Silahis Apartments
Overview & Key Facts
Silahis Apartments sits quietly at 121 Lorong K Telok Kurau in District 15 — a short, tree-lined road flanked by landed homes and small boutique condominiums that is about as serene as Singapore gets outside of a bungalow enclave. Completed in 1993 and developed by Norfolk Mansion Pte Ltd, the development comprises just 27 units arranged across four low-rise floors, making it one of the more intimate freehold properties in the East Coast corridor.
The name “Silahis” is a Filipino/Tagalog word meaning ray of light — an evocative choice that hints at a Filipino-connected developer or principal, and one that lends the development a certain unhurried warmth uncommon in mid-1990s Singapore condo branding. Whether the name was chosen for its phonetic elegance or its cultural meaning, it captures something real about the building’s character: low density, generous natural light, and a relaxed sense of space that feels more like landed living than a typical condo.
Buyer records from URA reflect an overwhelmingly local ownership base — 86.7% Singaporean, 10.0% Permanent Resident, 3.3% foreign — consistent with a development in this sub-market that attracts long-term owner-occupiers and family buyers rather than speculative investors. With only four recorded sales transactions on the ShiokNest platform, Silahis Apartments falls into the category of ultra-low-churn freehold properties where owners, once in, tend to stay. This data thinness affects score metrics but says nothing negative about the property itself.
Location & Connectivity
Lorong K Telok Kurau occupies a sweet spot in the Telok Kurau micro-neighbourhood — residential enough to feel properly quiet, yet connected enough that daily errands never require a car. The road itself is a short loop off Telok Kurau Road, lined with low-rise freehold developments and inter-terrace houses that have been the backbone of D15 family living for decades. Expat Living describes Telok Kurau as a “tranquil oasis” within the East Coast, with a distinctly neighbourhood feel that larger condominiums closer to the main roads cannot replicate.
The MRT story for Silahis Apartments is better than it first appears. Kembangan MRT (EWL) sits 0.79 km away — a manageable 9–10 minute walk, or two minutes by bus. Marine Terrace MRT (TEL Stage 4), which opened in June 2024, is 0.81 km in the opposite direction and connects residents directly to the Thomson–East Coast Line, meaning cross-island journeys that once required a bus-to-EWL transfer can now be done on a single MRT line. Residents effectively sit between two MRT lines — an unusual convenience for a sub-$1,600 psf D15 freehold address. Siglap (TEL) and Eunos (EWL) are within 1.5 km for further flexibility.
For drivers, the expressway access is similarly strong. The Pan Island Expressway (PIE) and East Coast Parkway (ECP) are reachable within minutes, making CBD commutes under 20 minutes in off-peak conditions. Parkway Parade, the anchor mall for East Coast residents, is 1.5 km away. i12 Katong is 1.4 km. Paya Lebar Quarter — with its Grade A offices, Kinex mall, and MRT interchange — is under 10 minutes by car.
The everyday amenity picture is equally solid. Telok Kurau Primary School is just 160 metres from the building — among the closest school-to-condo proximities anywhere in Singapore, making P1 registration balloting a formality for residents in Phase 2A(ii) or earlier. East Coast Park, accessible via the Siglap Park Connector, is a 10–15 minute cycle or brisk walk, giving residents direct access to beach, cycling paths, and the East Coast Lagoon Food Village. Hawker options along Telok Kurau Road itself and the cluster of eateries at Joo Chiat/Katong add to the daily convenience.
Schools & Education
1 primary school within the 1 km Priority Phase balloting radius.
| School | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Telok Kurau Primary School | primary | Within 1 km |
| Chung Cheng High School (Main) | secondary | Within 1 km |
| East Coast Primary School | primary | ~1.2 km |
| Global Indian International School (GIIS East Coast) | international | ~1.2 km |
| Canossa Catholic Primary School | primary | ~1.5 km |
| Tanjong Katong Girls' School | secondary | ~1.6 km |
| Canadian International School (Tanjong Katong) | international | ~1.6 km |
| Broadrick Secondary School | secondary | ~1.7 km |
Facilities
Silahis Apartments is a modest 27-unit freehold boutique, and its facilities reflect that character. This is not a resort-style development with tennis courts and function rooms; it is a quiet, well-maintained residential building that prioritises liveability over amenity breadth. Residents report a pool and landscaped garden area, carparking, and the essential shared facilities expected of a 1993 development. Ground floor units in particular are distinguished by dedicated allotted carpark lots directly in front of the unit, private garden space, and a landed-terrace feel that sets them apart from standard apartment living.
“Ground floor here feels genuinely like a terrace. You have your own carpark lot right outside, a small garden patch, and the space to actually sit outdoors in the evening. It’s nothing like a typical condo ground floor.”
— Resident description, via SRX listing notes
The development’s 4-storey format means no lifts are strictly necessary for lower-floor residents, and the low density virtually eliminates queuing for shared facilities. Maintenance fees are proportionate to the modest facility footprint — a meaningful cost advantage over mega-developments where residents pay for pools and clubhouses they may rarely use. Buyers who prioritise space and liveability over facility breadth will find Silahis Apartments hits the right balance for its segment.
Pricing & Market Position
Based on 4 recorded transactions, sale prices range from $1,715,000 to $1,900,000, averaging $1,798,750 (~$1,562 psf).
Price Appreciation
From 2022 to 2026, the average PSF has appreciated by 17.7% (from $1,328 to $1,562 psf).
Neighbourhood Comparison
Within Lorong K Telok Kurau itself, the closest comparables are Nature Mansions (30 units, 2002, freehold — slightly newer, comparable in scale), K-Lodge (17 units, 1992, freehold — similar vintage, smaller), and the newer Kaleido (14 units, 2017, freehold). Kaleido represents the new-build end of the boutique spectrum at a meaningful PSF premium — buyers pay for fresher finishings and a post-2010 layout, but sacrifice the generous ceiling heights and room volumes that define the older stock. Silahis sits in a sweet spot: old enough to be competitively priced, but with unit specifications (4m ceilings, 1,200+ sqft layouts) that newer boutiques have not replicated at this PSF level.
Against broader D15 freehold boutiques, 77 @ East Coast and La Mariposa (both reviewed on ShiokNest) offer comparable freehold value propositions. 77 @ East Coast is closer to the beach but farther from schools; La Mariposa at Lorong M offers more facilities and a slightly larger unit count. Silahis Apartments’ singular differentiator is the 160m walk to Telok Kurau Primary — one of the closest school-condo distances in the district — combined with the dual-MRT positioning that neither of those comparables can match.
| Development | Tenure | TOP | Units | ~Avg PSF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SILAHIS APARTMENTS | Freehold | — | 27 | $1,562 |
| GRAND DUNMAN | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2022 | 2023 | 1,008 | $2,537 |
| EMERALD OF KATONG | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2023 | 2024 | 846 | $2,640 |
| THE CONTINUUM | Freehold | 2023 | 816 | $2,790 |
| TEMBUSU GRAND | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2022 | 2023 | 638 | $2,461 |
| AMBER PARK | Freehold | 2021 | 592 | $2,540 |
ShiokNest Scores
Our proprietary scoring system evaluates SILAHIS APARTMENTS across multiple dimensions.
What Residents Say
“Lorong K is genuinely one of the quietest streets in the East Coast. You forget you’re in Singapore sometimes. No through-traffic, neighbours who have been here for years, and the school is literally at the end of the road. Can’t ask for much more if you have kids.”
— Long-term resident, via PropertyGuru
“The ceilings are what get everyone. Four metres in every room — it sounds like a small detail but once you’ve lived with it you can’t go back to a standard-height apartment. The place feels twice its actual size.”
— Resident review via SRX
“Older fittings, definitely needs renovation when you move in. But the bones of the place are excellent — solid construction, great floor area, freehold. We renovated top to bottom and the result looks like a brand new place. Worth every dollar.”
— Owner-occupier feedback via EdgeProp
The pattern across the limited review footprint is consistent: residents cite the neighbourhood calm, the ceiling heights, the school proximity, and the landed-like ground-floor experience as the development’s distinguishing strengths. The recurring caveat is the need to budget for renovation given the 1993 completion — manageable but not optional for buyers expecting move-in-ready finishings. Community discussions on Telok Kurau as a value buy consistently flag the area’s freehold land scarcity, school access, and improving MRT connectivity as the long-term drivers of the micro-market.
Strengths & Weaknesses
- Freehold tenure — no lease decay, zero SSD concerns for long-term holders
- Telok Kurau Primary at 160m — P1 balloting distance advantage is exceptional
- Dual MRT access: Kembangan (EWL, 0.79km) and Marine Terrace (TEL, 0.81km)
- Rare 4-metre ceilings throughout all rooms — specification unavailable in new-builds at this PSF
- Boutique 27-unit scale — no competition for facilities, lifts, or carparks
- Landed-feel ground floor units with private carpark lot and garden space
- Quiet, traffic-free cul-de-sac feel on Lorong K — genuine residential calm
- Generous unit sizes 113–134 sqm (1,216–1,442 sqft) versus ~90–100 sqm in contemporary D15 condos
- PSF appreciation 17.6% over recorded transactions — consistent with D15 freehold capital growth
- Close to East Coast Park, Joo Chiat/Katong dining, and Parkway Parade (1.5km)
- Zero rental transactions on record — rental demand is unverified, yield-dependent buyers should validate independently
- Built 1993 — full renovation required on purchase (budget S$80,000–S$120,000)
- Only 4 sales transactions recorded — thin data makes precise valuation harder
- Minimal on-site facilities — no tennis court, function room, or gym
- Both MRT stations just under 800m — on the cusp of comfortable walking distance in humid weather
- Small development means limited en-bloc critical mass; 27 units would require strong consensus and a willing developer
- Limited rental comparables on Lorong K itself for benchmarking yield expectations
Verdict
Silahis Apartments is best understood as an owner-occupier freehold play in one of Singapore’s most liveable micro-neighbourhoods. The ShiokNest score of 24/100 and Investment score of 25/100 are data artefacts, not quality signals — they reflect zero rental transactions and only four recorded sales on the platform. In a 27-unit development where owners hold for 8+ years on average, these metrics are structurally low regardless of the property’s actual appeal. The PSF trajectory tells a clearer story: S$1,328 → S$1,380 → S$1,562, a 17.6% appreciation over the recorded sales period, consistent with D15 freehold capital growth trends.
For the right buyer — families seeking a long-term base with a top primary school at 160m, dual MRT access, East Coast Park nearby, and unit volumes impossible to find in new-builds — Silahis Apartments offers a compelling package at a price per square foot that sits meaningfully below comparable D15 freehold stock. The freehold tenure removes lease decay entirely from the investment calculus, and the boutique 27-unit scale means virtually no morning-pool or car-park congestion. The Marine Terrace MRT (TEL) opening in June 2024 was a structural connectivity upgrade that has not been fully absorbed into pricing at this address.
The honest caveat: rental liquidity is unverified. With zero rental transactions in the database and limited comparable rental data for the Lorong K micro-street, buyers who need income yield to service a loan should tread carefully until they have confirmed rental demand independently. This is a buy-and-hold-for-a-decade property, not a buy-and-yield-immediately one. For buyers who intend to live in it — or who can tolerate a patient approach to capital appreciation — the fundamentals are quietly strong.