Ten-bedroom mansion on Lewis Road for sale at $25.88 mil, up $9.08 mil in three years
By Cecilia Chow
/ EdgeProp Singapore |
A bungalow on a 9,637 sq ft freehold site off Bukit Timah Road is on the market for $25.88 million ($2,685 psf). The property has two entrances: one from Lewis Road and the other from Margoliouth Road. Both entrances are at the end of a cul-de-sac.
The house is designed with a driveway that wraps around the property, allowing the owner to enter from Lewis Road and exit on Margoliouth Road, or vice versa. There is room to park about 10 cars along the driveway.
On the site is a 2½-storey detached house built in 1997. The house’s main feature is its central air well, with a skylight at the roof level, bringing natural light to every floor, including the basement level. The basement has an 18m lap pool directly beneath the skylight. Hence, the space is ideal as a recreational or entertainment area as it has a wine cellar, a bathroom and a toilet.
The first level of the house is designed with a separate living and formal dining room and a ceiling height of up to 4.7m. The kitchen is adjacent to the dining room. There are also two staircases on either end of the house leading to the upper regions of the house.
The living area with a ceiling height of 4.7m and an entrance to the house from Lewis Road (Photo: Samuel Isaac Chua/EdgeProp Singapore)
11,000 sq ft bungalow
The property is designed as an 11,000 sq ft, 10-bedroom mansion. An en suite bedroom is on the first level, with seven more bedrooms on the second level, including the master suite and junior master suite. All except one of the bedrooms on the second level are en suite.
In the attic are two rooms with two toilets that can be converted into two additional en suite bedrooms if needed. Each room on the attic level has a separate entrance to a roof terrace, which offers unblocked views of the neighbourhood.
The widowed nonagenarian owner is looking to downsize as all her children are grown up and have their own homes. In the meantime, one of them has moved back in to care for her.
Over three years ago, in late 2020, the house was placed on the market for $16.8 million ($1,743 psf). That was during the Covid era, and property values have soared since, according to the current marketing agent, Emily Ho, principal consultant of Realstar Premier Group.
The bungalow is now valued at between $24 million and $26 million. Hence, the current price tag of $25.88 million ($2,685 psf) is pegged close to its latest valuation, says Ho.
The dining room and spiral staircase to the upper floors of the house (Photo: Samuel Isaac Chua/EdgeProp Singapore)
To renovate or redevelop?
Even though the house was built 27 years ago, it has been well-maintained. Some may choose to keep the house’s existing structure and undertake additions and alterations, such as renovating the kitchen and the bathrooms. Others may wish to add a home lift.
According to Ho, there are two possible areas to place a lift: one is at the central airwell and the other is at one end of the house where one of the staircases is. However, she adds that this is subject to checks by the appointed architect and approval from the authorities.
She estimates additions and alterations to the existing house could cost anywhere from under $1 million to over $5 million, depending on the materials used and the extent of the work done.
Since the bungalow sits within the Dalvey Estate Good Class Bungalow (GCB) Area, it can be redeveloped into a new 2.5-storey bungalow with basement parking for more cars, which is ideal for those who want to entertain at home, she adds. This could increase the built-up area to 15,000–19,000 sq ft, estimates Ho.
Construction costs are in the $400 to $700 psf range today. If a new owner chooses to redevelop the property into a new 2.5-storey bungalow with a built-up area of 15,000 to 19,000 sq ft, the total construction cost could be between $6 million and $13.3 million, depending on the finishes used, she adds. For a buyer with no budget constraints, the cost of rebuilding is likely to be north of $1,000 psf, Ho reckons. That translates to $15 million to $19 million in construction cost on top of the purchase price of the land.
View of Lewis Road neighbourhood from the attic level of the house (Photo: Samuel Isaac Chua/EdgeProp Singapore)
Dalvey Estate GCB Area
Located within the Dalvey Estate GCB Area in prime District 10, the bungalow at Lewis Road is accessible from Stevens Road (via Margoliouth Road entrance) and Bukit Timah Road (via Lewis Road entrance). The neighbourhood comprises predominantly detached houses and GCBs.
It is within a seven- to eight-minute walk from the Stevens MRT Interchange Station for the Downtown and Thomson-East Coast Lines, near Botanic Gardens, and within 1km of the Singapore Chinese Girls’ School.
Based on caveats lodged, the last transaction on Lewis Road was in December 2021, when a semi-detached house sitting on a 12,454 sq ft freehold site changed hands for $18.68 million ($1,500 psf). Given the land size, it can be redeveloped into a detached house.
Along Margoliouth Road, the last transaction was for a detached house on a 6,071 sq ft freehold site that fetched $15.2 million ($2,504 psf), based on a caveat lodged in June 2022.
According to Realstar’s Ho, multi-generational families that want many bedrooms may wish to retain the existing house at Lewis Road.
However, given its redevelopment potential, the property will likely appeal to a broad mix of buyers as the interiors could be altered to suit their needs.
The property is up for sale by expression of interest, which will close on Feb 28.
Follow Us
Follow our channels to receive property news updates 24/7 round the clock.
EdgeProp Telegram
EdgeProp FacebookSubscribe to our newsletter
Top Articles
Search Articles