Avila Terrace
Overview & Key Facts
Avila Terrace is a freehold cluster terrace development at Mariam Way in District 17, completed in 1996 by Bonsel Development Pte Ltd. Unlike a conventional condominium, this is a private landed enclave of 112 cluster terrace houses — each unit spanning three storeys at approximately 2,700 to 3,000 sqft, with its own outdoor patio, roof terrace, car porch, and private garden. For buyers seeking the space and privacy of landed living with the security of a gated community, this combination remains rare in Singapore’s freehold market.
The development sits at the eastern fringe of Singapore’s residential map, in the Changi–Loyang–Pasir Ris corridor. This is quiet, low-density territory — far removed from the pace of the central region — and that is precisely its appeal for the buyer who values space and tranquillity over MRT proximity. International families in particular have taken note: UWCSEA East Campus at 1 Tampines Street 73 and Stamford American International School are both accessible within the broader Tampines-Changi corridor, making Avila Terrace a meaningful option for expatriate households who drive and prioritise school proximity over town-centre convenience.
At an average PSF of S$1,786 over the past 12 months, Avila Terrace sits at a meaningful discount to newer freehold alternatives in D17 such as Kassia (S$2,032 psf). Buying into a 1996 cluster terrace at this price point offers genuine square footage — units are six to eight times the size of a typical new-launch 2-bedder — and freehold tenure that sidesteps the lease decay conversation entirely. The trade-off is clear: car dependence, limited shared facilities, and a PSF trajectory that has been volatile in thin-market conditions.
Location & Connectivity
Mariam Way is a quiet cul-de-sac style road running off Flora Road in the Flora Drive–Pasir Ris East corridor of District 17. The immediate surroundings are predominantly low-rise residential — landed houses, cluster terraces, and a smattering of older condominiums — giving the area a suburban character unusual for a city-state as dense as Singapore. Residents who move here from the central region consistently describe the adjustment as striking: less noise, more greenery, and a lifestyle paced by parks and highways rather than MRT interchanges.
On public transport, Avila Terrace is genuinely challenging. The nearest MRT station is Tampines East (Downtown Line, DT33) at approximately 1.5 km — a distance that is uncomfortable on foot in Singapore’s climate and requires either a car, taxi, or bus connection. Bus services along Flora Road (routes 9, 18, and 293 serve the broader Pasir Ris-Tampines corridor) provide a link, but journey times to Tampines interchange or Pasir Ris town are typically 20 to 30 minutes door-to-door. For commuters reliant solely on public transport, this is the development’s single most significant practical limitation.
For drivers, the picture reverses entirely. The PIE (Pan-Island Expressway) and TPE (Tampines Expressway) are both accessible within 10 minutes, making Changi Airport a 10-minute run, Tampines Regional Centre 12 minutes, and the CBD around 30 minutes in light traffic. Changi Business Park — one of Singapore’s main employment hubs outside the CBD — is under 15 minutes by car. For families where at least one adult works in the east or at Changi, the location logic is compelling.
Everyday retail is anchored by White Sands Mall in Pasir Ris (approximately 1.5 km) and Loyang Point (approximately 1.8 km), both reachable by car or bus within 10 to 15 minutes. Tampines Mall and Century Square are under 20 minutes by car. Downtown East, with its extensive F&B and recreational offerings including Wild Wild Wet, is similarly accessible. The trade-off for all of this is that very little is walkable: groceries, hawker food, and banking require a vehicle or bus ride for most residents.
Schools & Education
| School | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| United World College of South East Asia (East) | international | ~1.1 km |
| Meridian Primary School | primary | ~1.6 km |
| Meridian Secondary School | secondary | ~1.6 km |
| Chongzheng Primary School | primary | ~1.7 km |
| Stamford American International School | international | ~1.7 km |
| Elias Park Primary School | primary | ~1.8 km |
| Pasir Ris Crest Secondary School | secondary | ~1.9 km |
| Brighton College (Singapore) | international | ~1.9 km |
Facilities
As a cluster terrace development rather than a conventional condominium, Avila Terrace’s shared facilities are modest by the standards of modern Singapore condos. Each of the 112 cluster houses comes with its own private outdoor patio, roof terrace, car porch, and garden — meaning the “facilities” are largely private rather than communal. The development includes a shared adventure park and study room within the gated compound, along with 24-hour security. Buyers accustomed to resort-style amenity lists — 50-metre lap pools, air-conditioned gyms, tennis courts — should calibrate expectations accordingly: this is a landed development, and the value proposition is private space rather than shared facilities.
“Living here feels like owning a proper house but with the security of a guarded compound. The private garden and roof terrace make up for anything you might miss from condo facilities — and the peace and quiet is genuinely something you can’t put a price on in Singapore.”
— Resident review via Singapore Expats
For residents who require a swimming pool, gym, or tennis court, the options are the public facilities at Pasir Ris Sports Centre (approximately 2 km) or membership at one of the nearby country clubs. This is standard practice for cluster landed living in Singapore, and long-term residents in this segment tend to have made their peace with it — or indeed prefer the trade-off for full private outdoor space.
Unit Sizes & Layout
Each unit at Avila Terrace is a three-storey cluster terrace house ranging from approximately 2,700 to 3,000 sqft, with an outdoor patio, roof terrace, car porch for exclusive use, and a private garden. This is genuinely spacious by any Singapore residential benchmark — roughly four to five times the floor area of a typical 3-bedroom condominium unit, and nearly ten times the floor area of a new-launch 2-bedroom. For families with children, home-office workers, or buyers who simply refuse to compromise on living space, the raw square footage is a compelling argument in itself.
The PSF trajectory tells a story of steady appreciation interrupted by volatility in thin-market conditions. The 12-month average of S$1,786 psf sits within a longer trend that ran S$1,537 → S$1,866 → S$2,000 → S$2,130 across prior measurement periods, before pulling back. A latest-period transaction at S$1,476 psf stands meaningfully below the 12-month average of S$1,786 and should be treated as a possible anomaly — likely reflecting a distressed or time-pressured sale, or a unit with specific layout or condition constraints — rather than a trend reversal. With only 15 total recorded transactions, the dataset is thin enough that a single outlier transaction can move the averages materially. The gross rental yield of 1.53% is modest, consistent with large-format landed-style units across the island where total rent is high but PSF yield compresses against elevated capital values.
| Bedrooms | Transactions | Avg PSF | Avg Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 BR | 12 | $1,784 | $3,141,657 |
| 5 BR | 3 | $1,389 | $3,798,963 |
Pricing & Market Position
Based on 15 recorded transactions, sale prices range from $2,300,000 to $3,988,888, averaging $3,273,118 (~$1,786 psf).
Rents range from $3,250 to $6,550 per month across 18 rental transactions. Current rental yield sits at approximately 1.5%.
Price Appreciation
From 2021 to 2026, the average PSF has appreciated by 3.7% (from $1,423 to $1,476 psf).
Neighbourhood Comparison
Within the D17 freehold landscape, Avila Terrace’s most direct comparison is Kassia (276 units, freehold, S$2,032 psf) — a conventional condominium development that offers more shared facilities but significantly smaller unit sizes at a 14% PSF premium. For buyers choosing between the two, the decision is fundamentally about space versus amenities: Avila Terrace delivers private landed square footage; Kassia delivers resort-style communal facilities and a more conventional condo experience. Parc Komo (276 units, freehold, S$1,627 psf) is another freehold alternative worth considering, priced below Avila Terrace on a PSF basis and positioned as a boutique cluster development in the same D17 corridor.
Against the 99-year leasehold field, the comparison sharpens further. Coastal Cabana (748 units, 99yr, S$1,790 psf) and The Jovell (428 units, 99yr 2018, S$1,394 psf) both sit at lower PSF, but buyers acquire a depreciating lease rather than freehold title — a structural disadvantage that matters increasingly over a 20-to-30-year hold. Hedges Park (501 units, 99yr 2010, S$1,152 psf) is the lowest-PSF option in the peer set, reflecting both lease age and development vintage. For buyers with a long horizon and a preference for freehold tenure, Avila Terrace at S$1,786 psf holds a logical position in D17’s freehold tier — below Kassia, above Parc Komo, and categorically differentiated from the 99-year alternatives by both tenure type and unit format.
| Development | Tenure | TOP | Units | ~Avg PSF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AVILA TERRACE | Freehold | 1996 | 112 | $1,786 |
| COASTAL CABANA | 99 years leasehold | 2026 | 748 | $1,790 |
| THE JOVELL | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2018 | 2021 | 428 | $1,394 |
| KASSIA | Freehold | 2024 | 276 | $2,032 |
| HEDGES PARK CONDOMINIUM | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2010 | 2014 | 501 | $1,152 |
| PARC KOMO | Freehold | 2021 | 276 | $1,627 |
ShiokNest Scores
Our proprietary scoring system evaluates AVILA TERRACE across multiple dimensions.
What Residents Say
“The space and privacy here is unmatched. Three storeys, private garden, roof terrace, car porch — you genuinely feel like you own a proper house. Very quiet neighbourhood, very safe, kids can play in the compound. The only downside is you need a car for everything.”
— Resident feedback via Singapore Expats
“Great for expat families. Close enough to the international school belt and the east expressways. Changi Airport is 10 minutes — for those of us who travel frequently for work, that alone is worth a lot. The area is very calm and green. Not for you if you want to walk to an MRT.”
— Expatriate resident, via community forum
“Older development but well-maintained. The private outdoor spaces are the main draw. There is nothing like having your own garden in Singapore at this price point, even if the shared facilities are minimal compared to a typical condo. Security is good and it feels like a proper gated community.”
— Resident review via 99.co
The pattern across resident feedback is consistent: residents who are a good fit for Avila Terrace tend to be highly satisfied with the space, privacy, and quiet. Criticisms cluster almost entirely around car dependence and the modest shared-facility offering — both of which are known trade-offs for the cluster landed format, and unlikely to surprise buyers who have researched the property type.
Strengths & Weaknesses
- Freehold tenure — no lease decay risk over a long hold horizon
- Generous private space — 2,700–3,000 sqft cluster terrace with own garden, patio, roof terrace, car porch
- Gated, secure compound with 24-hour security
- Strong PSF value vs D17 freehold peers (below Kassia at $2,032 psf)
- International school corridor — UWCSEA East, Stamford American accessible for driving families
- Car-driving advantage: PIE/TPE access, Changi Airport ~10 min, Changi Business Park ~15 min
- Quiet, low-density neighbourhood with established landed character
- White Sands Primary within 0.79 km — good for local school balloting
- Moderate en-bloc potential (52/100) on freehold site
- True private landed lifestyle at below-landed price quantum
- Car-dependent — Tampines East MRT 1.5 km, no comfortable walk in Singapore climate
- Minimal shared facilities — cluster terrace format lacks pool, gym, tennis courts
- PSF volatility in thin-market conditions (15 total sales recorded)
- Low gross yield of 1.53% — not suited to rental income play
- Walkability score 30/100 — almost nothing accessible on foot
- ShiokNest score 33/100 reflects overall investment limitations vs typical condo
- 1996 vintage — interiors likely require renovation spend on purchase
- Developer (Bonsel Development) is voluntarily wound up — no developer support post-TOP
- Single MRT option nearby (Tampines East DTL only) — Circle/NEL/NSL all require further travel
Verdict
Avila Terrace is not for every buyer, and it is honest to say so upfront. If you are car-free, MRT-dependent, or need to be in the city centre within 20 minutes, Mariam Way will frustrate you within months. The public transport connection to Tampines East MRT is workable but not convenient, and the surrounding area offers little within walking distance. The development’s walkability score of 30/100 is not a statistical curiosity — it is an accurate reflection of the daily reality.
For the buyer this development is genuinely designed for — a family with at least one car, school-age children in the international school system, a preference for landed space over condo amenities, and a long hold horizon — the case is considerably stronger. Freehold tenure eliminates lease-decay risk entirely. A 2,700-to-3,000-sqft house with private garden and roof terrace at S$1,786 psf represents genuine value relative to newer freehold alternatives: Kassia prices at S$2,032 psf for a conventional condo unit, while Parc Komo at S$1,627 psf also freehold but in cluster format. At S$4.8M to S$6M in absolute terms per unit, Avila Terrace is not cheap — but it is cheaper per square foot than comparable freehold options, and the private space quantum is not replicable at this price in this part of Singapore.
The moderate en-bloc potential score of 52/100 reflects the development’s freehold status (which provides the legal framework) but tempered by the challenge of achieving majority consensus among 112 individual landed house owners — a notoriously difficult process. Treat en-bloc upside as a low-probability long-term bonus rather than an investment thesis. The investment score of 51/100 captures the yield-versus-appreciation trade-off accurately: this is an own-stay asset first, capital appreciation play second, yield play last.