The city-fringe estate continues to be a top draw for property buyers. Muneerah Bee explores.
Located at the fringe of the city centre, Redhill is a mature and well-maintained estate in District 3.
It got its name from a local folklore involving the murder of a witty boy who lived on the hill, leaving the hill soaked in blood. However, the land there is apparently orange-red in colour due to the lateritic soils in the area.
The hill in the legend is possibly a large hill which stood at the present site of Henderson housing estate, located opposite the Delta Sports Complex. The hill was trimmed to its current state in 1973 and the surrounding kampong was demolished to make way for the present Redhill Close.
While some may refer to the area as Redhill or Bukit Merah interchangeably, it is understood that Redhill refers to the area near the Redhill MRT Station while Bukit Merah is closer towards the Bukit Merah New Town where the bus interchange is.
Given its close vicinity to the city, Redhill is one of the prime residential area for a HDB unit, according to Chai Chin Yun, Marketing Manager at WTG Property: “Over the recent few years, with the very popular Redhill Rise HDB estate which achieved its Minimum Occupation Period (MOP) in 2012, most of the buyers were young executives working in CBD who are just starting their family.”
He added, “Before the new HDB regulations came in, there were a few categories of buyers namely young first time Singaporean buyers, young Chinese PR buyers as well as private property downgraders.”
However, the current profiles of buyer have changed a little, as there are lesser younger first time buyers unless with parents’ support, he observed.
“For price of four room unit at $700,000, a couple would need combined income of nearly $10,000 to get 80 percent loan. Currently, most buyers now are private property downgraders who appreciate the convenience of the location as well as ease to find good executive tenants,” he said.
There are currently 51,222 HDB flats in Redhill, home to about 146,700 residents.
A number of estates there were selected for Selective En bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS) over the years. A replacement flat currently in progress is City Vue @ Henderson, consisting of Blocks 95A to 95C, 96A and 96B at Henderson Road. According to HDB’s website, residents have selected their units and collected their keys and the development is slated to be ready in the second quarter of 2018.
This new estate will replace Blocks 1 to 3, 5 to 22 at Redhill Close. Interestingly, Block 4 was reportedly demolished many years ago to make way for a road.
Redhill also hosts a number of one-room and L-shaped flats where most of its residents are the elderly.
Besides HDB estates, there are also several upcoming private developments in Redhill such as The Crest, Alex Residences, and Echelon.
The Crest @ Prince Charles is near the good class bungalows of the Chatsworth and Bishopsgate estates.
Located along Prince Charles Crescent, The Crest features 469 units in one to five-bedroom configurations, Developed by Wing Tai with retail and property group Metro as well as UE E&C’s subsidiary Maxdin, the project will have three 23-storey blocks and four five-storey blocks.
To serve existing and new housing estates, the area will host a new school, Alexandra Primary School at Prince Charles Crescent.
Opened this year, it provides students with interactive learning experiences about nature and the environment, through features such as green roof, garden terrace, educational wall and solar panels with interactive display panels. As it is a brand new school, Alexandra Primary School currently has classes for Primary One students only. However, it might consider opening the other levels depending on the demand of students requesting to study there.
Existing schools there include Gan Eng Seng Primary and Secondary School, Bukit Merah Secondary School and Crescent Girls’ School.
Even though Redhill does not feature a prominent mall, increasingly common in many other estates in Singapore where you could find a mall next to the MRT station, it does not seem to deter buyers. Its central location provides much convenience to residents, and draws interests from potential residents.
“Unlike a location with malls, Redhill maintains a nice residential feel away from the hustle and bustle of the city yet it is very near,” Chai said.
Shopping options are still available as residents can shop for groceries at the Redhill market. Additionally, major shopping locations such as Orchard Road and Vivocity are just a short bus or MRT ride away.
The area is also near several employment sites such as the Henderson Industrial Park and Depot Lane Industrial Estate.
Redhill looks set to see a burst of rejuvenation with the upcoming projects in the area, as new residential developments to will soon be home to families who want to enjoy the comforts of an established estate. Besides that, it also has gems of generous green spaces, historic precincts and heritage buildings.
Chai said, “I forsee Redhill to continue be a prime residential location. It will continue to attract buyers especially the young executives who work in the city.”