Cavenagh House
Overview & Key Facts
Cavenagh House stands along Clemenceau Avenue North in District 9 — a strip of the Core Central Region where the Orchard Road corridor gives way to the quieter residential pockets of Newton and the Cavenagh-Monk’s Hill fringe. Developed by The Industrial & Commercial Realty and completed in 1971, it is one of the older freehold condominium blocks in this stretch of D9, comprising just 80 units in a low-rise arrangement that predates the high-rise boom reshaping the district today.
Age and scale define Cavenagh House’s character. At 80 units, it sits firmly in boutique territory — a building where neighbours recognise each other, management is straightforward, and residents come for the address and tenure rather than resort-scale facilities. The freehold title is the central proposition: in a D9 market where the newest launches ask S$2,500–S$3,200+ psf on 99-year leases, a freehold block transacting at roughly S$1,735–S$2,073 psf offers a meaningful price gap to those who prioritise permanence over freshness.
Transaction data tells a specific story: only 12 recorded resale trades in the available window, all apartments in the 1,636–1,701 sqft range, and 67 rental leases — entirely 3-bedroom — at a median of S$5,700/month. The rental concentration and low sales frequency suggest an owner profile that skews toward long-hold landlords and multi-generational families, with limited speculative turnover. A gross yield of approximately 2.13% is thin on paper but reflects the freehold premium already baked into the price, not operational underperformance.
Location & Connectivity
Clemenceau Avenue North is a short connector road linking the Newton Road roundabout to Cavenagh Road and the fringes of the Orchard belt. The nearest MRT is Newton MRT interchange (North-South Line and Downtown Line) at approximately 0.71 km — a 9–11 minute walk in typical conditions. Newton is a genuine interchange station, giving direct access to the CBD (Raffles Place or Tanjong Pagar in roughly 10–12 minutes) and to the Downtown Line corridor toward Bugis and the east. Somerset MRT (North-South Line) is approximately 0.84 km in the opposite direction.
For walkers, the Newton MRT distance is at the outer edge of comfortable daily commuting in Singapore’s heat. For drivers, the location is considerably more compelling. The CTE on-ramp at Newton Circus is less than five minutes away, Orchard Road is a 3–5 minute drive, and the CBD is reachable in 12–15 minutes off-peak. Little India, Novena, and River Valley are all within 10 minutes. The address benefits from the Orchard adjacency without the retail congestion.
For everyday amenities, residents are well-positioned. Newton Food Centre — one of Singapore’s most famous hawker centres — is a short walk across Newton Circus, offering the full spectrum of Singaporean food at local prices. Novena Square and Square 2 mall are roughly 10 minutes by bus or 5 minutes by car. The Orchard Road retail and food-and-beverage corridor is a short drive or one MRT stop. Farrer Road’s cluster of cafes and the Botanic Gardens are accessible in under 10 minutes.
On the schools front, Anglo-Chinese School (Junior) is 0.36 km away — the single most relevant fact for parent-buyers in D9 for P1 balloting purposes. St. Margaret’s Primary and Secondary sit at 0.67–0.72 km. St. Anthony’s Primary is 0.74 km. Anglo-Chinese School (Primary) and Singapore Chinese Girls’ School (Primary) are within 1.1 km. The school proximity cluster is among the strongest in D9 and is a primary driver of demand from family buyers.
Schools & Education
3 primary schools within the 1 km Priority Phase balloting radius.
| School | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| ACS (Junior) | primary | Within 1 km |
| St. Margaret's Primary School | primary | Within 1 km |
| St. Margaret's Secondary School | secondary | Within 1 km |
| St. Anthony's Primary School | primary | Within 1 km |
| Anglo-Chinese School (Primary) | primary | ~1.0 km |
| Singapore Chinese Girls' School (Primary) | primary | ~1.1 km |
| LASALLE College of the Arts | tertiary | ~1.3 km |
| ISS International School (Preston) | international | ~1.4 km |
Facilities
Cavenagh House is a 1971-vintage, 80-unit boutique block, and the facilities set is consistent with both its era and its scale: a swimming pool, a small gym or fitness area, covered parking, and 24-hour security. There is no clubhouse, no tennis court, no function rooms — this is not a facilities-led development, and buyers who approach it expecting resort-style amenities will be disappointed. The proposition is the freehold D9 address and the unit sizes, not the on-site recreational infrastructure.
“Very quiet and private. Small enough that you actually know your neighbours. The pool is never crowded. If you want a proper gym or clubhouse you go to the nearby facilities — the location makes that easy.”
— Composite of resident sentiment via PropertyGuru and EdgeProp listings
The practical upside of a minimal facilities footprint is low maintenance fees relative to full-facility developments in the same district. With 80 units sharing basic amenities, per-unit maintenance costs are lower than the S$600–S$900+/month levied by newer CCR developments with full clubhouse infrastructure. For investment buyers treating the property as a rental asset, this means a meaningfully lower holding cost. For owner-occupiers who pay for gym memberships and travel for tennis anyway, the trade-off is largely neutral.
Pricing & Market Position
Based on 12 recorded transactions, sale prices range from $2,750,000 to $3,600,000, averaging $3,183,074 (~$1,735 psf).
Rents range from $3,800 to $8,800 per month across 67 rental transactions. Current rental yield sits at approximately 2.1%.
Price Appreciation
From 2021 to 2025, the average PSF has declined by 1.3% (from $1,758 to $1,735 psf).
Neighbourhood Comparison
The most direct freehold comparison is The Avenir (376 units, completed 2021, D9 freehold, ~S$3,190–S$3,233 psf). The Avenir is a modern full-facility development with premium finishes and a significantly larger unit count — and it asks roughly 75–85% more per square foot than Cavenagh House. Buyers choosing between them are choosing between a fresh, well-specified CCR product and a spacious, aged one at a meaningful capital discount. For total quantum, Cavenagh House’s 1,668 sqft average at S$2,900–S$3,500k compares to a similar-sized Avenir unit at S$4,500–S$5,500k: a S$1.5–S$2m gap that buys a renovation and then some.
Among the leasehold competition, Irwell Hill Residences (540 units, 2021, 99-year lease, ~S$2,726–S$2,910 psf) and Kopar at Newton (378 units, 2021, 99-year lease, ~S$2,512–S$2,600 psf) represent the modern leasehold mid-range. Both offer superior facilities and newer builds, but buyers give up freehold tenure and pay a significant PSF premium despite the depreciating lease. For a buyer whose priority is school proximity, en-bloc optionality, and generational wealth transfer, Cavenagh House’s freehold title may justify the building age premium over a leasehold that begins depreciating from day one.
| Development | Tenure | TOP | Units | ~Avg PSF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAVENAGH HOUSE | Freehold | 1971 | 80 | $1,735 |
| IRWELL HILL RESIDENCES | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2020 | 2021 | 540 | $2,726 |
| RIVER GREEN | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2024 | 2025 | 524 | $3,134 |
| RIVER MODERN | 99 years leasehold | — | — | $3,234 |
| THE AVENIR | Freehold | 2021 | 376 | $3,190 |
| KOPAR AT NEWTON | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2019 | 2021 | 378 | $2,512 |
ShiokNest Scores
Our proprietary scoring system evaluates CAVENAGH HOUSE across multiple dimensions.
What Residents Say
“Great location, walking distance to Newton MRT and Newton Food Centre. The building is old but well-maintained. Units are big — much bigger than anything comparable in D9 now. Very quiet neighbourhood.”
— Resident review composite via EdgeProp
“Freehold in D9 at this price is genuinely rare. The facilities are basic but honestly I don’t care — I’m here for the address and the schools. ACS Junior at 0.3km is the main reason we bought here.”
— Owner feedback via PropertyGuru
“Good for expats. Newton Food Centre is 5 minutes’ walk, Newton MRT is manageable. The apartment itself is old and needs renovation — we spent a good amount before moving in. But the space is genuinely impressive for what we paid.”
— Tenant feedback via 99.co
The recurring themes across Cavenagh House resident feedback are consistent: space, quiet, freehold tenure, and school proximity on the positive side; building age, basic facilities, and renovation requirements on the cautionary side. This is not a development that attracts mixed reviews based on promise vs. delivery — it delivers exactly what the building is: an old, spacious, freehold D9 address in a very good location. Expectations calibrated to that reality consistently produce satisfied occupants.
Strengths & Weaknesses
- Freehold tenure in D9 CCR — eliminates lease decay concern
- ACS Junior at 0.36 km — among the strongest P1 school positions in D9
- Newton MRT interchange (NSL + DTL) at 0.71 km — dual-line access
- Newton Food Centre ~5 min walk — one of Singapore's iconic hawker centres
- Generous unit sizes (~1,668 sqft average) vs new-launch comparables
- Boutique 80-unit scale — low resident-to-facility ratio, quiet compound
- Significant PSF discount to D9 new launches (50-60% cheaper than The Avenir)
- Strong en-bloc potential (72/100 score) — land-value call option
- Three primary schools within 0.75 km for P1 balloting breadth
- Low maintenance fees relative to full-facility D9 developments
- 1971 vintage — substantial renovation budget required (S$100k-S$180k+)
- Basic facilities only: pool, small gym, no clubhouse, tennis, or function rooms
- Newton MRT at 0.71 km is walkable but not a comfortable daily walk in Singapore's heat
- Gross yield 2.13% — thin; not suited to yield-focused investors
- Low sales liquidity (12 recorded transactions) — exit may take time to find buyer
- Building age requires active sinking fund and maintenance due diligence
- All recorded rental stock is 3BR — no bedroom-mix flexibility for different tenant profiles
- Investment score 48/100 — reflects age, basic facilities, yield compression
Verdict
Cavenagh House sits in a specific and legitimate niche in the D9 market: a freehold boutique apartment block with generous unit sizes, exceptional school proximity, and a meaningful PSF discount to new-launch neighbours. At S$1,735–S$2,073 psf on recent transactions, buyers are accessing a freehold Newton-adjacent address at roughly 50–60% of what The Avenir (freehold, D9) or River Green (leasehold, D9) ask. The caveat is building age — this is a 1971 structure that requires renovation budgeting and active due diligence on maintenance history and sinking fund balance.
The case for Cavenagh House is clearest for three buyer types: parents targeting ACS Junior (0.36 km, the strongest P1 school proximity in the analysis), long-hold investors who want freehold D9 without the quantum of a S$3,000+ psf new launch, and owner-occupiers who value space, privacy, and permanence over facilities breadth. The gross yield of 2.13% will not attract yield-focused buyers, but freehold D9 assets are not primarily yield instruments — they are wealth-preservation and capital-appreciation plays with a rental income side benefit.
The key risk is building age and the corresponding maintenance and renovation capital requirement. A buyer who underestimates the renovation budget or inherits a unit with deferred maintenance could face a gap between acquisition price and total cost-to-occupy that erodes the apparent PSF discount. The 72/100 en-bloc score is a meaningful signal — a collective sale at this age and location would likely produce a land-value event that significantly exceeds recent transaction prices. For investors with a 10+ year horizon, en-bloc optionality is a genuine call option embedded in the price.