Fifth Avenue Condominium
Overview & Key Facts
Fifth Avenue Condominium occupies one of Singapore’s most quietly prestigious addresses — the eponymous Fifth Avenue off Dunearn Road in District 10. Developed by Guthrie Properties Pte Ltd and completed in 1998, the development comprises just 70 freehold units across a compact, low-density site that sits neatly in the Sixth Avenue residential corridor, bookended by the elite international school belt of Bukit Timah on one side and the leafy landed enclaves of Sixth Avenue on the other.
At 70 units, Fifth Avenue Condominium is a boutique development by Singapore standards — small enough to feel private, yet large enough to support a full suite of recreational facilities. Guthrie Properties, known for solid construction quality in the late 1990s, delivered a development that has aged gracefully. The unit mix leans toward spacious 3- and 4-bedroom layouts typical of the era, with floor plates that contemporary new launches in the same corridor simply cannot match at any price point.
The resident profile at Fifth Avenue Condominium is strikingly international. With 103 rental transactions recorded against only 7 sales over the comparable period — a rental-to-sales ratio of nearly 15:1 — the development functions primarily as a long-stay expatriate home rather than an owner-occupier stronghold. The proximity of Hwa Chong International School (0.43 km), Lycée Français de Singapour (0.70 km), Hollandse School (0.89 km), and the Australian International School (1.23 km) makes Fifth Avenue one of the most tightly clustered international school addresses in Singapore, drawing families from France, the Netherlands, Australia, Japan, and South Korea on multi-year postings.
Location & Connectivity
Fifth Avenue Condominium sits in the Sixth Avenue residential precinct of District 10 — a stretch of Bukit Timah that many Singaporeans associate with old-money landed housing, international schools, and a slower pace than the Orchard Road axis. The immediate neighbourhood is defined by low-rise bungalows, semi-detached houses, and a handful of boutique condominiums, giving the area an unusually quiet character for a location this close to the city centre. Sixth Avenue MRT station (Downtown Line) is 0.23 km from the development — a genuine walking-distance connection that places the CBD, Botanic Gardens, and the Marina Bay financial district within comfortable commuting range.
For drivers, the location is equally compelling. Dunearn Road feeds directly onto the Pan Island Expressway (PIE) within minutes, and Orchard Road is reachable in approximately 10 minutes in off-peak conditions. The Holland Village dining and retail precinct is a 5-minute drive. Farrer Road MRT (Circle Line) serves as an alternative interchange when needed. For families with school-run obligations, the concentration of international schools within a 1.3 km radius — Hwa Chong International, Lycée Français, Hollandse School, Chatsworth International, and the Australian International School — means morning drop-offs can be done without a highway.
Daily errands require a short drive or a bus ride. The nearest supermarkets are at Cluny Court (Cold Storage, about 1.5 km toward Botanic Gardens) or the Holland Village Cold Storage/NTUC cluster (~2 km). The Sixth Avenue corridor itself offers a cluster of cafés and specialty food outlets; Coronation Plaza with its wet market, Cold Storage, and food court is accessible in approximately 5 minutes by car. Botanic Gardens MRT and the UNESCO-listed Gardens themselves are about 10 minutes on foot via the DTL, making weekend leisure genuinely walk-accessible in a way that few suburban condominiums can claim.
Schools & Education
| School | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Hwa Chong International School | international | Within 1 km |
| Hwa Chong Institution | secondary | Within 1 km |
| Hwa Chong Institution (JC) | jc | Within 1 km |
| Lycee Francais de Singapour | international | Within 1 km |
| Hollandse School | international | Within 1 km |
| Chatsworth International School (Bukit Timah) | international | ~1.2 km |
| Australian International School | international | ~1.2 km |
| National Junior College | secondary | ~1.3 km |
Facilities
As a 70-unit boutique development completed in 1998, Fifth Avenue Condominium offers the standard facility complement of its era: a swimming pool, gymnasium, tennis court, and BBQ pavilions. These are well-maintained and, critically, rarely crowded — a meaningful quality-of-life advantage over larger developments where pool queues on weekends are a genuine frustration. The low unit count means residents typically have the tennis court to themselves during weekday mornings, a near-impossibility at 300+ unit developments at comparable price points.
The facilities rating of 5.0 reflects honest calibration against resort-scale developments rather than a criticism of the condo itself. For the target resident profile — expatriate families who value school proximity and neighbourhood quiet over on-site amenities — the facility complement is fit for purpose. Many residents supplement Fifth Avenue’s facilities with memberships at the Swiss Club (1.2 km) or the Singapore Island Country Club, both of which are accessible on the Bukit Timah axis.
“The facilities are straightforward — pool, gym, tennis — but you always have them to yourself. After living in a 400-unit condo where you had to book the pool BBQ three weeks in advance, this feels like a private club.”
— Long-term resident review via PropertyGuru
Unit Sizes & Layout
Fifth Avenue Condominium’s unit sizes are among its strongest selling points. The 1998 Guthrie floor plates are generous by any contemporary measure — typical 3-bedroom units run from approximately 1,400 sqft, and 4-bedroom configurations extend toward 2,500 sqft, with some layouts incorporating household shelter rooms and separate dry/wet kitchens that would be marketed as luxury features in a 2020s launch. Ceiling heights in the living and dining areas are noticeably taller than post-2010 developments built under tighter envelope controls.
The development’s orientation and stack configuration mean that most units enjoy either garden or pool views, with the best-positioned stacks looking toward the surrounding low-rise residential enclave. Because the neighbourhood is dominated by landed housing and boutique condominiums, there is limited risk of future high-rise construction blocking key sightlines. Buyers should note that original finishings reflect 1998 mid-market specification — functional but dated. A renovation budget of S$80,000–$150,000 is realistic for buyers wanting kitchen and bathroom upgrades that match the unit’s inherent size and spatial quality.
| Bedrooms | Transactions | Avg PSF | Avg Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 BR | 4 | $2,099 | $2,737,500 |
| 4 BR | 2 | $2,098 | $3,140,000 |
| 5 BR | 1 | $1,973 | $4,800,000 |
Pricing & Market Position
Based on 7 recorded transactions, sale prices range from $2,350,000 to $4,800,000, averaging $3,147,143 (~$2,169 psf).
Rents range from $2,800 to $10,300 per month across 103 rental transactions. Current rental yield sits at approximately 2.4%.
Price Appreciation
From 2021 to 2026, the average PSF has appreciated by 16.7% (from $1,858 to $2,169 psf).
Neighbourhood Comparison
The most natural comparator is Fourth Avenue Residences — a 99-year leasehold development directly adjacent, launched in 2019, now transacting at approximately S$2,465 psf. The trade-off is instructive: Fourth Avenue Residences offers a fresher, more contemporary interior finish and newer common facilities, but at a roughly 14% PSF premium over Fifth Avenue Condominium and on a leasehold title that will clock 25 years consumed by 2044. For buyers who place weight on freehold status — particularly those with a 15–20 year horizon — the case for Fifth Avenue Condominium over its newer neighbour is clear.
Against Leedon Green (freehold, S$2,784 psf) and Hyll on Holland (freehold, S$2,648 psf), Fifth Avenue Condominium offers the same freehold security at a 22–28% PSF discount. Both Leedon Green and Hyll on Holland are newer (completed 2023–2024), larger in unit count, and carry more comprehensive facilities — trade-offs that justify some premium, though buyers focused on the school-proximity angle will find Fifth Avenue’s location advantage hard to replicate. Leedon Green is approximately 1.4 km from Hwa Chong International; Fifth Avenue is 0.43 km. For a family making daily school runs over a 3-year posting, that difference is not marginal.
| Development | Tenure | TOP | Units | ~Avg PSF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FIFTH AVENUE CONDOMINIUM | Freehold | 1998 | 70 | $2,169 |
| SKYE AT HOLLAND | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2024 | 2025 | 666 | $2,945 |
| LEEDON GREEN | Freehold | 2021 | 638 | $2,784 |
| D'LEEDON | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2010 | 2014 | 1,703 | $1,855 |
| HYLL ON HOLLAND | Freehold | 2021 | 319 | $2,648 |
| FOURTH AVENUE RESIDENCES | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2018 | 2021 | 476 | $2,465 |
ShiokNest Scores
Our proprietary scoring system evaluates FIFTH AVENUE CONDOMINIUM across multiple dimensions.
What Residents Say
“We moved here for our children’s school at Hwa Chong International and have renewed our lease three times. The walk to Sixth Avenue MRT took some adjustment — we expected to need the car every day — but in practice we rarely drive on weekdays. The neighbourhood is incredibly quiet for District 10 and the unit sizes are genuinely family-scale.”
— Expatriate tenant review via EdgeProp
“The condo is well-maintained and management is responsive. Facilities are basic but they are never crowded — we swim almost every morning. The proximity to the French school is why we chose this over Leedon Green; the PSF difference was also meaningful for us. Our only gripe is the kitchen finishes need updating, but otherwise a very liveable home.”
— Resident review via PropertyGuru
“Lovely quiet enclave, great MRT access now with the Downtown Line, and the Botanic Gardens is a short ride away. Not for people who want resort facilities or a buzzing condo community — it’s very private and most residents tend to keep to themselves. Perfect for us.”
— Long-term owner review via 99.co
The resident profile at Fifth Avenue Condominium divides clearly into two groups: expatriate families on school-tied tenancies (typically 2–3 year renewable leases driven by the international school catchment) and a smaller contingent of long-term Singaporean and PR owner-occupiers who value the quiet and the freehold tenure. Reviews across platforms consistently highlight the neighbourhood calm and MRT convenience, with the recurring caveat that the development offers no on-site dining, limited in-compound retail, and a facility suite that is functional rather than impressive. For the dominant tenant profile, this trade-off is deliberate and welcomed.
Strengths & Weaknesses
- Freehold tenure — no lease-decay risk in Singapore's tightening financing environment
- Sixth Avenue DTL MRT 0.23 km — near-doorstep access to the Downtown Line
- Singapore's densest international school cluster within 1.3 km (Hwa Chong Intl, Lycée Français, Hollandse, AIS, Chatsworth)
- Generous 1998 Guthrie floorplates — 3BR from ~1,400 sqft, rare at this location
- Boutique 70-unit scale — facilities never crowded, strong private-club feel
- 22% PSF discount to nearest freehold comparables (Leedon Green at $2,784 psf)
- Steady capital appreciation: $1,858 psf (2021) → $2,169 psf (2024), ~16.7% over 3 years
- Deep expat rental pool driven by school catchment — 103 rentals vs 7 sales
- Quiet, low-rise landed neighbourhood with minimal risk of future view obstruction
- Walkable to Botanic Gardens via DTL — genuine lifestyle amenity for families
- Gross yield of 2.4% is modest even by CCR freehold standards
- Very low transaction volume (7 sales) — illiquid, pricing sensitive to single motivated seller
- Basic 1998-era facilities — pool, gym, tennis only; no resort amenities
- Interior finishings dated — realistic renovation budget of $80k–$150k to modernise
- No on-site F&B or retail — daily errands require a drive or bus
- Neighbourhood PSF competition stiff above $2,200 psf from newer leasehold alternatives
- Management fees can run higher per unit at boutique scale with full facility upkeep
- Limited unit mix variety — predominantly 3-4BR; not suitable for 1-2BR buyers
Verdict
Fifth Avenue Condominium presents a genuinely unusual proposition: freehold tenure, near-doorstep Downtown Line MRT access, Singapore’s densest cluster of international schools within 1.3 km, and spacious 1998 Guthrie layouts — all at a PSF that sits 22% below Leedon Green, the closest comparable freehold product in the same corridor. For the right buyer, this is a meaningful discount to a premium address. For the right tenant, it is already the answer: the 103 rental transactions recorded testify to consistent demand from the international school community that shows no sign of abating.
The investment case hinges primarily on the rental yield and capital appreciation trajectory. At S$2,169 psf average with S$6,000–$6,133 median rent, the gross yield of 2.4% is modest by yield-focused standards but in line with freehold CCR norms. The PSF trend — from S$1,858 in 2021 to S$2,169 in 2024, representing a 16.7% gain over three years — suggests steady demand with no signs of stagnation. The freehold status eliminates the lease-decay concern that increasingly affects 99-year CCR condos as they age toward the 65-year threshold where bank financing becomes constrained.
The principal caution is unit count. At 70 units, Fifth Avenue Condominium is a relatively illiquid asset: only 7 sale transactions over the recent comparable period means buyers may face a limited re-sale pool, and pricing can be moved materially by a single motivated seller. For buyers who need a defined exit window within 5 years, this illiquidity risk is real. For long-horizon holders — own-stay families, investors content to collect rent and wait — the freehold tenure and premium school-belt address are the kind of structural advantages that tend to hold value through market cycles.