Alkaff Vista BTO Review: First resale flats in Bidadari

Alkaff Vista is a BTO project that was launched in the mature estate of Toa Payoh in the November 2015 BTO exercise.

The project was the first in Bidadari to receive its Temporary Occupation Permit (TOP) in September 2019, which means that owners wishing to sell their flats after fulfilling their Minimum Occupation Period (MOP) will be able to do so in 2024.

Alkaff Vista is one of several BTO projects in the new Bidadari neighbourhood, which has been undergoing development into a housing estate over the past few years and is scheduled to be completed in 2025. Located on Bidadari Park Drive, the flats are also an easy walking distance to Potong Pasir MRT station.

While any controversy about the housing estate being built on the site of a former cemetery has since died down, you might be curious to know how this new development in the Bidadari area measures up. Let’s find out.

Alkaff Vista BTO Review (Summary Table)

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

Alkaff Vista Price

Alkaff Vista is a small project consisting of only 350 4-room and 5-room flats. At its launch in 2015, the 4-room flats were sold at a launch price of $433,000 to $550,000, while the 5-room flats’ launch price was $544,000 to $625,000.

Alkaff Vista 4-room flats are currently being put up for sale on PropertyGuru for $1,099,999 to $1,190,000, while 5-room flats are going for $1,258,000 to $1,350,000. These are sky-high six figure prices and about double of what the owners paid for them.

As you can see, Alkaff Vista owners who decide to sell their flats this year are sitting on a goldmine and could make a huge profit.

Moving forward, the future investment potential of Bidadari for resale buyers is yet to be seen, since the neighbourhood is new. However, factors such as Bidadari being completed in 2025 and there being time for the neighbourhood to mature and attract established amenities could give home values a boost in the years to come.

Alkaff Vista BTO Feng Shui

Alkaff Vista is situated on a landform which is auspicious for certain industries, including commerce, accounting, finance and investments, and could thus be favourable for those who work in such areas.

The north- and south-facing flats are most auspicious during the 2024 to 2063 period, followed by those facing northwest and southeast. The least auspicious units are those facing west.

Alkaff Vista Location

Alkaff Vista is located on Bidadari Park Drive, about 7 minutes’ walk from Potong Pasir MRT station and 10 minutes’ walk from Woodleigh MRT station, both on the North East Line. Its location on the western edge of Bidadari puts it in very close proximity to neighbouring housing estate Potong Pasir.

One of Bidadari’s key draws is its abundance of scenic nature spots, including the new Bidadari Park and Alkaff Lake, both of which are located within walking distance of Alkaff Vista.

The flats are also conveniently located within 10 minutes’ walk of shopping amenities such as Woodleigh Mall and The Poiz Centre.

That’s not all. Alkaff Vista is located within walking distance of many sought-after schools including Cedar Girls’ Secondary School, Cedar Primary School, St Andrew’s Junior School, St Andrew’s Junior College, Maris Stella High School and Maris Stella High School (Primary), making it ideal for households with children.

Overall, I am impressed by Alkaff Vista, which is located not only in an attractive neighbourhood but also enjoys a very accessible location within it.

Alkaff Vista Floor Plan

Alkaff Vista consists of 350 4-room and 5-room flats. You can see the floor plans here.

4-Room

The 4-room flats measure 94 sqm, including the air con ledge. The layouts are fairly typical, with the three bedrooms lined up in a row followed by the living room at the other end. Owners can choose between an open kitchen and one separated from the living/dining area by a partition wall.

5-Room

The 5-room flats measure either 113sqm or 114sqm, inclusive of air con ledge. The flats all have a rather typical layout with the three bedrooms in a row followed by the living/dining area. Again, there is a choice between an open or enclosed kitchen. One thing to note is that in the larger 114 sqm units, the household shelter is located in the middle of the flat. If owners opt for an open kitchen, a part of it will be blocked by the household shelter.

I think these layouts are quite typical of 4- and 5-room HDB flats, so there aren’t too many surprises here.

Alkaff Vista Rent

At the moment, there are no Alkaff Vista flats being put up for rent on property portals as we are still a few months shy of the MOP being fulfilled.

However, in nearby Potong Pasir, 4-room flats on Potong Pasir Avenue 1 and 3 are being put up for rents of $3,800 to $4,999 per month. They are all older flats built in the 1980s and are located 3 to 14 minutes’ walk from Potong Pasir MRT station.

This would be a good rental yield for those who bought the flats as BTO applicants, but given the current high resale prices Alkaff Vista owners are currently asking for, the units will need to command higher rents to be attractive to owners.

Alkaff Vista BTO Review

As the first HDB project in the Bidadari estate to hit the resale market, Alkaff Vista is an exciting prospect for those looking to buy a flat in this new city fringe area.

As far as location goes, Alkaff Vista is extremely attractive in my opinion—close to the MRT station, lots of established amenities in neighbouring Potong Pasir, a convenient city fringe location, proximity to nature and a wide selection of reputable schools nearby. There’s nothing not to like!

But all this comes at a price, since Alkaff Vista resale prices are going to be sky high—be prepared to fork out over a million for a resale flat. The ongoing development in Bidadari could well give future home values a boost, but it might be worth waiting a while to see if the current high prices are not just a reflection of excitement over the first resale flats to be sold in the area.