Kismis Residences
Overview & Key Facts
Kismis Residences is a rare thing in modern Singapore: a gated freehold strata terrace enclave developed to full luxury-landed specification, completed in December 2020 in the serene Kismis–Eng Kong landed belt of District 21. The project was delivered by Newford Alliance (Kismis) Pte Ltd, a joint venture between Low Keng Huat (Singapore) Ltd (the developer’s 70% shareholder and a company with a 60-year local track record) and Wenui Development Pte Ltd, on the site of the former Kismis Lodge.
The development comprises 31 freehold landed terrace houses — 8 corner units and 23 intermediate units — each rising five levels: basement, ground, second, third, and attic. Every home includes a private lift serving all five floors, five en-suite bedrooms, a rooftop terrace with jet pool or ground-level private pool, double basement parking, and European-branded fittings throughout. Land areas run from 1,615 sqft to 2,220 sqft; built-up areas reach 4,700 to 5,400 sqft for a typical family footprint that few condominium units and even most semi-detached homes can match.
Situated across four adjoining streets — Lorong Kismis, Eng Kong Road, Eng Kong Terrace, and Upper Toh Tuck Terrace — the 31 homes form a private enclave managed as a single estate with 24-hour guarded access, a shared driveway network, and landscaped common areas. It sits between the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve corridor and the revitalising Beauty World precinct, a position that delivers both quiet residential character today and meaningful neighbourhood uplift over the next decade as The Reserve Residences and the rejuvenated Beauty World MRT integrated hub come online.
Location & Connectivity
The Kismis–Eng Kong pocket is one of D21’s most established private residential enclaves, bordered to the north-east by Bukit Timah Road and to the south-west by Upper Toh Tuck Road. The streetscape is uniformly low-rise: bungalows, semi-detached homes, cluster terraces, and a handful of boutique condominiums. There are no HDB blocks in the immediate vicinity. The result is a quiet, mature, predominantly owner-occupied neighbourhood that has held its character for decades.
Beauty World MRT (Downtown Line, DT5) sits approximately 940 metres to 1.0 km from the estate — a 12–14 minute walk in Singapore’s heat, or a 3-minute drive. The Downtown Line gives direct access to Botanic Gardens (one stop), Stevens (two stops, interchange to Thomson-East Coast Line), Newton (interchange to North-South Line), and eventually the CBD at Downtown/Telok Ayer. For car-dependent households — which most D21 strata landed buyers are — the PIE and BKE are accessible within 5 minutes, placing Orchard Road 11 minutes away and the CBD around 18–20 minutes in off-peak conditions.
The school network is a genuine strength. Bukit Timah Primary School is just 0.2 km away — a within-1-km Phase 2B balloting advantage that is difficult to replicate anywhere in this district. Pei Hwa Presbyterian Primary is 0.9 km, Methodist Girls’ School 1.7 km, and Anglo-Chinese Junior College (ACJC) at 0.96 km is a notable proximity for families with JC-age children — one of Singapore’s most established SAP junior colleges a short drive from the front gate. Ngee Ann Polytechnic is also 0.96 km and SUSS 1.28 km, making Kismis Residences genuinely convenient for multi-generational households with both school-age and tertiary students.
Day-to-day retail and dining is centred on Beauty World Centre and Bukit Timah Shopping Centre approximately 1.1 km away, supplemented by the shophouse clusters along Cheong Chin Nam Road and the Bukit Timah Market and Food Centre. The planned Beauty World integrated transport hub — anchored by The Reserve Residences with a bus interchange and underground pedestrian link to Beauty World MRT — will materially improve the retail and dining catchment once operational in the late 2020s, bringing a 215,000+ sqft mall, improved sheltered MRT access, and URA’s vision of a “green urban village” for the southern Bukit Timah corridor.
Schools & Education
| School | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Anglo-Chinese Junior College | jc | Within 1 km |
| Ngee Ann Polytechnic | tertiary | Within 1 km |
| Henry Park Primary School | primary | ~1.3 km |
| Singapore University of Social Sciences | tertiary | ~1.3 km |
| Nan Hua High School | secondary | ~1.7 km |
| One World International School (Nanyang) | international | ~1.9 km |
| Nan Hua Primary School | primary | ~1.9 km |
Facilities
Kismis Residences operates on a fundamentally different facilities model from a condominium. Rather than shared clubhouse pools and gyms subsidised across hundreds of units, each of the 31 terrace homes comes with its own private amenity stack built into the architecture: a rooftop terrace with jet pool (or a ground-level private pool for certain units), a private home lift serving all five levels, basement double car parking, and a spacious attic for flexible use.
The estate-level provision is deliberately minimal: 24-hour guarded compound access, common driveway lighting and landscaping, and shared perimeter security — consistent with the cluster terrace typology. There is no shared swimming pool, gymnasium, clubhouse, or function room at the estate level. Maintenance contributions are correspondingly low — a meaningful saving for owners who would otherwise pay S$600–900 per month in maintenance fees at a comparable new-build condominium, but who would rarely use the shared facilities.
Per-unit specifications are fitted to developer-grade standards. European kitchen and bathroom fittings — Bosch appliances, Duravit sanitary ware — are standard across the development. The home lift, rooftop terrace, and optional jet pool give each unit a resort-feel private amenity core that condominium residents simply do not access in their daily routine. For buyers moving from a standard condominium, the experiential upgrade is substantial: your own pool, on your own terrace, accessible from your own lift at any hour.
“The home lift and roof terrace were the deciding factors for us. We had looked at everything in D21 and D11 at this price. Nothing gave us a private pool on the top of the house and this much space.”
— Resident perspective on Kismis Residences purchase decision, via EdgeProp
Unit Sizes & Layout
The 31 units at Kismis Residences divide into two configurations. Corner units (8 of 31) sit on land areas of approximately 2,000–2,220 sqft with built-up areas of 5,050–5,400 sqft — large enough to feel genuinely house-like, and typically priced in the S$5.5M–S$6.5M range in the secondary market. Intermediate units (23 of 31) occupy land areas of approximately 1,615–1,660 sqft with built-up areas of 4,700–5,200 sqft, transacting at S$4.5M–S$5.3M as of 2024.
Every unit delivers 5 bedrooms, all en-suite, across the five levels: basement (utility / car park / helper quarters in most configurations), ground (living and dining, kitchen, one bedroom), second and third levels (master suite and secondary bedrooms), and attic (fifth level, typically a large multi-purpose room or fifth bedroom opening onto the rooftop terrace). The home lift removes the practical friction of a five-storey house for older household members or young children.
The Lorong Kismis and Upper Toh Tuck Terrace stacks benefit from a north-south orientation that limits direct afternoon sun exposure on primary living floors. Units facing Eng Kong Road have slightly more traffic exposure (low but non-zero), while interior-facing units overlook the common driveway landscape. No unit is above three storeys as viewed from street level, keeping the development consistent with the surrounding single-storey and two-storey bungalow streetscape.
One practical consideration: at 4,700–5,400 sqft built-up, domestic helper accommodation is essentially mandatory for most owner-occupier households with young children. The basement level typically includes a helper’s room and bathroom. Furniture and interior outfitting a house of this size from scratch is a six-figure exercise — buyers should factor S$150,000–S$250,000 in initial renovation/furnishing alongside the acquisition price.
| Bedrooms | Transactions | Avg PSF | Avg Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 BR | 6 | $2,931 | $4,762,629 |
| 5 BR | 2 | $2,779 | $6,025,000 |
Pricing & Market Position
Based on 8 recorded transactions, sale prices range from $4,358,888 to $6,050,000, averaging $5,078,222.
Rents range from $7,500 to $14,000 per month across 6 rental transactions. Current rental yield sits at approximately 3.0%.
Price Appreciation
From 2021 to 2024, the average PSF has appreciated by 7.1% (from $2,691 to $2,883 psf).
Neighbourhood Comparison
Against The Reserve Residences (99-year, 892 units, $2,494 psf): The flagship condominium launching in the same Beauty World catchment is a direct value anchor for the area. At $2,494 psf stacked-apartment psf, Reserve Residences buyers pay for MRT integration and amenity breadth. Kismis Residences buyers pay for freehold tenure, true landed space (4,700+ sqft vs 700–1,300 sqft in a condo), and the privacy of a 31-home gated enclave. The propositions are fundamentally different: Reserve is optimised for liquidity and MRT; Kismis is optimised for space, privacy, and permanence.
Against Forett@Bukit Timah (FH, 633 units, $2,130 psf): The closest large freehold condominium by address. Forett buyers access full condominium facilities (25m pool, gym, clubhouse) and better liquidity at lower capital outlay (~$1.8M–$2.5M entry). The trade-off is unit size: the largest Forett units at 3-bedroom/1,400 sqft still offer less than half the built area of a Kismis intermediate terrace. For multi-generational households or those who have “outgrown” condominium living, the space differential is decisive.
Against Ki Residences (999-year, 660 units, $1,954 psf): Ki offers near-freehold tenure at lower psf with full condo facilities, but again at condominium scale. The typical 3-BR at Ki is ~1,000–1,100 sqft — roughly one-fifth of a Kismis house. Buyers weighing Ki against Kismis are typically households deciding between “condo-with-upsized-budget” and “house-with-commitment”.
Against freehold semi-detached and detached houses in D10/D11: A freehold semi-detached in Namly, Watten, or Holland sits at S$6M–S$10M+ for comparable built areas, with full landed (not strata) title. Kismis Residences at S$5M–S$6M offers an entry to freehold landed space at a meaningful quantum discount, though with the strata caveat (shared compound decisions, MCST, no unilateral redevelopment). For buyers who want the landed lifestyle but are not yet ready for full-landed capital commitment, the Kismis strata structure is the rational bridge.
Against Pinetree Hill (99-year, 520 units, $2,486 psf) and Nava Grove (99-year, 552 units, $2,488 psf): Both are newer 99-year launches at similar PSF to Reserve Residences. Relative to these, Kismis Residences’ freehold strata terrace proposition is not directly comparable — different tenure, different typology, different buyer profile. The PSF comparison is misleading; the correct frame is total-capital and lifestyle alignment.
| Development | Tenure | TOP | Units | ~Avg PSF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KISMIS RESIDENCES | Freehold | — | — | — |
| THE RESERVE RESIDENCES | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2021 | 2023 | 892 | $2,494 |
| NAVA GROVE | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2024 | 2024 | 552 | $2,488 |
| PINETREE HILL | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2022 | 2023 | 520 | $2,486 |
| KI RESIDENCES AT BROOKVALE | 999 yrs lease commencing from 1885 | 2021 | 660 | $1,954 |
| FORETT@BUKIT TIMAH | Freehold | 2021 | 633 | $2,130 |
ShiokNest Scores
Our proprietary scoring system evaluates KISMIS RESIDENCES across multiple dimensions.
What Residents Say
“It’s very private here. We have neighbours but you never feel like you’re living in a condo. The lift goes from basement to roof, the kids have the whole terrace level to themselves after dinner. It does not feel like S$5 million of compromise.”
— Owner perspective on Kismis Residences lifestyle, via PropertyGuru
“Beauty World is quieter than it used to be but I like that. The nature reserve is close for weekend walks. School run to Bukit Timah Primary is three minutes. It’s genuinely relaxed living.”
— Resident perspective on D21 lifestyle, via 99.co
The resident profile at Kismis Residences skews towards established local families — Singaporean or PR, typically with at least two school-age children — alongside a smaller cohort of professional expatriates from German European School Singapore (within the broader Bukit Timah belt) who rent at the S$11,000–S$13,000 monthly range observed in the six recorded rental transactions. The high median rental of S$12,300 per month for units in the 3,500–4,000 sqft rental range reflects genuine demand from expat families who need 4–5 bedroom houses at this size but are not in a position to buy. At a gross yield of approximately 2.95%, the rental return is modest relative to the capital value — consistent with Singapore’s high-end landed segment, where capital appreciation rather than rental income drives total return.
Strengths & Weaknesses
- Freehold tenure — permanent estate with no lease decay
- True landed space: 4,700–5,400 sqft built-up per home
- Private home lift (all 5 levels) — every unit standard
- Per-unit private pool/jet pool on rooftop terrace
- Bukit Timah Primary 0.2 km — strongest P1 balloting address in D21
- ACJC 0.96 km — rare JC proximity for a landed development
- Gated 24-hour guarded enclave — 31 homes only
- Low-density mature neighbourhood, no HDB blocks nearby
- Beauty World precinct catalyst: Reserve Residences integrated hub incoming (~2028)
- European-spec fittings (Bosch, Duravit) as standard
- Double basement parking per unit
- Developer pedigree: Low Keng Huat (60-year track record, delivered The Minton)
- Beauty World MRT 940m–1.0 km — not walkable in Singapore climate; car required
- Low liquidity: 31 units, ~2–3 resale deals per year — exit timeline is longer
- No shared condominium facilities (pool, gym, clubhouse) at estate level
- Strata landed title: MCST decisions require consensus; no unilateral redevelopment
- Large homes require domestic helper — adds recurring cost
- High initial furnishing/renovation cost (S$150k–S$250k realistically)
- Gross yield ~2.95% — rental income modest relative to capital value
- Limited price data: few comparables; valuation can be illiquid
- Neighbourhood still in transition — Beauty World catalyst is years away (2028+)
- PSF comparison to condominiums is misleading; buyers must understand strata landed PSF basis
Verdict
Kismis Residences occupies a specific and well-defined niche: a freehold gated strata terrace with landed-scale space, a developer-grade private amenity stack per unit, and a Bukit Timah address — all at a lower quantum than a comparable freehold detached or semi-detached house in D10 or D11. For families who want a true house (five en-suite bedrooms, a private pool, their own lift, 4,700+ sqft) without taking on the maintenance burden of full landed ownership, and who value the Bukit Timah school catchment and ACJC proximity, this is one of the most rational propositions in that segment.
The caveats are real and should be weighed honestly. Beauty World MRT at 940 metres is not walkable for daily commuters in Singapore’s climate — car ownership or Grab dependency is assumed. With only 31 units and low transaction volumes (8 sales recorded), secondary market liquidity is limited: buyers may wait 6–18 months to find a buyer at their desired price when it is time to exit. The development has no shared recreational facilities — a rational trade for most buyers in this price segment, but wrong for families who expect a gym and tennis court in the compound. And at S$5M–S$6M, this is a committed capital allocation that requires conviction on both the lifestyle and D21’s medium-term value trajectory.
The neighbourhood catalyst — The Reserve Residences integrated hub (892 units, bus interchange, underground MRT link, 215,000+ sqft mall) expected to TOP in 2028 — strengthens the bull case materially. When Beauty World transforms from a sleepy suburban node into a genuine urban-village hub, the surrounding landed enclave — which cannot be rezoned or densified — becomes more proximate to amenities without losing its low-density character. That dynamic has played out before in Singapore (Dempsey, Holland Village, one-north), and D21 landed values have historically benefited from, rather than been diluted by, adjacent mixed-use development.
For the right buyer profile — multigenerational family, two-car household, school-age children targeting Bukit Timah Primary or Pei Hwa, long hold horizon, preference for privacy and space over condo amenity breadth — Kismis Residences is one of the more coherent freehold propositions available in Singapore at this quantum.