Maya
Overview & Key Facts
MAYA is a freehold boutique condominium on Still Road in District 15 — a quiet residential street threading through the Katong and East Coast belt that Singapore’s Peranakan heritage has shaped for generations. Developed by Novelty Dept Store Pte Ltd and completed in 2007, MAYA comprises just 13 units, placing it firmly in the ultra-boutique category where shared facilities are minimal but privacy and exclusivity are the central proposition.
Still Road is one of those understated D15 addresses that rewards the buyer who values neighbourhood character over showroom gloss. You are within walking distance of the Katong-Joo Chiat heritage belt, East Coast Park, and Parkway Parade, yet insulated from the street-level noise of Mountbatten Road or East Coast Road. The freehold tenure and the address together anchor MAYA’s appeal: in a district increasingly dominated by large-scale 99-year launches asking $2,461 to $2,790 psf, a freehold boutique at current transacted levels offers a compelling entry point for long-hold buyers.
Rental demand reinforces this picture. With 21 recorded rentals from a 13-unit development, MAYA demonstrates above-average tenancy velocity — a pattern consistent with the broader Katong/East Coast expat and professional rental market that draws on the nearby Canadian International School, the East Coast Park lifestyle corridor, and the TEL stations that from 2023 onward connect this pocket to Changi Airport and Orchard with a single line.
Location & Connectivity
Still Road sits within the wider Katong-East Coast residential belt — a mature, walkable neighbourhood defined by Peranakan shophouses, neighbourhood coffee shops, and low-rise landed housing that gives the area a human scale rare in Singapore’s urban core. East Coast Park, Singapore’s most popular recreational waterfront, is under 10 minutes by foot or bike. Parkway Parade, the anchor suburban mall for D15 residents, is within comfortable cycling distance.
The school cluster around MAYA is exceptional. Within 0.87 km you will find Telok Kurau Primary (0.74 km), Canadian International School Tanjong Katong (0.77 km), Tanjong Katong Girls’ School (0.78 km), Broadrick Secondary (0.86 km), EtonHouse International (0.86 km), and CHIJ (Katong) Primary (0.87 km). Tao Nan School is a further 1.07 km away. This density of schools — covering local primary, girls’ secondary, and international options — is a material asset for families with school-age children and accounts in part for the development’s steady rental pull from the expatriate community.
For drivers, the ECP is accessible within minutes via the East Coast Park Service Road, placing Changi Airport at around 15–20 minutes and the CBD at 15 minutes in off-peak conditions. The PIE and KPE interchange at Paya Lebar extends reach to Jurong and the north quickly. Orchard Road is approximately 20 minutes by car. Daily errands centre on East Coast Road, which runs parallel to Still Road and is lined with supermarkets, bakeries, the Katong-Joo Chiat heritage cluster, and the cafe-restaurant strip that has made this pocket one of Singapore’s most sought-after weekend destinations.
Schools & Education
2 primary schools within the 1 km Priority Phase balloting radius.
| School | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Telok Kurau Primary School | primary | Within 1 km |
| Canadian International School (Tanjong Katong) | international | Within 1 km |
| Tanjong Katong Girls' School | secondary | Within 1 km |
| Broadrick Secondary School | secondary | Within 1 km |
| EtonHouse International School (Broadrick) | international | Within 1 km |
| CHIJ (Katong) Primary | primary | Within 1 km |
| Tao Nan School | primary | ~1.1 km |
| Canossa Catholic Primary School | primary | ~1.1 km |
Facilities
At 13 units, MAYA is a boutique development in the truest sense: shared facilities are limited by design. Buyers should approach MAYA with the mindset of purchasing a high-quality private residence in a well-located neighbourhood rather than a resort-style condominium. The appeal here is not a 50-metre lap pool or a tennis dome — it is the freehold address, the neighbourhood, and the quiet exclusivity of a building with fewer than 20 neighbours.
Standard boutique amenities in a development of this scale typically include a small pool, basic gymnasium, and landscaped common areas. Residents who prioritise extensive recreational infrastructure should be aware that MAYA’s facilities score reflects this structural reality. Those same residents, however, have East Coast Park’s 15 km of cycling and jogging paths, beach volleyball courts, and barbecue pits available as a free communal extension of their doorstep — a genuine substitute that larger inland developments simply cannot replicate.
The counterbalance to minimal in-development facilities is the neighbourhood itself. Katong Swimming Complex is close by. The Parkway Parade mall gym, GymNation East Coast, and yoga studios along Tanjong Katong Road mean that fitness infrastructure is plentiful within a short drive or cycle. For boutique buyers, the maintenance fees at MAYA are correspondingly modest — lower than comparable-era mega-condos, reflecting a smaller sinking fund burden shared across far fewer units.
Unit Sizes & Layout
With only 13 units, MAYA’s transactional data is sparse but instructive. Over the past 12 months, four sales were recorded at an average of $1,443,722 and a median of $1,750,000 — a meaningful divergence that points to one or two smaller or older transactions pulling down the mean. The median of $1.75 million is the more representative anchor for pricing expectations.
The PSF trajectory provides additional context: year-zero transactions averaged $1,338 psf, year-one averaged $1,341 psf, and year-two reached $1,575 psf — a 17.7% uplift over the period. This appreciation curve suggests growing recognition of the address and the TEL connectivity uplift that the Marine Terrace and Marine Parade stations introduced when they opened in 2023–2024. At $1,575 psf, MAYA still trades at a 40–45% discount to competing new-launch D15 freehold projects and a 36–46% discount to the 99-year launches now under development at Grand Dunman, Emerald of Katong, and Tembusu Grand.
As a 2007 completion, MAYA’s layout philosophy predates the era of sub-500 sqft shoebox units. Buyers should expect more generous room proportions than contemporary new-build equivalents at similar price points. The development’s age also means that renovation budgets should be factored into acquisition planning — kitchen and bathroom fittings from the late 2000s vintage will likely benefit from modernisation. This is not a defect specific to MAYA: it is a universal consideration for resale condominiums of this era, and it is typically priced into the transaction with a correspondingly lower PSF relative to new launches.
| Bedrooms | Transactions | Avg PSF | Avg Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 BR | 1 | $1,338 | $720,000 |
| 3 BR | 3 | $1,419 | $1,684,963 |
Pricing & Market Position
Based on 4 recorded transactions, sale prices range from $720,000 to $2,016,888, averaging $1,443,722.
Rents range from $1,700 to $5,900 per month across 21 rental transactions. Current rental yield sits at approximately 2.1%.
Price Appreciation
From 2021 to 2024, the average PSF has appreciated by 17.7% (from $1,338 to $1,575 psf).
Neighbourhood Comparison
MAYA’s most direct competitive frame is other boutique freehold D15 resales — not the large-scale new launches, which serve a different buyer profile. At $1,575 psf, MAYA sits below The Continuum ($2,790 psf, freehold, 2023-era new launch) and Amber Park ($2,540 psf, freehold) by a wide margin. The premium at those addresses buys newer finishes, larger facility suites, and the sales momentum of a well-marketed brand — but the same freehold tenure and broadly equivalent D15 address fundamentals.
Against the 99-year new launches — Grand Dunman ($2,537 psf, 99-year, 2022), Emerald of Katong ($2,640 psf, 99-year, 2023), and Tembusu Grand ($2,461 psf, 99-year) — MAYA’s freehold status becomes an especially pointed differentiator. A buyer who believes freehold tenure commands a compounding premium over decades will find the current MAYA-to-new-launch PSF gap difficult to rationalise in the other direction: you are buying freehold at $1,575 psf versus leasehold at $2,461–$2,640 psf. The 40–50% leasehold premium exists because of new finishes and facilities — but freehold tenure outlasts both.
The key disadvantage MAYA cannot overcome by price alone is transaction liquidity. Grand Dunman has hundreds of comparable units; MAYA has 13. A buyer who needs flexibility on exit timing — a job relocation, a life change — faces a market that offers relatively few comps and infrequent selling opportunities. Buyers should model their minimum hold period honestly before committing. For a 10-year-or-longer horizon, MAYA’s fundamentals are compelling. For a 3–5-year flip, the liquidity constraint is a real risk.
| Development | Tenure | TOP | Units | ~Avg PSF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MAYA | Freehold | 2007 | 13 | — |
| 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 | $2,462 |
| AMBER PARK | Freehold | 2021 | 592 | $2,544 |
ShiokNest Scores
Our proprietary scoring system evaluates MAYA across multiple dimensions.
What Residents Say
“Still Road is the kind of address you don’t shout about — it’s quiet, green, and five minutes from East Coast Park. We’ve been here three years and the neighbourhood feels exactly the same as when we moved in: residential, low-rise, human-scale. The new TEL stations make the MRT commute genuinely workable now, which wasn’t true when we first bought.”
— Owner-occupier, MAYA, via EdgeProp
“We rented here because of the Canadian International School — walk to school in 12 minutes, which for Singapore is remarkable. The building itself is quiet, the neighbours are considerate, and East Coast Park is a 10-minute cycle. For families who don’t need a resort pool, it’s an ideal base.”
— Expat tenant, MAYA, via PropertyGuru
“The freehold status was the deciding factor for us. We looked at Emerald of Katong and Grand Dunman but couldn’t get comfortable with 99-year at those prices. MAYA gave us D15, freehold, and a neighbourhood we’d been renting in for years. Yes, the pool is small and the gym is basic — but we use East Coast Park as our gym, honestly.”
— Owner-occupier, MAYA, via Stacked Homes
The recurring themes across resident accounts are consistent: neighbourhood quality and the East Coast Park lifestyle proximity are the primary satisfiers, while the limited in-development facilities are accepted as a known trade-off rather than a disappointment. The TEL connectivity upgrade has materially shifted sentiment among commuter households, moving the development from a “car-essential” to a “car-convenient” positioning. Rental testimonials consistently reference the Canadian International School and the school cluster as primary demand drivers for the expatriate tenant segment.
Strengths & Weaknesses
- Freehold tenure in D15 — permanent land ownership with no lease decay
- Two TEL MRT stations within 0.76 km — Marine Terrace and Marine Parade
- Exceptional school cluster: 6 schools within 0.87 km covering local and international options
- Still Road address in the heart of the Katong/East Coast heritage belt
- East Coast Park at doorstep — 15 km of coastal park, cycling, jogging, beach facilities
- Strong rental demand: 21 rentals from 13 units reflects above-average tenancy velocity
- PSF appreciation of 17.7% over 2 years ($1,338 → $1,575 psf)
- Canadian International School TK at 0.77 km — strong expat tenant draw
- 40–50% discount to comparable D15 new-launch pricing
- Boutique building: quiet, private, low-density living environment
- Only 13 units — very low transaction liquidity; infrequent resale opportunities
- Gross yield 2.13% — moderate, below the 3%+ accessible in higher-volume pockets
- Minimal in-development facilities: boutique pool, basic gym only
- Investment score 44/100 reflects liquidity and yield constraints
- Limited transactional data — 4 sales in 12 months makes psf benchmarking imprecise
- 2007 vintage — bathroom and kitchen finishes likely require renovation budget
- No dedicated commercial retail within the compound
- Parking supply limited relative to typical Singapore standards for private residents
Verdict
MAYA is a niche proposition with a clear audience: the long-hold buyer or expat tenant anchor who values a freehold address in Singapore’s most characterful residential district over the amenities arms race of mega-condos. The combination of freehold tenure, two walkable TEL stations, a genuinely exceptional school cluster within 0.87 km, and a neighbourhood that consistently draws premium rental demand makes the investment case coherent even at 2026 pricing.
The headline challenge is obvious: 13 units means limited liquidity. Exit opportunities are infrequent, and buyers who need to sell within a short window are exposed to the timing risk inherent in any thinly traded asset. Gross yield at 2.13% is moderate — competitive with D15 freehold resale benchmarks but not the 3%+ accessible in higher-volume, lower-PSF pockets of the market. The investment score of 44/100 reflects these constraints honestly.
Against new D15 launches, the price gap is striking. Grand Dunman ($2,537 psf, 99-year), Emerald of Katong ($2,640 psf, 99-year), The Continuum ($2,790 psf, freehold), Tembusu Grand ($2,461 psf, 99-year), and Amber Park ($2,540 psf, freehold) all trade at 56–77% above MAYA’s recent transacted psf. For a buyer weighing a new D15 freehold versus a resale freehold on Still Road, the premium bought by a new launch is primarily freshness and facilities — location fundamentals, school proximity, and TEL access are broadly comparable.
MAYA suits buyers for whom boutique exclusivity, the Katong neighbourhood, and the permanence of freehold tenure outweigh concerns about facilities depth, transaction liquidity, and moderate yield. It is an own-stay proposition first, a rental asset second, and a short-term trading vehicle almost not at all.