Rivercove Review

Propshort: After the illustrious Hundred Palms, Hoi Hup expands and delivers on the excellence seen at their premier executive condominium for Rivercove. Decked out in porcelain tiles, each unit bears a layout that favours function over form without compromising on that form. It is both aesthetically pleasing and a breeze to navigate. With things like smart home features, north-south orientation for all units, bicycle parking lots, free shuttle bus service, spacious rooms, wide corridors and large windows that admit plenty of natural light, Rivercove is yet another notch in the belt for Hoi Hup.

As the first and only EC of 2018, Rivercove is Hoi Hup’s second EC in two years, after the incredibly popular Hundred Palms. Like Hundred Palms, the attention to detail at Rivercove leans heavily on the condominium part in terms of presentation but exceeds where size/usable space is concerned.

In fact, it is one of the more spacious offerings in the market for 2018.

Rivercove

There are two show units on display; 4-room + utility + yard (1,281 sq ft.) and 3-room + study + utility + yard (1,163 sq ft.).

4-room + utility + yard (1,281 sq ft.)

Upon entering through the main door, a clear division is seen. On the right is the living/dining room and on the left, is the way to the kitchen. What divides the two in the middle is the island for the dry kitchen.

4-room kitchen island

Porcelain tiles line the larger living room area, which under lights (natural or artificial) makes the space look bright and large.

The layout also lends the living room a rectangular shape, albeit one that is comfortable and cosy instead of small and cramped.

4-room living and dining areas

In addition, the PES (personal enclosed space) or balcony parallel to the living area effectively doubles the space for when there are guests over. At 240 sq ft. of extra space, it is also the biggest proponent for natural light and ventilation.

4-room living

As for the kitchen area, the fridge space is allocated for behind the island which leaves more usable space in the wet kitchen for other appliances like the dryer/washer.

The yard area, with the pantry and wash centre (WC) is comparatively bigger than what is commonly offered in condominiums; after all, the space allocation for the wet kitchen is around 108 sq ft.

4-room wet kitchen

Bedrooms follow a similar box-like layout that fits a queen-size bed. Doing so would not affect walking space too much but it will limit the furniture choices. However, having that option, even if it’s becoming a standard in the industry is good. Unless common bedrooms are going back to the sizes of yesteryear where they were close to double the size, there’s little need to reinvent the wheel. At 97 sq ft., it’s pretty good.

4-room common bedroom

The master bedroom on the other hand, is big enough to handle a king-size bed easily. At 205 sq ft., including the ensuite bathroom, it’s a decent size, with room for small bits of furniture around, like a side table and some wall-mounted shelves, even a TV.

4-room master bedroom

The ensuite bathroom is big but only slightly bigger when compared with the common bathroom. It’s a nice touch to keep both bathrooms relatively close in size.

Both also have a modern, clean aesthetic with clear separation by way of a glass panels and door to keep the wet and dry areas distinct.

3-room + study + utility + yard (1,163 sq ft.)

While the 4-room unit is obviously bigger, the 3-room + study + utility looks bigger due in large part to its layout. A long corridor from the door which opens into the living room with the kitchen tucked behind, rather in front lends the unit the impression of space.

3-room entrance

Furthermore, as the kitchen and living room share a balcony, cooking smells can be contained by shutting the door leading to the living room while leaving the open to the balcony open. Don’t forget to shut out the living room’s access to the balcony as well. Additionally, the extra space is suitable for al fresco dining.

3-room balcony connected to kitchen and living room

You could even place a dining table there, though it’s not recommended due to the weather and humidity. Whatever you choose however, the positive take-away is that there are options, which is far more than what most standard layouts allow.

The balcony is not the only unique component of the 3-room; there’s the study room which for its size justifies a bit more attention. While it’s not quite similar in size to the common bedroom, one might be forgiven to think that it’s close.

At 54 sq ft. to the common bedroom’s 97 sq ft., it’s still considerable for a study room. Conversely, it could be turned into a small entertainment room, a library or even a place to mount shelves and cabinets for display of hobbyist paraphernalia.

3-room study room

The aforementioned common bedrooms are also good contenders for such things if having an extra bedroom is unnecessary. At 97 sq ft., there’s quite a lot of freedom to furnish.

3-room common bedroom

The large windows certainly play a huge part in presenting a room that is both spacious and bright. Its inclusion in the design of the units here is invaluable.

The master bedroom also benefits from this. As the biggest of the bedrooms, the flood of light filtering in from large windows makes for a strong presentation.

3-room master bedroom

All in all, the 3-room unit is a top-tier, attractive and highly functional home for a large family of four, maybe five. Price aside, this has all the makings of a popular unit to be bought.