Rivervale Shores BTO Review: Sengkang flats overlooking the Serangoon Reservoir

Launched in the August 2017 BTO exercise, Rivervale Shores is a HDB project located on Sengkang East Drive in Sengkang, overlooking the Serangoon Reservoir.

Rivervale Shores received its Temporary Occupation Permit (TOP) in April 2023, so there is quite some time before residents will have finished serving their Minimum Occupation Period (MOP) and be able to sell or rent out their flats.

Rivervale Shores is located on a plot of land overlooking the waterfront, meaning some units enjoy scenic views.

With 2,500 units of 2-room Flexi, 3-room, 4-room and 5-room flats, Rivervale Shores is an enormous BTO project. Let’s see how it measures up.

Rivervale Shores BTO Review (Summary Table)

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

Rivervale Shores Price

When Rivervale Shores was launched in 2017, the launch prices were $78,000 to $130,000 for 2-room Flexi flats, $159,000 to $201,000 for 3-room flats, $252,000 to $331,000 for 4-room flats and $317,000 to $399,000 for 5-room flats. These launch prices are quite affordable in my opinion.

The first batch of Rivervale Shores owners will only complete their MOP in 2028, so there is no current information on resale prices.

4-room flats in the neighbouring Punggol area at Punggol Field, Punggol East and Punggol Drive, having received their TOP in 2011 to 2018, are currently being put up for sale on PropertyGuru for about $598,000 to $658,000. Like Rivervale Shores, these flats are more than 20 minutes’ walk from the nearest MRT station and residents will need to rely on the LRT system to get onto the MRT network.

If we use these prices as a guide, the first batch of Rivervale Shores owners will probably enjoy decent capital gains if they decide to sell their flats after the MOP.

Rivervale Shores BTO Feng Shui

According to feng shui masters, the landform Rivervale Shores occupies is beneficial for people who have strong willpower and who are able to put their plans into action. However, those whose willpower is weak might not be able to make the most of the location, instead becoming lazy at the first signs of success.

The location of Rivervale Shores near the Serangoon Reservoir is auspicious, especially for those units that can see the flow of water from the living room.

Rivervale Shores Location

Rivervale Shores is located on Sengkang East Drive, and occupies a plot of land overlooking the Sengkang Reservoir, with some blocks enjoying waterfront views. The Sungei Serangoon Park Connector runs alongside the banks of the Serangoon Reservoir, offering easy access to scenic views and nature.

The flats are located about 20 minutes’ walk from shopping amenities such as Rivervale Mall and Rivervale Plaza.

For families with kids, there is a decent selection of schools within walking distance, including North Spring Primary School, Seng Kang Secondary School, CHIJ St Joseph’s Convent and Seng Kang Primary School.

All of this sounds decent, but in my opinion, Rivervale Shores’ weakest point is its poor public transport connectivity. The nearest MRT station, Sengkang, is about 27 to 31 minutes’ walk away, which is too far for most. So, residents will need to rely on buses or the LRT station.

The flats are located about 9 to 13 minutes’ walk from Bakau LRT station, depending on the block. Bakau LRT station connects to Sengkang MRT station.

Rivervale Shores Floor Plan

Rivervale Shores consists of 2-room Flexi, 3-room, 4-room and 5-room flats. You can have a look at the Rivervale Shores floor plans here.

2-Room Flexi

The 2-room Flexi flats measure either 38 sqm or 47 sqm, including air con ledge. All the layouts are quite similar, with the larger 47 sqm units having a more spacious living room, bedroom and kitchen. In all layouts, the kitchen opens up into the hallway rather than the living/dining area, and there is no option to make it an open kitchen, so buyers should take note of that.

3-Room

The 3-room flats measure 68 sqm or 71 sqm, including air con ledge. Both layouts are similar, with the two bedrooms side by side on one end of the flat and the living room on the other. The main difference between the two is that the larger, 71 sqm flat has a balcony.

4-Room

The 4-room flats measure 93 sqm or 96 sqm, inclusive of air con ledge. The layout for all units is typical of 4-room flats, with the three bedrooms placed side by side. One key thing to note is that some units offer the choice between an open and closed kitchen, while others require the kitchen to remain closed as the household shelter is in the way. The 96 sqm flats also have a balcony.

5-Room

The 5-room flats measure 113 sqm or 116 sqm, inclusive of air con ledge. Once again, the layouts are typical, with all three bedrooms lined up in a row. Like the 4-room flats, certain layouts allow the owner to choose between an open concept kitchen opening up into the living/dining area and a closed kitchen with a partition wall. In certain flats, an open kitchen is not possible due to the position of the household shelter. There are also some flats with a balcony.

Overall, I think these layouts are fairly standard. The main choices buyers will have to make are whether they want an open or closed kitchen, and whether they want a balcony. It is worth noting that all the units with balconies do not allow for open kitchens.

Rivervale Shores Rent

Rivervale Shores BTO buyers will only fulfil their MOP in 2028, so we are still a long way away from seeing the kinds of rents these units will enjoy.

4-room flats at nearby Rivervale Crescent are being put up for rent at $2,600 to $3,600 per month on PropertyGuru. These flats are located 2 to 10 minutes’ walk from Rumbia or Bakau LRT station. Assuming Rivervale Shores enjoys the same rents, the first batch of BTO buyers could potentially enjoy a good rental yield. However, future resale buyers might find the rental yield lacklustre, depending on the price they pay for their flat.

Rivervale Shores BTO Review

Rivervale Shores flats offer the chance to buy an affordable starter home for households of all sizes.

The location’s biggest strength is its proximity to the scenic Serangoon Reservoir and the park connector running alongside it. Shopping and food amenities are fairly accessible if one is prepared to walk over 20 minutes or take the bus.

However, the low prices come at a cost, as the flats do not enjoy great public transport connectivity. Residents will have to be satisfied with taking the LRT to get onto the MRT network.

In terms of investment potential, the first batch of BTO buyers should see decent capital gains, but for those buying Rivervale Shores units on the resale market, I would not recommend doing so primarily for investment purposes.