Woodleigh Hillside BTO Review: HDB flats in new Bidadari neighbourhood

Woodleigh Hillside is a HDB BTO project launched in May 2017. The first batch of owners collected their keys in 2022 and have been enjoying their homes for over a year.

Woodleigh Hillside is one of several new HDB BTO projects in the new Bidadari neighbourhood, which attracted controversy as it was developed on the site of a graveyard. However, as evidenced by the high demand for homes in the area, buyers have long forgotten about their misgivings due to the attractiveness of the location.

Consisting of 1,355 2-room Flexi, 3-room, 4-room, 5-room and 3Gen flats, the Woodleigh Hillside launch was a big one featuring all flat types—there was something for everyone.

At its launch, Woodleigh Hillside was classified as being located in mature estate Toa Payoh, which is quite near the city centre. It is within walking distance of two MRT stations on two lines and is located near several popular schools.

So, is Woodleigh Hillside really that good of a buy? Let’s find out!

Woodleigh Hillside BTO Review (Summary Table)

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

Woodleigh Hillside Price

At its launch in May 2017, 2-room Flexi flats at Woodleigh Hillside were priced at $169,000 to $240,000, 3-room flats at $328,000 to $368,000, 4-room flats at $475,000 to $550,000, 5-room flats at $579,000 to $681,000 and 3Gen flats at $622,000 to $646,000.

As Bidadari is a new neighbourhood, the HDB flats in the area were built recently and have not reached their Minimum Occupation Period (MOP). It is thus hard to predict future resale prices for flats in the immediate vicinity of Woodleigh Hillside.

However, we can look at flats in adjacent areas to get an idea of what kinds of prices current owners are asking for.

At Alkaff Vista on 106A and 106B Bidadari Park Drive, 4-room flats are being put up for sale on PropertyGuru at $1,099,999 to $1,200,000. These flats obtained their Temporary Occupation Permit (TOP) in 2019 and are located 7 minutes’ walk from Potong Pasir MRT station, and about 17 minutes’ walk from Woodleigh Hillside.

These are fantastic resale prices that indicate great capital gains for the first batch of owners who managed to get their flats at the BTO launch. The first batch of Woodleigh Hillside owners can expect to enjoy excellent capital gains as well if they decide to sell after the MOP in 2027, especially given the fact that the Bidadari estate is slated for completion in 2025.

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Woodleigh Hillside BTO Feng Shui

The fact that the Bidadari estate is built on the site of a former graveyard might raise some concerns about feng shui. Fortunately, Woodleigh Hillside is actually located on land that is favourable for industries such as finance, accounting, commerce and investing.

The most auspicious flat facing directions are north and south for the 2014 to 2063 period.

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Woodleigh Hillside Location

Woodleigh Hillside is located on Bidadari Park Drive, bounded by Bartley Road located to the north. It is less than15 minutes’ walk from both Bartley MRT station on the Circle Line and Woodleigh MRT station on the Northeast Line. Serangoon MRT station on the North East and Circle Lines is accessible in under 20 minutes’ walk. While the presence of three MRT stations within walking distance is attractive, the downside is that none of them are that nearby, which adds to travelling time.

One of the biggest advantages of Woodleigh Hillside’s location is its proximity to popular schools, with Maris Stella High School located right next door. Other schools located nearby include Maris Stella High School (Primary), St Gabriel’s Secondary School, Cedar Primary School and Cedar Girls’ Secondary School.

There is also a good availability of shopping and food amenities, with The Woodleigh Mall and NEX located within walking distance. The flats are also located near the new Bidadari Park.

Overall, I think that Woodleigh Hillside enjoys an attractive location, especially for households with kids who wish to attend the sought-after schools nearby. The main downside is that none of the three MRT stations in the area are accessible in under 10 minutes’ walk, but I don’t think that is a deal breaker.

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Woodleigh Hillside Floor Plan

You can see the Woodleigh Hillside floor plans and enjoy a virtual tour of the units here.

The Woodleigh Hillside 2-room Flexi flats measure 38 or 47 sqm, inclusive of air con ledge. The smaller 38 sqm flats have a kitchen that opens out into the living and dining room, with the bedroom and bathroom on opposite ends of the flat.

The bathroom opens out into the hallway, which makes access less convenient from the living room and bedroom. Meanwhile, the bigger 47 sqm flats have a kitchen that opens out into the hallway, which makes it less convenient to take food from the kitchen to the living/dining area. However, the bathroom is located next door to the bedroom, which offers greater convenience.

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The 3-room flats measure 69 sqm inclusive of air con ledge, and buyers can choose between an open kitchen or a kitchen with a partition wall.

The 4-room flats measure 95 sqm inclusive of air con ledge, and also come with the choice between an open kitchen or a kitchen with a partition wall.

The 5-room flats measure 113 sqm or 116 sqm, inclusive of air con ledge. Buyers can choose between open concept kitchens and kitchens with a partition wall. The living/dining area is significantly more spacious than that in the 4-room flats, offering the option to set up a study area or home office.

The 3Gen flats measure 120 sqm inclusive of air con ledge, and come with four bedrooms and three bathrooms. Three of the bedrooms are located on one side of the flat while the fourth bedroom is one the other side of the flat, separated by the living/dining area—this bedroom is presumably for the grandparents of the household. Buyers can choose between an open kitchen concept or a kitchen with a partition wall.

Overall, these layouts are quite standard, but I like the possibility of choosing between an open and closed kitchen. Those who find closed kitchens too stuffy in Singapore’s climate might which to opt for an open kitchen.

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Woodleigh Hillside Rent

The first owners at Woodleigh Hillside have not fulfilled their five-year MOP yet, so there are no units currently being put up for rent. The same applies for other flats in the Bidadari area.

In the neighbouring Serangoon area, a 4-room flat at 408 Serangoon Avenue 1 is going for $4,500 a month on PropertyGuru, while a 5-room flat at 401 Serangoon Avenue 1 is going for $5,000 a month. The flats are located 6 to 7 minutes’ walk from Serangoon MRT station, and thus might be a bit more convenient than Woodleigh Hillside for those who take public transport.

However, they give a ballpark idea of the kinds of rents Woodleigh Hillside can expect to command—the rents are attractive in light of BTO prices and decent even in light of potential resale prices.. In fact, as the Bidadari area’s infrastructure improves, the area might command even higher rents.

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Woodleigh Hillside BTO Review

Woodleigh Hillside enjoys quite an attractive location in the new Bidadari area, with a good selection of amenities and lots of in-demand schools nearby. In addition, the flats are located within the popular and established Toa Payoh estate, which is located not far from the city centre.

In my opinion, Woodleigh Hillside’s main disadvantage is that one must be prepared to walk almost 15 minutes to the nearest MRT station. If you don’t mind the walk, there are three MRT stations located within 20 minutes’ walk of the flats, offering good connectivity.

In terms of investment potential, there is currently not much data on the Bidadari area, but given its attractive location and the fact that development of the area is slated to be completed in 2025, the first batch of owners is likely to see very attractive capital gains.

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