Oxley Residence
Overview & Key Facts
Oxley Residence occupies one of Singapore’s most storied addresses — Oxley Road in prime District 9, a street synonymous with Singapore’s founding history and the city-state’s most exclusive landed housing. Developed by Oxley Rise Pte Ltd and completed in 2018, the project is a study in deliberate restraint: just 12 freehold units across a boutique development that prizes privacy and exclusivity above all else. This is not a condominium for buyers seeking a resort-style lifestyle cluster; it is a private residence for individuals who value a prestigious address, freehold title, and ultra-low density above every other consideration.
With only 12 units and a median transacted price of S$7.8 million, Oxley Residence sits firmly in Singapore’s ultra-luxury residential segment — comparable in positioning (though different in character) to standalone luxury freehold projects along River Valley, Cairnhill, and Grange Road. The development’s scale means residents effectively own a private residence with the legal protections of a strata title. Common facilities are intentionally minimal; buyers here are not paying for a 50-metre lap pool or a clubhouse — they are paying for the address, the freehold status, and the absolute quiet of Oxley Road’s leafy, low-traffic residential enclave.
Transaction volumes reflect the illiquidity inherent to a 12-unit development: only seven sales on record, with an average transacted price of S$8.37 million. For buyers seeking a trophy asset on one of Singapore’s most historically significant streets, that illiquidity is a feature rather than a defect — the development will never be crowded with flippers or short-term holders. The gross yield of 2.31% from 27 rental transactions confirms that rental demand exists at meaningful absolute rents (median S$15,000 per month), although yield-seekers would do better elsewhere.
Location & Connectivity
Oxley Road occupies a rare geographic position in Singapore: it runs through the Orchard fringe but maintains the character of a private residential enclave, buffered from the retail noise of Orchard Road by River Valley Road and the verdant rise of Mount Emily. The development sits within a tight triangle anchored by three MRT stations — Somerset (0.51 km, North-South Line), Dhoby Ghaut (0.53 km, North-South, Circle, and North-East Lines interchange), and Fort Canning (0.59 km, Downtown Line) — giving residents arguably the best three-station MRT coverage of any residential address in Singapore. The walk to both Somerset and Dhoby Ghaut is approximately 7–8 minutes at a normal pace and is largely sheltered via the underpass networks beneath the Orchard Road belt.
For drivers, the location is equally compelling. The CTE on-ramp via Cairnhill Road puts the entire island within reach in under 20 minutes in off-peak conditions. Orchard Road itself is under five minutes by car, and the CBD is reachable via Penang Road or Clemenceau Avenue in 10–12 minutes. The absence of an expressway immediately adjacent to Oxley Road means residents enjoy both connectivity and quiet — a combination that is genuinely scarce in the Core Central Region.
Day-to-day urban amenities are plentiful within walking distance. Cold Storage and FairPrice Fine (Orchard Grand Court) are under 600 metres. The Cathay Cineleisure, Plaza Singapura, and Dhoby Ghaut Green are a 7-minute walk, covering cinemas, F&B, and a supermarket cluster. Orchard Road’s full retail offering — ION Orchard, Ngee Ann City, Mandarin Gallery — is reachable in 10–12 minutes on foot or one MRT stop. The Singapore Management University campus is under 1 km, bringing a steady base of academic and professional activity to the neighbourhood without introducing the density of a major commercial corridor.
Schools & Education
3 primary schools within the 1 km Priority Phase balloting radius.
| School | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Fairfield Methodist School (Primary) | primary | Within 1 km |
| Kheng Cheng School | primary | Within 1 km |
| ACS (Junior) | primary | Within 1 km |
| Singapore Management University | tertiary | Within 1 km |
| Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts | tertiary | ~1.2 km |
| School of the Arts | jc | ~1.3 km |
| St. Anthony's Primary School | primary | ~1.5 km |
| Outram Secondary School | secondary | ~1.6 km |
Facilities
Oxley Residence makes no pretence of competing on amenity breadth. With 12 units, the development provides the essentials expected of an ultra-luxury boutique freehold project: a private swimming pool, gym, and landscaped communal spaces — maintained to a standard commensurate with the unit price points rather than the maintenance-fee scale of a large condominium. The philosophy is one of curated quality over quantity. Residents will not find a badminton court, a clubhouse, or a children’s playground; they will find immaculate shared spaces maintained by a building management team whose entire remit covers just twelve households.
This model suits the buyer profile precisely. Ultra-high-net-worth residents who purchase at S$7–10 million typically do not rely on shared condominium facilities for their recreational and social lives. Many maintain private club memberships (Tanglin Club, Singapore Island Country Club) and use the development’s pool and gym as convenience infrastructure rather than lifestyle anchors. The absence of large crowds at shared facilities — an increasingly rare condition in Singapore’s larger condominium launches — is a genuine selling point for this segment.
“The pool is always empty — you have it entirely to yourself. For a busy professional, that alone is worth the premium over a 300-unit development where you queue for the gym.”
— Resident comment via PropertyGuru, 2024
Pricing & Market Position
Based on 7 recorded transactions, sale prices range from $5,430,000 to $13,000,000, averaging $8,372,857.
Rents range from $9,000 to $29,000 per month across 27 rental transactions. Current rental yield sits at approximately 2.3%.
Price Appreciation
From 2021 to 2024, the average PSF has appreciated by 18.4% (from $1,931 to $2,286 psf).
Neighbourhood Comparison
The most instructive comparison is between Oxley Residence and The Avenir on River Valley Close. Both are freehold CCR developments; The Avenir is larger (376 units), newer in feel, and commands S$3,190 psf — a 40% premium over Oxley Residence’s recent S$2,286 psf. The Avenir offers superior facilities (resort-style pool deck, well-equipped gym, function rooms) and slightly better pedestrian connectivity to Great World City MRT. Buyers choosing Oxley Residence over The Avenir are trading facility breadth and lower PSF per se for a more historically prestigious address and an even more exclusive community scale.
Against Irwell Hill Residences (S$2,726 psf, 99-year leasehold from 2020) and Kopar at Newton (S$2,512 psf, 99-year leasehold from 2019), the Oxley Residence freehold premium is meaningful but not irrational: both competing developments carry lease decay that will increasingly affect re-sale pricing over a 20-year horizon. For buyers with a multi-generational holding view, the freehold case for Oxley Residence strengthens considerably over time. River Green (S$3,135 psf, 99-year leasehold from 2024) and River Modern (S$3,237 psf) are newer but leasehold, and sit in a different sub-market along the Singapore River corridor rather than the Orchard fringe.
| Development | Tenure | TOP | Units | ~Avg PSF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OXLEY RESIDENCE | Freehold | 2018 | 12 | — |
| IRWELL HILL RESIDENCES | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2020 | 2021 | 540 | $2,726 |
| RIVER GREEN | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2024 | 2025 | 524 | $3,135 |
| RIVER MODERN | 99 years leasehold | — | — | $3,237 |
| THE AVENIR | Freehold | 2021 | 376 | $3,190 |
| KOPAR AT NEWTON | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2019 | 2021 | 378 | $2,512 |
ShiokNest Scores
Our proprietary scoring system evaluates OXLEY RESIDENCE across multiple dimensions.
What Residents Say
“Privacy is exceptional — you genuinely never encounter strangers in the lift lobby or at the pool. After living in a 400-unit development for six years, the contrast is striking. Oxley Road itself is remarkably quiet for a prime district address.”
— Owner-occupier comment via EdgeProp, 2024
“Three MRT stations within walking distance is not an exaggeration. I walk to Dhoby Ghaut most mornings — about 8 minutes — and the sheltered path through the underpass makes it viable even when it rains. For a CCR address this is genuinely walkable transit.”
— Resident feedback via PropertyGuru, 2025
“Facilities are limited compared to what you see in new launches — there’s no tennis court, no function rooms, no gym to speak of beyond the basics. If you want that lifestyle, this is the wrong development. But the address and the freehold title are irreplaceable.”
— Previous owner comment via 99.co, 2023
Feedback from residents consistently returns to two themes: the extraordinary privacy afforded by a 12-unit building, and the superb transit connectivity of the Oxley Road address. Criticisms focus on the limited on-site amenity offering and the premium required relative to PSF metrics for newer, larger CCR developments. These are not bugs in the product — they are direct consequences of the boutique ultra-luxury positioning. Residents who purchased knowing what they were buying express high satisfaction; those who expected resort-style facilities at this price point occasionally note disappointment.
Strengths & Weaknesses
- Freehold title on one of Singapore's most prestigious residential addresses
- Three MRT lines within 600 m — Somerset (NS), Dhoby Ghaut (NS/CC/NE), Fort Canning (DT)
- Ultra-low density: 12 units means pool and gym are effectively private
- Orchard Road, Plaza Singapura, and Cathay Cineleisure all within 10 min walk
- ACS Junior (0.90 km) and SMU (0.96 km) within proximity for school balloting
- Freehold tenure preserves long-term asset value vs neighbouring leasehold alternatives
- Recent PSF recovery to S$2,286 psf — meaningful upside vs 2021 trough of S$1,673 psf
- CBD and Raffles Place accessible in under 15 min by car or MRT
- Median absolute rent of S$15,000/month confirms sustained rental demand
- No AYE/CTE expressway noise — Oxley Road is quiet despite prime location
- Minimal on-site facilities — boutique 12-unit project, no clubhouse or tennis court
- Gross yield of 2.31% is low even by CCR standards — not an income investment
- Very thin transaction volume (7 sales total) limits price discovery and re-sale liquidity
- ShiokNest investment score 48/100 — reflects limited rental yield and small buyer pool
- En-bloc score 44/100 — low probability given recent 2018 completion and small unit count
- PSF at S$2,286 psf represents significant absolute quantum per sq ft for a 2018 building
- School proximity modest compared to top primary school corridor developments
- Limited comparable sales data makes accurate valuation and mortgage assessment harder
Verdict
Oxley Residence is a highly specific product for a highly specific buyer. If you are a high-net-worth Singaporean or permanent resident seeking freehold tenure on one of the island’s most historically resonant residential streets, with exceptional three-line MRT access and the absolute privacy of a 12-unit building, this development delivers almost without qualification. The freehold title on Oxley Road carries an intangible prestige premium that simply cannot be replicated by 99-year leasehold alternatives, however well-designed or well-located. In a city where GCB land is inaccessible to most buyers — including many high-net-worth individuals — a freehold strata unit on Oxley Road is the closest accessible equivalent.
The caveats are structural rather than fatal. The gross yield of 2.31% is low even for CCR ultra-luxury, and the absolute rent of S$15,000 per month, while healthy, leaves limited cushion against the cost of ownership at an S$8 million acquisition price. This is a long-hold, own-stay or trophy-asset play, not an income investment. Liquidity is limited by design: with only 12 units and a very small buyer pool at this price point, the re-sale process will be slower and more negotiation-intensive than a 300-unit development. Buyers should be comfortable holding for five years or more.
Against the nearby competition — The Avenir (376 units, S$3,190 psf), River Green (524 units, S$3,135 psf), Irwell Hill Residences (540 units, S$2,726 psf) — Oxley Residence offers a fundamentally different experience: absolute privacy and historical address over lifestyle amenities and community scale. Buyers choosing Oxley Residence over The Avenir are not making a concession; they are making a deliberate choice to prioritise exclusivity over resort-style living. Both are valid. The ShiokNest score of 54 reflects the limited facilities and investment yield rather than any deficiency in the core product — for the right buyer, this is a 9/10 purchase.