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Transformation of North Region offers promising investment potential for Lentor Modern

Feb 28

Lentor Modern is located in the North Region of Singapore, close to Lentor Drive and Yio Chu Kang Road. It lies within the boundaries with the Ang Mo Kio, Yio Chu Kang, Thomson area. It is home to the site size of 185,139 square foot and is planned to be transformed into a mixed-use development comprising approximately 605 resident units as well as 86.100 sq feet for commercial spaces.

Private facilities allow you to take your time and enjoy a peaceful experience. It's a feature that is evident in all aspects of life here.

The development will comprise three 25-story blocks, each with around 600 housing units. Each block will be equipped with an oversized sky terrace that doubles in size. The first floor will include 96,000 sq feet in commercial and F&B as well as retail space which includes a supermarket as well as more than 10,000 sq feet of childcare facilities.

Why Should You Invest on Lentor Modern?

  • Reputable Developer with an impressive track record of changing neighbourhoods
  • The condos have limited new launches are planned for the precinct
  • It is situated in a peaceful neighborhood consisting of mostly private landed and low-rise homes
  • Great transport connectivity
  • Nature reserves surround the parks
  • Near popular schools
  • There are many different recreational and lifestyle amenities
  • The transformation in the North Region offers the promise of a lucrative investment opportunity
  • The exciting redevelopment of Sembawang Shipyard close by into a waterfront area

Who is the Developer of Lentor Modern?

Lentor Modern Guocoland is included as a company on the Singapore Exchange since 1978. It is a top regional property firm with operations across Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam and China. In China it has built large portfolios of properties across the major cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing and Tianjin.

In 2017, the company has entered new markets with its presence in United Kingdom and Australia through an alliance with Eco World Development Group Berhad.

The main business areas include property construction, property investment, hotel operations, and property management. The portfolio of the group includes commercial, residential, hotel retail, integrated and retail projects spread all over the area.

The city of Singapore, GuocoLand has successfully created a number of high-end commercial and residential projects. This includes the Wallich Residence Guoco Midtown and Guoco Midtown, its most famous Guoco Tower and the 5-star business hotel Sofitel Singapore City Centre.

What's the cost of Modern Lentor?

The Lentor Central site was launched for tender on the 15th of April 2021. The tender was closed on the 22nd of July, 2021 and GLL D. Ltd which is an affiliate of GuocoLand winning the site with the top offer in the amount of $784.1 million. The bid was nine total, which indicates the high interest of developers seeking to fill their diminishing landbank.

The cost is the land cost of $1,204 per square foot ppr. Therefore, it is expected to launch around $2,2xx per sq ft.

On the 25th of January 2022 a joint venture of Intrepid Investments, GuocoLand, and TID Residential has won the auction for Lentor Hills Road Parcels A with a maximum price for S$586.6 million. The site is situated right next to Lentor Modern and is separated by Lentor Central Road.

This amounts to a land price of S$1,060 per sq ft per acre. Based on the plot's with a size of 184,460 square feet and an gross floor area (GFA) 553 383 square feet the property is expected to produce 595 residential homes.

With the land's price being lower and the lower land price, the new development in Parcel A is expected to be launched at a price of $1,9xx per square foot. If this will prove to be an investment worth it or not will depend on the circumstances. property investment than Lentor Modern can be discussed further at the conclusion of this article.

What is Lentor Modern located?

Lentor Modern is located at Lentor Central beside the Lentor MRT station on the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL). It has a huge site size of 17,279.9 sq meters (186,000 sq feet) on a rectangular lot that will allow the developer to maximize the use of land.

The neighborhood is comprised of predominantly low-density and landed housing that is known for its tranquil atmosphere. Therefore, residents of the future will enjoy mostly free of obstructions and a serene living spaces.

The site could be the very first in a series of Lentor residential projects that will be built. Two other sites under the government's sale of land (GLS) program include Parcels A as well as Parcel B located at Lentor Hills Road. Parcel A was sold to a consortium consisting of Hong Leong Holdings, GuocoLand and TID while Parcel B remains by the Reserve List. Together, they'll produce more than 1,400 housing units, and will help revitalize the area.

Lentor Modern will be planned around an existing hillock that will be a new park as well as seamless cycling and pedestrian connection to Teachers Estate and Lentor MRT station, and commercial amenities that provide services to the local neighborhood.

There are currently only two condominiums in the area The Calrose and Thomson Grove. Thomson Grove and The Calrose. They were completed in 1984 and 2007 respectively, they're between 230 and 270 meters distance from Lentor Modern.

Lentor MRT Station

The Lentor MRT located on the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) was inaugurated in August 2021. The TEL is currently being built in five phases, including the Lentor station located in Phase 2, which consists of five stations - Springleaf, Mayflower, Bright Hill, Upper Thomson and Caldecott.

In the north, and three stops away from Lentor to the north is Woodlands interchange. It's a transport hub, and is the biggest in Singapore. Nearby facilities are nearby amenities like the Causeway Point Shopping Mall, Woods Square, Woodlands Civic Centre along with the Woodlands Regional Library.

One station located in Woodlands one station is Woodlands North, which will be integrated into Woodlands North, which will be integrated with the Rail Transit System (RTS) which will create the direct connection with Singapore with Johor. The RTS is scheduled to be finished by the end of 2026 and will be part of the exciting change that is taking place in Singapore's North Region (more on this below).

In the south and just two stops further away is Bright Hill Station. The station will eventually link with Cross-Island Line (CRL) that will extend across the entire length of Changi Airport to Gul Circle.

Four stops away from Lentor are Caldecott station, which is an interchange that connects with that of the Circle Line. Another stop can be found at Stevens Station on the Downtown Line that runs across the whole Bukit Timah Road. This is where the most highly sought-after schools are situated (more on this in the future).

Once the TEL is operating, it will provide residents access to areas like Orchard Road, Great World City, Shenton Way, Gardens by the Bay, Tanjong Katong, and all up all the way to Changi Airport.

The following timeline is that will be used to construct Thomson-East Coast Line. Thomson-East Coast Line.

If you use a car, Lentor Modern enjoys convenient access to numerous arterial roads and expressways, including those of the Seletar (SLE) as well as the Central (CTE) and Central (CTE) Expressways, along with the North-South Corridor (NSC). They're just a short 3-5 minutes away within a short distance of Lentor Modern.

The NSC will be Singapore's longest Transit Priority Corridor spanning 21.5 kilometers. When finished in 2027 it'll link the northern region with the city and the East Coast Parkway, traversing regions like Ang Mo Kio, Bishan and Toa Payoh.

This NSC should reduce the snarling traffic on the CTE during peak times by 10 to 15% and reduce travel times by up to 30%.

Therefore, a trip to the city is easy and take just 10 minutes to drive.

The new route will include designated bicycle trunk routes, and pedestrian paths that will be accessible to the public .

Therefore, it can ensure smoother, quicker and more enjoyable journeys for all.

Nature Reserves and Parks Near Lentor Modern

Lentor Modern will enjoy vast areas of greenery, with the expansion that will comprise Hillock Park and Linear Park only a few steps away. The residents will be able to enjoy an idyllic and green living surroundings.

The nearest one is Thomson Nature Park, which is only a short drive to. The park is situated in the east of the Central Catchment Nature Reserve (CCNR) This park of 50ha is distinctive due to its rich heritage as it is the site of the former Hainan Village. It also houses an array of flora and fauna that includes those critically threatened Raffles' Banded Langur (Presbytis Femoralis Femoralis).

With the growing interest in being in the countryside and far from the bustle and noise of modern life is an added benefit to buyers.

Easy Access to the Most Popular Schools

Properties close to popular schools are highly sought-after by both parents and investors. To secure the right to attend these schools parents have turned to renting or paying top dollars for properties that are located close to the schools.

Due to the recent changes to changes to the primary 1 registration framework to allow more children gain a seat at a school that is close to their home, this could also increase interest in properties near schools that are popular.

To give an example, the resale of privately owned properties located within 1 km of St Hilda's Primary School in Tampines is between 11 and 12% more than the district's average cost.

In the same way, the price of reselling the private properties that are within 1km Anglo-Chinese Schools (Primary) within Barker Road is about 19% more expensive.

For Lentor Modern There are two renowned schools within 1km of each other - CHIJ St Nicholas Girls' School and Anderson Primary School. A school that is in the vicinity of 1 km Mayflower Primary School.

For secondary schools there are two schools to choose from: Raffles Girls Secondary School and the Raffles Institution are just twenty minutes'. There are a number of well-known school options on Bukit Timah Road. They are easily accessible via changing trains to Stevens MRT station, which is an interchange point between the Thomson-East Coast Line and the Downtown Line. A few of these schools comprise the following:

  • Methodist Girls' School
  • Singapore Chinese Girls' School
  • Nanyang Girls's High School
  • Chinese High School
  • Hwa Chong Institution
  • National Junior College

International Schools

There are many international schools that are located between 13 and 19 minutes driving distance to Lentor Modern. Their proximity could draw the demand for housing from expats working within their home country in the North Region. They include those at the Gems World Academy Sir Manasseh Meyer International School and Singapore American School.

With Woodlands expected to be Singapore's biggest regional centre in the near future, the development will offer tenants with a high-quality catchment. Therefore, a project like Lentor Modern will provide first-mover advantages and a promising investment opportunity.

Shopping and other interesting things to do located in the North Region

Lentor Modern, being a mixed-use development, will provide some F&B and retail options along with the convenience of a grocery store and childcare facilities. Apart from that, there aren't any shopping malls within the immediate vicinity of Lentor Modern.

The closest shopping malls can be found at Thomson Plaza and Northpoint City. They are both three stops away from Lentor MRT station in the opposite direction. Northpoint City is the second largest shopping mall in Woodlands following Causeway Point, and together with other malls located in the north like Canberra Plaza, Sembawang Shopping Centre and Sun Plaza, they offer an array of shops where residents are able to enjoy a broad variety of recreation, leisure, entertainment and dining options.

Wholesale Outlets

But what is what sets this region North Region apart from the other regions in Singapore is the high concentration of factories that offer various foods at wholesale costs. These stores are particularly well-known during major celebrations like Chinese New Year.

A few of them are situated in Woodlands Terrace about 20 minutes away to Lentor Modern. Some of the items they sell are seafood as well as chicken, BBQ roast meats, preserved meat, pastry cakes, and many more.

Other interesting spots include Senoko Food Hub and Senoko Food Hub and Senoko Fishery Port. In the former, customers will find a variety of frozen and cooked foods and vegetables, as well as beverages, and food seasonings as well as other products. At Senoko Fishery Port, customers are able to choose from an overwhelming variety of seafood and fish at wholesale prices.

Unique Lifestyle and Recreational Facilities

Another intriguing aspect to living and working in North Region is that North Region is its wide selection of distinct recreation and lifestyle choices which include:

Sembawang Hot Springs Park A landmark that is unique in Canberra and was first inaugurated in the early part of 2020. The geothermally heated waters flow out of the ground to 70o Celsius and is believed to possess medicinal and curative qualities. One of the most popular activities is the foot bath.

Kayaking in Khatib Bongsu - The mangroves and flatlands of Khatib Bongsu are home to one of Singapore's most un-dammed rivers. It is a magnet for cyclists, birdwatchers and joggers, environmentalists as well as fishing enthusiasts. It's also a place that is popular to kayak.

water Venture (Sembawang) - It offers a range of outdoor activities , including kayaking, sea-rafting exploration, camping, and outdoor cooking. They also run team-building programs by introducing obstacles courses.

Paintball Battle Engaging in a strategic battle with your friends using paintball, this thrilling game teaches participants essential capabilities of teamwork and communicating.

Wake Pirates Wakeboarding With a fleet of towboats with competitive designs from the top wakeboarding boat builders around the globe to pump out epic waves, the participants will be taught from the basics to their first turn and turn in.

Udder's Workshop for Making Ice-Cream The workshop gives children the chance to create distinctive ice-cream flavors, from popcorn and bandung to chili-chocolate. After the workshop, they will enjoy the opportunity to eat all you want of ice-cream for 50 minutes!

Goats in Hay Dairies - Besides experiencing goats' lives and eating them, the visitors can learn to milk the goats. Visitors can also purchase fresh milk in the chocolate and original flavors.

Is Lentor Modern Worth Investing In?

With a land price of $1,204 per square foot ppr, Lentor Modern is expected to set a new standard in District 26 by offering an anticipated launch price of $2,2xx per square foot. However, at the same time the parcel of land (known by the name of Parcel A at present) is being sold at a much lower price of $1,060 per square foot, which would mean a expected launch price of $2,xxx per sq ft. This raises serious questions about whether Lentor Modern, being a mixed-use development, is the best value.

Since GuocoLand holds an investment in both of these projects It will be interesting to know how they are priced and advertised.

As previously mentioned, Lentor Modern is a mixed-use development that includes childcare facilities, a supermarket and commercial establishments in the one storey. Additionally, it will be connected with the Lentor MRT station. With the two developments being less than 100 meters apart, their costs is not too dissimilar. Perhaps, a 10- to 15% price increase on Lentor Modern would be realistic in order to prevent them from consuming each other.

Another concern is whether paying more than $ 1,9xx per sq. ft. for a project within the OCR (Outside Core Central Region) could be considered excessive and if there are better alternatives elsewhere.

While they may be appealing alternatives, the stock of units that are not sold is very low. In reality, it has decreased to around 14,000 units or less, the lowest for more than 10 years. Therefore, the majority of desirable units have been taken.

When these stocks that are not sold have been drained, the costs of any future property launches will experience an uptrend similar to the one of Lentor. This could be due to the increasing prices of land at the government sale of land (GLS) over the past at least one year.

For instance, prior to the Lentor GLS, a site located at Tanah Merah Kechil had been sold at $930 per psf during November of 2020. Then it was reported that an Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1 site was purchased for S$1,052 per sq ft ppr at the end of June in 2021.

Both sites are located within both the Outside Central Region (OCR). With these land prices they could be released upwards of $1,8xx per square foot, which is likely to become the new norm. Therefore, Lentor Modern's price starting at $2,2xx psf is something prospective property buyers or investors be able to accept.

The increasing cost of real estate could also be related to the higher cost of construction due to the covid-19 pandemic as well as the global pressures of inflation.

Here is a chart of property prices (condo/apartment) of District 18 (Tampines and Pasir Ris) and District 20 (Bishan and Mo Kio), District 20 (Bishan & Mo Kio) and District 26 (Upper Thomson and Springleaf) over the last 20 years.