HDBs are the next best thing since getting a BTO can be compared to a lucky draw.
Should I buy a resale HDB or BTO? This is surely one of the most common dilemmas every Singaporean will face. In some cases, getting a BTO can almost be compared to a lucky draw, whereas with resale HDB you have control over what you want to buy, along with the higher price tags.
For those amongst us who do not have the luxury of time to wait for a BTO nor the deep pockets required to splurge on a condo, a resale HDB is often the most realistic option. Now that you have decided to go down the resale HDB route, it begs the next question: How do you choose which HDB town you would like to stay in?
Using past transaction data for the year from early 2016 to early 2017 from HDB, here at Stacked Homes, we have crafted an ultimate overview of all the 26 HDB estates and broken them down by the different sized flats. Here are some of the simple conclusions we can glean off a simple glance through the data.
Smallest HDB Population: Bukit Timah
No real surprise here. I am sure most of you would have already known this prior to seeing this data. Commonly dubbed as the “rich people” area in Singapore, it is little wonder that there is only a population of 7550 living in HDBs in Bukit Timah. Well if you would like to be near prestigious schools and prefer a view of low rise buildings and trees instead of a concrete jungle this is the place to be!
3-Room: $392,222 4-Room: $651,036 5-Room: $819,425
Biggest HDB Population: Jurong West
Perhaps most of you would have guessed Tampines or Woodlands here, but Jurong West is actually the most densely populated HDB estates with a population of 255,650! (Woodlands isn’t very far off.) With prices averaging around $460k for a 5 room HDB flat, it is generally one of the more affordable places to live in Singapore. It is pretty convenient too, situated near greenery and lakes like the Chinese and Japanese Garden, as well as a whole host of large retail malls like Westgate and Jem where you can certainly get your retail therapy fix. No need to travel all the way down to Orchard in any case!
2-Room: $240,250 3-Room: $280,945 4-Room: $388,509 5-Room: $464,332
Most Expensive Estate: Central
Again, no real surprises here. With the Pinnacle at Duxton located here, a 5 room flat can average at close to a million Singapore dollars here! This may seem like an eye popping figure. Perhaps in our parent’s time it would have seemed like an incredulous future where HDBs in Singapore can cost 7 figures. But if you were to compare to other cosmopolitan cities around the world like New York or Tokyo, it wouldn’t even be possible to stay anywhere near the centre of the city at such prices, let alone in such a nice iconic high rise building like the Pinnacle!
2-Room: $261,000 3-Room: $430,375 4-Room: $740,475 5-Room: $987,256
Least Expensive Estate: Sembawang
With prices averaging around $416k for a 5 room flat in Sembawang, it is definitely the estate of choice for bigger families or if you are planning for more children. Although it definitely is not one of the most convenient estates, its location near the sea still provides for pretty nice views that you would not otherwise get in other places. Special shout out goes to Choa Chu Kang, as prices there are on average not very much higher but is a very established estate as compared to Sembawang.
2-Room: $229,629 4-Room: $365,769 5-Room: $416,426