Mayfair Modern
Overview & Key Facts
Mayfair Modern is a 171-unit freehold-equivalent development (99-year lease from 2018) located along Rifle Range Road in District 21 — the heart of the Bukit Timah residential belt. Developed by Oxley Holdings, the boutique mid-rise project achieved TOP in 2021 and sits in the Rest of Central Region (RCR), straddling the line between suburban tranquility and central convenience.
The development’s defining asset is its proximity to King Albert Park MRT station on the Downtown Line, just 290 metres away — a genuine door-to-platform walk of under five minutes. This places Mayfair Modern in rare company among Bukit Timah condos: most developments in the area trade MRT convenience for landed-estate quiet, but Mayfair Modern delivers both. Beauty World MRT, with its cluster of food and retail, is 710 metres further along the DTL.
With 91 years remaining on its lease and a compact unit count of 171, Mayfair Modern targets a specific buyer profile: households that value the D21 address, strong school proximity, and genuine MRT walkability, but accept a smaller development footprint and more modest facilities in return. The project competes in a corridor that includes significantly larger new launches like Reserve Residences and Nava Grove — both priced 15–17% higher on a PSF basis.
Location & Connectivity
Mayfair Modern’s location on Rifle Range Road places it squarely in the Bukit Timah education belt — arguably Singapore’s most sought-after school catchment. King Albert Park MRT (Downtown Line) is just 290 metres from the development, making this one of the most MRT-accessible condos in the entire D21 corridor. The DTL provides direct connections to Botanic Gardens (interchange to Circle Line), Bugis, and the upcoming Thomson-East Coast Line stations.
Beauty World MRT is 710 metres away, and with it the popular Beauty World Centre food hub, Bukit Timah Market & Food Centre, and the cluster of cafes and eateries along Cheong Chin Nam Road. For larger grocery and retail runs, Bukit Timah Plaza and The Grandstand are within a short drive, while King Albert Park has its own McDonald’s and neighbourhood shops.
For drivers, the development benefits from proximity to the PIE via Bukit Timah Road, though peak-hour traffic along Bukit Timah Road itself is notoriously congested. The CBD is roughly 20 minutes in off-peak conditions; Holland Village is under 10 minutes.
Nature access is another under-appreciated asset. The Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and Rifle Range Nature Park are essentially at the doorstep, offering serious hiking and trail access without needing to drive. For families with children and dogs, this is a genuine lifestyle differentiator over comparable D21 developments closer to the main road.
Schools & Education
1 primary school within the 1 km Priority Phase balloting radius.
| School | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Anglo-Chinese Junior College | jc | Within 1 km |
| Ngee Ann Polytechnic | tertiary | Within 1 km |
| Henry Park Primary School | primary | Within 1 km |
| Australian International School | international | ~1.1 km |
| Singapore University of Social Sciences | tertiary | ~1.2 km |
| Hwa Chong International School | international | ~1.9 km |
| Hwa Chong Institution | secondary | ~1.9 km |
| Hwa Chong Institution (JC) | jc | ~1.9 km |
Facilities
At 171 units, Mayfair Modern is a boutique development, and its facilities reflect that scale. The amenity deck is functional rather than resort-style: a 50m lap pool, a smaller leisure pool, a gym, BBQ pavilions, a function room, and landscaped gardens. There is no tennis court, no indoor sports facility, and no clubhouse in the traditional sense.
What the development does well is integrate greenery and landscaping into a relatively compact site. The low-rise form (five storeys) means units enjoy decent natural light and ventilation, and the rooftop sky terrace offers views toward the Bukit Timah ridge. The pool is well-sized for the unit count — 171 units sharing a 50m pool is a significantly better ratio than the mega-developments nearby.
“The facilities are basic but the pool-to-unit ratio is actually better than most new launches twice the size. You rarely have to share lanes.”
— Resident feedback via property forum
Buyers expecting the kind of extensive amenity suite found at Reserve Residences (which integrates with a retail mall) or even the larger Forett at Bukit Timah will be disappointed. The trade-off is lower maintenance fees and a quieter, less crowded environment. For households that primarily use a pool and gym and would rather walk to King Albert Park MRT than have an on-site jacuzzi, this is an acceptable compromise.
Unit Sizes & Layout
Mayfair Modern offers a mix of 1-bedroom to 4-bedroom units across low-rise blocks of five storeys. Unit sizes are competitive for a 2018-vintage development, though they follow the post-2015 trend of more efficient (read: smaller) layouts compared to older Bukit Timah stock. The 2-bedroom units are the volume movers, sized in the 650–750 sqft range.
Layout efficiency is a strength — most units feature a dumbbell layout with bedrooms separated from the living area, providing better privacy for multi-generational households. The 3-bedroom and 4-bedroom units include utility rooms and are configured for family living rather than the co-living or investor configurations seen in some competing projects.
One criticism that surfaces in agent reviews is that some ground-floor and lower-floor units can feel enclosed due to the surrounding tree canopy, particularly on the Rifle Range Nature Park side. While this is excellent for privacy and greenery, it limits natural light in certain stacks. Buyers should inspect specific units rather than relying on showflat impressions.
| Bedrooms | Transactions | Avg PSF | Avg Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 BR | 37 | $2,127 | $1,228,009 |
| 2 BR | 28 | $2,183 | $1,691,160 |
| 3 BR | 29 | $2,213 | $2,495,567 |
| 4 BR | 2 | $1,876 | $2,847,000 |
Pricing & Market Position
Based on 96 recorded transactions, sale prices range from $1,010,000 to $3,000,000, averaging $1,779,732 (~$2,195 psf).
Rents range from $3,000 to $8,400 per month across 234 rental transactions. Current rental yield sits at approximately 2.9%.
Price Appreciation
From 2021 to 2026, the average PSF has appreciated by 12.6% (from $2,085 to $2,347 psf).
Neighbourhood Comparison
The D21 competitive landscape has intensified significantly since Mayfair Modern’s launch. Reserve Residences ($2,494 psf) offers an integrated development with retail, a fresh 99-year lease, and direct Beauty World MRT access — but at a 17% PSF premium. Nava Grove ($2,487 psf) competes on scale and newness. Pinetree Hill ($2,485 psf) targets the same education-belt buyers with a larger site.
The most interesting comparison is Forett at Bukit Timah at $2,128 psf — nearly identical pricing to Mayfair Modern but with freehold tenure. Forett is further from the MRT (about 650m to Sixth Avenue station on the Circle Line) and faces different traffic patterns, but the freehold vs 91-year lease comparison is unavoidable. Buyers choosing Mayfair Modern over Forett are essentially paying equivalent PSF for a shorter tenure but gaining significantly better MRT proximity on the Downtown Line.
On a yield basis, Mayfair Modern’s 2.95% gross yield from 230 rental transactions and $4,264 average rent is middling for the corridor. The thin transaction volume (93 sales) makes trend analysis less reliable than for larger developments, and the volatile PSF trajectory suggests the market is still price-discovering for this project.
| Development | Tenure | TOP | Units | ~Avg PSF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MAYFAIR MODERN | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2018 | 2021 | 171 | $2,195 |
| THE RESERVE RESIDENCES | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2021 | 2023 | 892 | $2,494 |
| NAVA GROVE | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2024 | 2024 | 552 | $2,489 |
| PINETREE HILL | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2022 | 2023 | 520 | $2,486 |
| KI RESIDENCES AT BROOKVALE | 999 yrs lease commencing from 1885 | 2021 | 660 | $1,955 |
| FORETT@BUKIT TIMAH | Freehold | 2021 | 633 | $2,130 |
Lease Decay Analysis
The 99-year lease runs from 2018, meaning approximately 8 years have already been consumed. Roughly 91 years remain — still comfortably within the range where most banks will offer full financing without restrictions.
| Year | Lease remaining | Implication |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (now) | ~91 years | Full bank financing available |
| 2048 | ~69 years | CPF usage still unrestricted for most buyers |
| 2057 | ~59 years | Approaching 60-year threshold — CPF limits begin for some |
| 2077 | ~39 years | Significant financing restrictions for next buyer |
| 2117 | 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 ~81 years remaining, which is still very bankable. The risk profile changes for longer holds.
ShiokNest Scores
Our proprietary scoring system evaluates MAYFAIR MODERN across multiple dimensions.
What Residents Say
“We moved here specifically for Henry Park Primary. The walk to King Albert Park MRT is genuinely five minutes — faster than our previous condo that claimed to be ‘near MRT’. The kids love the nature park trails on weekends.”
— Resident review via property forum
“Facilities are limited compared to bigger projects, but we actually prefer the quiet. Pool is never crowded. Main downside is the Bukit Timah traffic — driving out during peak hours can be painful.”
— Resident review via PropertyGuru
The resident profile skews heavily toward young families and education-focused households. The D21 Bukit Timah address carries social cachet, and the proximity to top schools is the single most-cited reason for choosing Mayfair Modern over larger, newer, or more facility-rich alternatives. Complaints tend to centre on limited visitor parking, Bukit Timah Road congestion during school drop-off hours, and the relatively basic facilities compared to what new launches now offer at similar or higher price points.
The compact community of 171 units creates a quieter, more neighbourly atmosphere than the mega-developments nearby. Residents describe the management as responsive and the common areas as well-maintained, though some note that the small unit count means higher per-unit maintenance contributions when major works arise.
Strengths & Weaknesses
- Exceptional MRT proximity — King Albert Park DTL just 290m away
- Prime D21 Bukit Timah address with strong prestige value
- Outstanding school catchment — Henry Park Primary within 1 km, ACJC 500m
- Adjacent to Rifle Range Nature Park and Bukit Timah Nature Reserve
- Low-rise five-storey form factor with treetop views
- Boutique 171-unit community — quiet and uncrowded
- Good pool-to-unit ratio despite compact site
- Efficient dumbbell layouts with separated bedrooms
- 15–17% PSF discount vs nearby new launches (Reserve Residences, Nava Grove)
- Beauty World food and retail hub within walking distance
- Low profitability score (28) — not a capital gains play
- Volatile PSF history ($2,175 → $2,258 → $2,250 → $2,118 → $2,401)
- Gross rental yield of 2.95% barely covers current financing costs
- Limited facilities — no tennis court, no clubhouse, no indoor sports
- Bukit Timah Road peak-hour congestion can be severe
- Thin transaction volume (93 sales) makes pricing trends less reliable
- 91-year remaining lease faces competition from fresh 99-year projects
- Some lower-floor units feel enclosed by surrounding tree canopy
- Higher per-unit maintenance burden due to small unit count
Verdict
Mayfair Modern occupies a very specific niche in the D21 market: it is the MRT-walkable, education-belt, nature-adjacent option at a meaningful discount to the area’s new launches. At an average PSF of $2,124, it sits roughly 15–17% below Reserve Residences ($2,494) and Nava Grove ($2,487), and is comparable to Forett at Bukit Timah ($2,128) which offers freehold tenure.
The investment case, however, carries real caveats. The ShiokNest profitability score of 28 is notably low — reflecting volatile PSF movement ($2,175 → $2,258 → $2,250 → $2,118 → $2,401) and a gross rental yield of 2.95% that barely covers financing costs in the current rate environment. With only 93 sales transactions in the database, the dataset is thin and individual transactions can meaningfully swing the averages.
The development is best understood as an own-stay proposition for households that specifically need D21 schools, value MRT walkability, and prefer a low-rise, low-density environment. The 91-year remaining lease is comfortable for own-stay buyers but will start to weigh on resale appeal as competing developments with fresher 99-year leases (Reserve Residences from 2021, Nava Grove from 2023) establish themselves in the same corridor.
“For families with kids heading to Henry Park or ACJC, the combination of 290m to DTL and nature reserve access is hard to replicate. Just don’t expect it to be a capital gains play.”
— Property analyst commentary
The bottom line: Mayfair Modern is a lifestyle purchase in one of Singapore’s most desirable residential corridors, offered at a relative discount because of its boutique scale and aging lease. Buyers who prioritise schools, MRT access, and nature will find genuine value here. Investors seeking rental yield or capital appreciation have stronger options elsewhere in D21.