Never mind the best of both worlds, this stunning freehold development in the heart of District 11, has the best of all worlds. Equally attractive as a home or an investment opportunity, this is a unique and affordable development in a highly sought after area.
Source: Sales brochure
Project Name: 26 Newton
Address: 26 Newton Road
Type: Condominium
Site area: 37,577 sqft
Tenure: Freehold
District: 11
Configuration: 180 units
Unit types: 76 x 1 bedroom units (474 – 484 sqft)
4 X 1 bedroom penthouse + study units (926 – 1119 sqft)
38 X 2 bedroom units (560 – 614 sqft)
57 X 2 bedroom + study units (775 sqft)
2 X 2 bedroom penthouse units (1163 – 1216 sqft)
3 X 2 bedroom penthouse + study units (1496 – 1539 sqft)
26 Newton is a single 26 storey block, containing 180 units. These are made up of a combination of one and two bedroom apartments. Both sizes come with the option of including a study, and penthouses are available for single and double bedroom units. These penthouses come with a luxury outdoor Jacuzzi for the ultimate in fine living. Sales have been steady if unspectacular, which is more a measure of the market in general than this particular development. To date there have been 35 sales, so there are units of all types still available.
Source: Developer brochure
All the units are designed and built to a very high standard and exude contemporary elegance and style. Simple lines and the no fuss architecture not only makes the most of the available space, but make these modern apartments the height of class and sophistication. The inclusion of top brands for the fixtures and fittings backs this up, and as for facilities it comes with everything you would expect from a 21st century condo.
Facilities
Specifications
This development, and the area it sits in, has an air of quiet sophistication that is easy to fall in love with. It is also a location that ticks every box when looking for a modern, convenient place to live with all the amenities that we may not always expect, but certainly desire.
Some of the best local and international schools on the island? Tick. Food centres and high end dining options within a 5 minute walk? Tick. Convenient for a variety of shopping malls with a choice of retail, and grocery outlets, with one of the best shopping streets in the world one stop away? Tick. Easy access to the MRT, expressways and the bus network? Tick, tick, tick. Located near world class medical facilities? Tick.
Despite all of that, the actual development is located in an area that enjoys relative peace and quiet. Landed property lines the opposite side of the road, giving the condo an air of space that is rare for such a modern condo.
Getting there and away
Whatever your preferred mode of transport, 26 Newton is convenient. A bus stop is less than 100 yards away whichever direction you are headed and getting to the PIE, CTE and Bukit Timah Road is quick and easy.
Public transport
MRT wise, the residence is located equidistant between Novena and Newton stations (both less than half a mile away) which lie on the North South Line. This provides access to Orchard Road, the CBD and Chinatown in a matter of minutes. A little further away (slightly more than a mile) there is Little India which sits on the Downtown and North East Lines, which means that there isn’t a station on the island not in easy reach.
The Area
Nothing is very far from the development, with numerous eateries within a five minute walk. There is also The Hotel Royal practically next door which has a restaurant and bar open to non-residents. One of the attractions of this area is the amount of choice available in terms of the style of food options available. At the end of the road (500metres) there is the Newton Food Court which comes with a very good reputation.
Newton Food Court
If you head the same distance in the other direction you get to Goldhill Plaza, with a good selection of bars, cafes and restaurants. Across the way United Square has more to offer of a more chain variety and if you still aren’t satisfied, the subway brings you out on Velocity and Square 2. For grocery shopping, there is a Cold Storage at United Square and a NTUC Fairprice at Square 2.
Eateries and bars
When you’ve had your fill of food, the shopping options aren’t going to disappoint. The aforementioned Union Square and Velocity have ample retail outlets, the latter specialising in sporting stores, but it has a lot more besides. Orchard Road is only one stop on the MRT or 5 minutes’ drive away, for those in need of a more high end retail fix.
United Square
Education wise, Newton/Novena are hard to beat. Opposite the residence there is a choice of three nurseries, while the older ones don’t have a lot further to go, with St Joseph’s Institution Junior, Anglo-Chinese Junior School, Anglo-Chinese Primary School, Chatsworth International School, the Australian International School, Stamford American International School, Avondale Grammar School, Chinese International School and St Joseph’s Institution International School all within very easy reach.
At the time of writing (August 2016), there have been a total of 35 caveated transactions for this property, with 20 of those coming in below $1.5 million, the other 15 between $1.5 million and $2.59 million.
Source: URA, PropertyGuru
The Lincoln Residences located literally right behind 26 Newton, is of a comparable age, and offers similar facilities, so despite it having solely 3 and 4 bed units it serves as a good comparison in terms of the market for that specific area. Current transacted prices for Lincoln stand at:
3 Bedroom: $1.328M – $2.463M
3 Bedroom + study: $1.397M – $2.585M
4 Bedroom: $2.245M – $3.889M
Penthouse: $3.900M – $5.295M
Future Rental Potential
To get a proper understanding of what rental prices are likely to be for 26 Newton, we need to take a look at rental prices for the area as a whole. Based on data for the last 4 quarters, the current median rental price for units in District 11 is $3.92 psf (at the time of writing, August 2016).
This means a 1 bedroom unit with 484 sqft would be on the market for around $2,280 a month when we factor in a new build premium of 20%. Taking the median price for this as $1.18M, the annual gross rental yield is likely to be in the region of 2.32%.
Now looking at the figures for a 1539 sqft 2 bed penthouse, it would go for approximately $7,250 a month (once again allowing for the new build premium). A median price of $3.275M would give an annual gross rental yield of 2.66% or thereabouts.
One final factor that needs to be taken into consideration is that this is a freehold property. These are becoming more and more of a rarity especially for new builds, and even more so for properties in desirable locations near to MRT stations. This means the units will hold their value very well, compared to similar, non-freehold developments.
In short, 26 Newton is a very smart, luxury condominium in an extremely desirable and sought after area. It provides all the benefits and convenience of District 11, but still sits in a setting that is spacious, airy and relatively peaceful. District 11, and this particular part of it is popular with ex pats, as the preponderance of good international schools nearby shows, and its proximity to the MRT and Orchard means that no matter what other areas and districts come into prominence in the near and mid-term, this will always hold its appeal – and its value.
26 Newton
Since it formed just over a decade ago, Novelty Corp Pte Ltd has made a reputation for itself for designing and building high quality, luxurious and innovative residential developments in Singapore and overseas. Its mission is to redefine the benchmark or true luxury living, and it is something that is evident in the attention to detail that are a mark of its current and past projects.
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