Overview & Key Facts
One Akyab is a boutique freehold condominium of 19 units developed by Vilee Realty Pte Ltd on Akyab Road — a quiet, dead-end residential cul-de-sac tucked off Balestier Road in District 11. The development sits squarely in the Novena sub-market, one of Singapore’s most medically-dense and transport-connected planning areas, yet the immediate streetscape is as unhurried as a landed estate.
At 19 units, One Akyab belongs to a category of Singapore developments — boutique freehold enclaves built by smaller developers on former single-family land parcels — that trade scale and facilities for exclusivity, tenure security, and a price point that can surprise buyers accustomed to premium CCR sticker shock. The 12-month average transacted PSF of approximately S$1,385 represents a striking discount to the district average and to nearby comparable freehold projects, making it one of the more intriguing value plays in D11.
Transaction data shows steady appreciation: PSF moved from S$1,254 three years ago through S$1,312 the following year to S$1,385 today — a cumulative gain of roughly 10.5% over three years, consistent with underlying demand for freehold D11 stock at this price tier. Rental activity is modest at nine recorded transactions for 19 units, but the average rent of S$4,556 per month is in line with medical-professional and expatriate tenant profiles that gravitate to the Novena catchment.
Location & Connectivity
Akyab Road is not a thoroughfare. It branches off Balestier Road as a short residential spur with no through traffic, which gives One Akyab a degree of quiet that would be unattainable for a development positioned on a main road. The contrast is immediate: step out of the lobby and you are on a lane that sees almost no passing vehicles; walk two minutes and you are on Balestier Road, with its shophouses, hawker options, and bus connections; walk eight to ten minutes and you reach Novena MRT (NSL) at 0.49km.
Novena MRT is a meaningful station. It sits on the North-South Line — the oldest and busiest MRT line in Singapore — giving residents direct access to Orchard (one stop south), City Hall and Raffles Place (four and five stops south), and Bishan, Ang Mo Kio, and Yishun northward without interchange. For the medical cluster in particular, Novena is the logical transit hub: Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital is a short walk from the station, and Tan Tock Seng Hospital is walkable from the next stop at Toa Payoh.
For daily convenience, United Square on Balestier Road is a short walk and houses FairPrice, food court, enrichment centres, and medical clinics — a natural complement to a neighbourhood that already attracts health-conscious residents. Novena Square and Square 2 are within comfortable walking distance for further retail, F&B, and the Velocity@Novena sports mall. Orchard Road is one MRT stop or a ten-minute drive under normal traffic.
Drivers will appreciate the direct CTE access — the on-ramp at Balestier Road / Thomson Road puts CBD commuters within 15 minutes in off-peak conditions. The PIE and KPE are reachable eastward for cross-island routing.
Schools & Education
1 primary school within the 1 km Priority Phase balloting radius.
| School | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| CHIJ Our Lady Queen of Peace | primary | Within 1 km |
| Beatty Secondary School | secondary | ~1.1 km |
| St. Margaret's Secondary School | secondary | ~1.1 km |
| St. Margaret's Primary School | primary | ~1.2 km |
| CHIJ Secondary (Toa Payoh) | secondary | ~1.2 km |
| School of Science and Technology | jc | ~1.2 km |
| St. Joseph's Institution | secondary | ~1.3 km |
| New Town Primary School | primary | ~1.3 km |
Facilities
One Akyab is a boutique development of 19 units, and its facilities reflect that reality honestly. Buyers should expect the typical small-development complement: a swimming pool, gym, and shared communal spaces. What boutique developments cannot offer in amenity breadth they compensate with a very different residential experience — the pool is rarely crowded, the gym is almost always free, and the grounds are quiet in a way that larger developments with hundreds of units cannot replicate.
For residents who require extensive on-site recreational infrastructure — tennis courts, function rooms, clubhouses, water features — One Akyab is not the right fit. The development is best understood as a private, lock-up-and-leave address for owner-occupiers and investors who value tenure permanence and location over resort-style living. The Novena catchment compensates for on-site limitations with excellent public infrastructure: the Novena Square and United Square malls are walking distance, and the wider Balestier neighbourhood offers a textured mix of hawker centres, independent restaurants, and neighbourhood amenities.
Pricing & Market Position
Based on 4 recorded transactions, sale prices range from $2,280,000 to $2,535,000, averaging $2,380,972.
Rents range from $3,000 to $6,800 per month across 9 rental transactions. Current rental yield sits at approximately 2.2%.
Price Appreciation
From 2021 to 2024, the average PSF has appreciated by 10.5% (from $1,254 to $1,385 psf).
Neighbourhood Comparison
The Novena and Newton sub-market within District 11 offers a wide range of reference points, and One Akyab sits at the accessible end of the freehold spectrum. Pullman Residences Newton at S$3,074 psf and Watten House at S$3,236 psf represent the premium tier — new-build freehold with full facilities and developer branding, but at more than double One Akyab’s PSF. Peak Residence at S$2,489 psf offers a mid-tier freehold option with more units and facilities than One Akyab but still at an 80% premium.
The leasehold comparables are instructive. Soleil @ Sinaran, a 99-year development from 2006 with roughly 75 years remaining on lease, transacts at S$1,970 psf — S$585 psf more than One Akyab, for a depreciating tenure. Amaryllis Ville, a 99-year development from 1997 (approximately 70 years remaining), comes in at S$1,899 psf. Buyers who value freehold perpetuity over facilities and scale will find One Akyab’s PSF compelling relative to these leasehold benchmarks.
The honest comparison favours One Akyab for the patient, long-term buyer: freehold D11, Novena MRT under 500m, CHIJ OLQP under 500m, medical cluster proximity, and quiet cul-de-sac setting — at a price that the wider D11 market does not otherwise offer. The trade-off is boutique-level facilities and a thin resale market.
| Development | Tenure | TOP | Units | ~Avg PSF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ONE AKYAB | Freehold | — | 19 | — |
| PULLMAN RESIDENCES NEWTON | Freehold | 2021 | 340 | $3,074 |
| WATTEN HOUSE | Freehold | 2023 | 180 | $3,236 |
| SOLEIL @ SINARAN | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2006 | 2011 | 417 | $1,970 |
| PEAK RESIDENCE | Freehold | 2021 | 90 | $2,489 |
| AMARYLLIS VILLE | 99 yrs lease commencing from 1997 | 2004 | 311 | $1,899 |
ShiokNest Scores
Our proprietary scoring system evaluates ONE AKYAB across multiple dimensions.
What Residents Say
“Akyab Road is one of the few streets in Novena that genuinely feels like a residential neighbourhood rather than a cut-through. The cul-de-sac means no passing traffic — you only see cars that belong to residents. It’s surprisingly peaceful given how close it is to Novena Square and the hospital cluster.”
— Owner-occupier, via PropertyGuru
“For the price, the freehold tenure in D11 is really the main draw. Novena MRT is genuinely walkable at about eight to ten minutes. The facilities are basic but we don’t need much — there’s United Square across the road and Novena Square nearby. Good for a small family that wants a permanent address without paying the Watten House or Pullman premium.”
— Resident review via EdgeProp
“The boutique size has its pros and cons. Pool is quiet, gym is never full, and the neighbours all know each other by name. Downside is the facilities are minimal. But if you work in the medical district or at one of the hospitals, you can’t beat the address.”
— Tenant review via 99.co
Feedback across platforms is consistent with the development’s profile: buyers and tenants who choose One Akyab do so knowingly, prioritising tenure security, location convenience, and quiet residential character over facilities breadth. The Novena medical cluster is cited frequently by tenants as a primary reason for choosing the address. The thin transaction volume means there is less review data than for larger developments, but the sentiment in available reviews is positive on the fundamentals and candid about the facilities trade-off.
Strengths & Weaknesses
- Freehold tenure in CCR District 11 — perpetual ownership in a perennially undersupplied postcode
- Novena MRT (NSL) 0.49km — comfortable walk to Singapore's busiest and most connected north-south corridor
- S$1,385 psf vs D11 freehold comparables at S$2,489–3,236 psf — 30–55% discount to premium tier
- Singapore's premier medical cluster on doorstep — Mount Elizabeth Novena, Tan Tock Seng, Thompson Medical, KKH all within 2km
- CHIJ Our Lady Queen of Peace 0.46km — close proximity advantage for Catholic P1 school registration
- Akyab Road is a quiet dead-end cul-de-sac — no through traffic despite Balestier Road connectivity
- Beatty Secondary 1.06km and St Margaret's Primary 1.16km — good secondary and primary school coverage
- Steady PSF appreciation: S$1,254 → S$1,312 → S$1,385 (+10.5% over 3 years) — consistent underlying demand
- United Square, Novena Square, Square 2, and Velocity@Novena all within easy reach
- Boutique 19-unit development — quiet pool/gym, neighbourly community feel
- Only 19 units — limited transaction liquidity; exit may take longer than in larger developments
- Basic on-site facilities — no tennis courts, clubhouse, or resort amenities
- Gross yield 2.15% — below average for CCR; reflects low rental demand relative to unit count
- Thin rental history (9 records for 19 units) — rental demand evidenced but not robust
- Investment score 40/100 — moderate; not a yield-driven investment proposition
- TOP year unknown — building age and condition harder to verify without records
- Small developer (Vilee Realty) — limited brand recognition vs major developers for resale buyers
- Balestier Road frontage carries light commercial noise for units on the road-facing aspect
Verdict
One Akyab is a focused proposition: a freehold District 11 CCR address at a price point that rarely exists in this postcode. It does not offer the facilities of a Pullman Residences or Watten House, and it should not be evaluated against those benchmarks. It should be evaluated against the question of whether freehold D11 land — on a quiet residential cul-de-sac, 0.49km from Novena MRT, within Singapore’s premier medical cluster — is reasonably priced at S$1,385 psf.
The answer, against the district backdrop, is yes. The value gap to direct freehold D11 comparables is 30–55%. The PSF trend is steadily positive. The Novena address is structurally sound: the medical cluster, NSL access, and school catchment (CHIJ OLQP) are advantages that are not going away. For buyers who do not need resort facilities and are comfortable with a boutique development’s limited liquidity and thin transaction history, One Akyab offers a rare combination of tenure permanence, location quality, and pricing discipline.
The principal risk is liquidity. With only 19 units and four sales in the trailing 12 months, the exit market is narrow. Buyers who may need to sell quickly should factor in that finding a buyer at the right price could take longer than in a larger development. Long-term owner-occupiers and patient investors are the natural fit.