Special Feature

Five-bedroom semi-detached house designed by K2LD Architects in Bukit Timah going for $9.5 mil

By EdgeProp Singapore

/ Brought to you by Jasmine Lau |

March 30, 2021 2:00 PM SGT

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A 999-year leasehold semi-detached house at 79 Hua Guan Avenue in Bukit Timah is going on the market for $9.5 million, or $2,376 psf based on its land size of 3,998 sq ft.

The house has a built-up area of 6,556 sq ft spanning two storeys with a basement and an attic. It sits in the middle of Hua Guan Avenue, and is elevated 1.5 metres from street level.

Jasmine Lau, Group District Director at PropNex, has been given marketing rights for the sale.

Formerly one bungalow unit, the property has been re-developed into two semi-detached units.

The house comes with loft-like high ceilings on every floor, with five bedrooms and five bathrooms. It offers sweeping views of the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, as well as the area’s surrounding greenery from the roof terraces on the third floor.

Some of the bedrooms also offer flexible options in the form of sliding doors, allowing for extra space and privacy at will.

All bedrooms come with views of the neighbourhood or verdant space. Most of the bedrooms – including the master bedroom – have en-suite bathrooms and walk-in wardrobes.

The living room boasts high ceilings that let in plenty of light and offers a loft-like atmosphere. The dining area includes the dry kitchen with an island equipped with a sink, induction cooker and wine chiller for entertaining. It also comes with two ovens and a fridge. (Photo: Albert Chua/EdgeProp Singapore)

If you glance over the horizon, you will catch views of the Central Business District (CBD) from the master bedroom (located entirely on the third floor), as well as the Buona Vista area toward the right.

The property is also fitted with high quality double glazed glass doors and windows at the rear – a boon for family members who wish for an added sense of calm.

The house has received its temporary occupation permit (TOP) and comes with partially furnished rooms, which means potential owners can move in promptly upon sales completion, says Lau.

It is thoughtfully designed for a large multi-generational family, with its five bedrooms spread across the first to third floors.

It also comes with luxurious fittings. This includes marble floors in the living space, Fisher & Paykel and De Detrich kitchen appliances, a 40-bottle Vintec wine chiller, as well as luxurious bathroom accessories from brands such as Villeroy & Boch and Hansgrohe.

The living room opens up to the deck that leads to the swimming pool. (Photo: Albert Chua/EdgeProp Singapore)

The house also comes with a customised Schindler lift that is accessible to all four floors and fits eight people.

Potential owners looking for a relaxing day at home will appreciate the house’s green touches that surround the area, as well as an overflow-edge swimming pool that’s made from Sukabumi stone, resembling the languid pools commonly seen at luxe Indonesian resorts.

Notably, the property affords its owners plenty of privacy. The swimming pool is located adjacent to a similarly-built pool for the house on the right, and a high wall is bordered on the left, giving the owners 270 degrees of light, which is rare for a semi-detached property, according to Lau.

The exterior of the house. (Photo: Albert Chua/EdgeProp Singapore)

The spacious driveway within the house allows for two to three cars to be parked.

The house is located just a five-minute drive away from the PIE, and enjoys proximity to King Albert Park and Beauty World MRT stations.

It is also near Bukit Timah Plaza, The Grandstand, King Albert Park Mall, Link@896, as well as Cold Storage @ Jelita.

Furthermore, the property is located near to schools such as Methodist Girls’ School (Primary and Secondary) and Pei Hwa Presbyterian Primary School.

During weekends and holidays, those looking to enjoy a quick getaway from the city’s hustle-bustle will enjoy the property’s proximity to the nearby Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, Rail Corridor and the Temasek Club.

“For busy go-getters who are discerning home buyers looking for a home as a statement piece, I believe this house will do them proud,” says Lau.

A skilled realtor

PropNex’s Lau, who became a property agent in 2009, has a passion for the construction and building industry. In fact, she has a Bachelor’s Degree in Construction as well as a Masters of Science in Real Estate from the National University of Singapore’s School of Design & Environment.

The expansive master bedroom that comes with a luxurious bathroom, walk-in wardrobe, and views for days. (Photo: Albert Chua/EdgeProp Singapore)

While she joined ArcelorMittal, a multinational steel and mining corporation after her university internship ended, real estate had been a hobby during her early years in her career, says Lau.

A trail-blazer who did well in her career doing global sales, Lau credits her experience in ArcelorMittal as helping her be more streetwise.

“Because of the exposure, I learned to pick up several languages and dialects – French, Teochew and Cantonese, which helped me communicate with my clients today,” shares Lau.

Due to the nature of her job, which saw her embarking on several trips regionally and in Europe, Lau says she learned to work and connect with people from all walks of life.

Being in a male-dominated industry also allowed Lau to be unafraid to show her stand and her opinions to her teammates and brainstorm with her colleagues and clients to get the job done in the best possible way.

Lau’s personality has also helped her get to where she is today, as one of the leading agents in PropNex.

This space on the second floor doubles as a family room or an extended part of one of the bedrooms. (Photo: Albert Chua/EdgeProp Singapore)

“I’m a very focused person. Marketing is in my blood. I’m actually a perfectionist, although I’ve learned – along the way – that getting the job done is better than sitting on the project or job and ensuring it’s perfect before sending it out,” she says. “You’ll get things done slower if you insist on perfection all the time.”

Through the years as a property agent, Lau says she has also gradually learned to also reveal her softer side. In fact, Lau goes by the philosophy best encapsulated by a phrase she believes in, 钢中带柔，柔中带钢, which basically means there’s a softer side to being tough (like iron, when cooled), and there’s a tough side to being soft (like melted iron when it is heated).

This philosophy is something that she imparts to her team of about 50 full-time agents.

With her clients, Lau says she is always transparent with them, which they value immensely.

(Photo: Albert Chua/EdgeProp Singapore)

“Most of my clients, especially those who are in the high net-worth bracket, appreciate my honest-to-goodness input. My job is to bring as many buyers through the door, possibly excite them, have them imagine that the property I’m selling is the dream home they’ve always been looking for, but are definitely aware of any pros and cons to note.” she says.

One of the proudest moments in Lau’s career as a property agent happened during the circuit breaker period, where movements were significantly reduced and restricted. While Lau admitted that she was stressed during the first month, where her team of agents were used to physical home viewings, she and PropNex’s senior management worked to practicing presentations via Zoom calls.

It was her drive and flexibility that led her to close a landed rental property at $9,500 a month in Serangoon Gardens – done entirely through Zoom – in April 2020.

“The clients, who were French tenants, had never seen the house. Together with the clients’ agents, we arranged for them to view the house digitally before confirming the deal,” she says. In fact, it was her time at ArcelorMittal that helped, as she used the French she picked up on the job, to communicate with the clients and their agent.

“My cobroke partner also learned a lot together in the process of overcoming each obstacle that came our way during that difficult circuit breaker phase,” she adds.

Lau’s organisation skills and willingness to think out of the box led her to subsequently close two to five deals per week in May and June, during the circuit breaker period.

She shares, “I was actually used to it, having worked with international markets in my previous job. My background working with team members and clients regionally and around the world kind of prepared me for the circuit breaker period.”

“I thought it was not possible initially, but we did it. Our group sales during circuit breaker – including my personal sales – broke records. 2020 was actually one of the years where I had one of the best performing sales,” she adds.

If there’s any takeaway from our conversation, Lau believes that when one has the right beliefs and focus, and things fall into place, it will do so beautifully.

For more information about the listing, visit here.