Feb 2018 BTO Site and Unit Analysis: Geylang (Ubi Grove)

Results for the latest BTO exercise in February 2018 are expected to be out in late March or early April. Five developments were launched during the last exercise, and the ones at Ubi Grove in Geylang and Teck Whye View in Choa Chu Kang received the most bids and were largely oversubscribed.

Today’s article will focus on Ubi Grove. We’ll look at the surrounding vicinity, the amenities within, the site itself as well as the best units to pick if you received a queue number.

Quiet neighbourhood?

Our site visit over the weekend found the neighbourhood to be relatively quiet. Surrounding the future BTO site are mainly industrial facilities (along Ubi Ave 2 and Ubi Road 3) with a few older residential buildings (along Ubi Ave 1) situated nearby.

The site will probably be a lot more bustling during the weekdays, with several schools nearby and the area being in the midst of an industrial estate.

Amenities

Transportation: The popularity of this BTO probably stems from its close proximity to Ubi MRT station, which is located right outside the estate along Ubi Ave 2.

There are several existing bus stops surrounding the site. We spotted one across Ubi Road 3, one along Ubi Ave 1 and another along Ubi Ave 2 – this means the entire site is surrounded by bus stops.

Drivers, you’ll also be pleased to know that you wouldn’t have to cross too many traffic lights to reach the Pan-Island Expressway.

Retail and shopping: There is a neighbourhood centre nearby with several retail shops, coffee shops and a small Giant supermarket within it. Many of the shops were closed however, and the few that were opened didn’t receive much footfall.

Schools: A child care centre will be built within Ubi Grove, according to HDB. It will be located right next to the busy cross junction mentioned earlier, and will be next to one of the car parks.

Nearest schools are Maha Bodhi School (primary school) and Manjusri Secondary School, both of which are located right next to Ubi Grove.

Choice units

Before we get down to the nitty gritty to see which stack you should choose, here are some things to look out for:

In general, if you want a relatively closer proximity to Ubi MRT and the facilities at the neighbourhood centre, get your unit from blocks 357D, 358D, 357C and 358C. However, do note that these areas will also guarantee higher human traffic so privacy might be compromised.
There are a few stacks that face the schools. Schools tend to be a bit noisier, particularly during mornings and afternoons on the weekdays. Avoid those if you work from home or if you need peace and quiet during the day. Otherwise, those units are okay to go for if you aren’t usually at home during the day.
For units facing Ubi Ave 1, you might get heavy traffic during peak periods in the mornings and evenings as this road leads to the secondary school’s entrance. For units along Ubi Ave 2, traffic is guaranteed to be high as it’s one of the roads leading towards the industrial estate.
A few of the units are also located quite close to multi-storey car parks, which reach six to seven storeys. Avoid lower floor units at those blocks (357D, 357C, 356B and 356A) if you don’t want your unit to be enveloped by car fumes or disturbed by engine sounds.

1. Unblocked views

The HDB flats along Ubi Ave 1 are about 12 storeys tall. Selected blocks in this BTO are taller than 12 storeys, so you will be getting relatively unblocked views if you get a unit at the upper floor.

Pick these units if you don’t want to be blocked by adjacent flats or surrounding buildings:

356D: 60, 62, 64, 66 (only from 13-15th floor)
356C: 44, 46, 48, 50 (only from 13-14th floor)
357C: 116, 118, 104, 106 (only from 11-12th floor)
358C: 184, 186, 188, 190, 192, 194 (only from 11-12th floor)

Note: Blocks 357D and 358D (only 10 storeys) looking over Ubi Ave 2 face industrial buildings across the roads, which are relatively tall. As such, you might not get unblocked views should you go for a unit there.

2. Afternoon sun

The direction of the afternoon sun varies throughout the year, although it is generally in the west direction. More accurately, in Singapore, from March to September, the afternoon sun comes from the north-west direction, while from September to March, it stems from the south-west direction.

If you don’t want your home to be baked by the afternoon sun, pick these units which are generally cooler:

357D: 134 (4-room flats)
358D: 222 (2-room flats)
358C: 196 (2-room flats)
357B: 102 (4-room flats)
358B: 156, 158 (4-room flats)
358A: 152, 154 (4-room flats)
356B: 28 (lower floors might be blocked by car park, which is located at the west of this stack), 38 (4-room flats)
356A: 16 (lower floors might be blocked by car park, which is located west of this stack; 4-room flats)

3. Privacy

Get these corner units if you don’t want neighbours looking in while they get from the lifts to their own homes:

357D: 130, 132, 134 (4-room flats)
358D: 226 (3-room flats), 206, 208, 210 (4-room flats)
357C: 104, 106, 108 (4-room flats)
358C: 200, 180 (3-room flats), 182, 184 (4-room flats)
357B: 98, 100, 102 (4-room flats)
358B: 168, 170, 172, 174, 156, 158 (4-room flats)
357A: 84, 86, 72, 74, 76 (4-room flats)
358A: 136, 138, 140, 142, 152, 154 (4-room flats)
356B: 28, 30, 34, 36, 38 (4-room flats)
356C: 40, 42, 44, 52, 54 (4-room flats)
356A: 10, 12, 18, 20 (4-room flats)
356D: 56, 58, 68, 70 (4-room flats)

4. Peace and quiet

These units aren’t facing major roads, schools, car parks or amenities such as the pavilions, fitness stations, playgrounds and the hard courts so they offer more peace and quiet:

357C: 112, 110, 108 (4-room flats)
358C: 192, 194, 198, 178, 176 (2-room flats), 180, 190, 200 (3-room flats), 182 (4-room flats)
357B: 92*, 94, 96, 98, 90*, 88 (4-room flats)
358B: 168, 170, 172, 174, 160, 162 (4-room flats)
357A: 84*, 82*, 86, 80, 78, 76 (4-room flats)
358A: 140, 142, 148, 150 (4-room flats)
356B: 32, 34 (4-room flats)
356C: 44, 46, 48, 50 (4-room flats)

*Do note that these units are located next to a site reserved for a place of worship, which may result in higher human traffic and noise levels.

This article was first published on Renonation.sg.