Yahoo Finance Adjacent semi-detached and bungalow houses at Lucky View on the market from $20 mil
SINGAPORE (EDGEPROP) - In the Lucky Heights residential enclave off Upper East Coast Road in District 16, a new semi-detached house at 11 Lucky View was completed last month. The three-storey property, which comes with a basement, occupies an elevated land-plot, providing most of the rooms in the house with unblocked views of the surrounding estate.
The house shares a common wall with another semi-detached home to its left. To its right, construction is currently underway for a bungalow that sits on the neighbouring land-plot at 17 Lucky View. The six-bedroom, two-storey detached house with a basement is expected to be completed towards the end of the year.
The two adjacent land-plots, which total 8,750 sq ft, were originally under a single title. Situated at the end of a quiet cul-desac just off Lucky Heights, the freehold site had been purchased by the family of businessman Mr Wee in August 2018 for $8.3 million or $1,001 psf, according to a caveat lodged with URA.
At the time, the site was occupied by an existing three-storey semi-detached home that had been completed sometime in the mid-2000s. The Wees purchased the site with the intention of tearing down the existing structure and building a new home from scratch. “We had been looking for a plot where we could build a multigenerational home,” says Wee.
The bungalow at 17 Lucky View (right) is slated for completion by this year (Picture: Samuel Isaac Chua/The Edge Singapore)
The site at 11 Lucky View appealed to the family, given its quiet surroundings and proximity to the wide array of amenities and lifestyle offerings in the East Coast. Though the plot’s location on a slope posed challenges from a construction standpoint, its other characteristics were enough to compel the family to proceed with buying the land and commencing the rebuilding process.
The decision was made to subdivide the plot into two, with one plot of 3,569 sq ft designated for a new semi-detached home that would replace the previous house that stood on the property. The other plot, measuring 5,181 sq ft, was allotted towards a new detached home.
Both homes are being put up for sale through a tender exercise that will be launched on Sept 2. The houses are priced from $20 million, though the Wee family is also open to considering the sale of each home separately, says Haden Hee of PropNex Realty, who has been appointed to handle the sale. The semi-detached home, which has a built-up area of 4,882 sq ft, is priced from $8.5 million, while the bungalow, which has a built-up area of 5,702 sq ft, is priced from $12 million.
The staircase, dining and kitchen areas at 11 Lucky View (Picture: Samuel Isaac Chua/The Edge Singapore)
Design inspired by life experiences
The houses at 11 and 17 Lucky View have taken longer than expected to complete, in large part due to the disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the Wees were in no rush. “We were not in a hurry to finish [the houses], which was fortunate as that meant we could take the time to make sure it was really built according to how we wanted,” says Wee.
He envisioned a home that reflected his family’s heritage and life experiences, from their Peranakan roots to their travels around the world. Interior design and construction company Winco Construct & Decor was engaged to help execute this vision, working on the interiors of both homes. Nic & Wes Builders was appointed to oversee the design and build of the exterior of the houses and manage overall project coordination.
The end-result showcases an eclectic design palette. At 11 Lucky View, the semi-detached home has a contemporary look with some distinct accents. For example, a series of perforated panels with an intricate leaf design is mounted at the front of the home from the second floor onwards, providing the house with a unique facade as well as more privacy. Artworks from the family’s private art collection dot various walls, including whimsical pieces by Chinese cartoonist Hou Xiaoqiang that hang in the kitchen and along the staircase, serving as focal points in the house.
The basement level of the semi-detached house has a pool inspired by caves in Greece, accompanied by a patio featuring Peranakanstyle elements (Picture: Samuel Isaac Chua/The Edge Singapore)
A notable space within the semi-detached house is its basement level. Given the site’s location perched on a slope, instead of having a typical basement that is enclosed underground, 11 Lucky View has a basement that opens out to a spacious outdoor deck. Here, a pool has been fitted out to resemble the iconic sun-bleached cave houses of Santorini, Greece, a place the Wees have visited on vacation. Adjacent to the pool is an indoor entertainment area decorated with Peranakan details, including antique Peranakan tiles arranged along the wall and a built-in display cabinet with rattan-lined doors.
Next door at 17 Lucky View, the house has more of a colonial style, inspired by iconic Singapore buildings such as the Raffles Hotel and the original Raffles Institution (RI) building, a nod to Wee’s time as an RI schoolboy. The house has whitewashed walls, Palladian windows, and outdoor terraces on the second and third floors that have ornate balustrades, among other features.
Pulling together all the different designs and architectural features was a challenging task, concedes Askae Loh, director at Winco Construct & Decor. “The main thing was to bring together all the different ideas in a way that was still cohesive,” he says. He is proud of the final result, which he attributes to a collaborative effort between the firm and the Wee family.
View of the pool and the first-floor outdoor patio at 11 Lucky View. On the left is an external stairway and facade of 17 Lucky View (Picture: Samuel Isaac Chua/The Edge Singapore)
Built for multigenerational families
While the Wee family’s life experiences shaped the look and feel of the properties at 11 and 17 Lucky View, in terms of functionality, the homes were designed to accommodate families while also incorporating areas to entertain. “We wanted to have a space where we could bring friends and family together,” Wee shares.
Both houses are big enough such that each could function as a multigenerational home on its own, notes PropNex’s Hee. The semi-detached property has five bedrooms, with space to add a sixth room on the top floor. The bungalow has six bedrooms and also a lift, a pool, and a basement car park that can accommodate six cars. Alternatively, the owner could choose to convert some space in the basement into additional bedrooms, Hee adds. Both homes also have a dedicated helper’s room that comes with an en suite toilet.
For the Wee family, it was important to have rooms and common areas that are spacious and open. Across the two houses, the bedrooms are amply proportioned, while numerous windows, skylights and balconies were incorporated to provide plenty of light, ventilation and outdoor spaces.
From left: Askae Loh, director at Winco Construct & Decore; Mr Wee; and Haden Hee of PropNex Realty (Picture: Samuel Isaac Chua/The Edge Singapore)
Compelling proposition
Hee believes the two houses offer a compelling proposition for buyers. “At the asking price of $20 million for both properties, this works out to $2,286 psf on the combined land area of 8,750 sq ft, which is lower than a number of houses that have transacted in the area,” he says.
In March last year, a semi-detached house at nearby 65 Sennett Lane fetched $8.65 million, or $2,211 psf over its land area of 3,913 sq ft. Three months later, a semi-detached house at 37 Lucky Heights with a land area of 3,229 sq ft fetched $7.52 million or $2,328 psf. Earlier this year, a semi-detached property at 5 Lucky Gardens occupying a site measuring 1,804 sq ft was sold for $4.69 million or $2,599 psf.
PropNex’s Hee expects prices for landed properties in the area to continue seeing healthy growth over the long term, especially considering the movement of the market in the last year, with units at fresh 99-year leasehold launches in the Outside Central Region hitting new price benchmarks above $2,000 psf. “Already the market is responding, with transacted prices for landed homes in Lucky Heights jumping by over $200 psf in the past year,” he adds.
He expects 11 and 17 Lucky View to garner significant interest. “Discerning buyers and astute investors understand the qualities that make the site appealing, including the fact that it’s a freehold landed plot in a very attractive location,” he observes.
In addition, the completed semi-detached house and nearly-completed bungalow offer a move-in-ready solution for prospective buyers, enabling them to shift into their new homes quickly. Besides saving time, the buyers would save on rebuilding costs, which have surged in the aftermath of the pandemic, Hee adds.
The tender for 11 and 17 Lucky View will close on Oct 8.
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