Sungrove
Overview & Key Facts
Sungrove occupies a leafy, low-traffic stretch of West Coast Grove in District 5 — one of Singapore’s quietest residential enclave roads, tucked between the Ayer Rajah Expressway corridor and the green fringe of West Coast Park. Developed by Mallink Development Pte Ltd (an arm of LKN Development), the project was completed in 1998 as a rare format: a 29-unit strata cluster landed development of 3-storey semi-detached houses, each configured with 6 bedrooms across approximately 7,000–9,000 sqft of built-up space. At this scale, Sungrove sits in a category of its own — not quite a condominium, not quite pure landed housing, but a guarded cluster community that delivers the space of a semi-detached bungalow with the convenience of managed communal facilities.
The developer, LKN Development (now known for commercial and residential projects across Singapore and Malaysia), positioned Sungrove squarely at the executive family segment — households who need the square footage for multi-generational living or a large family, but prefer the security of a gated compound over standalone landed. Each unit comes with its own basement car park accommodating two vehicles, making it self-contained in a way that most condominiums cannot replicate. The result is a development that has attracted a steady cohort of NUS-affiliated professionals, expatriate corporate households, and multi-generational families who value proximity to the National University of Singapore (roughly 10 minutes by car) and the one-north/Biopolis research corridor.
With only 29 units on site, Sungrove is intimate by any measure. Transaction volume is correspondingly thin — just two recorded resale transactions in recent years, at S$3.6–3.7 million per unit, translating to roughly S$430–441 psf on built-up area. For context, that is a striking discount to replacement cost for large-format landed housing in District 5. The catch, which no buyer should overlook, is the lease: 99 years from 1994, leaving approximately 67 years remaining in 2026. The lease clock is the single most important factor in any evaluation of Sungrove today.
Location & Connectivity
West Coast Grove is one of those roads that Singaporeans who don’t live in the area rarely visit. It runs quietly between West Coast Road and West Coast Park, flanked by mature trees and a patchwork of landed housing, low-rise condominiums, and educational institutions. The atmosphere is distinctly residential and unhurried — a rarity for a district that sits so close to the AYE and the southern industrial belt. Sungrove’s address (Nos. 71–129) places it near the midpoint of this stretch, with West Coast Park accessible on foot in roughly 10–12 minutes. The park — one of the largest and best-equipped in western Singapore — offers a coastal promenade, BBQ areas, cycling tracks, and a beach lawn facing the Strait of Singapore.
For drivers, the location works well. The AYE on-ramp at West Coast is under five minutes away, offering quick access to the CBD (20–25 minutes off-peak), one-north/Biopolis (8 minutes), and NUS (10 minutes). West Coast Plaza — a neighbourhood mall with Cold Storage, Anytime Fitness, Daiso, and a food court — is reachable in under five minutes by car. Ayer Rajah Food Centre, rated among Singapore’s top heritage hawker venues, is roughly 10 minutes east. Clementi Mall, with a broader retail and dining mix, is about 10 minutes away. The overall food and retail picture is solid for car-owning households; it is materially less convenient for those who are car-free.
The MRT situation is honest but limited. Clementi MRT (EW23/CR17) is 1.05 km away — walkable in Singapore terms at approximately 13–15 minutes, though the route involves crossing West Coast Road and does not benefit from sheltered pedestrian infrastructure for most of the distance. There is no second MRT station within comfortable walking range. The West Coast MRT station on the Cross Island Line is under construction and, once operational, may improve future connectivity — but no confirmed operational dates should be relied upon for current purchasing decisions. In practice, Sungrove is a car-first address.
School options are genuinely strong. Qifa Primary is 0.70 km away, Clementi Town Secondary 0.81 km, Clementi Primary 1.12 km, and Nan Hua Primary 1.17 km — all within the Phase 2B balloting distance that matters for P1 registration. Nan Hua High School (1.45 km) and OWIS Nanyang (1.24 km) add secondary and international school options. For families with school-age children, few West Coast addresses match this density of options within a 1.5 km radius.
Schools & Education
1 primary school within the 1 km Priority Phase balloting radius.
| School | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Qifa Primary School | primary | Within 1 km |
| Clementi Town Secondary School | secondary | Within 1 km |
| Clementi Primary School | primary | ~1.1 km |
| Nan Hua Primary School | primary | ~1.2 km |
| One World International School (Nanyang) | international | ~1.2 km |
| Nan Hua High School | secondary | ~1.5 km |
| Pei Tong Primary School | primary | ~1.7 km |
| NUS High School of Mathematics and Science | jc | ~1.9 km |
Facilities
Facilities at Sungrove are modest in breadth but appropriate for the development’s intimate, landed-residential character. The communal offering includes a swimming pool, wading pool, children’s playground, tennis court, clubhouse, gymnasium, and private car park. For a 29-unit development, this is a reasonable complement of amenities — the focus is on quality of life for the immediate community rather than resort-style spectacle. The 24-hour gated security is a genuine selling point: residents report a strong sense of safety and community that is harder to achieve in large-scale condominiums. Maintenance fees, distributed across only 29 units, may be higher per unit than typical condominiums, but buyers at this price point generally regard that as an acceptable trade-off for the exclusivity.
“Very private, very quiet. You know all your neighbours by name. The pool is well-maintained and the kids use the playground daily. It feels like a landed enclave but with the security of a gated condo — best of both worlds.”
— Resident, via PropertyGuru community feedback
The clubhouse and gym are proportional to the community they serve. Do not expect the scale of a Treasure at Tampines or The Minton — Sungrove’s facilities are curated for a small, exclusive enclave. The tennis court is a meaningful differentiator versus similarly priced condominiums in the sub-market. Parking is individual (basement per unit) rather than shared, eliminating one of the common pain points of multi-unit living.
Pricing & Market Position
Based on 2 recorded transactions, sale prices range from $3,601,000 to $3,690,000, averaging $3,645,500.
Rents range from $6,000 to $11,000 per month across 16 rental transactions. Current rental yield sits at approximately 2.9%.
Price Appreciation
From 2023 to 2024, the average PSF has appreciated by 2.5% (from $431 to $441 psf).
Neighbourhood Comparison
The natural comparison set for Sungrove is not the standard D5 condominium pipeline. Normanton Park (S$1,866 psf, 99yr from 2019) and Parc Clematis (S$1,885 psf, 99yr from 2019) offer newer leases, far more conventional condominium units, and better MRT access, but they cannot deliver 7,000+ sqft of living space for any price. ELTA (S$2,557 psf, 99yr from 2024) targets the high-end apartment market and is an entirely different proposition. The only true comparables for Sungrove’s format are other cluster landed developments in D5 or adjacent districts — a thin market where transactions are infrequent and pricing is highly individual.
Against pure freehold or newly-leased semi-detached landed in the West Coast / Clementi area, Sungrove’s pricing looks materially discounted (S$430–441 psf vs. S$700–1,000+ psf for comparable landed). That discount is the lease — and it is real, not illusory. Buyers who need to make a strict apples-to-apples comparison should model the cost per year of remaining lease: at S$3.7 million for 67 remaining years, you are paying approximately S$55,000 per year of lease, versus a freehold semi-detached in the same corridor that might cost S$5–7 million but delivers perpetual tenure. For long-horizon holders with certainty of tenure needs, freehold landed wins. For those comfortable with a 67-year horizon — or positioning for en-bloc — Sungrove’s absolute price point offers a genuinely different value proposition.
| Development | Tenure | TOP | Units | ~Avg PSF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUNGROVE | 99 yrs lease commencing from 1994 | 1998 | 29 | — |
| LANDED HOUSING DEVELOPMENT | Freehold | 2021 | 156 | $1,832 |
| NORMANTON PARK | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2019 | 2021 | 1,840 | $1,866 |
| PARC CLEMATIS | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2019 | 2021 | 1,450 | $1,885 |
| ELTA | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2024 | 2025 | 501 | $2,557 |
| FABER RESIDENCE | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2025 | 2025 | 399 | $2,156 |
Lease Decay Analysis
The 99-year lease runs from 1994, meaning approximately 32 years have already been consumed. Roughly 67 years remain — still comfortably within the range where most banks will offer full financing without restrictions.
| Year | Lease remaining | Implication |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (now) | ~67 years | Full bank financing available |
| 2033 | ~59 years | Approaching 60-year threshold — CPF limits begin for some |
| 2053 | ~39 years | Significant financing restrictions for next buyer |
| 2093 | 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 ~57 years remaining, which is still very bankable. The risk profile changes for longer holds.
ShiokNest Scores
Our proprietary scoring system evaluates SUNGROVE across multiple dimensions.
What Residents Say
“We have been here for eight years. The quiet is the thing people underestimate — West Coast Grove is genuinely silent at night. The kids grew up here, went to Qifa, walked to school. We have loved every year of it. The only shadow is the lease. We know we need to make a decision in the next few years.”
— Long-term owner, via EdgeProp community
“Renting here from NUS on a corporate relocation package. The space is extraordinary — we’ve never lived in anything like it in Singapore. Six bedrooms, a basement, a garden. West Coast Park is practically our backyard. The commute to the university is under 10 minutes by car.”
— Expat tenant, via PropertyGuru
“Lovely development, great neighbours, no complaints about the facilities or management. The issue is purely the lease. It was fine when we bought it 15 years ago at 80+ years remaining. Today at 67 years, the bank was already giving us a harder time when we refinanced. Anyone buying now needs to go in eyes open.”
— Owner, via 99.co
Strengths & Weaknesses
- 6-bedroom semi-detached format, 7,000–9,000 sqft built-up — rare at any price in D5
- Individual basement car park per unit (2 cars) — no shared parking queue
- Extremely quiet, leafy enclave — West Coast Grove is one of the most tranquil roads in District 5
- West Coast Park walkable (~10–12 min) — cycling, BBQ, coastal promenade
- Exceptional school catchment: Qifa Primary 0.70km, Clementi Primary 1.12km, Nan Hua Primary 1.17km
- Strong corporate/expat rental demand — avg S$9,000/month from NUS and Biopolis corridor tenants
- 29-unit scale creates genuine community intimacy — residents know their neighbours
- En-bloc optionality (score 58/100) on a well-located D5 land parcel
- AYE and West Coast Road access — 8 min to one-north, 20–25 min CBD by car
- Gated 24-hour security
- Lease critical: 67 years remaining in 2026 — drops below 60yr in ~7 years (2033)
- 60-year cliff in 2033 imposes max 30-year loan on future buyers, shrinking the resale pool
- Bank financing already constrained — expect higher cash component requirement today
- Only Clementi MRT at 1.05 km — no second station, no sheltered walking route
- Car-dependent address — walking/cycling to daily needs is limited
- Very thin transaction market (2 sales in recent history) — liquidity and price discovery are poor
- Low gross yield (2.93%) for the capital committed — not a yield-driven investment
- Modest facilities breadth for a >S$3.5M price point (pool, gym, tennis, playground only)
- Maintenance fees spread across only 29 units — likely higher per-unit than comparably-priced condos
- PSF of ~S$431 looks cheap but reflects lease decay, not a hidden discount
Verdict
Sungrove is a niche product with a very specific buyer profile — and it is a genuinely excellent fit for that profile, while being a poor fit for almost everyone else. If you need 7,000+ sqft of Singapore landed-format living, a quiet West Coast address with exceptional school access, the security of a gated compound, and you are either buying largely in cash or specifically positioning for en-bloc upside, Sungrove delivers an experience that no comparable condo in D5 can replicate. The rental market confirms the demand story: 16 recorded rentals at average S$8,453–9,000 per month reflect consistent interest from NUS-affiliated expat executives and corporate tenants who need the space and are drawn to the park proximity and school catchment. A gross yield of ~2.93% is low in absolute terms but not unreasonable for a large-format landed asset in this submarket.
The lease, however, is the elephant in every room. At 67 years remaining, Sungrove sits close to the threshold where financing and CPF restrictions begin to materially compound the holding cost and suppress the resale pool. The 60-year cliff — just seven years away — will arrive faster than most buyers instinctively price in. At that point, every new buyer will face a 30-year maximum loan term and potentially tighter LTV, structurally reducing the universe of buyers who can transact at current price levels. Sellers who wait until after 2033 to exit will find a narrower, more price-sensitive audience. For buyers who intend to hold for 10–20 years, the exit math from the late 2030s onward is not straightforward.
The en-bloc angle is the most interesting counterweight to the lease concern. A 29-unit site on West Coast Grove, within walking distance of NUS, opposite a belt of landed housing, and adjacent to the AYE corridor, carries genuine land value. An en-bloc at S$10–12 million per unit (a realistic range for the site, based on comparable D5 landed en-bloc precedents) would deliver a compelling return for owners who acquired at today’s levels. The 58/100 ShiokNest en-bloc score reflects this optionality, but en-bloc outcomes are inherently uncertain — small developments require unanimous or near-unanimous owner consent, and the smaller the number of units, the more a single holdout can derail a collective sale. Buyers who are specifically buying for en-bloc should model both the upside scenario and the scenario where en-bloc does not happen and the lease continues to decay.