Suites@ Katong
Overview & Key Facts
Suites @ Katong occupies a compact freehold plot at 263 Tanjong Katong Road, squarely in the heart of District 15 — one of Singapore’s most culturally layered and food-obsessed neighbourhoods. Developed by Oxley Wealth Pte. Ltd., a subsidiary of the prolific Oxley Holdings group, the development completed in 2014 and comprises just 51 residential units across a boutique mid-rise block, with eight ground-floor commercial units adding a mixed-use flavour typical of Oxley’s inner-city projects.
At 51 units, Suites @ Katong sits firmly in boutique territory — a deliberate product positioning that Oxley favoured in the early 2010s for freehold infill sites in mature D15 pockets. Unit sizes lean compact: apartments range from approximately 334 to 850 square feet, with commercial units at 344 to 678 square feet occupying the ground floor podium. The development uses a mechanical car parking system, which is characteristic of tight urban footprints and worth understanding before purchase. Freehold tenure on Tanjong Katong Road is the headline appeal — perpetual ownership on one of the most storied streets in Singapore’s east.
The buyer profile here skews towards young professionals and couples drawn to the Katong lifestyle — walkable hawker culture, Peranakan shophouses, proximity to East Coast Park, and a neighbourhood identity that older-established D15 residents fiercely protect. Investors have been active too: the rental yield of approximately 4.7% gross is among the more competitive figures in the district, reflecting strong demand from young tenants who want D15’s lifestyle without the price tag of a 3-bedroom in a larger development.
Location & Connectivity
The location story for Suites @ Katong has improved materially since the development’s 2014 TOP, thanks to the Thomson-East Coast Line. Tanjong Katong MRT station (TE25) is approximately 510 metres from the development — a walkable distance in the morning, less so in Singapore’s afternoon heat, though the route along Tanjong Katong Road is sheltered in parts. Dakota MRT (CC8) is reachable at around 720 metres for Circle Line access. Paya Lebar MRT interchange, serving both the East-West Line and Circle Line, is approximately 1 km away. For residents who were here pre-2023, the arrival of Tanjong Katong MRT was a genuine quality-of-life upgrade — and one that has been reflected in the post-TEL transaction PSF trajectory.
By car, the development is well-positioned. The East Coast Parkway (ECP) on-ramp is under five minutes away, putting the CBD at roughly 15 minutes in off-peak conditions. Changi Airport is approximately 20 minutes via the PIE or ECP — a notable bonus for frequent travellers. Orchard Road is about 18 minutes. The address on Tanjong Katong Road itself is a dual-carriageway main road, which means some traffic noise for lower-floor units facing the road, but also excellent accessibility for drivers.
The walkable amenity radius is one of Suites @ Katong’s genuine strengths. Within 400 metres: Haig Road Food Centre (one of the east’s most beloved hawker centres, home to the famous Haig Road Putu Piring), Tanjong Katong Complex (wet market, supermarket, neighbourhood mall), and the iconic strip of Peranakan shophouses along Tanjong Katong Road itself. East Coast Park — Singapore’s most-used recreational coastline — is about 1.5 km south, accessible by bicycle or a short drive. Parkway Parade, the anchor suburban mall of the east, is 1.6 km away.
The school catchment is genuinely exceptional. Haig Girls’ School is approximately 200 metres away — essentially adjacent. Tanjong Katong Primary School (330m) and Tao Nan School (400m) complete a trio of highly-regarded primary schools within the 1 km P1 registration radius. For international schooling, the Canadian International School Tanjong Katong campus is 660 metres away, and EtonHouse International at Broadrick is 560 metres — making this one of the more internationally school-rich pockets of D15.
Schools & Education
5 primary schools within the 1 km Priority Phase balloting radius.
| School | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Haig Girls' School | primary | Within 1 km |
| Tanjong Katong Primary School | primary | Within 1 km |
| Tao Nan School | primary | Within 1 km |
| Broadrick Secondary School | secondary | Within 1 km |
| EtonHouse International School (Broadrick) | international | Within 1 km |
| Tanjong Katong Girls' School | secondary | Within 1 km |
| Canadian International School (Tanjong Katong) | international | Within 1 km |
| CHIJ (Katong) Primary | primary | Within 1 km |
Facilities
Facilities at Suites @ Katong are appropriately scaled for a 51-unit boutique development. Expect a swimming pool, gym, and communal outdoor areas — the standard provision for an inner-city freehold product of this vintage and land area. There is no clubhouse, tennis court, or resort-scale facility cluster. This is a deliberate trade-off: the development’s appeal rests on its location, tenure, and liveability rather than on-site amenity breadth. Residents who want extensive facilities are catered for by the broader neighbourhood — East Coast Park’s cycling paths, beach volleyball, and BBQ pits are accessible within 15 minutes on a bike. The mechanical car parking system is functional but requires patience; it is a common trade-off in boutique urban developments where land is too expensive for a conventional multi-storey car park.
“It’s a small and cosy development. The pool is quiet since there are so few units. I live here for the neighbourhood, not the facilities — the hawker centres, Katong laksa, and just the feel of the area. Hard to replicate.”
— Resident review via EdgeProp
The eight ground-floor commercial units are a mixed asset. When tenanted with food and beverage or services, they create in-compound convenience and a livelier ground-level experience. The flip side is that F&B tenants can bring smell, noise, and delivery traffic that impacts lower-floor residential units. Prospective buyers should verify the current tenant mix and assess the ground-floor orientation of the unit they are considering.
Unit Sizes & Layout
Unit sizes at Suites @ Katong reflect the compact inner-city positioning typical of boutique D15 freehold developments. Transaction records show apartments ranging from approximately 376 sqft (studio/1-bedroom) up to around 807 sqft for larger 2-bedroom configurations, with the bulk of transactions clustering in the 376–430 sqft band. At these sizes, the layouts are efficient but unforgiving — buyers should approach with clear-eyed expectations rather than assuming D15 freehold boutique means generous space. That said, at S$1,682 psf for the smaller units, the quantum stays in the S$640k–S$730k range for most 1-bedroom configurations, which remains accessible compared to new D15 launches asking S$2,500+ psf.
Stack selection matters here. Units facing Tanjong Katong Road will experience road noise from the dual carriageway, particularly on lower floors. Units oriented toward the rear or internal courtyard enjoy significantly more quiet, albeit with less natural light in some configurations. The upper-floor rear-facing units represent the sweet spot for own-stay buyers: minimal road noise, good cross-ventilation, and a freehold lease that compounds favourably over time. Given the small unit count, individual floor plans vary — request the specific stack floor plan from the agent rather than relying on generic layouts.
| Bedrooms | Transactions | Avg PSF | Avg Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 BR | 11 | $1,649 | $654,727 |
| 2 BR | 1 | $1,365 | $1,102,000 |
Pricing & Market Position
Based on 12 recorded transactions, sale prices range from $590,000 to $1,102,000, averaging $692,000 (~$1,682 psf).
Rents range from $1,600 to $3,600 per month across 146 rental transactions. Current rental yield sits at approximately 4.7%.
Price Appreciation
From 2021 to 2025, the average PSF has appreciated by 13.9% (from $1,477 to $1,682 psf).
Neighbourhood Comparison
Within the D15 boutique freehold peer set, Suites @ Katong’s 2024 PSF of ~S$1,728 sits well below newer boutique launches: Claydence (28 units, 2024 TOP, ~S$2,400+ psf), Ardor Residence (35 units, 2024, ~S$2,300+ psf), and the larger Continuum (816 units, Freehold, ~S$2,790 psf). The mega-developments — Grand Dunman (1,008 units, 99 yr from 2022, ~S$2,537 psf), Emerald of Katong (846 units, 99 yr from 2023, ~S$2,640 psf), and Tembusu Grand (638 units, 99 yr from 2022, ~S$2,462 psf) — offer new leases and modern facilities but at a 40–50% PSF premium and on leasehold tenure. Amber Park (592 units, Freehold, ~S$2,538 psf) is the closest freehold comparison by scale but commands a 47% PSF premium.
The trade-off is clear: Suites @ Katong gives you freehold D15, Katong address, and Tanjong Katong MRT proximity at a significant discount to everything launched post-2020. The cost is compact unit sizes, a boutique facility offering, and a mechanical car park. For buyers who have already internalized the neighbourhood value and are focused on total acquisition cost and perpetual tenure, the gap to new launches is increasingly difficult for those developments to justify.
| Development | Tenure | TOP | Units | ~Avg PSF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUITES@ KATONG | Freehold | 2014 | 51 | $1,682 |
| 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 | $2,462 |
| AMBER PARK | Freehold | 2021 | 592 | $2,544 |
ShiokNest Scores
Our proprietary scoring system evaluates SUITES@ KATONG across multiple dimensions.
What Residents Say
“Love the location — everything Katong has to offer is at your doorstep. Haig Road hawkers, the Peranakan stretch, and now with Tanjong Katong MRT it has become even more convenient. Small development means the pool is never crowded.”
— Resident review via EdgeProp
“Units are compact, which is expected for this location and tenure. Mechanical parking is a bit tedious but you get used to it. Freehold in D15 at this price point is hard to argue with.”
— Resident review via PropertyGuru
“Oxley boutique product quality is adequate but not premium. The renovation budget needs to account for upgrading the kitchen fittings and bathrooms. That said, the management is small-scale and responsive, which is a plus compared to mega-condos.”
— Resident review via PropertyGuru
The consistent theme across resident feedback is one of neighbourhood-first buyers who chose Suites @ Katong for what is outside the gate rather than inside. The development’s modest facility offering is accepted as a fair trade for freehold tenure, Katong address, and a rental yield that consistently outperforms larger D15 developments. Management responsiveness is a recurring positive for the small-development format. The mechanical parking and compact units remain the two recurring friction points.
Strengths & Weaknesses
- Freehold tenure on Tanjong Katong Road — perpetual ownership in D15
- Tanjong Katong MRT (TEL) ~510m away — major post-2023 connectivity upgrade
- 3 primary schools within 400m including Haig Girls' School (200m)
- Canadian International School at 660m — strong expat tenant pool
- Strong gross yield ~4.7% — competitive for freehold D15
- Sub-S$800k entry for 1-BR — accessible quantum vs new launches
- Haig Road Food Centre within walking distance — hawker culture at the door
- ECP access in <5 min — Changi Airport ~20 min, CBD ~15 min by car
- 35–40% PSF discount to comparable new launches in same district
- Small 51-unit development — quiet pool, responsive management
- Compact units (376–430 sqft typical) — space is not the selling point
- Mechanical car parking — wait times and occasional maintenance downtime
- Ground-floor commercial tenants may bring noise/smell to lower-floor units
- Oxley mid-market finishing quality — renovation budget recommended
- MRT still ~510m on foot — not truly doorstep in Singapore's heat
- Dual-carriageway road-facing units experience traffic noise
- Very limited on-site facilities — no tennis, clubhouse, or resort amenities
- Small development limits MCST bargaining power for bulk contracts
- En-bloc score 39/100 — boutique freehold unlikely to attract collective sale premium
Verdict
Suites @ Katong makes a coherent case for a specific buyer: someone who wants freehold D15 at sub-S$800k quantum, values the Katong lifestyle deeply, and either does not drive (now that Tanjong Katong MRT is open) or drives and appreciates the ECP access. The gross yield around 4.7% is among the better numbers for freehold D15, and the tenant pool — young professionals, expats near the Canadian International School, couples who want east-coast access — is stable and growing as the TEL network matures.
The honest caveats: this is a compact-unit development where space is not the selling point. The mechanical parking adds friction. The ground-floor commercial element requires due diligence on the tenant mix. And the competition from newer boutique freehold launches in the same pocket (Claydence, Ardor Residence, Koon Seng House) means the resale narrative needs to be clearly articulated to the next buyer. Against new launches at S$2,500–S$2,790 psf (The Continuum, Emerald of Katong, Grand Dunman), Suites @ Katong at S$1,682 psf offers a ~35–40% PSF discount for a freehold product. That gap supports a defensible hold thesis.
For long-term holders, freehold D15 with a proven rental track record and improving MRT connectivity is as solid a base as Singapore private residential gets. The caveat is holding period: given the compact unit sizes and mechanical parking, this is unlikely to be a development that benefits from significant capital recycling in the short term. Buyers thinking 10+ year horizons who prioritise the neighbourhood over the development will find the value proposition more compelling than those seeking a turnkey asset to flip in three years.