Alkaff LakeView BTO Review: Fantastic location, 2 minutes from Woodleigh MRT

Launched in the November 2015 BTO exercise, Alkaff LakeView is a HDB housing project located at Alkaff Crescent, just off Upper Aljunied Road in the Bidadari area, the brand new housing estate that attracted controversy when its development on the site of a former cemetery was first announced.

Consisting of 531 3-room and 4-room flats, Alkaff LakeView received its Temporary Occupation Permit (TOP) in December 2019. That means that at the end of 2024, the first batch of flat owners will have served their 5-year Minimum Occupation Period (MOP) and will put their flats on the market.

If you’re looking to buy an Alkaff LakeView resale flat, now is the time to start planning. Let’s have a look at this HDB project.

Alkaff Lakeview BTO Review (Summary Table) 

*Information from 99.co, PropertyGuru, and other property listing websites is accurate as of time of writing.

Alkaff LakeView Price

At the BTO launch in November 2015, Alkaff LakeView 3-room flats were being sold at a launch price of $297,000 to $385,000, while 4-room flats were sold at $433,000 to $550,000.

The first batch of Alkaff LakeView owners will be able to sell their flats in December 2024. While the date is not far off, at the moment the flats have not yet fulfilled their MOP, so there is no data on Alkaff LakeView resale prices.

But we can get an idea of approximate resale prices by looking at the current resale prices of similar flats located nearby.

Take the 4-room flats flats at 117A and 117B Jalan Tenteram in neighbouring Potong Pasir, for example. Located 16 minutes’ walk from Boon Keng MRT station, these flats, which obtained their TOP in 2016, are currently being put up for sale for $790,000 to $950,000 on PropertyGuru. For comparison’s sake, the flats are about 33 minutes’ walk from Alkaff LakeView and enjoy a slightly more central location.

If Alkaff LakeView resale units are priced similarly, the first batch of owners will enjoy great capital gains. What’s more, the Bidadari estate is slated for completion in 2025, which could translate to even more attractive capital gains in the coming years.

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Alkaff LakeView BTO Feng Shui

According to feng shui masters, Alkaff LakeView is located on land that is auspicious for career development, and can be a good location for ambitious residents. Certain industries, such as advertising, design, finance, accounting, investments and information are particularly suited to the area.

Alkaff LakeView is also located very near Alkaff Lake and Bidadari Park, which aside from being scenic are also auspicious for feng shui and indicate a peaceful stay. Alkaff LakeView units are also sufficiently protected from sha qi from surrounding buildings and traffic.

The most auspicious units for the period ranging from 2024 to 2063 are those facing north or south.

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Alkaff LakeView Location

First of all, Alkaff LakeView enjoys very good public transport connectivity. It is located 6 minutes’ walk from Woodleigh MRT station and 12 minutes’ walk from Potong Pasir MRT station, both on the North East Line. For those who do not mind walking a bit further, Bartley MRT station on the Circle Line is about 20 minutes’ walk away. In addition, its city fringe location in the larger Toa Payoh area makes it easily accessible from the city core.

Alkaff LakeView enjoys great access to shopping and dining amenities, with the area’s main shopping mall, Woodleigh Mall, located only 3 minutes’ walk away. Residents also enjoy abundant access to nature thanks to the proximity of Bidadari Park and Alkaff Lake, which are right next door.

Alkaff LakeView is also highly suited to families with kids as there are many reputable schools within easy walking distance. These include Cedar Girls’ Secondary School, Cedar Primary School, Maris Stella High School, Maris Stella High School (Primary) and St Gabriel’s Secondary School.

Overall, I think Alkaff LakeView’s location is highly attractive, and it will only get better as the Bidadari neighbourhood grows into its own.

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Alkaff LakeView Floor Plan

Alkaff LakeView units are quite unusual, but in a good way.

While certain units follow the standard HDB BTO layout, with the two bedrooms lined up side by side and the living and dining area on the other end of the flat, some of the Alkaff LakeView units feature bedrooms on either side of the flat and the living room in the middle.

The 3-room flats measure 732 to 775 sq ft (69 to 72 sqm) and come with and without balconies, as well as with open or closed kitchens.

The 3-room flats measure 1,001 to 1,033 sq ft (93 to 96 sqm) and likewise come with and without balconies, and closed or open kitchens. Buyers can choose between a classic layout with all the bedrooms lined up in a row, or a layout with two bedrooms on one end and the third bedroom on the other, with the living room in between.

I really like the wide range of layouts, and think the layout with the living room in the middle of the flat offers residents greater privacy.

You can see the Alkaff LakeView floor plans here.

Alkaff LakeView Rent

Alkaff LakeView flats cannot be rented out before the MOP is up, so there are no rental prices at the moment.

But when the MOP is fulfilled at the end of 2024, owners should be able to rent out their flats at prices similar to those of other flats in the area.

At 117 to 118 Potong Pasir Avenue 1, about 20 minutes’ walk from Alkaff LakeView in neighbouring Potong Pasir, 4-room flats are being put up for rent on PropertyGuru for $3,650 to $4,100 a month.

These flats obtained their TOP in 1984 and are thus much older than Alkaff LakeView. Located about 14 minutes’ walk from Potong Pasir MRT station, they also enjoy slightly poorer public transport connectivity than Alkaff LakeView.

Alkaff LakeView will most likely command more attractive rents, indicating a decent rental yield for the first batch of BTO buyers, and possibly also for resale flat buyers.

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Alkaff LakeView BTO Review

I personally feel that Alkaff LakeView is in a fantastic location—great public transport connectivity, very close to reputable schools, good access to shopping and dining amenities, proximity to nature and a city fringe location not far from central Singapore.

As the Bidadari neighbourhood is going to be completed very soon in 2025, the investment potential for the flats is likely to get even better as new amenities become more established.

The only downside for new buyers hoping to snag a unit is that resale prices will probably be quite high when the MOP is fufilled at the end of 2024.

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