Set amid the established landed housing estate of Sembawang — which boasts Sembawang Straits Estate and Straits Gardens built by Bukit Sembawang Estates — is an upcoming private condominium project: the 130-unit Kandis Residence by listed property developer Tuan Sing Holdings.
Located on Jalan Kandis, just off Sembawang Road, Kandis Residence is a short walk from Kandis Garden, the Canberra Sembawang Park Connector, and the 15ha Sembawang Park, which stretches all the way to the northern coastline overlooking the Straits of Johor.
Kandis Residence previewed over the weekend of Aug 26 and 27 and attracted quite a crowd. As the first private condo project to be launched in this landed housing estate, it is likely to appeal to those who have grown up in the neighbourhood, and whose parents still live there. The private condo may also draw HDB upgraders in the Sembawang and Yishun area.
Tuan Sing previewed Kandis Residence over the weekend of Aug 26 and 27
Serene location
The project will appeal to those who want a tranquil location away from the hustle and bustle of city life, says Nicholas Mak, executive director of ZACD Group. The indicative price for Kandis Residences is said to be an average of $1,250 psf.
“As Kandis Residence is a small development, Tuan Sing has a good chance of selling the units within the ABSD deadline,” reckons Mak. Tuan Sing won the 99-year leasehold, 75,832 sq ft site on Kandis Road in a government land tender in April last year with a bid of $51.1 million. This translated into $481 psf per plot ratio, which, according to Mak, was the lowest psf ppr price paid for a private non-landed residential development site purchased under the Government Land Sales programme from 2016 till today.
Source: Tuan Sing Holdings
Artist’s impression of Kandis Residence in Sembawang
Quality product
Being the first condo project in the area also means Kandis Residence will set a new benchmark in terms of product and pricing for future developments in the neighbourhood.
The project will have smart home features, such as digital door locks. Residents can control the air conditioning in their unit using an app powered by Habitap, which is compatible with all smartphone or phablet devices.
Tuan Sing is known for the quality of its developments. Its recent private condo projects include the 276-unit Seletar Park Residence, the 332-unit Sennett Residence and the 52-unit luxury condo, Cluny Park Residence.
The developer has engaged renowned Singapore-based architectural firm Ong & Ong to design the low-rise Kandis Residence, which will have a three-storey block and three 7-storey blocks. Units will be designed to maximise natural light and views.
There will be a wide range of unit types, with one-bedders of 485 to 496 sq ft, two-bedroom units of 732 to 797 sq ft, and two-bedroomplus- study units of 808 sq ft. The three-bedroom units are 915 to 937 sq ft, while the three-bedroom-plusstudy units are 1,023 to 1,034 sq ft. The bedrooms, as well as living and dining areas in the ground-floor units and those on the highest floors, will have 4.2m ceiling height, while the same spaces in units on the intermediate levels will have a ceiling height of 2.9m.
Kandis Residence is scheduled to obtain its Temporary Occupation Permit in 2Q2021. The developer will be providing a shuttle service for residents to the Sembawang MRT station for the first year after the project’s completion.
The show flat of a two-bedroom unit on the ground floor
Up-and-coming neighbourhood
While the government is trying to preserve the greenery of Sembawang, it is also transforming the area into a desirable place to work, live and play. More amenities are being planned for Sembawang, such as the Sembawang Community Hub, a one-stop centre where residents can mingle. The hub will have a range of amenities, from a swimming complex to a hawker centre, as well as services. Its centrepiece will be a national monument, namely, the Old Admiralty House.
Sembawang is also part of the government’s North Coast Innovation Corridor, which includes the Woodlands Regional Centre and the future Seletar Regional Centre.
A new 21.5km North-South Corridor is being built, which will link Sembawang to the CBD and reduce travelling time. The expressway is scheduled for completion in 2026.
The nearby Sembawang Park is popular with nature lovers and anglers
Sembawang Park has one of the few remaining natural beaches in Singapore
This article appeared in The Edge Property Pullout, Issue 795 (Sept 4, 2017) of The Edge Singapore