Special Feature

Freehold back-to-back semi-detached house in Cambridge Estate going for $7 mil

September 2, 2024 8:00 AM SGT

The three-storey home has a total built-in area of around 3,315 sq ft and six en suite bedrooms. The property is located within the Cambridge Estate which is bounded by Dorset Road and Keng Lee Road.

A rare back-to-back semi-detached house along Hertford Road, in District 8, is on the market for $7 million. The freehold property sits on a 2,864 sq ft plot and the asking price translates to a modest land rate of $2,444 psf.

The three-storey home has a total built-in area of around 3,315 sq ft and six en suite bedrooms. The property is located within the Cambridge Estate which is bounded by Dorset Road and Keng Lee Road.

Gideon Chia, real estate consultant at ERA Realty, has been appointed as the exclusive marketing agent. He notes that the property has attracted keen buying interest since it was listed for sale in June. The listing has garnered over 40 direct enquiries within a month, and he has organised eleven viewings for prospective buyers.

The property has been leased for the past 25 years, but has been consistently well maintained over that time. (Picture: Samuel Isaac Chua/The Edge Singapore)

“Many of the prospective buyers are either existing landed homeowners in this neighbourhood or aspiring buyers on the hunt for a legacy family home,” says Chia. He adds that those who are familiar with the neighbourhood are typically families looking to upgrade to a larger-sized landed home.

Meanwhile, many of the aspiring landed home buyers are usually younger families who are drawn to the neighbourhood for its proximity to reputable schools as well as the myriad of nearby amenities.

A canvas for a dream home

The property is a back-to-back semi-detached house, which means that the common party wall that separates it from its neighbour is at the back giving it that bungalow look from the front. Most semi-detached houses are attached side-to-side.

The back-to-back configuration also means that the house has a wider-than-usual frontage of about 12m — the minimum frontage of a semi-detached is 8m and a bungalow, 10m. This wide frontage means that there is more than adequate space to fit two cars. “The shape of the site is rectangular without odd corners, which translates to an efficient use of the land size,” says Chia.

The wide frontage of the house means that two cars could park in the front porch. (Picture: Samuel Isaac Chua/The Edge Singapore)

This configuration means that natural light illuminates the house on both sides during the day. All the bedrooms are well lit and the living hall on the ground floor benefit from a palatial 3.8m ceiling height.

The internal layout of the house is functional and efficient, with most of the bedrooms positioned to maximise space without balconies. For example, the two en suite bedrooms on the second floor could be combined and transformed into a grand master bedroom suite that could fit a walk-in wardrobe and dressing area, an enclosed private study, and a lounge area.

Possible extensions to the house include a new open-air terrace over the front porch and modern installations like a lift, subject to planning permissions.

“With the ability to carve out extra or combine living spaces and rooms, this home has the flexibility to accommodate the lifestyle and accommodation needs of a variety of homeowners, from young families looking to grow their family, to large multi-generational families,” says Chia.

All six ensuite bedrooms feature generous living spaces, with the flexibility to accomodate different uses.

Attractively priced

Even though the house has been leased to different tenants for the past 25 years, the property has been carefully maintained. According to Chia, the house is in move-in condition barring a handful of minor touch ups.

He reckons that a new owner could set aside under $1 million on necessary renovations before moving in, bringing the total cost up to about $8 million. “Given the excellent condition of the house as-is, it is the perfect choice for a homeowner who intends to grow and update the property over the next few years,” says Chia.

For homeowners with bolder ambitions, he estimates that an extensive addition & alteration (A&A) of the property could cost between $1 and $1.5 million, depending on the scale of renovations, while a full rebuild of the property could cost upwards of $3 million.

Given its excellent condition, only minimal renovation works might need to be done to turn the house into its move in condition.

“The asking price of $7 million is an appealing price quantum, given the prevailing market price and land rates of pure landed semi-detached homes in the surrounding districts landed enclaves,” he observes.

The average resale price of a semi-detached house in nearby District 11 is about $8 million excluding renovation costs. Meanwhile, the average asking price of a newly built landed property in District 8, where the property for sale is located, would fetch more than $10 million.

Recent transactions so far this year within Cambridge Estate include a 2,157 sq ft, semi-detached house on Carlisle Road that fetched $5.7 million ($2,642 psf) in July.

Cambridge Estate

Due to scarcity of supply, landed houses in the Cambridge Estate is often overlooked in favour of prime landed neighbourhoods in Novena and Newton, but this city-fringe neighbourhood benefits from the same scope of transport connectivity, closer proximity to amenities and good schools, says Chia.

Many prospective buyers were sold on the property after finding out that it is within 1km of four primary schools — Anglo-Chinese School (Junior), Farrer Park Primary School, St Joseph’s Institution Junior, and St Margaret’s School (Primary).

The neighbourhood is also served by major roads and expressways, such as Kampong Java Road, Dorset Road, Bukit Timah Road, and the Central Expressway. It is a five-minute drive to Orchard Road shopping belt, an eight-minute drive to the Central Business District (CBD), and a nine-minute drive to Botanic Gardens.

Families with school-going children would want to consider this property for its proximity to primary schools. (Map: EdgeProp Singapore)

Sited within minutes’ drive of renowned schools and key employment nodes, such as the Novena Health Cluster and CBD, would cut down on travelling time allowing more precious time with the family amidst Singapore’s hectic work environment.

The convenience and proximity to nearby amenities like the popular Pek Kio Market and Food Centre along Cambridge Road, iconic Tekka Wet Market with over 284 stalls, Pek Kio Community Centre on Gloucester Road, and the upcoming integrated sports and recreational facilities at Farrer Park all add to the overall liveability and appeal of this understated estate, says Chia.

He continues: “Given the stiff competition and steady price increases that the landed homes segment has seen in the past few years, this freehold semi-detached property along Hertford Road in the Cambridge Estate is an appealing home that will grow with the family without breaking the bank.”