The Centren Review

Propshort: The Centre’s 3BR loft units have the potential to be extremely cosy homes for families. All Geylang properties are small but the 3BR unit takes advantage of its vertical space with a far better finesse. There’s opportunity here to rent out one bedroom as its own unit Ala dual-key or to keep it as it is to serve as a master bedroom. The ID for the showunit displays what is arguably one of the best ways to renovate the home and it does not disappoint.  

For the uninitiated, Geylang condominium units are small. Due to the land being more precious here than in other parts of the island, the units tend to straddle a fine line between shoebox and compact.

But this is the norm for Geylang properties. In most cases, despite its size, the units have good layouts and with the help of a talented interior designer or contractor, it can be made to look posh and spacious.

Case in point, the 3BR loft show unit in The Centren.

The unit is ideal for investors because of where the bedrooms are located. Where most units upon entering through the main door would reveal the kitchen, over here it’s a bedroom and a bathroom. By sealing off the wall leading to the main living area with a sliding door as shown in the showunit, that bedroom becomes a small rent-able unit on its own.

A pantry space is included for some really light cooking if necessary but overall, it’s quite a decent amount of personal space for the tenant. Even if the pantry space were to be used for something else, such as to hold a washing machine, it would be fine since living in Geylang and next door to a hawker centre makes cooking a non-issue.

The other two bedrooms are located on the second floor, in the loft section of the apartment. There’s another toilet/bathroom to the left of the main door. One of the nicer things about this unit is that the living room and dining area are separate.

That’s a small feat, given how other developments in Singapore that have the benefit of size cannot even provide. In here, the two areas are blissfully apart which means families that move in here won’t be raising their children in front of the television all the time. It’s a subtle and yet fantastic addition that hearkens back to the better, more family-orientated home designs of yesteryear.

The dining area is close to the entrance of the balcony. The balcony in this unit overlooks the playground but it is separated by a low wall.

It’s a decent sized spot to relax in although during rain, it will get wet since the balcony isn’t covered. Overall, that’s a small thing and does not detract from the rest of the unit.

As for the living room (finally, you can call it a room), it is tastefully designed. The room isn’t particularly large but it is of a good size. You’ll won’t go blind with a big TV since the couch and wall distance is far enough that it gives you the freedom to own a bigger television.

Perhaps the sticking point for residents would be that the open kitchen is next to the living room and the stairs. Though it comes with an induction cooker and hood, smoke from cooking will likely permeate the house.

But as the rest of the unit is quite well done, it can be forgiven for this small thing. Space is used exceedingly well here and even the fridge is built-in and therefore provided, along with the washer/dryer, induction cooker and hood.

All the loft units allow owners to build an additional deck of sorts to extend the common bedroom as shown in the showunit here.

The permits will be given since the development is cleared to have these things, provided the extension does not cover more than a 5m radius. As an extension, it does bring a lot more space to the common bedroom. This is extra handy for when there’s a baby as the deck can be used as a play area. Or as a study area.

Since ceiling height is 5.8m it makes sense to take advantage of the extra air space.

Without it, the common bedroom is fairly basic, with an in-built closet. The other bedroom is of similar size and the bathroom on the loft level is communal. That’s three bathrooms, all of which are quite spacious with wet and dry areas that are separated by glass door in this one unit. The layout might take some getting used to but it’s overall a strong presentation.

And of course, if someone wants to buy this particular unit with the interior design complete, they’ll be able to do so at a slightly higher price.