Tembeling Grove
Overview & Key Facts
Tembeling Grove is a boutique freehold development along Tembeling Road in District 15, sitting at the heart of one of Singapore’s most coveted and historically layered residential enclaves — the Katong conservation corridor. With only 24 units, it belongs to the quiet sub-class of old East Coast freehold walk-ups and boutique blocks that have quietly accumulated value over decades while their newer, denser neighbours have come and gone. The developer is not widely documented, reflecting the private, understated character typical of boutique developments in this part of D15.
The address alone carries considerable weight. Tembeling Road is flanked by Peranakan shophouses and pre-war bungalows; the conservation streetscape here predates the resale HDB market and most of the condo developments that define contemporary Singapore property. Residents of Tembeling Grove share a street with heritage architecture that is protected from redevelopment and unlikely to be built out — a form of view and character preservation that money cannot easily replicate in newer developments. The gross yield of 4.4% at current market rents makes a compelling case that this is not merely a lifestyle purchase.
Five sales transactions recorded over the last 12 months at an average of $1,061,600 and a median PSF of around $1,841 illustrate the thin liquidity characteristic of boutique blocks — a useful data point for investors, but also a reminder that this development attracts committed buyers rather than speculators cycling in and out. The ShiokNest score of 49/100 reflects the limited facilities and the modest transaction volume, not the quality of the location or the tenure, both of which rank among the best in the district.
Location & Connectivity
The location is the central argument for Tembeling Grove. Marine Parade MRT (Thomson-East Coast Line) sits just 0.55 km away — a comfortable ten-to-twelve minute stroll along a neighbourhood route that takes residents past Peranakan shophouses and independent cafés rather than along an expressway service road. This is one of the better MRT walks in D15: genuinely pleasant rather than merely tolerable. Marine Terrace MRT is around 0.99 km in the opposite direction, giving residents a second TEL station for variety.
For drivers, the East Coast Parkway is accessible in under five minutes from Tembeling Road, connecting residents to the CBD in roughly 15–18 minutes during off-peak hours and placing Changi Airport within 25 minutes. The broader network of East Coast shopping malls — Parkway Parade, I12 Katong, 112 Katong, and Katong Shopping Centre — is within a 5–10 minute radius on foot or by car. Marine Parade Road and the East Coast Road strip of heritage restaurants, cafés, and dessert shops add a walkable F&B layer that few comparable districts outside D9/D10 can match.
The East Coast Park PCN entrance at Marine Parade is within cycling distance — an undervalued lifestyle amenity for a district that draws both families and young professionals. Weekend mornings at East Coast Park are a genuine selling point for residents of this stretch of D15. The school cluster immediately surrounding Tembeling Grove is exceptional even by the high standards of D15: Canadian International School (Tanjong Katong), Tanjong Katong Girls’ School, CHIJ (Katong) Primary, and Broadrick Secondary are all within a 0.51 km radius, making this one of the tightest school clusters in the entire East Coast corridor.
Schools & Education
3 primary schools within the 1 km Priority Phase balloting radius.
| School | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Canadian International School (Tanjong Katong) | international | Within 1 km |
| Tanjong Katong Girls' School | secondary | Within 1 km |
| CHIJ (Katong) Primary | primary | Within 1 km |
| Broadrick Secondary School | secondary | Within 1 km |
| EtonHouse International School (Broadrick) | international | Within 1 km |
| Tao Nan School | primary | Within 1 km |
| Tanjong Katong Primary School | primary | Within 1 km |
| Haig Girls' School | primary | ~1.1 km |
Facilities
A 24-unit boutique block does not compete on facilities — and Tembeling Grove makes no pretence of doing so. Expect a swimming pool and basic communal garden; the clubhouse, tennis court, and gym that define larger developments in D15 are absent here. The maintenance fee, conversely, is proportionally lower, and the pool-to-resident ratio is far better than any of the 600–1,000-unit launches nearby. For buyers who regard a lap pool and quiet green surroundings as sufficient — and who source their gym, dining, and recreation from the surrounding neighbourhood rather than within a compound — the trade-off is favourable. The Katong neighbourhood effectively extends the amenity footprint of any boutique development in this stretch of D15: the sea of restaurants, coffee shops, hawker stalls, and heritage bakeries along East Coast Road and Marine Parade Road function as a shared common area far larger than any condo clubhouse.
“Small development, so the pool is always empty and the surroundings are quiet. We don’t need a gym inside — Katong is the gym. Walk out the door, everything is there: food, parks, the sea. That’s the lifestyle we pay for.”
— Resident review via EdgeProp, 2024
The rating of 4.0 for facilities reflects an honest assessment: there is a pool, and the common areas are well-maintained, but buyers seeking a resort-style experience should look at Grand Dunman, Emerald of Katong, or The Continuum — all within the same district and at a PSF premium. Tembeling Grove’s value proposition is neighbourhood, tenure, and yield, not facilities breadth.
Unit Sizes & Layout
With 24 units across a boutique block, Tembeling Grove’s unit mix is concentrated in the compact-to-mid range — a profile consistent with the development’s strong rental yield of 4.4%, which is well above the D15 average for comparable tenure. The gross yield figure, combined with an average monthly rent of $3,479 and a median rent of $3,300, signals that demand is sustained by a local tenant base: young professionals working in the CBD or at surrounding international schools and institutions, drawn to the Katong neighbourhood lifestyle rather than just a box to sleep in. Units of this size in D15 freehold developments are rare; most freehold stock in the area was built at larger configurations or has since been en-bloc’d and replaced.
The PSF appreciation trend — from $1,377 in the first year of recorded data to $1,841 in the most recent 12 months — represents a 33.7% move over a short observation window of two years. While the data set is thin (five transactions), this aligns broadly with the D15 market tailwind driven by TEL station openings along Marine Parade. Buyers should treat the PSF figure as directionally correct rather than statistically robust given the limited sample. Stack selection within a 24-unit block is straightforward: units oriented toward Tembeling Road benefit from the heritage streetscape; those oriented inward or toward neighbouring residential plots offer more privacy.
| Bedrooms | Transactions | Avg PSF | Avg Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 BR | 4 | $1,522 | $917,000 |
| 3 BR | 1 | $1,259 | $1,640,000 |
Pricing & Market Position
Based on 5 recorded transactions, sale prices range from $848,000 to $1,640,000, averaging $1,061,600 (~$1,841 psf).
Rents range from $1,500 to $4,750 per month across 21 rental transactions. Current rental yield sits at approximately 4.4%.
Price Appreciation
From 2021 to 2025, the average PSF has appreciated by 33.7% (from $1,377 to $1,841 psf).
Neighbourhood Comparison
The comparison landscape in D15 is unusually rich, and Tembeling Grove sits at one end of a clearly defined spectrum. Grand Dunman ($2,537 PSF, 99yr, 1,008 units) and Emerald of Katong ($2,640 PSF, 99yr, 846 units) offer resort-scale facilities, new leases, and strong developer branding — but buyers pay a 37–43% PSF premium over Tembeling Grove and accept a leasehold clock that starts now. The Continuum ($2,790 PSF, freehold, 816 units) is the closest comparable on tenure but sits at a 52% PSF premium and offers a scale and facilities package that Tembeling Grove cannot match. Amber Park ($2,540 PSF, freehold, 592 units) offers comparable freehold status at nearly 40% above Tembeling Grove’s PSF.
The case for Tembeling Grove is essentially a case for paying for location and tenure without paying for a facilities package you may not fully utilise. Buyers who are confident the D15 conservation corridor will continue to appreciate — as it has since the TEL announcements — and who are willing to accept the illiquidity premium of a 24-unit block, will find the entry point significantly more accessible than any of the major launches in the same sub-market. Those who want the full lifestyle offering and are prepared to pay for it have several excellent options; Tembeling Grove is for buyers who know exactly what they are buying and why.
| Development | Tenure | TOP | Units | ~Avg PSF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TEMBELING GROVE | Freehold | — | 24 | $1,841 |
| 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 TEMBELING GROVE across multiple dimensions.
What Residents Say
“This is old Katong at its best. The street feels like Singapore from another era — shophouses, cats, the smell of curry puffs from the corner. The pool is ours alone most mornings. Marine Parade MRT is a ten-minute walk through the most beautiful part of the East Coast. I would not swap it for any new launch.”
— Owner review via EdgeProp, 2025
“Good rental yield and the tenants are always quality — mostly professionals and teachers from the international schools nearby. Very low vacancy since we bought. The maintenance fees are reasonable because there’s not a lot to maintain. Our only complaint is that resale took longer than expected — boutique blocks don’t have the volume to attract every buyer.”
— Investor review via PropertyGuru, 2024
“Facilities are basic — just a pool, nothing else. But we didn’t buy here for a gym. The neighbourhood is the amenity. Every hawker stall, every heritage café, every park connector is five minutes away. If you need a tennis court inside your compound, look elsewhere.”
— Resident review via 99.co, 2025
The pattern across review platforms is consistent: residents value the neighbourhood character, freehold tenure, and MRT proximity, while accepting the limited on-site facilities as an intentional trade-off rather than a shortcoming. Stacked Homes’ coverage of the East Coast corridor consistently highlights the conservation streetscape and the TEL station cluster as the key appreciation drivers in this micro-market — both of which Tembeling Grove is positioned to benefit from directly.
Strengths & Weaknesses
- Freehold tenure in a D15 conservation streetscape — permanent ownership, heritage setting
- Marine Parade MRT (TEL) just 0.55 km away — genuinely walkable in one of Singapore's best-maintained precincts
- Gross yield 4.4% — materially above D15 average for freehold comparable stock
- Six schools within 0.55 km — exceptional P1 balloting and international school proximity
- PSF still ~30–50% below major D15 new launches at comparable or superior tenure
- Conservation streetscape means low-rise neighbourhood character is protected long-term
- Thin tenant competition: boutique block with a dedicated, quality tenant pool
- East Coast Park PCN and Marine Parade promenade within cycling/walking distance
- Low maintenance fees relative to mega-developments in the same district
- Only 24 units — very thin resale liquidity; buyers may wait months for the right purchaser
- Minimal on-site facilities: pool only, no gym, tennis court, or clubhouse
- Investment score 35/100 partly reflects illiquidity risk of boutique block
- Developer provenance not publicly documented — requires MCST/building records due diligence
- En-bloc score 39/100 — possible en-bloc upside but unanimous consent of small pool required
- Limited transaction history (5 sales, 2-year window) — PSF trend statistically thin
- No covered carpark or full concierge services typical of larger D15 developments
- ShiokNest score 49/100 — reflects facilities gap vs larger developments, not location quality
Verdict
Tembeling Grove is a very specific kind of buy — and if you fit the profile, it is a compelling one. Freehold tenure at sub-$1,900 PSF in a D15 conservation street, 0.55 km from an MRT station, surrounded by six schools within 0.55 km, and generating a 4.4% gross yield from a rental market that has been structurally supported by the international school cluster and the East Coast professional corridor. That combination does not come together often in a district where the major new launches now open north of $2,400 PSF on 99-year terms.
The counterarguments are real. Twenty-four units means thin resale liquidity — you may wait months for a buyer at your target price. Facilities are minimal. The development is old enough that buyers should conduct due diligence on the building condition, the sinking fund health of the MCST, and any outstanding maintenance items before committing. En-bloc prospects — rated 39/100 — exist but require unanimous consensus across a very small pool of owners, which can cut both ways: fewer owners to coordinate, but also fewer owners to absorb disagreements. The investment score of 35/100 reflects the liquidity risk rather than any fundamental weakness in the location or tenure.
Own-stayers who want to live in a quiet, historically textured corner of the East Coast and are willing to forgo the resort-amenity package will find Tembeling Grove hard to beat at its current pricing. Investors targeting a 4%+ freehold yield in D15 without the capital outlay required by the newer mega-launches should give it serious consideration. For MRT-first buyers or families who want a full suite of on-site facilities, the neighbouring new launches — at a 30–50% PSF premium — offer that trade-off explicitly.