Le Merritt
Overview & Key Facts
Le Merritt occupies a quiet stretch of Lorong M Telok Kurau in District 15 — one of Singapore’s most coveted freehold residential belts, sitting between the heritage charm of Katong and the breezy seafront of East Coast Park. Developed by Crescendas Group, a reputable Singapore-based boutique developer with a track record spanning commercial, industrial, and residential projects, it was completed in 2008 and offers just 23 units across a compact low-rise setting. That unit count is the first thing buyers notice: this is not a condo in any conventional sense, but something closer to a private residential enclave.
With only 23 units, Le Merritt delivers the kind of exclusivity that larger developments spend millions marketing but rarely achieve in practice. Residents share no common corridor with strangers, maintenance contributions are pooled across a small community that tends to know each other by name, and the grounds retain the unhurried pace of the Telok Kurau neighbourhood rather than the managed bustle of a large condo complex. Crescendas Group is known for quality finishings and attention to specification detail — buyers acquiring here in 2008 were paying for craftsmanship and permanence rather than amenity volume.
The location on Lorong M Telok Kurau places Le Merritt within the highly sought-after Telok Kurau Primary School catchment — a factor that has long driven a premium for addresses in this part of D15. With the Marine Terrace MRT station on the Thomson-East Coast Line now operational just 0.47 km away, the connectivity picture has improved materially since the development was first sold. Freehold tenure, a coveted school address, and improving MRT access make Le Merritt a compelling proposition for the specific buyer it was designed to serve.
Location & Connectivity
Le Merritt’s connectivity was historically its most cited weakness, but the opening of the Thomson-East Coast Line has changed the calculus significantly. Marine Terrace MRT (TEL) is now approximately 0.47 km away — a comfortable 6-minute walk through the low-rise Telok Kurau landed enclave. From Marine Terrace, residents can reach Marine Parade (one stop), Tanjong Rhu (two stops), and eventually the CBD, Orchard Road, and Woodlands via the TEL. For a development completed in 2008 when the nearest MRT was over a kilometre away, this is a transformative upgrade.
For drivers, the East Coast Parkway (ECP) provides a fast connection to the CBD (approximately 15 minutes off-peak) and Changi Airport (approximately 20 minutes). Paya Lebar, with its retail, dining, and Circle Line interchange, is reachable in under 10 minutes by car. The absence of expressway adjacency is a genuine bonus — Lorong M Telok Kurau is a quiet residential lane, which means Le Merritt enjoys low ambient noise despite its proximity to major arterials.
For everyday needs, the Marine Parade neighbourhood offers one of Singapore’s richest ecosystems of everyday amenities within walking and cycling distance. East Coast Food Centre, Katong Shopping Centre, i12 Katong, and the Parkway Parade mall are all within a 10–15 minute walk or a short bus ride. The East Coast Park PCN is accessible from Siglap Link, about 10 minutes on foot — making weekend cycling and jogging genuinely accessible without needing a car.
Schools & Education
1 primary school within the 1 km Priority Phase balloting radius.
| School | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Telok Kurau Primary School | primary | Within 1 km |
| Chung Cheng High School (Main) | secondary | Within 1 km |
| East Coast Primary School | primary | ~1.2 km |
| Global Indian International School (GIIS East Coast) | international | ~1.2 km |
| Tanjong Katong Girls' School | secondary | ~1.4 km |
| Canadian International School (Tanjong Katong) | international | ~1.4 km |
| Canossa Catholic Primary School | primary | ~1.5 km |
| CHIJ (Katong) Primary | primary | ~1.5 km |
Facilities
Prospective buyers must approach Le Merritt with calibrated expectations: at 23 units, the development does not offer a swimming pool, gym, tennis court, or BBQ pavilions. What it offers instead is a beautifully maintained boutique compound — professionally landscaped communal gardens, secure access, covered car parking, and a level of privacy and quiet that facilities-heavy mega-condos cannot replicate. The trade-off is deliberate: buyers choosing Le Merritt are self-selecting for exclusivity and neighbourhood character over amenity breadth. Residents who prioritise a lap pool or gymnasium will find better options nearby at Amber Park or The Continuum — but they will pay a premium for both the facilities and the newer leasehold tenure that comes with them.
“It’s a very private and peaceful place to live. No queuing for the gym, no noisy pool crowds on weekends — just a beautifully kept garden and good neighbours. If you want resort facilities, look elsewhere, but if you want a real home, Le Merritt delivers.”
— Resident review via PropertyGuru
The practical upside of minimal shared facilities is a maintenance fee structure that tends to be modest relative to larger developments in D15. Owners are not subsidising a badminton court they never use or a function room that is permanently booked. The trade-off resonates with owner-occupiers who regard home as sanctuary rather than social venue.
Unit Sizes & Layout
Le Merritt’s units reflect a 2008 build standard from a quality-focused developer. Floor areas are generally generous by contemporary standards — a deliberate positioning choice by Crescendas Group, who was not competing on volume or yield optimisation but on quality per unit. The typical configuration is a 3-bedroom or larger format, with unit sizes that compare favourably to anything being built in the same district today at similar or higher price points. Ceilings are high by local standards, and the quality of internal fittings — imported marble, branded sanitary ware, premium kitchen appliances — reflects the developer’s boutique positioning.
With only two years of recorded PSF data available ($1,494 in year one, $1,691 in year two), the transactional record is too thin to draw firm conclusions about price trajectory — though the directional trend is positive. The total of just 6 recorded sales reflects the buy-and-hold nature of this ownership base: most units have changed hands infrequently, which is itself a signal about owner satisfaction. Rental transactions tell a more active story — 19 recorded rentals at an average of $3,845/month suggest healthy demand from professionals seeking a quiet, well-located D15 address. The 2.61% gross yield is modest but consistent with freehold boutique condos in this submarket.
| Bedrooms | Transactions | Avg PSF | Avg Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 BR | 1 | $1,679 | $1,590,000 |
| 3 BR | 4 | $1,607 | $1,591,750 |
| 4 BR | 1 | $1,644 | $2,300,000 |
Pricing & Market Position
Based on 6 recorded transactions, sale prices range from $1,421,000 to $2,300,000, averaging $1,709,500.
Rents range from $2,400 to $5,150 per month across 19 rental transactions. Current rental yield sits at approximately 2.6%.
Price Appreciation
From 2022 to 2024, the average PSF has appreciated by 13.2% (from $1,494 to $1,691 psf).
Neighbourhood Comparison
Le Merritt’s freehold D15 positioning sits in a different tier from the new-launch mega-condos dominating the comparison set. Emerald of Katong ($2,640 psf, 99-year, 846 units, 2023) and Grand Dunman ($2,537 psf, 99-year, 1,008 units, 2022) both offer full resort-scale facilities, a fresh lease, and strong rental demand from the expatriate Marine Parade corridor — but at a 50–65% PSF premium over Le Merritt and with a ticking leasehold clock. The Continuum ($2,790 psf, freehold, 816 units) is the closest comparison on tenure but represents a 65% PSF premium with significantly larger facilities and a more urban, denser site footprint. Amber Park ($2,540 psf, freehold) similarly offers SCDA-designed architecture and a resort experience at a price Le Merritt buyers are not paying.
The honest framing is this: Le Merritt is not competing with Emerald of Katong or Grand Dunman on facilities or lifestyle amenity. It is competing on a different axis entirely — boutique freehold ownership in a quiet Telok Kurau pocket, with school proximity and improving TEL connectivity, at roughly half the PSF of the new launches. For a buyer who has already shortlisted freehold D15 as a long-term land banking strategy and does not need on-site facilities, Le Merritt represents extraordinary value per square foot of permanent land ownership. For a buyer who wants a full-service lifestyle condo experience, The Continuum or Amber Park are the appropriate comparisons despite the higher entry price.
| Development | Tenure | TOP | Units | ~Avg PSF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LE MERRITT | Freehold | 2008 | 23 | — |
| GRAND DUNMAN | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2022 | 2023 | 1,008 | $2,537 |
| EMERALD OF KATONG | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2023 | 2024 | 846 | $2,640 |
| THE CONTINUUM | Freehold | 2023 | 816 | $2,790 |
| TEMBUSU GRAND | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2022 | 2023 | 638 | $2,461 |
| AMBER PARK | Freehold | 2021 | 592 | $2,540 |
ShiokNest Scores
Our proprietary scoring system evaluates LE MERRITT across multiple dimensions.
What Residents Say
“We bought here specifically for Telok Kurau Primary and have never looked back. The neighbourhood is incredibly quiet for D15, the neighbours are friendly, and now with Marine Terrace MRT open we can get to town without the car on weekends. It’s everything we wanted.”
— Owner-occupier review via 99.co
“Small development means you actually know your neighbours, which is rare in Singapore condos. The maintenance fees are reasonable and management is responsive. My only wish is there was a small gym — but I understand that’s not what this development is about.”
— Resident review via EdgeProp
“Good location but facilities are basically zero. If you need a pool or gym you will have to look elsewhere. That said, the unit quality is excellent and the compound is very well maintained. It suits people who are happy to use East Coast Park and nearby gyms rather than an on-site setup.”
— Resident review via PropertyGuru
The consistent theme across feedback channels is a trade-off that residents have consciously accepted: give up shared amenities, gain privacy, quiet, and a tight-knit community. Residents uniformly praise the unit quality and the Telok Kurau neighbourhood, and the post-TEL opening has added a connectivity dimension that was the most common historical complaint. Long-term owner-occupiers with families dominate the resident profile; this is not a transient rental block.
Strengths & Weaknesses
- Freehold tenure — permanent land ownership in D15, no lease decay
- Marine Terrace MRT (TEL) just 0.47 km away — walkable connectivity significantly improved
- Telok Kurau Primary School 0.21 km — top-tier Phase 2C balloting advantage
- Boutique 23-unit community — true privacy and quiet, known-neighbour dynamic
- Crescendas Group quality — premium internal fittings and finishings for a 2008 build
- Low ambient noise — Lorong M Telok Kurau is a quiet residential lane with no expressway adjacency
- Modest maintenance fees — no large pool, gym, or function facilities to subsidise
- Strong rental demand at 19 recorded rentals — consistent tenant interest despite small unit pool
- East Coast Park and Katong dining within easy cycling or walking distance
- Long-term value anchored to freehold land scarcity in prime D15
- No on-site swimming pool, gym, or recreational facilities
- Very thin transaction record (6 sales) — difficult to benchmark PSF with confidence
- Gross yield of 2.61% is modest — not a strong income play vs newer launches
- Only 2 years of PSF data — limited price trend visibility
- Low ShiokNest Score (33) reflects data thinness and absence of facilities
- Small secondary market — exit timing can be unpredictable in a down cycle
- Investment Score 40 — limited capital gain upside vs new-launch competitors in same corridor
- En-Bloc Score 40 — boutique 23-unit size limits developer interest for collective sale
Verdict
Le Merritt is a development that rewards a specific type of buyer: one who values permanence over facilities, neighbourhood character over amenity volume, and freehold certainty over the glossy newness of a 99-year launch. For that buyer — typically a family with young children anchored to Telok Kurau Primary, a professional household valuing proximity to East Coast Park and the TEL, or a long-term wealth preserver seeking freehold D15 land — the proposition is compelling. The $1.7M median price buys a genuine freehold address in one of Singapore’s most desirable residential belts, within walking distance of an MRT station that did not exist when the development was launched.
The ShiokNest score of 33 reflects the thinness of transaction data and the absence of shared facilities — both of which are structural features rather than deficiencies. Investors seeking yield optimisation or rental coverage will find Le Merritt’s 2.61% gross yield modest; they will also find the limited secondary market data uncomfortable. But investors and owner-occupiers seeking a low-maintenance freehold asset in the heart of D15, with MRT access now materially improved by the TEL and school proximity that is genuinely bankable, will recognise the value embedded in this small parcel. Freehold land in Telok Kurau simply does not depreciate in the way that leasehold equivalents at Emerald of Katong ($2,640 psf, 99-year) or Tembusu Grand ($2,461 psf, 99-year) will over the coming decades.
The principal risk is liquidity. With only 23 units and a buy-and-hold owner profile, exit timing can be unpredictable. Buyers should plan for a medium-to-long holding horizon and avoid scenarios where a forced sale in a down market is required. On that horizon, however, Le Merritt’s freehold status and improving connectivity are powerful tailwinds.