Lilydale
Overview & Key Facts
Lilydale is a 318-unit Executive Condominium situated along Yishun Avenue 6 in District 27, developed by CPL Land Pte Ltd — a subsidiary of what is now Frasers Centrepoint Homes (CapitaLand). Designed by Consortium 168 Architects and completed in 2003, it comprises 6 blocks rising 13 storeys across a generous 14,399 sqm site. Having passed its 10-year Minimum Occupation Period in 2013, Lilydale has been fully privatised and trades on the open market without EC restrictions — a meaningful distinction for resale flexibility.
Launched in December 2001 during a subdued property market, Lilydale was positioned as a value-for-money family home in the northern heartlands. CPL Land’s brief was practical: spacious units with layouts designed for real family living, not show-flat aesthetics. The result is a development where 3-bedroom units start at 1,195 sqft and penthouses stretch to 2,583 sqft — sizes that are extraordinarily generous by today’s new-launch standards, where 3-bedrooms routinely squeeze into 900 sqft. The buyer profile reflects its heartland roots: 80% Singaporean, 19% Permanent Resident, and under 2% foreign — a classic HDB-upgrader community.
The blocks adopt an open U-shaped configuration that gives the compound a noticeably airy feel, avoiding the wall-of-concrete sensation common in mass-market developments. The swimming pool’s free-form design, surrounded by mature palm and coconut trees, lends a resort-like quality that has aged well after two decades. Lilydale is a condo that trades newness for space, and does so unapologetically — the question is whether the trade-off aligns with your priorities and time horizon.
Location & Connectivity
Let’s address the elephant in the room: Lilydale is not MRT-convenient. Yishun MRT (North-South Line) sits approximately 1.5–1.6 km away — a 20-minute walk that is impractical in Singapore’s tropical climate. Khatib MRT is a similar distance in the opposite direction. Most residents rely on buses: Northpoint City, the integrated transport hub connected to Yishun MRT, is about 3 bus stops away. The condo historically operated a shuttle bus service to Northpoint Shopping Mall, which partially mitigates the MRT gap for daily commuters. For MRT-dependent households, this is the single largest limitation of the location.
For drivers, however, the connectivity picture is significantly better. The SLE, CTE, and TPE are all readily accessible from Yishun Avenue 6, placing the CBD roughly 25–30 minutes away during off-peak hours. Woodlands Regional Centre and the future Seletar Aerospace Hub are both within a short drive, bringing employment nodes closer to this part of the north over time.
Daily amenities are reasonably covered. Wisteria Mall is approximately 1.1 km away, Junction 9 at 1.3 km, and Northpoint City — Yishun’s main shopping and transport hub with over 500 retail units — at 1.5 km. A wet market, supermarkets, hair salons, childcare centres, and bakeries are within walking distance of the estate. For families, the school catchment is a genuine strength: North View Primary sits just 320 metres away, Huamin Primary at 620 metres, and Northland Primary under 1 km — all within the coveted 1 km primary school priority zone.
Nature access is an underappreciated asset. Yishun Park is adjacent to the development, offering a green buffer and jogging paths. Yishun Pond Park — a 2.3-hectare recreational space and water catchment — is nearby, connected to the broader Yishun Park Connector network. The popular Chong Pang village hawker centre and wet market is about a 10-minute drive away.
Schools & Education
| School | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Yishun Secondary School | secondary | ~1.0 km |
| Yishun Primary School | primary | ~1.4 km |
| Wellington Primary School | primary | ~1.4 km |
| XCL World Academy | international | ~1.4 km |
| Yishun Innova Junior College | jc | ~1.4 km |
| Yishun Town Secondary School | secondary | ~1.4 km |
| North View Primary School | primary | ~1.8 km |
| Chung Cheng High School (Yishun) | secondary | ~1.9 km |
Facilities
For a 318-unit development completed in 2003, Lilydale delivers a solid facilities lineup that has held up well. The centrepiece is a free-form swimming pool surrounded by mature tropical landscaping — palm and coconut trees that have had over two decades to grow into a genuinely resort-like setting. Supporting water features include a jacuzzi. Beyond the pool, the development provides a tennis court, gymnasium, fitness corner, games room, multi-purpose hall, BBQ pits, playground, mini-mart, and two function rooms. 24-hour security and ample parking complete the essentials.
“The blocks have an open U shape that gives the place a very airy feel. The swimming pool has a nice free form shape surrounded by palm and coconut trees. It does not feel like you are surrounded by towers of concrete.”
— Resident review via SingaporeExpats
The facilities are not luxurious — there is no 50-metre lap pool, no rooftop terrace, no co-working space — but they are functional and well-maintained. The mature landscaping is the genuine differentiator: what newer condos achieve with design budgets, Lilydale achieves with 20 years of tropical growth. The open U-shaped block layout maximises natural ventilation and cross-breezes, reducing the claustrophobic feel that many similarly-priced developments suffer from. Maintenance has been consistently praised in resident reviews, which is a strong indicator of an active and competent MCST — a factor that matters more as a development ages.
Unit Sizes & Layout
Lilydale offers two primary unit configurations: 3-bedroom apartments (approximately 1,195 sqft) and penthouses ranging from 2,551 to 2,583 sqft. By contemporary standards, these sizes are remarkably generous — a typical new-launch 3-bedroom today measures 900–1,000 sqft, meaning Lilydale’s standard units offer 20–30% more living space. This is the development’s core value proposition for owner-occupiers: at $946 PSF, you are buying significantly more usable space per dollar than any new-launch competitor in the district.
The layouts reflect early-2000s design sensibilities: regular room shapes, practical kitchens with space for a full-sized fridge and washing machine, and master bedrooms that comfortably fit a king-sized bed with wardrobe space. Residents consistently describe the apartments as “rather large and well laid out” — a phrase that comes up repeatedly in reviews. The penthouses, at over 2,500 sqft, offer genuine family-sized living with the added premium of double-volume ceilings and private roof terraces.
| Bedrooms | Transactions | Avg PSF | Avg Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 BR | 55 | $836 | $1,015,428 |
| 4 BR | 5 | $874 | $1,212,000 |
| 5 BR | 1 | $651 | $1,660,000 |
Pricing & Market Position
Based on 61 recorded transactions, sale prices range from $830,000 to $1,660,000, averaging $1,042,107 (~$944 psf).
Rents range from $1,930 to $6,000 per month across 168 rental transactions. Current rental yield sits at approximately 4.3%.
Price Appreciation
From 2021 to 2026, the average PSF has appreciated by 30.7% (from $714 to $933 psf).
Neighbourhood Comparison
The most relevant comparison in the immediate vicinity is Orchid Park Condominium, another older development in Yishun with similarly spacious units and a 99-year lease. Orchid Park trades at a comparable PSF but offers a larger compound with more facilities, offset by an even older lease (from 1994). For buyers comparing within the mature Yishun stock, the choice often comes down to specific block orientation, renovation state, and remaining lease. The Shaughnessy, another privatised EC nearby, offers a fresher alternative (TOP 2014) at a premium PSF — buyers pay more per square foot but get 14 additional lease years, which increasingly matters as both developments age past the 70-year threshold.
Looking at the broader District 27 market, newer competitors like The Watergardens at Canberra ($1,487 PSF) and North Gaia EC ($1,312 PSF) offer fresh leases, modern finishes, and better MRT proximity — but at 40–60% higher PSF and with significantly smaller units. A 3-bedroom at Watergardens costs $1.3–1.5 million for 900–1,000 sqft; at Lilydale, $1.04 million buys 1,195 sqft. The quantum gap is $300,000–500,000 — real money that can fund a full renovation and still leave significant savings. For investors, Lilydale’s 4.27% yield comprehensively outperforms newer developments in the 2.5–3.5% range, precisely because the lower quantum amplifies rental returns. The trade-off is straightforward: yield and space now versus capital appreciation potential and lease security later. The right answer depends entirely on your investment horizon and whether you are optimising for cash flow or capital gain.
| Development | Tenure | TOP | Units | ~Avg PSF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LILYDALE | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2000 | 2003 | 318 | $944 |
| NORTH GAIA | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2021 | 2022 | 616 | $1,312 |
| THE WATERGARDENS AT CANBERRA | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2020 | 2021 | 448 | $1,491 |
| PROVENCE RESIDENCE | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2020 | 2021 | 413 | $1,182 |
| CANBERRA CRESCENT RESIDENCES | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2024 | 2025 | 376 | $1,989 |
| THE VISIONAIRE | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2015 | — | 632 | $1,366 |
Lease Decay Analysis
The 99-year lease runs from 2000, meaning approximately 26 years have already been consumed. Roughly 73 years remain — still comfortably within the range where most banks will offer full financing without restrictions.
| Year | Lease remaining | Implication |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (now) | ~73 years | Full bank financing available |
| 2030 | ~69 years | CPF usage still unrestricted for most buyers |
| 2039 | ~59 years | Approaching 60-year threshold — CPF limits begin for some |
| 2059 | ~39 years | Significant financing restrictions for next buyer |
| 2099 | Expiry | Lease reverts to state |
For a buyer purchasing today with a 10-year horizon (exit around 2036), the lease situation is essentially a non-issue — you’d be selling a property with ~63 years remaining, which is still very bankable. The risk profile changes for longer holds.
ShiokNest Scores
Our proprietary scoring system evaluates LILYDALE across multiple dimensions.
What Residents Say
“What a great place to live. Staff and residents are very friendly. The pool is amazing.”
— Resident review via PropertyGuru
“The apartments are rather large and well laid out compared to many places. The property is very well maintained and clean. The people living there are really nice and quiet. It is a very nice place to live.”
— Owner review via SingaporeExpats
“Serene and peaceful environment with a landscape that gives a resort-like feeling. Units are larger than newly launched condos and more affordably priced.”
— Resident review via EdgeProp
The consistent theme across review platforms is overwhelmingly positive for the living experience, if measured about the location. Lilydale scores 8 out of 10 on SingaporeExpats.com based on aggregated user reviews — a strong result for a 23-year-old development. Residents repeatedly highlight the spacious layouts, mature tropical landscaping, well-maintained common areas, and the sense of community that comes from a smaller, established development. The shuttle bus to Northpoint is appreciated by non-drivers, though its schedule can be limiting. The recurring negatives centre on the MRT distance, the age of internal finishes in unrenovated units, and the general isolation from Yishun’s town centre buzz. Several residents note that the surrounding parks — Yishun Park and the adjacent green space — are a genuine lifestyle benefit that compensates for the peripheral location.
Strengths & Weaknesses
- Exceptionally spacious units — 1,195 sqft 3-bedrooms offer 20–30% more space than new launches
- Very affordable quantum at $946 PSF — 3-bedrooms from ~$1.04M
- Excellent 4.27% gross rental yield — among the highest in District 27
- Fully privatised EC — no MOP or foreign buyer restrictions on resale
- Mature tropical landscaping creates genuine resort-like atmosphere after 20+ years of growth
- Three primary schools within 1 km — North View (320m), Huamin (620m), Northland (980m)
- Open U-shaped block design provides natural ventilation and airy compound feel
- Well-maintained grounds and active MCST — consistently praised in resident reviews
- Adjacent to Yishun Park with nearby park connector network for recreation
- Good expressway access via SLE, CTE, and TPE — CBD reachable in 25–30 minutes by car
- Yishun MRT is 1.5+ km away — not walkable, bus or car essential for daily commuting
- Low walkability score (40/100) — car-dependent lifestyle for most errands
- 99-year lease from 2000 with only 73 years remaining — approaching 70-year CPF restriction threshold
- PSF trend declining in latest quarters ($949 → $937) — possible lease decay pricing
- Units are 23 years old — budget $30K–60K for comprehensive renovation
- No nearby MRT station planned in future rail expansion for this specific location
- Limited unit type diversity — primarily 3-bedrooms and penthouses, no 2-bedroom options
- Yishun address carries stigma bias among some buyer segments affecting resale liquidity
- En-bloc potential limited (42/100 score) — site constraints and lease length reduce collective sale attractiveness
Verdict
Lilydale occupies a specific niche in Yishun’s condo market: a fully privatised EC offering genuinely spacious units at an accessible PSF, backed by strong rental yield, but constrained by poor MRT access and an ageing lease. At $946 PSF and an average transaction price of $1.04 million, it represents one of the most affordable entries into private condo ownership in Singapore. The 4.27% gross yield is excellent by Singapore standards and reflects sustained rental demand from the northern employment catchment — Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, Woodlands industrial zone, and the Seletar Aerospace Hub all feed the tenant pool.
The honest weaknesses deserve equal weight. The 1.5+ km distance to Yishun MRT is a daily inconvenience, not a minor footnote — the walkability score of 40/100 accurately reflects a car-dependent lifestyle for most errands beyond the immediate neighbourhood. The PSF trend has been largely flat to declining in recent quarters ($949 to $937), suggesting the market may be pricing in lease decay and age premium. With 73 years remaining on a 99-year lease from 2000, the development will cross the critical 70-year CPF threshold in approximately 3 years — at which point buyers’ CPF drawdowns become progressively restricted, and bank valuations may soften. This is not a theoretical risk; it is an approaching reality that will weigh on exit pricing.
Where Lilydale genuinely excels is in liveability per dollar. The 1,195 sqft 3-bedrooms offer 20–30% more space than new-launch equivalents at half the PSF. The mature landscaping, airy block configuration, and well-maintained grounds create a residential environment that many newer, denser developments cannot match. The school proximity — three primary schools within 1 km — is a tangible daily benefit for families. For car-owning families who prioritise space over newness, or investors seeking yield at low quantum, Lilydale delivers genuine value. For MRT commuters, buyers with a horizon beyond 10 years, or those sensitive to lease decay, the limitations are material enough to consider alternatives with fresher leases.