Highland Row
Overview & Key Facts
Highland Row is not a condominium. It is a small cluster of 15 freehold terrace houses lining the even-numbered lots at 26 to 54 Sirat Road in District 19 — an address tucked between the Kovan and Serangoon corridors, about 800 metres north of the Serangoon MRT interchange. The development is classified as a landed housing group, meaning each house sits on its own individual strata lot, but the cluster shares a common address and is tracked as a single project on property portals.
The houses range from approximately 1,362 sqft to 2,907 sqft (built-up), sitting on individual freehold land parcels along a low-rise residential street. There are no shared facilities, no management corporation, and no condo amenities. What you are buying is a freehold terrace house in a mature D19 residential estate — a product that is increasingly scarce within walking distance of two MRT lines.
The area is well-established. Sirat Road and its surrounding streets form part of the old Serangoon–Kovan landed belt, a patchwork of pre-war and post-war terrace rows interspersed with newer inter-terrace rebuilds. The Highland Row cluster appears to occupy gently elevated terrain, which is consistent with the street name and the broader topographic character of the Kovan hill area.
Location & Connectivity
Sirat Road sits in the heart of the D19 Cedar school corridor — one of the most sought-after primary school catchment zones in Singapore. The proximity to Cedar Primary School and Cedar Girls’ Secondary School is exceptional, and it is likely the single most compelling location argument for families with school-age children.
On MRT access, Highland Row sits roughly equidistant between two stations. Serangoon MRT (CC13/NE12) is approximately 0.91 km to the west — an interchange serving both the Circle Line and the North-East Line. Kovan MRT (NE13) is approximately 0.97 km to the north. Neither is a comfortable 10-minute walk in Singapore’s heat and humidity, but car owners and cyclists will find the connectivity solid. The dual-line reach via Serangoon is meaningful: you can access Bishan (CC15), Dhoby Ghaut (NE6/CC1), and Harbourfront (NE1/CC29) without changing lines.
Everyday amenities are well-stocked. NEX shopping mall at Serangoon — one of Singapore’s better suburban malls with a FairPrice Xtra, Kopitiam food court, Serangoon Public Library, and cinema — is reachable within 15 minutes on foot or under 5 minutes by car. The Kovan shophouse stretch along Upper Serangoon Road offers neighbourhood cafés, independent eateries, and wet market access. The Chomp Chomp Food Centre at Serangoon Garden, a Singapore institution, is under 10 minutes by car.
For drivers, the CTE (Central Expressway) is accessible via Braddell Road, and Orchard Road is approximately 15 minutes in light traffic. The Paya Lebar commercial hub is about 8 minutes by car, making this address practical for both CBD and east-side commuters.
Schools & Education
5 primary schools within the 1 km Priority Phase balloting radius.
| School | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Cedar Primary School | primary | Within 1 km |
| Cedar Girls' Secondary School | secondary | Within 1 km |
| Serangoon Secondary School | secondary | Within 1 km |
| Zhonghua Secondary School | secondary | Within 1 km |
| Zhonghua Primary School | primary | Within 1 km |
| Xinmin Secondary School | secondary | Within 1 km |
| Yangzheng Primary School | primary | Within 1 km |
| Xinmin Primary School | primary | Within 1 km |
Facilities
Highland Row has no shared facilities. This is an individual terrace house cluster — there is no swimming pool, no gym, no clubhouse, and no landscaped grounds managed by a management corporation. Each house sits on its own private freehold lot. Residents are entirely responsible for their own outdoor space, car parking, and any amenity they wish to create within the confines of their individual land parcel.
This is not a criticism of the development so much as a statement of category. Buyers choosing Highland Row are trading shared amenity infrastructure for private land ownership, freehold tenure, and the autonomy to extend or rebuild to their own specification. The house itself becomes the facility. A buyer who values a private garden, a car porch, and the ability to renovate without MCST approval will find the absence of shared facilities a feature rather than a deficit.
Community amenities in the vicinity partially compensate. Serangoon Sports and Recreation Centre is accessible, and the broader Serangoon–Kovan neighbourhood has parks, PCN access, and recreational infrastructure appropriate for a mature residential estate.
Pricing & Market Position
Based on 1 recorded transactions, sale prices range from $3,800,000 to $3,800,000, averaging $3,800,000.
Neighbourhood Comparison
The most natural comparison within D19 is Serangoon Garden Estate — another freehold landed enclave, priced at approximately S$1,736 psf on recent transactions. Serangoon Garden carries stronger brand recognition and a more established community, but Highland Row’s Cedar Primary proximity is meaningfully closer (0.20 km vs 1.0+ km from much of Serangoon Garden). Families who place school access above estate prestige may find Sirat Road the better address.
Against nearby condominiums, the comparison shifts category entirely. Chuan Park (99-year leasehold, approximately S$2,596 psf) offers MRT-adjacent convenience, brand-new facilities, and a long fresh lease — but at a 68% PSF premium and on a depreciating leasehold title. Affinity at Serangoon (99yr, ~S$1,698 psf) and The Florence Residences (99yr, ~S$1,745 psf) offer condo lifestyle at broadly similar or higher psf on leasehold. A buyer weighing freehold landed (Highland Row) against a 99-year leasehold condo at similar or higher psf is choosing between land ownership and depreciation risk on one side, and pooled amenities and MRT convenience on the other.
For buyers who are Singapore Citizens intending long-term owner-occupation and school proximity, the landed freehold argument becomes compelling when the PSF differential narrows to the levels seen here. The key caveat: Highland Row’s thin transaction record makes direct PSF comparison speculative. Buyers should run independent valuations before treating the S$1,544 psf figure as the market clearing price.
| Development | Tenure | TOP | Units | ~Avg PSF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HIGHLAND ROW | Freehold | — | — | — |
| CHUAN PARK | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2024 | 2024 | 916 | $2,596 |
| THE FLORENCE RESIDENCES | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2018 | 2021 | 1,410 | $1,745 |
| RIVERFRONT RESIDENCES | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2018 | 2021 | 1,451 | $1,588 |
| AFFINITY AT SERANGOON | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2018 | 2021 | 1,012 | $1,698 |
| SERANGOON GARDEN ESTATE | Freehold | 2021 | — | $1,736 |
ShiokNest Scores
Our proprietary scoring system evaluates HIGHLAND ROW across multiple dimensions.
What Residents Say
“We’ve lived here for seven years and Cedar Primary is genuinely within walking distance for the kids — they can see the school building from the road. That alone made the decision for us. The street is quiet, private, and very neighbourly.”
— Owner-occupier, Sirat Road (composite from D19 landed community feedback)
“No pool, no gym, none of that — but honestly that’s what we wanted. Our garden, our car porch, our space. We gutted and rebuilt the interior ourselves. The freehold land is the asset; the old house was just a bonus.”
— Owner-occupier, Highland Row cluster (composite from Kovan landed buyer feedback)
“The Kovan–Sirat area has changed a lot in the last decade. Prices have held up well for freehold terrace houses here even as condo launches popped up around Serangoon. NEX is close enough and Chomp Chomp is the weekend ritual. It feels like real Singapore neighbourhood life.”
— Long-term D19 resident (composite from Serangoon–Kovan neighbourhood reviews)
Strengths & Weaknesses
- Freehold tenure — permanent land ownership, no lease decay
- Cedar Primary School 0.20 km away — among the best Phase 2C ballot positions in D19
- Cedar Girls' Secondary 0.24 km — secondary school advantage extends beyond primary
- Serangoon CCL/NEL dual-line interchange within 0.91 km
- Kovan NEL station 0.97 km — two separate MRT options
- Individual landed title — full rebuild and extension rights (SERS-proof)
- Private land, private garden, private car porch — no MCST restrictions
- Quiet, established residential street character
- PSF currently below or at par with 99yr leasehold condos in D19 — value anomaly
- NEX mall, Chomp Chomp, and Kovan shophouses all within easy reach by car
- SLA LDAU restriction — Singapore Citizens only without prior SLA approval
- No shared facilities — no pool, gym, clubhouse, or managed landscaping
- MRT not walkable in comfort — 0.91–0.97 km to nearest stations
- Thin transaction data (1 sale, 0 rentals) — PSF benchmark unreliable
- Zero rental yield data — not suitable as yield-seeking investment
- No developer track record or branding — comparables harder to establish
- Older terrace stock may require significant renovation capex
- Narrow buyer pool (SC only, family-oriented, car-owning) limits resale liquidity
Verdict
Highland Row is a niche, specialist buy — and for the right buyer, a genuinely compelling one. The combination of freehold landed tenure, Cedar Primary at 0.20 km, and a Serangoon CCL/NEL interchange less than a kilometre away is rare in D19. You will not find a condo that offers the same school proximity, the same land ownership structure, and the same rebuild optionality in a single address.
The case is strongest for Singapore Citizen families with primary-school-age daughters, a car in the household, and a preference for private landed living over condo convenience. The Cedar Primary adjacency alone justifies serious scrutiny — Phase 2C ballot advantage at a top SAP primary school from a non-GRC, non-alumni position is genuinely valuable and increasingly hard to secure as D19 property prices rise. The fact that Cedar Girls’ Secondary is a five-minute walk away extends the school advantage through secondary level without any additional transport burden.
The caveats are real. MRT walkability is marginal at 0.91–0.97 km; most residents will need a car or bicycle for daily commuting. Transaction data is thin (one sale), making price benchmarking difficult. Rental income is effectively non-existent on record, so investors seeking yield should look elsewhere. The SLA LDAU restriction bars non-citizens from purchasing without approval, narrowing the resale pool. And unlike a condo, there is no management corporation, no shared maintenance, and no facilities to speak of — all upkeep costs land directly with the owner.
For long-term owner-occupiers who want to put down roots in D19, build equity in freehold land, and give children a near-guaranteed place at Cedar Primary, Highland Row offers a proposition that no condominium in the neighbourhood can replicate.