SINGAPORE: The bevy of 4428 Built-to-Order (BTO) flats the Government released for sale last week has drawn considerable attention, as several of the flats are part of the Prime Location Public Housing (PLH) developments in Kallang and Queenstown – two towns that have seen skyrocketing flat prices.

PLH developments are housing blocks located in prime locations, usually in or near the city centre, with good access to transportation and amenities. These developments are typically higher-end than regular public housing, with more spacious units and more unique features like aesthetically pleasing lush greenery, communal spaces and such.

An example of PLH developments in Singapore is the Pinnacle@Duxton, a landmark development in the Tanjong Pagar area that comprises seven 50-storey residential blocks and boasts sky gardens on the 26th and 50th floors

PLH developments are generally highly sought after due to their prime locations and attractive features. However, they are also subject to resale restrictions, such as a ten-year minimum occupancy period (MOP) before homeowners can sell, as compared to the five-year MOP for most other public housing properties.

Four-room flats in the new PLH developments in Kallang and Queenstown – Farrer Park Fields and Ulu Pandan Glades – are priced between $439,000 and $496,000 with government grants.

Despite the lengthy MOP, there is speculation on the ground that those who snag the new PLH flats in these areas may land a hefty windfall of more than a million dollars in the future, given the recent surge in resale flat prices.

In January this year, a 4-room flat in Kallang was sold for S$1 million, and another was sold for the same price in 2022. The most expensive resale flat is located at Queenstown’s SkyTerrace@Dawson, which sold for a staggering S$1.4 million, and at least eight other HDB flats in Queenstown were sold for S$1 million or close to that in 2022 alone.

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