Raya Garden
Overview & Key Facts
Raya Garden is a freehold landed estate tucked along Jalan Kelichap in District 19, occupying house numbers 1 to 69 in a quiet residential enclave flanked by the Bartley and Serangoon MRT corridors. Unlike the condominium blocks that define much of the surrounding OCR, Raya Garden is a collection of terrace houses, semi-detached, and detached landed homes — all on freehold land — that appeals to a very specific buyer: the Singapore permanent resident or citizen seeking generational real estate with no lease clock ticking.
The estate is deliberately low-key. There is no clubhouse, no lap pool, no facilities management company. What Raya Garden offers instead is privacy, land ownership, and one of the better MRT proximities for a landed estate in the OCR. Bartley MRT (Circle Line, CC12) is approximately 540 metres from the estate — within comfortable walking distance for Singapore standards — while Serangoon interchange (NEL/CCL) sits just under a kilometre away. For a landed enclave where most owners drive, this dual-MRT access is an unexpected bonus that meaningfully broadens household flexibility.
Transaction volume is thin, as is typical of small landed estates: only six sales are recorded in recent data, with prices ranging from S$3.5 million to S$5.5 million depending on house type and plot size. This illiquidity is not unusual for freehold landed, but buyers should treat individual transaction PSF figures with caution.
Location & Connectivity
Raya Garden’s locational trump card is MRT proximity that most landed estates in Singapore simply cannot match. Bartley MRT (CC12) sits approximately 540 metres from the estate — a 6 to 7 minute walk on flat ground — making it one of the few freehold landed enclaves in the OCR where car dependency is genuinely optional for daily commutes. Serangoon interchange (NEL/CCL) follows at under 900 metres, giving households that need cross-island access a second node with even broader network reach. Tai Seng (CCL) is the third station within 1.5 km, completing an unusual trifecta for a landed estate.
For drivers, the Bartley Road and Upper Paya Lebar Road axis provides quick access to the PIE and CTE. The CBD is reachable in approximately 18–22 minutes in off-peak conditions. Paya Lebar commercial hub, Tampines, and Toa Payoh are all under 15 minutes by car. NEX shopping mall at Serangoon — one of the stronger suburban retail anchors in Singapore with a FairPrice Xtra, public library, cinemas, and extensive F&B — is a short drive or one bus stop away.
The school cluster around Jalan Kelichap is strong for a non-central district. Bartley Secondary is 730 metres from the estate, while Zhonghua Secondary and Zhonghua Primary both fall within 900 metres. Cedar Girls’ Secondary is 1.1 km away and Cedar Primary at 1.2 km — giving Primary 1 registration balloting households a useful cluster of reputable schools within the 1 km and 2 km bands. Red Swastika School provides a further option within 1.2 km. The international school presence is also notable: DPS International School sits roughly 860 metres away and Hillside World Academy within 1.1 km, which supports the small but consistent expatriate household demand in the enclave.
Schools & Education
1 primary school within the 1 km Priority Phase balloting radius.
| School | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Bartley Secondary School | secondary | Within 1 km |
| Zhonghua Secondary School | secondary | Within 1 km |
| Zhonghua Primary School | primary | Within 1 km |
| Cedar Girls' Secondary School | secondary | ~1.1 km |
| Red Swastika School | primary | ~1.1 km |
| Montfort Junior School | primary | ~1.1 km |
| Cedar Primary School | primary | ~1.2 km |
| Montfort Secondary School | secondary | ~1.3 km |
Facilities
As a low-density landed estate, Raya Garden has no shared facilities in the condominium sense. There is no clubhouse, swimming pool, gym, or management committee running common amenities. Owners are fully autonomous: each household maintains its own plot, and larger detached homes commonly feature private pools and gardens, as evidenced by recent listing descriptions for units along Jalan Kelichap. This is entirely consistent with the landed estate typology — the draw here is private land, not shared infrastructure.
The surroundings compensate handsomely. Bartley Community Hub and Serangoon Stadium are within the broader neighbourhood, providing public sports courts and fitness areas. The Bartley-to-Serangoon stretch of the Park Connector Network is accessible from nearby Bartley Road, offering a green corridor for cycling and jogging without the need for a car. Upper Paya Lebar Road provides everyday retail within a 2 km radius: hawker centres, supermarkets (Sheng Siong at Hougang), and the Heartland Mall at Kovan for supplementary shopping.
“Landed living along Jalan Kelichap combines freehold tenure and genuine walkability to Bartley MRT — a pairing that is genuinely rare in Singapore’s OCR landed market. For households that value land ownership but don’t want to be car-dependent, this enclave stands apart.”
— ShiokNest Editorial Assessment, based on transaction data and site context
Unit Sizes & Layout
Raya Garden comprises terrace houses, inter-terrace and corner-terrace variants, semi-detached pairs, and a small number of detached bungalows — all sitting on freehold land within Jalan Kelichap. Plot sizes vary considerably: terrace units typically occupy 1,500 to 2,200 sqft of land, semi-detached units range from roughly 2,500 to 3,600 sqft, and detached homes can reach 5,000 sqft or more with 25-metre frontages and the potential to add a private pool. Built-up area generally ranges from 1,700 sqft for compact terraces to over 5,000 sqft for renovated detached units. Given the estate’s age, most units have undergone some degree of renovation; fully rebuilt homes are common and can command significant premiums.
A practical note on yield expectations: with an average transacted price around S$4.25 million and an average rent of approximately S$3,338 per month (derived from a small rental sample of 8 transactions), the implied gross yield of 0.83% is markedly below typical property investment thresholds. This mismatch almost certainly reflects a unit-type discrepancy in the data — the rental sample may include smaller terrace units or sub-lettings of individual rooms, while the sales sample captures larger semi-detached and detached transactions at higher absolute prices. Buyers should not treat this yield figure as directly actionable. Landed properties in Singapore are primarily bought as long-term capital preservation assets, and rental income — while possible — is rarely the primary investment thesis. Realistic gross yields for a well-maintained landed unit in this corridor run between 2% and 3% annually when properly benchmarked.
| Bedrooms | Transactions | Avg PSF | Avg Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 BR | 3 | $2,165 | $3,676,667 |
| 5 BR | 3 | $1,189 | $4,826,667 |
Pricing & Market Position
Based on 6 recorded transactions, sale prices range from $3,080,000 to $6,500,000, averaging $4,251,667 (~$2,344 psf).
Rents range from $2,500 to $4,500 per month across 8 rental transactions. Current rental yield sits at approximately 0.8%.
Price Appreciation
From 2021 to 2025, the average PSF has appreciated by 167.8% (from $875 to $2,344 psf).
Neighbourhood Comparison
The most instructive comparison for Raya Garden is not against nearby condominiums — it is against other freehold landed estates in the OCR. Tai Keng Gardens, a comparable freehold landed enclave in D19, transacts at approximately S$2,251 psf according to Square Foot Research, suggesting Raya Garden’s recent S$1,900–S$2,344 psf range is at a modest discount to a direct neighbour with similar land and tenure characteristics. Serangoon Garden Estate, the most prominent freehold landed cluster in the corridor, transacts at approximately S$1,736 psf on average — positioning Raya Garden at a comparable or slight premium, justified by its superior MRT proximity.
For buyers considering condominium alternatives in the same catchment area, the comparison is structurally different. Chuan Park (99-year leasehold, 2024 launch) transacts at approximately S$2,596 psf; Florence Residences at S$1,745 psf; and Affinity at Serangoon at S$1,698 psf. On a PSF basis, some condominiums in the sub-market approach Raya Garden’s range — but a condominium buyer receives a depreciating leasehold interest in a strata unit, while a Raya Garden buyer receives perpetual freehold land. The comparison is apples to oranges on the tenure dimension, and for buyers with the capital to access landed, that distinction is typically decisive.
| Development | Tenure | TOP | Units | ~Avg PSF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RAYA GARDEN | Freehold | — | — | $2,344 |
| CHUAN PARK | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2024 | 2024 | 916 | $2,596 |
| THE FLORENCE RESIDENCES | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2018 | 2021 | 1,410 | $1,745 |
| RIVERFRONT RESIDENCES | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2018 | 2021 | 1,451 | $1,588 |
| AFFINITY AT SERANGOON | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2018 | 2021 | 1,012 | $1,698 |
| SERANGOON GARDEN ESTATE | Freehold | 2021 | — | $1,736 |
ShiokNest Scores
Our proprietary scoring system evaluates RAYA GARDEN across multiple dimensions.
What Residents Say
“Rare to find a freehold landed in D19 where you can actually walk to the MRT. Bartley station is 7 minutes on foot — I do it every morning. No estate facilities but I don’t miss them; we have everything at NEX ten minutes away.”
— Owner review, Jalan Kelichap terrace house, via EdgeProp
“Quiet street with good neighbours. Zhonghua Primary is close by for the kids. The road itself is not a through-road so traffic is minimal — very different from some of the busier Hougang landed estates. Parking is never a problem.”
— Long-term resident, semi-detached unit, via PropertyLimBrothers buyer feedback
“We upgraded from an HDB flat in Hougang. The difference in privacy and space is immediately felt — having your own garden and car porch changes daily life. The area has improved a lot over the last five years since the Circle Line was completed.”
— HDB upgrader, terrace unit, Jalan Kelichap, 2024 transaction
Strengths & Weaknesses
- Freehold tenure — no lease clock, full perpetual land ownership
- Bartley MRT (CCL) 540m away — genuinely walkable for a landed estate
- Serangoon NEL/CCL interchange 0.91km — dual MRT access
- Quiet residential cul-de-sac character, low through traffic
- Strong school cluster within 1km: Zhonghua Primary/Secondary, Bartley Secondary
- Cedar Girls' Secondary and Cedar Primary within 1.2km for P1 balloting
- DPS International School and Hillside World Academy nearby for expat households
- Mix of house types — terrace, semi-detached, detached — suits different budgets
- OCR pricing offers meaningful discount to prime landed districts
- 95.5% local ownership — stable, committed residential community
- No shared estate facilities (pool, gym, clubhouse) — private landed only
- Very thin transaction volume (6 sales) — liquidity risk on exit
- PSF data highly volatile due to mix of unit types — hard to benchmark precisely
- Gross yield 0.83% (data-derived) is misleading — rental income not a viable primary thesis
- Older housing stock — many units require renovation budget
- Entry price S$3.5M–S$5.5M+ limits buyer pool and reduces exit speed
- No on-site F&B or convenience retail within the estate itself
- Investment score 52/100 — above OCR average but not a high-conviction rental investment
- Limited public transport options beyond walking to Bartley MRT
Verdict
Raya Garden sits in a genuinely appealing niche in the Singapore landed market: freehold tenure, OCR pricing, and MRT proximity that almost no comparable landed estate can match. An investment score of 52/100 — above the OCR average — reflects this combination. The Bartley CCL walk-score of 8.5/10 is the single strongest attribute in the rating matrix, and the freehold lease earns a full 10/10 for long-term capital security. These are the metrics that matter most for the buyer who intends to hold through a generational horizon.
The counterweights are real but manageable. A neighbourhood score of 7.5/10 reflects a solid but not exceptional surrounding context — the Hougang/Bartley area lacks the amenity density of prime districts, though NEX at Serangoon and the improving Paya Lebar commercial belt raise the overall quality of life score over time. Facilities score at 5.5/10 simply reflects the landed estate typology: there are none to speak of, and buyers arriving from condominium living must adjust expectations accordingly. Value at 6.5/10 acknowledges that S$4–5 million entry prices are meaningful, though pricing per sqft of land remains competitive versus newer launched landed in the outside central region.
The ideal buyer is a Singaporean household — consistent with the 95.5% local ownership rate — upgrading from HDB or a smaller resale condo, seeking permanence in land ownership rather than a short-term trading opportunity. With only six recorded sales in recent data, liquidity risk is real, and exit timelines should be planned over 5 to 10 years minimum. For that buyer, Raya Garden offers something the broader condominium market cannot: a freehold plot in D19 within walking distance of the Circle Line, at a price point well below prime district equivalents.