Huge Condo Vs. Small Apartment Developments
On the one hand, you have condo like Treasure at Tampines with over 2,200 units. On the other, you have Van Holland with under 100 units. Which is better? Below are some general considerations:
Caution:
What you review here is a generalisation. There are plenty of other elements besides the size and also variety of units, that you should think about; things like which schools or MRT terminals are nearby, transaction histories of nearby devices, and also just how jealous your relative will get when you show off your brand-new apartment next CNY.
There are additionally developments that are going to be exceptions– for example, advancements that are incorporated may balance out the maintenance cost of fewer household units, as the business side is also paying upkeep. If you intend to buy, the following are guidelines only; look more deeply at each specific development.
Advantages of medium to huge condominium developments
In general, the primary benefits to bigger condominium developments are:
Much more facilities, on a larger scale
General format is typically a lot more large
Maintenance is split amongst even more devices
Tend to be much more budget-friendly
- A lot more facilities, on a larger range
Leedon green grand pool
Leedon Green is an only mid-sized growth, but 80 per cent of the area is offered to common centers
Even the mid-sized, 638 unit Leedon Green has a massive grand pool that you could elevate a whale in, and that’s simply among its three swimming pools However, Leedon Green made a bold choice to commit over 80 percent of its space to public facilities, while having usually smaller sized two-bedroom units.
Treasure at Tampines, with its ridiculous 2,200+ units, has 6 swimming pools. Really, Treasure at Tampines likewise has a 30-lane bowling centre, holds a local library, and has the largest children’s playground in the whole of Tampines; so at this point it appears like an HDB estate that got privatised.
Parc Clematis, with 1,468 units, has a whole 100-metre lengthy coastline for a swimming pool, even the sides mimic a sandy beachfront. Once again, this is in addition to various other swimming pools. While this pool point is a quite bizarre obsession, offer we reside on an island surrounded by water and real coastlines, I’m sure you see the point.
Bigger condo also have a tendency to incorporate retail, food, as well as service components. Also the appealing old but huge Costa Del Sol over 900 units has a physician, a dentist, and a mini-mart; the more recent huge advancements now include kindergartens, child care centres, and also pet groomers.
Along with this, you’re likely to find even more tennis courts, better gym facilities, or non-traditional quirks. Bear in mind the 1,300+ system High Park Houses? No? Well the programmers mounted a three-meter tall water slide.
- Total layout is normally much more sizable
Family members cycling
Desire extra open space within the condominium premises? Opt for a larger advancement.
Bigger condo = bigger land stories. Generally of thumb, larger condo are more spaced out, as well as have a lot more communal or environment-friendly spaces.
Florence Residences, with its 1,400+ units, still takes care of to avoid a “packed-in” feeling as a result of the interfering eco-friendly areas and also indeed, another enormous swimming pool down the middle. Treasure at Tampines feels more like an open estate than a gated apartment community.
It does not take a brilliant to exercise that a bigger story = usually higher ranges between blocks.
- Maintenance is divided among even more units
Bigger project normally imply lower maintenance costs for specific households. While there are extra facilities as well as space to keep, the expense is likewise separated up in between more devices.
Don’t take this as insurmountable fact though; exceptions exist. Midtown Bay is small at 219 units; but because its integrated with a commercial element (office and retail), the maintenance cost can be mainly borne by the commercial units.
The costs sometimes balance out against smaller projects; that’s because a bigger development has more units, but also larger spaces and more facilities to upkeep.
General though, more systems splitting the price– paired with basic economic situation of scale– suggests maintenance can be lighter on the pocket.
- Have a tendency to be more inexpensive
Guy chasing bucks
Desire much more money leftover after purchasing? Bigger projects often tend to be more affordable.
Smaller sized growths typically stress exclusivity, whereas larger growths are angled at the mass-market. That typically implies more affordable rates.
Nevertheless, this is eventually overridden by elements such as area, so don’t think larger constantly implies cheaper. Most people expect prices to be at around $1,400 per square foot for most larger (900+ unit) developments; but Parc Clematis averages $1,650 per square foot, as its right next to Clementi Mall and the attached MRT station.
Advantages of small, shop apartment growths
Some of the key advantages are:
Less potential competition
Greater voice in how the place is run
Less noisy and crowded
- Less potential competition
One of the key advantages is that, with fewer units in the project, you won’t be competing with as many landlords. The same goes for resale– in a large development like Parc Clematis or Treasure at Tampines, odds are other owners will be selling at the same time as you. Some of those other sellers could lure away a prospective buyer; and in a downturns, this can initiate a “race to the bottom” price war.
That being said, a smaller development by no means guarantees less competition. Nearby or future developments are a major factor here. Kopar at Newton could poach some tenants from Newton One (a small development with 91 units) when it’s ready.
- Greater voice in how the place in run
Property jargon: lease decay
Want to have more say in how a condo is run? Opt for smaller developments or buy multiple units in a bigger one, but who can afford that right now?.
The smaller the development, the fewer the number of owners. That means you have a greater voice in how the management committee goes about doing things.
It doesn’t always mean things will go your way; but it does mean you’ll be the deciding vote more often. With huge developments, you’re just one tiny voice among many unless you’re buying multiple units; that can be frustrating when you want to, say, stop a collective sale, or push to upgrade an old facility.
- Less noisy and crowded.
Facilities aren’t just used by the people residing in the development. With the pool and BBQ pits, for instance, many families also bring in relatives and friends on the weekend. A number of people let their uncles, aunts, cousins, siblings, etc. come in to use sauna and gym facilities, whether openly or in secret. This influx, coupled with already large numbers of residents, means more crowd and more noise.
This is less of an issue with smaller developments, as the whole point is exclusivity (you’ll find fewer people sneaking in to use the facilities as well, as security can better recognise the small handful of residents).
One small but widely recognised advantage is the lift– you’re less likely to be held up waiting at the lobby, when there aren’t a few hundred other people in the same block.
Which is better?
It depends on your own preferences; if you want exclusivity, go small but be prepared to pay big. If you don’t mind more estate-style living, then go for one of the mega-projects.
Always bear in mind this is one consideration among many: location and affordability still trump development size as a buying factor.
On the one hand, you have condo developments like Treasure at Tampines with over 2,200 units. The same goes for resale– in a large development like Parc Clematis or Treasure at Tampines, odds are other owners will be selling at the same time as you. That being said, a smaller development by no means guarantees less competition. Kopar at Newton could poach some tenants from Newton One a small development with 91 units when it’s ready.
Facilities aren’t just used by the people residing in the development.