Is it a Good Deal?: A three-bedder in the heart of Orchard Road sold for a loss of $666,000
This year, three unprofitable transactions have taken place for The Orchard Residences. (Photo: Samuel Isaac Chua/EdgeProp Singapore)
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Last month, a three-bedroom unit on the 33rd storey of The Orchard Residences was sold for $5.3 million ($2,931 psf), resulting in a loss of $666,000. The seller had purchased the 1,808-sq ft unit from the developer in June 2009 for $5.966 million ($3,299 psf).
We used our analytics tool, Is it a Good Deal?, to determine whether the buyer of the unit in prime District 9 secured a good deal.
Located in prime District 9
Located in Singapore’s main shopping belt, The Orchard Residences is within walking distance of numerous malls, including ION Orchard, Wisma Atria, Ngee Ann City, Wheelock Place, Scotts Square, Tang Plaza, Palais Renaissance, Forum The Shopping Mall, Shaw House, Far East Plaza, Lucky Plaza, Liat Towers, and Pacific Plaza. Furthermore, the condo is situated above the dual-line Orchard MRT Station, which serves the North-South and Thomson-East Coast Lines (see Map 1).
Source: EdgeProp LandLens (as at 4 July 2025)
The Orchard Residences features 175 units, comprising a mix of three-bedroom and four-bedroom units. The majority of the units range in size from 1,808 sq ft to 2,852 sq ft. Hence, the subject unit, which measures 1,808 sq ft, is one of smallest units in the development.
The 99-year leasehold condo obtained its Temporary Occupation Permit (TOP) in 2010, making it 15 years old. However, its land lease commenced in 2006, leaving it with a remaining lease of approximately 80 years (see Screenshot 1).
Source: EdgeProp Is it a Good Deal (as at 4 July 2025)
A drawback of The Orchard Residences is the lack of local schools within a 1km radius. ISS International School is the only school within that distance. If the radius is extended to 2km, there are five local primary schools, namely Alexandra Primary School, Anglo-Chinese School (Junior), River Valley Primary School, Singapore Chinese Girls’ Primary School, and St. Margaret’s Primary School.
Our tool also indicated that the transacted price of $2,931 psf is still higher than the average for District 9, despite the loss of $666,000. This could be because the transacted price is lower than the average prices of three nearby condos (see Screenshot 2).
Source: EdgeProp Is it a Good Deal (as at 4 July 2025)
Loss of $666,000 falls on the lower end of the spectrum
Since its launch in 2007, The Orchard Residences has recorded 47 profitable and 34 unprofitable transactions. Profits range from approximately $7,000 to $2.692 million, while losses range from breakeven to approximately $3.319 million.
To date, there have been 14 transactions that resulted in losses exceeding $1 million. Of these, two recorded losses of at least $3 million (see Table 1). Hence, the recent loss from the subject unit is significantly smaller compared to other unprofitable transactions for the condo.
Source: EdgeProp Buddy (as at 4 July 2025)
The record-high loss of $3.319 million was incurred in July 2020, when the seller sold a 2,852-sq ft unit for $9.68 million ($3,394 psf). The unit had been purchased from the developer in October 2007 for $12.999 million ($4,557 psf).
The most unprofitable unit comprises an en-suite master bedroom with a walk-in wardrobe, an en-suite junior master bedroom, and two additional en-suite bedrooms. It also features a sizable balcony adjacent to a spacious living and dining area, as well as a smaller balcony near the kitchen. Additionally, the unit is served by two private lifts (see Floor Plan 1).
Source: EdgeProp Research
In contrast, profits for sellers of units at The Orchard Residences have yet to cross the $3 million mark. However, 23 transactions have generated profits of at least $1 million. Of these, three yielded profits of at least $2 million (see Table 2).
The most profitable transaction occurred in June 2014, when a four-bedroom unit on the 17th storey was sold for $10.552 million ($3,699 psf), resulting in a record-high profit of $2.692 million. The seller had purchased the 2,852-sq ft unit from the developer in April 2007 for $7.86 million ($2,756 psf).
Source: EdgeProp Buddy (as at 4 July 2025)
Interestingly, the most profitable and the most unprofitable units are both four-bedders measuring 2,852 sq ft. Both are also from the same stack and share a similar layout.
Notably, both sellers bought their units in 2007, but at very different prices. The seller of the profitable unit purchased it at $2,756 psf; significantly below the 2007 average price of $3,323 psf. In contrast, the seller of the unprofitable unit bought theirs at $4,557 psf; substantially above the average price for The Orchard Residences at that time.
The average price at The Orchard Residences peaked at $4,082 psf in 2012. By 2014, when the profitable unit was sold, the average price had slipped to $3,698 psf, but this was still above the 2007 average of $3,323 psf, resulting in a record-high profit for the seller. In contrast, the average price of the condo had fallen to $3,164 psf by 2020—well below the 2007 average—which contributed to the record-high loss experienced by the other seller (see Chart 1).
Source: EdgeProp Market Trends (as at 4 July 2025)
Since its launch in 2007, the average price at The Orchard Residences has declined by 7% to $3,091 psf. However, the decline has been less pronounced in recent years, with the average price inching down by just 2.3% since 2020.
This year’s least unprofitable transaction
Thus far this year, four units at The Orchard Residences have changed hands. Of these, only one was profitable, yielding a gain of $480,000. The remaining three transactions were unprofitable, with the subject unit recording the smallest loss of $666,000. The other two units incurred losses of over $1 million (see Table 3).
Source: EdgeProp Buddy (as at 4 July 2025)
Last month, the seller sold the subject unit for $5.3 million ($2,931 psf), resulting in a loss of $666,000. The seller had purchased the unit from the developer in June 2009 for $5.966 million ($3,299 psf).
The loss was due to the seller buying the unit at $3,299 psf in 2009; higher than the average price of $2,998 psf at that time. Additionally, they sold it last month at $2,931 psf, which is below the current average price of $3,091 psf.
The subject unit is a three-bedder located on the 33rd storey. Measuring 1,808 sq ft, it comprises an en-suite master bedroom with a walk-in wardrobe and two other en-suite bedrooms. The unit is also served by two private lifts (see Floor Plan 2).
Source: EdgeProp Research
The unit that yielded the second highest loss of $1.199 million this year is also a three-bedroom unit of the same size and from the same stack as the subject unit. Both units share the same layout.
This unit, which incurred the higher loss, is on the 35th storey. The seller bought it in October 2010 for $6.599 million ($3,649 psf) and sold it in April for $5.4 million ($2,986 psf).
Interestingly, the same unit was involved in an earlier transaction that generated a profit of $112,200. The first owner bought it from the developer in April 2007 for $6.487 million ($3,587 psf) and sold it in October 2010 for $6.599 million ($3,649 psf) (see Table 4).
Source: EdgeProp Buddy (as at 4 July 2025)
Lone 99-year leasehold condo
There are 20 freehold condos within walking distance of the 99-year leasehold The Orchard Residences. Among the condos in the vicinity, Scotts Square (338 units), Four Seasons Park (202 units), and The Orchard Residences (175 units) have the highest number of units.
Among the trio, Four Seasons Park is the oldest, having obtained its TOP in 1994. Scotts Square obtained its TOP in 2011, making it a year newer than The Orchard Residences. Notably, Four Seasons Park is in District 10, while the other two condos are in District 9 (see Map 2).
Source: EdgeProp LandLens (as at 4 July 2025)
The leasehold tenure of The Orchard Residences ($3,091 psf) could explain why its average resale price is below that of freehold Scotts Square ($3,189 psf) and freehold Four Seasons Park ($3,349 psf) (see Chart 2).
However, The Orchard Residences has recorded the smallest price decline of 0.5% y-o-y this year. In comparison, the average resale prices of Scotts Square and Four Seasons Park fell by 1.1% y-o-y and 3.0% y-o-y, respectively.
Source: EdgeProp Market Trend (as at 4 July 2025)
No million-dollar losses for Scotts Square and Four Seasons Park this year
So far this year, Four Seasons Park has recorded two profitable and no unprofitable transactions. The profitable transactions generated gains of $1.5 million and $4 million. The eye-watering profit of $4 million is only the seventh highest for the condo (see Table 5).
The transaction that yielded this year’s record-high profit of $4 million took place in March when unit was sold for $7.5 million ($3,318 psf). The seller had bought the 2,260-sq ft unit in May 2006 for $3.5 million ($1,548 psf).
Source: EdgeProp Buddy (as at 4 July 2025)
In contrast, Scotts Square recorded two profitable and two unprofitable transactions this year. The silver lining is that both unprofitable transactions resulted in losses well below $1 million (see Table 6).
Source: EdgeProp Buddy (as at 4 July 2025)
This year’s most unprofitable transaction for Scotts Square took place last month. The seller bought the 635-sq ft unit for $2.616 million ($4,120 psf) in August 2007 and sold it for $1.9 million ($2,992 psf), resulting in a loss of approximately $716,200.
Trending above counterparts in District 9 and central Region
The average resale price of The Orchard Residences ($3,091 psf) is trending above that of 99-year leasehold condos, aged 11 to 20 years, in District 9 ($2,374 psf) and the Central Region ($2,027 psf) (see Chart 3).
Source: EdgeProp Market Trends (as at 4 July 2025)
Conclusion
The Orchard Residences is a landmark condo located in the heart of Orchard Road. The condo is in close proximity to the dual-line Orchard MRT Station and is surrounded by malls and hotels. Its excellent location has allowed its average resale price to trend above that of its counterparts in District 9 and the Central Region.
The seller of the subject unit paid an above-average price for the unit and sold it at a below-average price, which may have contributed to the $666,000 loss. However, the seller can take comfort in knowing that this is the smallest loss recorded for the condo thus far this year.
To learn more about this transaction, and whether it is a good deal, click here.
Check out the latest listings for The Orchard Residences, Scotts Square, Four Seasons Park, Condominium properties
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