Here is my review of Daintree Residence, located in Upper Bukit Timah area. The showflat is along Toh Tuck Road. Developer’s price and brochure is available upon request as unit sales are on-going.

Daintree Residence – A 99-year leasehold development with 327 residential units located at 11 Toh Tuck road. The development is a short walk away from Beauty World MRT station that serves the Downtown Line 2 and shopping complexes such as Bukit Timah Shopping Centre, Beauty World Center and Beauty World Plaza. The Daintree Residence condo is also near to Bukit Batok Nature Park and Bukit Timah Nature Reserve for residents who enjoy outdoor activities.

 

Location and surroundings: 

 

 

The nearest MRT station is located about 8 minutes walk to Beauty World MRT station. Daintree Residence is also located close to an array of amenities such as Bukit Timah Market and Food Centre, Bukit Timah Plaza and Beauty World.

From Primary to University –  The most sought-after factor for Daintree Residences would be the proximity to plenty of schools and higher educational institutes. Families with young children can enjoy going to school, with no hassle of travelling long distances. This convenience does not stop as tertiary institutes and universities are also not too far away. I think this will be appealing to parents as they do not need to worry about arranging transportation or getting up earlier than usual to send their kids to school.

Pei Hwa Presbyterian Primary School is within a distance of 1km and it is ranked 12th in Singapore based on satistics. Tertiary education within close proximity to Daintree Residence includes Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Singapore Institute of Management(SIM) and National University of Singapore(NUS).

 

Price and comparisons: 

 

 

The above is price comparisons for resale projects nearby Daintree Residence. Daintree Residence is priced average of $1,695 psf.

 

I think this is quite high considering that this is a 99-year leasehold development and there are several freehold projects around the area. The location and connectivity are not compelling enough to make a case of future appreciation, therefore, it is hard to justify the premium you have to pay. Many owners of The Creek @ Bukit still seat on a paper loss even excluding their seller stamp duty obligations.

 

Goodluck Gardens Enbloc –  Goodluck Garden’s S$610 million collective sale which translates to about $1,110 psf ppr for the freehold, 360,130 sq ft site, will be likely the next new development that will launch after Daintree Residence. I believe this project will be better received as there are more buyers who will only consider freehold projects.

Here are my picks for the best units to buy in Daintree residence:

Based on the map by Streetdirectory, Daintree residence is surrounded by other projects which are relatively low-rise. Towards South-East direction, there are landed housing.

Stack 46 is the prime stack as it is pool facing and is furthest from the opposite block. This would be the stack I recommend to buyers looking for 1 bedroom.

I think Stack 57 is the best stack as it is pool facing and there are multiple other 2 Bedroom compacts are hit by the west sun. The dumbbell layout is an efficient as there is a no wasted space compared to other standard layouts This would be the stack I recommend this to buyers looking for the 2 bedroom compact.

 

For stack 41, the 2 bedroom Premium, is interesting as there is a unit on Star buy so the price is significantly lower.  It also has no west sun and is the ever efficient dumbbell layout.

Based on the site plan multiple units will be facing each other and the distance is quite close, which is why I think Stack 33 is my favourite option as it does not face any opposite condo directly. It is also facing quiet facing.

3 bedroom layout is quite tricky as most 3 bedroom units are facing the pool or other opposite blocks, Stack 47 does not and has no west sun. Towards landed housing is quieter too.

Developer’s Track Record: 

Setia (Bukit Timah) Pte Ltd – Daintree Residence developer Setia, is a Malaysian real estate, infrastructure and investment company with international presence including Australia, China, Japan and the United Kingdom. They are the leading developer in Malaysia but have only a few projects developed in Singapore. Eco Santuray and 18 woodsville are their completed developments.

 

 

 

The appliances provided with every unit of Daintree Residence:

•  Kitchen appliances from French brand, De Dietrich, which is popular amongst chefs.
• Sanitary wares from German brand, Hansgrohe & Duravit, their taps and sinks are found in most mass-market projects
• Smart Home system which has Digital lockset and wifi-doorbell

 

Overall, I think Daintree residence does not compare well with most new recent launches. It is on the pricier side for a 99-year leasehold project considering the location is not superb and not really that close to an MRT station. The proximity of good schools will be why people will consider staying in Daintree residence as it is not only close to great primary schools, but also higher educational institutes.

 

Location:⭐⭐2/5

Value for money: ⭐⭐2/5

Future appreciation:⭐⭐2/5