Project Name: Adana @ Thomson
Address: 8 Old Upper Thomson Road S574413
Type: Condominium
Site area: approx. 39,998.7 sqft
Tenure: Freehold
District: 20
Configuration: 74 units
Unit types: 25, 2BR (560 sqft)
20, 3BR (872 sqft)
5, 3BR + utility (947 sqft)
20, 3BR Compact (721 sqft)
4, 4BR (1,152 sqft)
Est. TOP: 2019
Propshort: Even as a boutique development, Adana @ Thomson has small units that are bogged down with long corridors and/or cramped quarters. The high 5.5m ceiling alleviates some of this but given how small bedrooms are the ceiling almost have to be utilized. With that said, the air space is still factored into the cost even if the buyer chooses not to do anything with it. The units do have quality furnishing and fittings which detract slightly from the smallness.
Even with a small number of units, this freehold boutique project has small 3BR units. The 3BR units are further separated into two types, one with a yard/utility room and one without. The most frustrating thing about the units here is the continued insistence toward spending valuable space in places like balconies instead of giving more breadth to the living room or master bedroom which is immediately out of space once a queen size bed goes in there.
3BR without utility/yard Source: sales brochure
If the balcony space was repurposed as something functional, it could be where you installed a wardrobe or a dressing area. Flooring, however, is high-quality and the high ceiling as always helps with ensuring claustrophobia does not set in. The developer likely did the best they could with the smaller land ratio while providing the most basic of what is expected of a condominium.
3BR + Utility Source: sales brochure
The 3BR + Utility gives owners a place to dry their clothes but the other 3BR variants that do not come with the utility/yard space makes doing laundry difficult. Unless you can afford to waste valuable cabinet space by slotting a washer/dryer combo in the kitchen, you’re going to be using the living room or worse, the balcony to dry wet clothing.
Even the bathroom, the wet area is extremely small which for someone who is not svelte or skinny would have a bit of difficulty turning around in. It resembles some of the small shower spaces in motels in Bangkok or even hotels in Hong Kong. The 4BR unit looks to be the most worth it in terms of space if you have a bigger family with lots of stuff.
4BR Source: sales brochure
Though proportionally, it offers the same amount of space everywhere, just in a bigger setting, the superior size makes the long hallways and small bedrooms stand out less. There’s also a yard space to the back of the kitchen which is nice. Given that condo owners can’t exactly hang their clothes out on a bamboo pole, a yard space is the barest of minimums and you get that and quite a bit more for the 4BR unit.
Unsurprisingly, out of five available, four have already been transacted as the 4BR is the most value for money, even if prices seem a little too high for the location and for a size that’s typically not 4BR-esque.
Propshort: Although its immediate three neighbours are three different petrol kiosks all doing the same thing, Adana @ Thomson straddles the line where it is along Upper Thomson Road and close to bus stops and amenities but at the same time, has the breadth of the Lower Peirce Reservoir languishing behind it. Adana is kind of far from the MRT stations, including the upcoming Bright Hill station but with several buses that go to Ang Mo Kio Interchange and even Toa Payoh Interchange and Geylang, it’s far more connected than its counterparts in other parts of the island.
On paper and if you look at it from Google Maps, Adana @ Thomson is easy to discredit for being out of the way, close to nature and with no visible amenities around. None of those is particularly untrue.
Adana construction
Located at Upper Thomson Road and backed by the Lower Peirce Reservoir, it is out of the way. While there are many buildings across the road from it, the reservoir and line of trees on its side is just as prevalent. And zooming out of the map, other than schools, there’s little by way of entertainment value such as shopping malls.
So yes, it is easy to wave Adana @ Thomson off as a niche product since, in many ways, it is.
Upper Thomson Road
But a trip down to the site may well peel back the layers of that low expectation because, on the ground, Adana @ Thomson is actually quite the hidden gem.
While it is more hidden now as a result of the wild overgrowth next and around it, Adana is still in its foundation stages. There is little yet to show how it will look, outside of the artist impression, when finally completed. However, the artist impression does a good job at projecting how the 3-block, 5-storey development will blend into its surrounding, petrol kiosks none withstanding.
Source: sales brochure
The show flat is located a bit further down, along Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1 though it is reportedly closed. There is a Singapore Power construction going on for the north-south transmission cable tunnel. This is expected to be completed sometime in the second quarter of 2019, likely around the same time when Adana is finished.
There are several schools around Adana, though only one – CHIJ St. Nicholas Girls – is within 1KM of Adana. The other five primary schools are a little bit further away. Still, it’s good if you have a daughter. Families with sons however, have to do with a bit more travelling.
Also, if travelling by MRT is your preferred method of transportation then get accustomed to waiting for a bus and riding out to Ang Mo Kio Interchange. There is a straight bus there so travel is fairly straight-forward. For residents working nearby, that is, four to five stations away, it’s not going to be that long of a journey.
Bus stop opposite Adana with buses that go to Ang Mo Kio, Geylang and Toa Payoh
Those that work in central locations, however, may be better off taking a straight bus to places like the CBD or Orchard. There are taxis aplenty here, with many exiting the SLE up north to head toward more populated centres like Braddell and Toa Payoh south of Adana.
A straight bus ride to Novena takes roughly 35 minutes, adjusting for weather and road conditions. It’s not that long to be honest and certainly far quicker and certainly less tedious than taking a bus to the train station and then suffering through a horde of people too busy with their phones to make way.
Amenities
Three petrol stations are side by side after Adana. Then, diagonally across the road, is another petrol station. Next to that is a hawker centre and a bit further away is yet another petrol station.
Drivers have no worry for running out of petrol since this place is overstocked with fuel. Fortunately, it’s also not deprived of necessary amenities. The aforementioned hawker centre – Sembawang Hills Food Centre – is about five-minutes away if you jaywalk across the road (don’t) and continue up along Upper Thomson Road.
Hawker centre across road from Adana
Behind the hawker centre and along the ingress/egress of Jalan Leban is a row of restaurants and pubs, including a 7-11. You will notice it with the LeBan HK Café being the first thing you see. A Pet Lover’s Centre is also there, just next to the 7-11 and two stores down from the clinic. The bars are at the end, closer to Jalan Kuras.
Jalan Leban
A bit further down along Jalan Kuras are more shops and eateries, including an Awfully Chocolate and even a carpet warehouse. Continue walking and you’ll find the key component here – Giant Express supermarket, at the intersection of Jalan Kuras and Jalan Gelenggang. Across there is an outdoor fitness corner and diagonally across is an open-air carpark.
There are more shops and eateries, as well as a massage parlour along the winding stretch of buildings with Giant at the head although the supermarket is arguably the most important shop for residents of Adana.
Giant Express
A slow walk gets you there in about 10 minutes or less and its fairly convenient to walk up and down provided you’re not carrying plenty of things. If you do intend to shop extensively and do not wish to drive out a short distance, there is a bus stop you can get to by cutting through the open-air carpark and turning right at the traffic light.
Bus stop near Giant
The bus stop is in front of a large field that is available for bookings for events or classes. That field is called ARK Futsal @ Thomson. Adana is just one bus stop away so any bus can be taken.
Out of 74 units, 48 have been transacted, which for a project in this part of the island, is good. All the unit types have a fair number of transactions.
Source: URA, PropertyGuru
2BR units have 14 out of 25 units transacted, 3BR compact units have 19 out of 20 transacted, 3BR units have seven out of 20 (currently the only type with the most available), 3BR + utility units have all five sold due to them being the only types except for the 4BR with a yard. Finally, the 4BR units as written above, have transacted three out of four.
PSF value are surprisingly high. Adana benefits from being the only new private property development in the immediate area. Its closest competitor is Peirce View. Located three petrol kiosks down the road, the 1996 freehold property has an indicative PSF price of $977. Adana’s indicative PSF is $1,618 which when adjusted for inflation is more or less accurate.
However, its individual unit PSFs can be considered a bit high, considering it’s not particularly close to any MRT stations and its vaunted waterside living is just a fancy marketing campaign.
Source: URA, PropertyGuru
None of the units actually face the reservoir. With that said though, the numerous number of amenities within walking distance and good connectivity by buses are certainly a deciding factor.
Rental
Taking the 3BR compact unit (721 sqft) as a guide as it is currently the most popular of the lot, monthly rental of $2.91 psf (calculated from a median rental price of the district from the past four quarters) comes up to $2,098.
The median transacted price for the 3BR compact is $1,158,700 so rental yield for Adana @ Thomson is a low 2.17%. As an investment, Adana @ Thomson looks to be rather high risk. For homeowners however, it’s a decent starting step. Its freehold status is certainly factored into the cost and is lucrative on its own.
Adana @ Thomson is both a good and not so good property. Its units are liveable though small bedrooms and shower areas are both annoying in terms of functionality and the money spent. But its location, MRT aside, is extremely well-connected with buses that go toward most places in Singapore especially the CBD and Orchard.
Source: sales brochure
Amenities are plentiful, including a Giant Express supermarket and the many rows of eateries, bars, restaurants and 24-hour shops are boon for fulfilling daily needs.
Adana @ Thomson is similarly priced with other boutique freehold developments in other parts of the island, such as 183 Longhaus but despite it being along Upper Thomson Road, it lacks some of the additional conveniences that can justify similar pricing strategy.
Even the new Bright Hill MRT station won’t be close enough to walk to conveniently daily and MRT stations are a major proponent for price increase in nearby properties. Adana @ Thomson is not close enough to be priced for it.
But Ang Mo Kio is a matured district and is home to some of the most unique HDB properties. The area is also fairly peaceful, despite Adana being along Upper Thomson Road.
Unique HDBs in Ang Mo Kio
Traffic is nowhere as bad as Stevens Road as the roads are wider and the location itself isn’t so central that it becomes a constant thoroughfare. The relaxed environment too helps with justifying the cost a bit. Its freehold status also plays a huge part.
But with the nearby petrol kiosks, there’s a high chance that your daily view is of refuelling cars and the smell of petrol. The leases for those petrol kiosks are due to end and there is a possibility they may not be renewed which means the future of the plot of land next door is uncertain. What likely will happen, is more condos will be built, which will increase congestion in the area.
But all of this is speculation and is not a worry for several years more.
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