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Unbiased New Launch Review – Queens Peak
By KK Tong (guest contributor)
Launched in November 2016, Queens Peak showed reasonable response from buyers as 250 out of 736 units were sold on the launch weekend. Located at Dundee Road, this 99-year leasehold development is developed by HY Realty. The plot size is 113,200 square feet and the TOP is expected in Dec 2020.
The unit types and indicative pricing in this development are:
The condo consists of two 44-storey towers. 1 bedroom to 3 bedroom units are located from the 8th to the 26th floors. The 3, 4 and 5 bedroom units as well as the penthouses are from the 28th to the 44th floors. Levels 7 and 27 are for facilities. Some units come with private lifts. The multi-storey car park has 593 parking lots.
The main entrance is at Dundee Road, and a side gate leads directly to the overhead bridge linking to Queenstown MRT Station.
Figure 1: Level 1 Site Plan
Facilities on Level 1 include a childcare centre and a shop. The Aqua Zone, including a lap pool and spa bed, is on Level 7. Alfresco dining areas and BBQ pits are also on Level 7. Each tower has its own sky park, and is equipped with a gym and outdoor dining areas.
Figure 2: Site Plan for Levels 8 to 26
Figure 3: Site Plan for Levels 28 to 44
Thoughts from Show Flat Visit
Figure 4: Floor Plan of Type B1 (2 Bedroom)
The main door is equipped with a Yale finger and digital lockset. As you enter, the kitchen is on your left. The developer is providing a pull-out kitchen counter for additional cooking space. Beyond is the living / dining and balcony areas. Just after the kitchen to the right are the bedrooms. There is only a shared bathroom for this unit type.
The kitchen comes with a solid surface worktop and is equipped with appliances from Smeg.
Figure 5: Living / Dining / Kitchen Areas
The living and dining areas are pretty close although the distance between the facing walls in the living area is an acceptable 2.7m. The balcony is rather oddly shaped, and the other half of the balcony serves as the aircon ledge. The flooring is stone for the living areas, and engineered timber for the bedrooms.
The master bedroom is small and a queen sized bed can be placed with two miniscule side tables. As for the common bedroom, well, it’s pretty small. Looking at the floor plan, I think it can only fit in a single bed.
The bathrooms come with standard fittings, including cabinets. Fittings are from Kohler.
Figure 6: Area Map
Amenities around the area
Queenstown is a mature estate, and amenities are plenty. Anchor Point Shopping Mall and Ikea are a 10-minute walk from Queens Peak. You can find dining options at Anchor Point and Cold Storage is located there. There is also an NTUC Fairprice at Dawson Road, about 500 metres (linear distance) away. Queenstown Community Library is about a 10-minute walk away.
To get to other parts of Singapore is real easy from Queenstown. Raffles Place is only 5 stops away via the East-West line. Driving to Wheelock Place via Tanglin Road will probably take 10 minutes.
Schools are aplenty in this area. These include New Town Primary School, Queenstown Primary School, Queensway Secondary School and The Global Indian International School.
Positive Aspects of the Development
The location of Queens Peak is extremely central
The area is a mature estate, and amenities are plentiful. You can shop and eat at Anchor Point Mall.
Views from the higher floors will definitely be panoramic.
The pull-out kitchen counter and the wardrobe drawers and accessory storage spaces are nice extras.
Unit orientation is North-South.
Negative Aspects of the Development
The surrounding area of is pretty built-up and Queens Peak is sited next to the HDB Forfar Heights, so there is no exclusivity.
The condo faces Commonwealth Avenue, and noise from the MRT track can be loud.
Commonwealth Avenue is also a major thoroughfare, so there will be constant traffic noise in addition to track noise.
Dundee Road is single-lane, so getting in and out of the condo may be slow during peak morning and evening hours.
The development seems congested as 736 units are built on 113,200 square feet of land.
The layout of the unit is rather cramped, and the balcony and air condition ledge takes up a big chunk of floor area.
Some Thoughts on Units
Units 8 to 13 and 20 to 26 face the track, thus it will be noisy.
Stacks 14 to 19 will face the HDB blocks in Strathmore Avenue, so any views will be blocked.
Stacks 1 to 7 will face a church and the Alexandra Canal Linear Park. This facing is quieter and will have some views.
For this development, there does not seem to be any unit that is particularly better than the rest. I’d probably go for Stacks #01 to #07 on the mid to higher floors.
Price Comparison
Figure 7: Location of Queens Peak and Surrounding Areas
For comparison purposes, we will be looking at Queens, a leasehold project of 722 units and Commonwealth Towers, also a leasehold project of 845 units. Commonwealth Towers is next to Queens Peak while Queens is across Commonwealth Avenue.
Price Comparison Table (2 bedrooms)
Price Comparison Table (3 bedrooms)
Prices for Queens Peak
For 2 bedroom units, I would not buy Queens Peak for a few reasons. First, the PSF is rather high for a leasehold project. Secondly, I find the layout of the unit rather cramped. Also, is 624 square feet for a two bedroom liveable? (Assuming a family of four)
Budget-wise, Queens is more palatable, and the 915 square feet space is definitely more satisfactory. The only setback is the age of the development.
For the 3 bedroom units, Queens Peak can be considered as the quantum price is similar to that of Commonwealth. It can be considered as 947 square feet, though small for a 3 bedroom, is still acceptable. Its advantage is that it is a new development as compared to Queens, where prices are lower by $250 to $300 psf.
Personally, I think the main and perhaps the only selling point for Queens Peak is the location.
Posted courtesy of www.Propwise.sg, a Singapore property blog dedicated to helping you understand the real estate market and make better decisions. Click here to get your free Property Beginner’s and Buyer’s Guide.
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