TOH GUAN BTO VS QUEENSTOWN BTO – WHO WINS!

Congratulations! You are ready to settle down and start your family! 

There will be approximately 4,900 units across 5 regions up for grabs in the August 2021 BTO launch. In this article, we will focus on the west and central region; Jurong East and Queenstown. 

Expect tough competition as only a limited supply of 610 units for Queenstown and 560 units for Jurong East will be launched.

TOH GUAN BTO DETAILS 

This BTO launch in the West is Toh Guan Road, in between Jurong East Central and Bukit Batok Avenue 1.

It is walking distance to IMM and near enough to jurong east station (8mins walk).

But the real benefit is the NEW Toh Guan MRT which will complete in 2028!

Nearest polyclinic is  Jurong polyclinic 190 Jurong East Ave 1, Singapore 609788

QUEENSTOWN BTO DETAILS 

This BTO is a stone’s throw away from IKEA Alexandra, Anchorpoint Shopping Centre and right across Queensway Shopping Centre.

Queensway shopping centre used to be a lot more popular but there are still some good old fashion and sports related shops there.

It is fairly near Queenstown MRT but walking is still 15-20min away.

There are many buses along Queensway to directly go into CBD within 30min.

Nearest polyclinic is Queenstown polyclinic.

LOCATION ANALYSIS

Both developments are on a plot of land surrounded by neigbourhoods.

The good part is they will not be affected by noise or environmental pollution such as dust after moving in. This is unlike residents living in Punggol or Tengah where there are many up and coming developments.

Both locations are near hospitals which are Ng Teng Fong General Hospital and Alexandra Hospital respectively.

PRICE COMPARISON

As the prices are NOT out yet, I'm doing some projections to numbers with a discount factor to current resale average prices near them.

Both these two projects only have 3rm and 4rm flats. These are my findings.

Prices for Queenstown may be $80k more for the 4rm flat which is SUBSTANTIAL!

3 POINTS WHY I LIKE TOH GUAN BTO MORE

While the BTO launch in central is in Queenstown, both BTOs have a myriad of amenities around.

I am more excited over the Toh Guan’s BTO for these reasons

- Jurong will be the second CBD in Singapore

- it is closer to an MRT station

- Jurong may be a future tourism hub and asset appreciation may be stronger

I'd substantiate below

#1 NEAR SECOND CBD IN JURONG

Jurong will be the largest mixed-use business district outside the city centre, with quality residences, offices, recreation and abundant greenery. Jurong will be a transport hub with 4 MRT lines serving the district enabling seamless transfer across the Island by 2035. Such enhancement increases mobility, decreases transportation time and hence brings much convenience to residences. 

However, Queenstown is nearer to the central business district unlike Jurong. One may argue Queenstown is more convenient, with shorter travelling time.

While this has it merits, Jurong will be the second CBD and many Multinational Corporations (MNCs) may set up office in the west region. It may be attributed to lower rents, vibrant environment and it's close proximity to renowned Universities where it can potentially carry out Research and Development (R&D) or use of Artificial Intelligence(AI).

In addition, with working from home being the new normal, residents may not be as reliant on the district and hence losing it's value.

#2 NEAR FUTURE TOURISM AND TRANSPORT HUB 

Besides being the second CBD, there have been plans to leverage the lush green spaces Jurong has for recreation to enhance the attractiveness of the region.
It is targeted to drive tourism from water activities, medical hospitality and retail.

The Jurong Lake Garden will be the first national garden, bringing nature to home. Residents and visitors will be able to enjoy nature-themed and water activities, lifestyle and sports facilities.
There will be more park connectors that link to the existing cycling network in Jurong. Families settling in the west region will enjoy these amenities to its full glory upon completion.

Hence a theme has been coined for the Jurong region “Living & Playing Amidst Nature.” As the saying goes “you are the product of your environment.” 

Such an ideal environment will promote a healthy lifestyle for you and your family. Besides that, developers and businesses are interested in providing exciting food and beverage, retail and lifestyle options that are different from those available downtown.

Thus, getting the Toh Guan BTO will be desirable for young families. 

Buyers may have the view that Toh Guan close proximity to the second CBD district will lead to crowded roads and over congestion as compared to Queenstown.

With the hustle and bustle in the future, URA and LTA have come up with an ambitious car-lite plan, designating more space to pedestrians, cyclists and public transport.

Covered walkways, autonomous shuttle service and car-lite districts will be created.

#3 NON MATURE HAS MORE ASSET APPRECIATION POTENTIAL

Lastly, despite the recent developments in the west region, it is still considered to be a non-mature area. Many of the developments will only be completed by 2030 and hence it is a wise decision to purchase a home in this region.

In mature estates such as Queenstown, flats are expected to come with a higher price tag.

As real estate such as houses tend to appreciate over time, the capital gain percentage from selling a house in Jurong may be higher as compared to Queenstown.

This can be seen in the SRX index summary below where non-mature estates are yellow.

The only downside is the further distance to the CBD if you work there.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

House is a major purchase and budgeting is very important.

Spending less on a first house may mean more to invest for your future and big houses may not be necessary especially for young couples.

Lastly, buying near parents is a definite bonus. If you stay in the east, perhaps both these projects would be place you too far from parents. You never know when you'd need to swing by parents place so its an interesting point to remember =)

I hope the Top Guan BTO is sufficiently far away from the future air base such that noise pollution is negligible. It is a point raised by some friends who considered TENGAH BTO. 

If you would like to find out our views on Tengah BTO, CLICK THIS LINK or check out this video below!