Residences @ Jansen
Overview & Key Facts
Residences @ Jansen is a boutique 18-unit apartment development tucked along Jansen Road in the quiet residential enclave between Kovan and Serangoon, District 19. Completed in 2008 by Ascender Investment Pte Ltd, the single-block development occupies a compact but verdant site that sits comfortably within a low-rise landed housing neighbourhood — the kind of surroundings that rarely produce obstructed views or wall-to-wall condo density.
With just 18 units across one block, this is unmistakably a small, private residential enclave rather than a mega-development with resort amenities. Its appeal lies in scale: residents enjoy a level of quiet, privacy, and community that larger developments simply cannot replicate. The project was designed with clean tropical lines and generous cross-ventilation in mind, with units positioned to capture the greenery of Jansen Road’s tree-canopied street. Facilities are modest — a swimming pool, Jacuzzi, gymnasium, BBQ area, and basement car parking — which is entirely expected for a development of this size.
The tenure situation demands upfront transparency. Residences @ Jansen holds a 999-year lease commencing from 1876, leaving approximately 81 years remaining as of 2026. While 999-year leases are often casually treated as freehold equivalents, the arithmetic here is materially different: the lease will drop below the critical 75-year CPF usage threshold in approximately 2032 — just six years away. Buyers who intend to use CPF for purchase or financing should model this carefully. This is not a distant risk; it is a near-term planning consideration that affects both buyer pool and future resale liquidity. CPF rules restrict usage when remaining lease falls below 75 years.
Location & Connectivity
Jansen Road sits in one of District 19’s most characterful micro-locations: a low-rise residential belt that blends landed housing, walk-up apartments, and boutique condominiums into a genuinely peaceful streetscape. The address is sandwiched between the Kovan and Serangoon villages — two of Singapore’s more beloved heartland neighbourhoods — giving residents access to both without belonging to either fully. The Kovan area is known for its village-like Toh Yi Drive and Kovan Road food strips, its independent cafes, and the relaxed weekend pace of a neighbourhood that has resisted full commercialisation.
The nearest MRT is Kovan (NE13) at approximately 0.86 km — technically walkable but a genuine 10–12 minute trek in Singapore’s heat, particularly on the slightly elevated terrain approaching the station. Serangoon MRT interchange (CC13/NE12) is 1.25 km away and serves both the Circle Line and the North-East Line, making it the more useful connection for CBD-bound commuters. Most residents will find that a short bus or grab ride to Serangoon is the practical daily solution rather than walking to either station. For drivers, the CTE is accessible within minutes and puts the CBD approximately 20 minutes away in off-peak traffic; Orchard is roughly 18–22 minutes.
Daily amenities are well-served without being walkable to a single dominant hub. Kovan Market & Food Centre (Blk 209 Hougang Street 21) is one of the older and more beloved hawker centres in the north-east, serving local favourites from around 50 stalls. Heartland Mall Kovan on Upper Serangoon Road provides a FairPrice supermarket, F&B outlets, and services within easy reach. The large NEX Mall at Serangoon — with cinema, Serangoon Public Library, FairPrice Xtra, and a comprehensive food court — is the broader lifestyle destination for the area, reachable by bus in under 10 minutes.
The school cluster within 1 km is one of the development’s most substantive assets. Cedar Primary (0.50 km), Xinmin Primary (0.64 km), and Yangzheng Primary (0.57 km) are all Phase 2C within striking distance, and Cedar Girls’ Secondary (0.57 km) and Xinmin Secondary (0.48 km) add secondary school proximity that some family buyers specifically seek. Zhonghua Secondary sits at 0.82 km.
Schools & Education
5 primary schools within the 1 km Priority Phase balloting radius.
| School | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Xinmin Secondary School | secondary | Within 1 km |
| Cedar Primary School | primary | Within 1 km |
| Serangoon Secondary School | secondary | Within 1 km |
| Yangzheng Primary School | primary | Within 1 km |
| Cedar Girls' Secondary School | secondary | Within 1 km |
| Xinmin Primary School | primary | Within 1 km |
| Zhonghua Secondary School | secondary | Within 1 km |
| Zhonghua Primary School | primary | Within 1 km |
Facilities
Residences @ Jansen does not compete on facilities — it is an 18-unit boutique development, and the amenity list reflects that honestly. The development provides a swimming pool with pool deck, Jacuzzi, gymnasium, BBQ facilities, and basement car parking with 24-hour security. For a development of this scale, the provision is appropriate and perfectly functional for the owner-occupier who values privacy over resort-style programming. There is no clubhouse, no tennis court, no children’s play area, and no function room — and residents who choose a development like this rarely miss them.
The pool area is described by residents as well-maintained and genuinely quiet — a pool shared among 18 households is an extremely different experience from one shared by 300. The basement car park provides sheltered parking for all residents, and the 24-hour security arrangement is consistent with boutique developments in the area. The development’s maintenance fees are reported to be modest, consistent with the limited amenity footprint.
“The pool is almost always empty and very well-maintained. As an owner-occupier, I came here precisely because I didn’t want to queue for facilities or deal with crowds on weekends. Eighteen units means you actually know your neighbours.”
— Resident feedback via 99.co
Unit Sizes & Layout
Residences @ Jansen comprises 18 units across a single block, with unit types spanning 2- and 3-bedroom configurations typical of boutique developments from the mid-2000s. Units from this era tend to be more generously sized than contemporary new launches — buyers can expect layouts in the 900–1,400 sqft range for 3-bedroom units, with cross-ventilation built into the design rather than afterthought. The building is oriented to maximise the greenery of Jansen Road and the surrounding landed housing belt, meaning most upper-floor units benefit from unobstructed treetop or low-rise views that are unlikely to be built out.
As a 2008-vintage development, interior finishes will require updating for buyers with contemporary tastes — bathrooms, kitchen fittings, and floor materials from the original TOP specification are functional but dated. Budget for renovation spend accordingly. The structural bones are sound, and the compact size of the development means maintenance is typically well-managed, though prospective buyers should verify the Management Corporation Strata Title (MCST) fund health and reserve levels before committing.
| Bedrooms | Transactions | Avg PSF | Avg Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 BR | 1 | $1,222 | $750,000 |
| 3 BR | 3 | $1,188 | $1,393,333 |
Pricing & Market Position
Based on 4 recorded transactions, sale prices range from $750,000 to $1,580,000, averaging $1,232,500.
Rents range from $1,900 to $5,000 per month across 14 rental transactions. Current rental yield sits at approximately 2.6%.
Price Appreciation
From 2021 to 2025, the average PSF has appreciated by 15.2% (from $1,127 to $1,299 psf).
Neighbourhood Comparison
The obvious comparisons in the Kovan/Serangoon corridor are all 99-year leasehold developments at higher PSF. Chuan Park (99yr/2024, 916 units) commands S$2,596 psf — more than double the PSF of recent Residences @ Jansen transactions — but delivers MRT-adjacent positioning, a fresh 99-year lease, and comprehensive resort facilities. The Florence Residences (99yr/2018, 1,410 units) at S$1,745 psf and Affinity at Serangoon (99yr/2018, 1,012 units) at S$1,698 psf offer larger developments with full facilities at a lower-than-Chuan-Park entry point.
Residences @ Jansen’s PSF discount against these 99-year comparables is driven by lease tenure, scale, and liquidity rather than locational inferiority. Buyers who are genuinely long-term own-stay, CPF-independent, and value boutique privacy above all else may find the discount appropriate. However, it would be misleading to frame this as straightforward value — the approaching CPF threshold and thin transaction volumes mean that a future seller will face a meaningfully smaller and more price-sensitive buyer pool than the 99-year alternatives currently enjoy.
| Development | Tenure | TOP | Units | ~Avg PSF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RESIDENCES @ JANSEN | 999 yrs lease commencing from 1876 | 2008 | 18 | — |
| 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 |
Lease Decay Analysis
The 99-year lease runs from 2008, meaning approximately 18 years have already been consumed. Roughly 81 years remain — still comfortably within the range where most banks will offer full financing without restrictions.
| Year | Lease remaining | Implication |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (now) | ~81 years | Full bank financing available |
| 2038 | ~69 years | CPF usage still unrestricted for most buyers |
| 2047 | ~59 years | Approaching 60-year threshold — CPF limits begin for some |
| 2067 | ~39 years | Significant financing restrictions for next buyer |
| 2107 | 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 ~71 years remaining, which is still very bankable. The risk profile changes for longer holds.
ShiokNest Scores
Our proprietary scoring system evaluates RESIDENCES @ JANSEN across multiple dimensions.
What Residents Say
“Extremely quiet and private — you genuinely feel like you’re living in a landed enclave rather than a condo. The pool is never crowded and the neighbours look out for each other. I wouldn’t trade it for a bigger development.”
— Owner-occupier feedback via EdgeProp
“Great school options within walking distance, which was the main reason we chose this address. Cedar Primary and Cedar Girls’ Secondary both nearby is a genuine advantage for families with children of different ages.”
— Resident review via PropertyGuru
“The lease situation is something any buyer needs to think about seriously. We did our sums and it works for us as a long-term home, but I’d be cautious if you’re planning to sell within the next 10 years or need to use CPF. That 75-year threshold is coming sooner than people realise.”
— Owner feedback via 99.co
Strengths & Weaknesses
- Exceptional boutique privacy — 18 units means quiet pool, low footfall, known neighbours
- Strong school cluster: Cedar Primary, Cedar Girls' Sec, Xinmin Primary/Sec all within 0.65 km
- Surrounded by low-rise landed enclave — unobstructed views, unlikely to be built out
- Kovan village character — independent cafes, hawker food, walkable local amenities nearby
- Generous mid-2000s unit sizes vs contemporary new launches
- Low maintenance fees proportionate to modest facility footprint
- Dual MRT access (Kovan NE13 + Serangoon CC13/NE12) within 1.25 km
- 15.3% price appreciation recorded over recent transaction window
- NEX Mall and Kovan Market & Food Centre easily accessible by bus or car
- Car-friendly location: CTE within minutes, CBD 20 min off-peak
- 999yr/1876 lease drops below 75yr CPF threshold in ~2032 — just 6 years away, restricting CPF usage on resale
- ~81 years remaining is materially different from freehold despite 999-year label
- Drops below 60yr in ~2047 — bank loan quantum will reduce as lease shortens further
- Only 4 recorded transactions — very low liquidity, harder to price and harder to exit
- Kovan MRT 0.86 km (10–12 min walk) — not genuinely walkable in Singapore climate
- Serangoon MRT 1.25 km — requires bus or car for daily commute
- Facilities extremely basic for a condo (pool, gym, Jacuzzi only) — no tennis, clubhouse, or children's play area
- 2008-vintage interiors will require renovation spend to modernise
- Low transaction volume means price discovery is difficult and resale may take longer
- Gross yield 2.56% — below District 19 averages for 99-year leasehold comparables
Verdict
Residences @ Jansen is a niche proposition that suits a specific type of buyer well — and suits others poorly. For the owner-occupier who prioritises quiet, privacy, a school-rich neighbourhood, and the boutique condo experience over resort facilities and MRT adjacency, the development delivers genuinely. The Kovan/Jansen Road enclave is one of the north-east’s more characterful addresses, the school cluster within 1 km is legitimately strong, and the surrounding landed housing belt provides a streetscape that larger condo developments cannot replicate.
The lease situation, however, must be confronted directly. The 999-year lease from 1876 sounds almost freehold in marketing language — but 81 years remaining is not the same as freehold, and the approaching 75-year CPF threshold (approximately 2032) will materially affect the resale buyer pool within the next six years. Investors planning a 5–10 year hold should model exit conditions carefully: the buyer pool for sub-75-year remaining lease properties is smaller, CPF-usage restrictions reduce purchasing power for many Singaporean buyers, and bank loan quantum may also be reduced as remaining tenure shrinks. The development’s low transaction volume (4 sales tracked) reflects both its small size and reduced liquidity relative to larger or newer developments nearby.
Compared to competing 99-year developments in the area — Chuan Park at S$2,596 psf, The Florence Residences at S$1,745 psf, Affinity at Serangoon at S$1,698 psf — Residences @ Jansen trades at a meaningful discount that partly reflects the lease situation and partly the boutique illiquidity premium. For a long-term own-stay buyer who is not CPF-dependent and does not need to sell within 10–15 years, this discount may represent reasonable value for a quiet address in a school cluster. For anyone with a shorter horizon or CPF-reliant financing plans, the lease dynamics make this a genuinely complex purchase.