Toa Payoh Ascent BTO Review: Walking distance to 2 MRT stations

The Toa Payoh Ascent BTO project was launched in the July 2025 HDB BTO sales exercise. It has been classified as a Prime project, which means a 10-year Minimum Occupation Period (MOP), more restrictive resale rules and a prohibition on renting out the whole flat.

That hasn’t stopped Toa Payoh Ascent BTO from becoming the most oversubscribed project at the July 2025 launch. Toa Payoh is a highly popular neighbourhood that commands million-dollar resale prices, so the chance to snag a flat there for BTO prices proved irresistible to many, in spite of the Prime classification.

Furthermore, Toa Payoh Ascent’s location, bounded by Toa Payoh Rise and Braddell Rise, is highly desirable, with two MRT stations (Caldecott and Braddell) located within walking distance.

Hoping to get a flat there on the resale market? The Toa Payoh Ascent key collection date is expected to be in 2029, so resale flats will only be available from 2039 onwards.

In the meantime, let’s see if Toa Payoh Ascent is worth the hype.

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

Toa Payoh Ascent Price

The Toa Payoh Ascent BTO price list at the July 2025 launch was as follows: $212,000 to $354,000 for 2-room Flexi flats, $406,000 to $514,000 for 3-room flats and $583,000 to $777,000 for 4-room flats.

If the Toa Payoh BTO 2025 price sounds high to you, you’re not alone. Half a million dollars for a 3-room flat is indeed steep. If we compare these figures to a previous Toa Payoh BTO price list for Kim Keat Ripples and Toa Payoh Ridge, we can see just how much BTO prices have increased.

Kim Keat Ripples and Toa Payoh Ridge were launched in 2020. The Kim Keat Ripples and Toa Payoh Ridge price list was as follows: $90,000 to $184,000 for 2-room Flexi flats, $351,000 to $446,000 for 3-room flats and $395,000 to $666,000 for 4-room flats. That’s an increase of at least 25%, and in the case of 2-room Flexi flats, the prices have just about doubled. 

If you think the Toa Payoh BTO July price is high now, wait till you see resale prices. The Kim Keat Ripples and Toa Payoh Ridge completion date was in 2025, so it’ll be some time before they are placed on the resale market. But we can look at a different project on Lorong 1 Toa Payoh, built in 2017. 4-room flats are currently being advertised for sale on PropertyGuru for $850,000 to $1,280,000, with the vast majority of listings asking for over a million dollars. These flats are located a four-minute walk from Braddell MRT station or a nine-minute walk from Caldecott MRT station, and thus enjoy the same good connectivity as Toa Payoh Ascent.

Although resale prices are very strong right now, current Toa Payoh Ascent owners will have to contend with the uncertainty of the new HDB classification system, as it is unknown how the more stringent rules for Prime flats will affect their investment. However, in my opinion, Toa Payoh Ascent will be a less lucrative investment than earlier Toa Payoh BTO projects.

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Toa Payoh Ascent Site Plan

Check out the Toa Payoh Ascent map and site plan, which shows how the blocks are laid out in the estate, as well as the shared amenities. Communal amenities include children’s playgrounds, fitness stations, precinct pavilions and a drop-off porch.

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Toa Payoh Ascent Location

The Toa Payoh Ascent BTO site is located at the junction of Toa Payoh Rise and Braddell Rise, a five-minute walk to Caldecott MRT station on the Circle Line and the Thomson-East Coast Line, and a nine-minute walk to Braddell MRT station on the North-South Line. The MRT ride from Caldecott to Maxwell MRT station in the CBD is only 15 minutes.

The Toa Payoh town centre surrounding Toa Payoh MRT station is reachable in about 15 minutes on foot, and is home to amenities such as Toa Payoh Public Library, a COURTS outlet and the Toa Payoh HDB Hub, which is teaming with shops and eateries.

Closer to home, residents can reach Toa Payoh West Market and Food Centre in five minutes on foot, and the ActiveSG Gym @ Toa Payoh in six minutes.

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Nearby Schools

This is a choice location for families with kids (especially girls) who hope to attend prestigious schools, as there are several within walking distance—Raffles Girl’s School (Secondary), Marymount Convent School, CHIJ Primary School (Toa Payoh), CHIJ Secondary School (Toa Payoh), Keng Cheng School and SJI International School, all within 1 km and a 13-minute walk. Beatty Secondary School, First Toa Payoh Primary School and Pei Chun Public School are located within 2 km.

Overall, I think this is an attractive location for its connectivity via public transport, the rich selection of nearby schools as well as the proximity to eateries, shops and other amenities. It’s great for those who work in the city centre, families with kids, or just about anybody who is looking for a convenient location in a neighbourhod with established amenities.

The main drawback for larger households with children, other than the price, is that there are no 5-room flats in this project.

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Toa Payoh Ascent Floor Plan

Check out the Toa Payoh Ascent floor plan. Toa Payoh Ascent consists of 2-room Flexi, 3-room and 4-room flats.

2-Room Floor Plan

There are two types of 2-room Flexi flats available—Type 1 flats measuring 38 sqm, inclusive of air con ledge, and Type 2 flats measuring 48 sqm, also inclusive of air con ledge.

The Type 1 flats are very basic, with a bedroom, living/dining area and kitchen that offer just enough space for the bare minimum. I personally dislike the positioning of the household shelter beside the main entrance, as it creates a space-wasting corridor.

The Type 2 flats seem a lot more spacious, although, again, the position of the household shelter necessitates a long corridor that I consider dead space. The living/dining area is L-shaped, with a nook where a desk or guest bed can be placed. This is one of the more cramped Type 2 layouts I’ve seen as the living/dining room really gets eaten into by the household shelter.

3-Room Floor Plan

The 3-room flats measure 66 sqm, inclusive of air con ledge. The kitchen and utility area are customisable, and can be merged into one big space. As far as 3-room flats go, the kitchen/utility area is relatively spacious, which is a bonus for those who like to cook.

4-Room Floor Plan

The 4-room flats measure 89 sqm, inclusive of air con ledge. This layout really doesn’t deviate from the standard 4-room flat layout we’ve come to expect, with three bedrooms lined up in a row and a household shelter to the left of the main entrance.

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Toa Payoh Ascent Rent Price

Toa Payoh Ascent is a Prime project, so owners will not be able to rent out the entire flat when the 10-year MOP has been served.

Toa Payoh Ascent Review

Toa Payoh Ascent is a relatively expensive BTO buy, but you get bang for your buck—the BTO project is located within easy walking distance of two MRT stations on three lines, the full commute to the CBD takes only 20 minutes, and there is a rich range of amenities and schools located within walking distance. I would say this property is worth the price tag for those who work in the CBD, or anyone who values convenience, including families with kids.

However, as an investment, there is a lot of uncertainty as we don’t know the effect of Prime classification on resale prices. In addition, owners are not allowed to rent out the entire flat. While the Toa Payoh area does enjoy consistently high demand, I would not recommend buying a flat here solely as an investment if you are risk averse.

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