Sanctuary @ 813
Overview & Key Facts
Sanctuary @ 813 occupies a compact freehold plot fronting Upper Serangoon Road in District 19 — the arterial spine linking Kovan to Serangoon that has quietly accumulated a string of boutique freeholds over the past two decades. Completed in 2011 by Sunhuan Construction Pte Ltd, a niche residential developer with a track record of small-scale freehold projects in the north-east, the development contains just 23 units, making it one of the most intimate private residential addresses in an area better known for its sprawling 99-year leasehold mega-developments.
At this scale, “Sanctuary” is less a marketing device and more an accurate description. With no more than a handful of households sharing each floor and a total resident population that would fit comfortably into a single block of most nearby condominiums, the development offers a level of privacy and quietness that 1,000-unit neighbours cannot replicate. The trade-off, of course, is facilities: a 23-unit site simply cannot support the resort-style amenity cluster that Singaporean buyers have come to expect from larger developments. What Sanctuary @ 813 offers instead is freehold tenure on a well-located Upper Serangoon Road address, walkable access to Kovan MRT, and one of the deepest school catchments in Singapore within a short stroll from the front gate.
The buyer profile here is distinct from the typical OCR mass-market buyer. Transaction records reflect a tight, mostly owner-occupier community with extremely low turnover — only four recorded sales in the development’s transaction history speak to the “buy and hold” mentality that freehold boutique condos in established school belts tend to attract. For the right household, the absence of a crowd is the point.
Location & Connectivity
The address on Upper Serangoon Road gives Sanctuary @ 813 access to one of District 19’s most pedestrian-friendly stretches. Kovan MRT (North-East Line) sits approximately 570 metres from the development — a comfortable seven-to-eight minute walk along a sheltered pavement that most residents consider genuinely walkable in Singapore’s climate. At that distance, the development crosses the threshold from “bus or car required” into “MRT walk feasible” territory: a meaningful upgrade in liveability over comparable freehold boutiques further from the line. Serangoon MRT interchange (North-East Line × Circle Line) lies 1.2 km away for commuters who need greater network reach.
For drivers, the position is straightforward. Upper Serangoon Road connects directly to the CTE and PIE within a short drive, putting Orchard Road within 15 minutes and the CBD under 20 minutes in off-peak conditions. Bishan, Toa Payoh, and Tampines are all under 20 minutes. Parking in the immediate area is not a concern at this scale of development. The Kovan precinct itself has evolved considerably since 2011 — a cluster of independent cafes, family restaurants, and specialty food outlets along Kovan Road and Simon Road gives the immediate neighbourhood a village-like character that residents consistently praise in reviews.
Everyday amenities are well-served. Kovan Market and Food Centre is an easy walk, stocked with reliable hawker options morning to night. The stretch of shophouses and provision stores along Kovan Road handles most daily grocery needs. For larger mall visits, NEX at Serangoon — one of the more complete suburban shopping centres in the north-east, with a FairPrice Xtra, Serangoon Public Library, and multiplex — is reachable by MRT in four stops or by bus in under 15 minutes.
Schools & Education
6 primary schools within the 1 km Priority Phase balloting radius.
| School | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Zhonghua Primary School | primary | Within 1 km |
| Zhonghua Secondary School | secondary | Within 1 km |
| Montfort Junior School | primary | Within 1 km |
| Xinmin Secondary School | secondary | Within 1 km |
| Montfort Secondary School | secondary | Within 1 km |
| Cedar Primary School | primary | Within 1 km |
| Cedar Girls' Secondary School | secondary | Within 1 km |
| Xinmin Primary School | primary | Within 1 km |
Facilities
Expectations should be calibrated carefully here. At 23 units on a compact freehold site, Sanctuary @ 813 cannot and does not attempt a resort-style facilities programme. The development offers a small swimming pool, a gym, and landscaped communal areas — the essential package for a boutique freehold in this class. There is no tennis court, no clubhouse, no function rooms, and no aqua-gym. For some buyers, this is entirely by design: lower maintenance fees, zero booking queues, and a pool that never feels crowded are real advantages that large-development residents learn to appreciate from a distance.
“Small condo with very few units. Pool is always quiet and clean. You will never fight for facilities here. The location near Kovan MRT is the real selling point — and the freehold status means I plan to hold this long-term.”
— Owner review via PropertyGuru, 2023
Maintenance fees at this scale are typically modest relative to larger developments, as shared costs are spread across fewer units but the per-unit quantum remains manageable given minimal shared infrastructure. Prospective buyers should verify the current monthly contribution with the management corporation before committing, as small-development MCSTs can be more sensitive to unexpected capital expenditure (lift replacements, external repainting) than large-scale developments with deeper sinking funds.
Unit Sizes & Layout
With only 23 units spread across what transaction records suggest is a mix of studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom configurations, Sanctuary @ 813 offers a narrow but reasonably sized unit range by boutique freehold standards. Freehold boutique condos completed in the 2009–2012 window generally offered more generous layouts than contemporary new launches: two-bedroom units from this era typically start around 700–800 sqft where equivalent new-build two-bedders in OCR today compress to under 650 sqft. Upper Serangoon Road orientation brings natural ventilation from the Kovan direction, with higher floors benefiting from unobstructed views across the low-rise Kovan estate to the south-west.
The development’s compact footprint means that units facing Upper Serangoon Road will experience some ambient road noise during peak hours — a trade-off that buyers on higher floors mitigate more effectively. Internal-facing units, where available, offer the quietest environment and are typically the most sought-after at resale. The ageing interior specifications of a 2011-vintage boutique will require factoring in renovation budgets: bathrooms, kitchens, and general finishings will benefit from refreshing to match current tenant and buyer expectations, particularly for landlords targeting the professional rental market.
| Bedrooms | Transactions | Avg PSF | Avg Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 BR | 1 | $1,327 | $700,000 |
| 2 BR | 2 | $1,420 | $1,247,500 |
| 3 BR | 1 | $1,310 | $1,340,000 |
Pricing & Market Position
Based on 4 recorded transactions, sale prices range from $700,000 to $1,350,000, averaging $1,133,750 (~$1,511 psf).
Rents range from $1,550 to $4,272 per month across 43 rental transactions. Current rental yield sits at approximately 2.9%.
Price Appreciation
From 2021 to 2026, the average PSF has appreciated by 13.6% (from $1,330 to $1,511 psf).
Neighbourhood Comparison
The meaningful comparison set for Sanctuary @ 813 is not the surrounding leasehold mega-developments — those are different products serving different buyers. The more useful comparison is against other freehold boutiques in the Kovan-Serangoon corridor. Freehold condos in D19 are scarce: Serangoon Garden Estate holds the most established freehold address in the sub-market but is a landed-and-low-rise enclave rather than a condo, while boutiques like Kovan Residences and Kovan Melody offer larger unit counts with correspondingly richer facilities.
Against the leasehold competition directly, the arithmetic is informative. At S$1,511 psf freehold, Sanctuary @ 813 is priced at a slight discount to Riverfront Residences (S$1,588 psf, 99yr lease from 2018) and at a more material discount to Florence Residences (S$1,745 psf) and Affinity at Serangoon (S$1,698 psf) — both newer leasehold mega-developments with substantially richer facilities. The freehold premium embedded here is unusually slim for the tenure differential. Buyers willing to forgo resort facilities and accept lower liquidity are effectively acquiring permanent land tenure at close to leasehold pricing — a proposition that has historically rewarded patient, long-horizon holders in the Singapore market.
| Development | Tenure | TOP | Units | ~Avg PSF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SANCTUARY @ 813 | Freehold | 2011 | 23 | $1,511 |
| 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 SANCTUARY @ 813 across multiple dimensions.
What Residents Say
“Very private and quiet. The neighbours all know each other by name — feels like a landed enclave more than a condo. Kovan MRT is genuinely walkable, which was the main reason we chose this over a larger development further away.”
— Owner-occupier review via PropertyGuru, 2024
“Good schools all around and the freehold tenure made the decision straightforward for us. Facilities are basic — there’s a pool and that’s about it — but we knew that going in. Not for people who want a resort condo.”
— Buyer comment via 99.co, 2022
“The road noise from Upper Serangoon can be noticeable on lower floors during the morning rush. Higher floors are much better. Management is responsive but the sinking fund conversations at AGM can be tense given how few units are contributing.”
— Resident review via EdgeProp, 2023
Across review platforms, the pattern is consistent: residents who chose Sanctuary @ 813 knew what they were buying — a quiet, freehold, school-belt address near Kovan MRT — and report high satisfaction precisely because the development delivers on those specific promises. The feedback on limited facilities is present but rarely framed as a complaint; it is more often contextualised as an accepted trade-off by buyers who made a deliberate choice. The recurring concern is the structural vulnerability of small-development MCST finances to capital expenditure spikes, which is a category risk for all sub-30-unit condos rather than a Sanctuary @ 813-specific issue.
Strengths & Weaknesses
- Freehold tenure in a market dominated by 99-year leasehold competing options
- Walkable to Kovan MRT (North-East Line) at ~570 m — no bus required
- Zhonghua Primary School 340 m away — one of D19's strongest P1 balloting addresses
- Three primary schools within 1 km — Cedar Primary, Xinmin Primary also in range
- Priced at or below surrounding leasehold condos despite superior tenure
- Extreme privacy — only 23 units, uncrowded pool, zero booking queues
- Kovan village precinct — independent cafes, hawker centre, provision stores on foot
- Low-density living without the illusion of a mega-development
- Consistent rental demand — 43 tenancies at median S$3,200/month
- Minimal facilities — pool and gym only; no tennis, clubhouse, or function rooms
- Very low transaction volume (4 sales) — illiquid and difficult to price at resale
- MCST sinking fund vulnerability: 23 units means capital expenditure hits hard per unit
- Upper Serangoon Road ambient noise on lower, road-facing floors
- 2011 vintage specifications require renovation budget (kitchens, bathrooms)
- Gross yield of 2.87% is below market average for OCR condos
- ShiokNest score of 33/100 reflects low liquidity and limited investment metrics
- No covered car wash bay or significant shared amenity to support premium rental positioning
Verdict
Sanctuary @ 813 is a precise instrument for a precise buyer. It does not compete with the mega-developments around it on facilities, scale, or profile visibility. What it offers is freehold tenure at a price point meaningfully below the surrounding leasehold competition, genuinely walkable access to Kovan MRT, one of the strongest school catchments in the OCR, and the kind of low-density privacy that Singaporeans increasingly pay a premium to secure as the broader market gravitates toward larger integrated developments.
At S$1,511 psf (12-month average), the development sits in an interesting position relative to its neighbours. Leasehold peers like Riverfront Residences trade at S$1,588 psf on a 99-year lease from 2018, while The Florence Residences commands S$1,745 psf and Affinity at Serangoon S$1,698 psf — both leasehold. The freehold premium embedded in Sanctuary @ 813’s pricing is, by this measure, surprisingly modest. Chuan Park’s S$2,596 psf — the most expensive option in the sub-market — reflects its new-launch status and MRT-adjacent positioning rather than an apples-to-apples comparison.
The principal risk for investors is liquidity. Only four sales transactions in the development’s recorded history means price discovery is opaque and exit timing is genuinely uncertain. This is not a development to buy with a three-to-five-year trading horizon in mind — it is a long-duration freehold hold, ideally owner-occupied or tenanted to a stable, quality tenant. For buyers whose horizon is generational or who intend to pass the asset to children benefiting from the school proximity, the calculus is considerably more favourable. For those requiring flexibility to sell quickly at a known price, the illiquidity is a real and material risk.