Killiney 118
Overview & Key Facts
Killiney 118 is one of Singapore’s most data-revealing boutique condominiums. Thirty residential units. Ninety-six rental records. That 3.2× rental-to-unit ratio is extraordinary in a dataset covering thousands of properties — it means virtually every unit in this development has been tenanted multiple times, signalling a near-pure investor and pied-à-terre play rather than an owner-occupier community.
Developed by Creslin Pte Ltd and completed in 2013, the six-storey freehold development sits at 118 Killiney Road in District 9 — a charming heritage street of Peranakan shophouses, artisan cafes, and independent restaurants tucked between Somerset MRT and the Robertson Quay waterfront. Somerset NS12 is 290 metres away. The Great World TE15 station is 560 metres. Dhoby Ghaut’s triple interchange is 800 metres. Four MRT lines within a brisk ten-minute walk: this is, by any objective measure, one of the most transit-accessible addresses in all of Singapore.
The unit mix confirms the investment thesis: twenty 1-bedroom units at 570–624 sqft and ten 2-bedroom units at 915–926 sqft. Ground-floor commercial space serves residents with shops at their doorstep. At S$2,095 PSF freehold, Killiney 118 offers a 34% discount to The Avenir’s S$3,190 PSF on the same tenure — a gap that is difficult to justify on location alone and that makes this development quietly compelling for capital-preservation buyers who prioritise rental income over capital appreciation velocity.
Location & Connectivity
Killiney Road occupies a singular niche in Singapore’s urban geography. It is neither the gleaming commercial corridor of Orchard Road a few hundred metres to the north, nor the quieter residential streets of River Valley to the south. Instead it is a heritage-character street that has evolved organically — prewar shophouses converted into cafes, Japanese teishoku restaurants, Thai massage parlours, florists, and neighbourhood supermarkets. The FairPrice supermarket sits directly across the road from the development, reducing the need to travel for daily groceries.
Somerset MRT (NS12) is 290 metres from the lobby — among the shortest station-to-door distances of any condo in the CCR. The North-South Line connects directly to Raffles Place, City Hall, Bishan, and Jurong East. At 560 metres, Great World (TE15) on the Thomson-East Coast Line adds connections to Marina Bay, Stevens, and the East Coast corridor. Push 800 metres to Dhoby Ghaut’s triple interchange and you gain access to the North-East and Circle Lines too. Four MRT lines within a ten-minute walk: the only comparable addresses in Singapore are Dhoby Ghaut and Outram Park themselves.
The Orchard Road retail belt — Ion Orchard, Ngee Ann City, Mandarin Gallery — is a five to eight-minute walk north. Great World City mall with its Cold Storage supermarket, cinema, and restaurants is reachable via the TEL station or on foot in ten minutes. Robertson Quay’s riverside dining and bar strip is a fifteen-minute stroll south along the Singapore River. Fort Canning Park, one of Singapore’s most historically significant green spaces, is under a kilometre away and offers shaded walking trails and regular outdoor events.
Schools & Education
3 primary schools within the 1 km Priority Phase balloting radius.
| School | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Fairfield Methodist School (Primary) | primary | Within 1 km |
| Kheng Cheng School | primary | Within 1 km |
| ACS (Junior) | primary | Within 1 km |
| St. Anthony's Primary School | primary | ~1.3 km |
| Singapore Management University | tertiary | ~1.3 km |
| Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts | tertiary | ~1.5 km |
| School of the Arts | jc | ~1.6 km |
| Outram Secondary School | secondary | ~1.6 km |
Facilities
Killiney 118 is a six-storey boutique development of thirty units, and its facilities reflect that scale honestly. This is not a resort-style condo. The development offers a rooftop swimming pool and deck, rooftop BBQ pits, a roof terrace, and a second-storey fitness corner and roof terrace. There is 24-hour security and a mechanised multi-level basement parking system — a sensible solution for a small footprint in a dense urban location. Function rooms round out the shared amenity offering.
For a boutique freehold development in the heart of District 9, the rooftop pool is the standout. Most 30-unit condos in this price band offer minimal communal space; the rooftop pool and BBQ area at Killiney 118 function as genuine social amenities. In practice, the low resident-to-facility ratio means queuing is never an issue — a meaningful advantage over 300-unit developments where pool lanes are contested on weekends.
Buyers expecting resort-scale facilities should look elsewhere. What Killiney 118 delivers instead is low-competition access to functional, well-maintained amenities in a 2013-vintage building in excellent condition. For the investor or pied-à-terre buyer — who often values location over clubhouse scale — this is entirely appropriate. Tenants at this price point tend to use Orchard Road gyms, hotel pools, and the Fort Canning trail rather than an on-site gym anyway.
Unit Sizes & Layout
Killiney 118’s unit mix is purpose-built for the rental market. The development offers twenty 1-bedroom units at 570–624 sqft and ten 2-bedroom units at 915–926 sqft. At S$2,095 PSF, a 1-bedroom transacts at approximately S$1.19–S$1.31M, while the 2-bedroom range sits around S$1.92–S$1.94M. These are accessible entry points for a freehold CCR property within walking distance of four MRT lines.
The 2013 floor plans reflect the era’s design sensibility — efficient rectangular layouts with defined living, dining, and bedroom zones rather than the open-plan studio configurations common in today’s micro-unit launches. A 570 sqft 1-bedroom here functions more practically than a 500 sqft pseudo-studio in a newer development. The two-bedroom units at 915+ sqft are genuinely spacious by contemporary standards, suitable for couples or a small family who value city proximity over square footage.
With 96 rental transactions recorded across 30 units, the average monthly rent of S$3,767–S$3,800 reflects persistent demand from short-term expat professionals working in the CBD, Orchard Road corridor, or Mapletree Business City. The 2.3% gross yield is modest by absolute standards but reasonable for a freehold CCR property at a location premium. Landlords benefit from low vacancy risk — the Somerset-Killiney corridor has historically been one of Singapore’s tightest rental sub-markets.
| Bedrooms | Transactions | Avg PSF | Avg Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 BR | 1 | $2,050 | $1,280,000 |
| 2 BR | 1 | $2,139 | $1,980,000 |
Pricing & Market Position
Based on 2 recorded transactions, sale prices range from $1,280,000 to $1,980,000, averaging $1,630,000.
Rents range from $2,100 to $6,300 per month across 96 rental transactions. Current rental yield sits at approximately 2.3%.
Neighbourhood Comparison
Killiney 118’s primary comparable set is the freehold CCR 1-to-2 bedroom market within the Somerset-to-Great World corridor. The three most relevant benchmarks are The Avenir, Irwell Hill Residences, and River Green.
The Avenir (FH, 376 units, 2023 TOP) is Killiney 118’s most direct freehold peer: same tenure, similar district, walkable proximity. At S$3,190 PSF, it commands a 52% premium. The Avenir offers luxury-grade facilities, larger units, and a modern finish that justifies a premium — but the gap is wide enough that investors comparing net yields on a 1-bedroom will struggle to make the Avenir numbers work.
Irwell Hill Residences (99yr, 540 units, 2024 TOP) at S$2,726 PSF is a 99-year leasehold development on the Robertson Quay fringe. The leasehold-vs-freehold premium alone accounts for much of the PSF gap. For long-horizon buyers or estate-planning purposes, Killiney 118’s freehold title is a clear structural advantage, particularly as Singapore’s leasehold decay effect becomes more visible in bank valuations post-40 years.
River Green (99yr, 2024 launch, S$3,135 PSF) represents the newest vintage in the River Valley sub-market. Buyers paying that premium are acquiring a fresh lease, modern design, and the premium that new launches command in Singapore. For the investor with a 10–15 year hold horizon, the maths of paying S$3,135 PSF on a 99-year lease versus S$2,095 PSF freehold at Killiney 118 requires careful modelling.
The contrarian case for Killiney 118 is straightforward: four MRT lines within 800 metres, freehold title, 2013 build quality, S$2,095 PSF — and most of the market hasn’t noticed yet.
| Development | Tenure | TOP | Units | ~Avg PSF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KILLINEY 118 | Freehold | 2013 | 30 | — |
| IRWELL HILL RESIDENCES | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2020 | 2021 | 540 | $2,728 |
| RIVER GREEN | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2024 | 2025 | 524 | $3,138 |
| RIVER MODERN | 99 years leasehold | — | — | $3,239 |
| THE AVENIR | Freehold | 2021 | 376 | $3,190 |
| KOPAR AT NEWTON | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2019 | 2021 | 378 | $2,511 |
ShiokNest Scores
Our proprietary scoring system evaluates KILLINEY 118 across multiple dimensions.
What Residents Say
The resident and tenant profile at Killiney 118 is among the most distinct of any boutique condo in District 9. With a 3.2× rental-to-unit ratio, the community skews heavily toward short-to-medium-term expat tenants rather than permanent owner-occupiers.
“Vigilant and friendly security guards, 24/7 CCTV, and a superb location. Numerous food options with a FairPrice supermarket conveniently just across the road. Had an excellent experience staying here for several years.”
— Resident review via SingaporeExpats
The typical Killiney 118 resident falls into one of three categories. First, the expatriate professional — usually on a two or three-year assignment to a Singapore-based regional headquarters, placed here by a relocation company or corporate housing programme. Somerset’s proximity and the Orchard Road office-hotel corridor make this an obvious shortlist property. Second, the permanent resident or Singaporean investor who purchased a 1-bedroom as a rental asset and visits occasionally, using the unit as a base during business trips. Third, the owner-occupier professional couple who selected Killiney Road for its lifestyle character and walkable dining culture, and who spend evenings at the neighbourhood’s cafes and restaurants rather than in a communal clubhouse.
The low unit count creates a community dynamic closer to a boutique serviced apartment than a traditional condo estate. Residents tend to know each other by face, security is attentive, and building maintenance has been reported as responsive. For tenants accustomed to impersonal 300-unit developments, the intimacy is a selling point.
Strengths & Weaknesses
- Somerset MRT NS12 at 290m — one of the shortest MRT-to-door distances in CCR
- Four MRT lines accessible within 800m (NS, TE, NE, CC)
- Freehold tenure — permanent land ownership in perpetuity
- S$2,095 PSF = 34% discount to The Avenir (FH) on same tenure
- Extraordinary rental demand: 96 transactions on 30 units (3.2× ratio)
- Killiney Road heritage lifestyle — walkable cafes, dining, FairPrice across the road
- Boutique 30-unit scale — low-competition facility access, intimate community
- Rooftop pool + BBQ in a 2013 building in good condition
- 2BR units at 915-926 sqft — generously sized by CCR boutique standards
- Ground-floor commercial — convenience retail at doorstep
- Low resale volume (2 transactions in dataset) — limited valuation benchmarks
- Boutique illiquidity — 30 units means fewer buyers at any given time
- Investment score 52/100 — rental demand strong but resale depth limited
- No full-scale gym or club facilities — not suitable for amenity-driven buyers
- Gross yield 2.3% — modest for an investment-grade position
- Small management committee — governance quality depends on few individuals
- Limited unit configurations — 1BR and 2BR only, no family-sized options
- PSF $2,095 vs newer leasehold competitors with better fit-and-finish
Verdict
Killiney 118 is best understood as a rental machine with a freehold title, positioned on one of Singapore’s most transit-connected streets at a meaningful discount to newer freehold comparables. The 96 rental records on 30 units are not an accident — they reflect a development that the market has correctly identified as purpose-designed for investor landlords and pied-à-terre buyers who prioritise liquidity and location over living space.
At S$2,095 PSF freehold, the value argument is compelling. The Avenir — a newer, larger freehold development two hundred metres away — asks S$3,190 PSF. That 34% premium buys you a more prestigious address, larger units, and a more expansive facility set. Whether it is worth S$1M extra on a 2-bedroom depends entirely on your use case. For an investor buying a 1-bedroom to rent at S$3,800 per month, the yield maths favour Killiney 118 decisively.
The honest constraint is the boutique scale. Thirty units means lower liquidity at resale, a smaller pool of comparable transactions for valuation, and a management committee where personality dynamics can have outsized effects. The investment score of 52/100 captures this reality: excellent rental demand, respectable yield, but resale depth that cannot match larger developments. For buyers who understand these dynamics and are buying for the long term or for rental income, Killiney 118 is one of District 9’s most interesting underappreciated assets.