 289, 291, 301, 303
These stacks are inward-facing, but they are much taller than the stacks before them. Opt for a unit above the 12th floor to get potentially unblocked views.	205, 207, 209, 211, 213, 215, 257, 259, 261, 263, 309, 311, 313, 315

Other considerations when choosing a unit at Ulu Pandan Banks:

• There aren’t a lot of quiet stacks here. The outward-facing stacks either overlook the main road, Commonwealth Ave West and the MRT tracks or the Ulu Pandan Canal, the park connector and the site that will eventually be developed into a park. Inward-facing stacks are also mostly facing the amenities on site. Our recommendation for a quieter unit is to go for a really high floor on a main-road-facing stack.
• Note that there is a bin centre on site. These stacks are likely to be affected by it: 203, 317, 319 and 321.

 

A Quick Look at the Floor Plans

2-room Flexi

If you are opting for a 2-room flat, you will only be able to select from Ghim Moh Natura BTO. You can choose from Type 1 or Type 2 floor plans:

As with most 2-room Flexi Type 1 layouts, it's smaller. Type 2 layouts also typically have an extra 'room' that is big enough to hold a single-sized bed.

3-room

All three BTOs have 3-room options to choose from.

Ghim Moh Natura has 2 different layouts:

Queensway Canopy has only one type of 3-room layout:

Ulu Pandan Banks also has two different 3-room layouts to pick from:

Based on the size, Queensway Canopy's 3-room units are just a bit larger than the rest. It also has the most flexible kitchen, allowing you to either do it up galley style or a dry-wet style, as suggested by HDB. If you prefer having a dry-wet kitchen separation, certain 3-room units at Ghim Moh Natura's also offer that option as well, although it's worth noting that they are unlikely to be able to accommodate a galley-style kitchen.

If you are planning to combine the bedrooms, the 3-room layouts at Queensway Canopy and Ulu Pandan Banks are better options for greater flexibility since there are no structural walls in between the bedrooms.

Also, consider the locations of the bomb shelter, and where you would like it located. The ones near the entrance do give you a smaller living room to play with.

4-room

All three BTOs have 4-room units to choose from.

Ghim Moh Natura has two options:

Queensway Canopy also has two options:

Likewise, there are two 4-room layouts for Ulu Pandan Banks:

One of Queensway Canopy's 4-room layouts has a balcony. And just like their 3-room units, the 4-room units at Queensway Canopy are also slightly larger.

With Ghim Moh Natura and Ulu Pandan Banks, you get two kinds of 4-room layouts. One with the bomb shelter near the entrance and therefore a more restricted living/dining room but open kitchen, and the other with the bomb shelter along the walkway, which lends to a galley-style kitchen.

For Queensway Canopy, both their layouts have the bomb shelter by the entrance. The only difference is that one layout has a balcony and one doesn't.

The 4-room units at Ghim Moh Natura and Queensway Canopy offer more flexibility in changing up the layouts of your bedrooms since the in-between walls can be completely knocked down without any structural walls in between.