The Alps Residences
The Alps Residences sits along Tampines Street 86 in the heart of District 18's Tampines East precinct, a 626-unit MCC Land development on a 99-year lease that commenced in 2015. Completed in 2019, the project rides on a mature ecosystem of regional amenities while anchoring itself to the Tampines East MRT station on the Downtown Line — a five-to-seven-minute sheltered walk away.
What gives The Alps Residences its enduring appeal is the rare combination of mass-market accessibility and resort-style facilities: 50-plus thematic facilities including an Alpine-inspired lap pool, jacuzzi cabanas, sky terraces, and dining pavilions, all packaged at PSF levels that have historically undercut newer launches across Tampines and Pasir Ris. For families priced out of the marquee Treasure at Tampines but unwilling to settle on facility depth, the project lands squarely in the sweet spot.
The buyer pool here splits cleanly into three: HDB upgraders graduating from Tampines and Pasir Ris flats who want continuity of schooling and commute; investor-landlords leveraging Tampines East's twin-line MRT prospect (Cross Island Line integration is scheduled for the 2030s); and right-sizers from the East who value the matured retail ecosystem of Tampines Mall, Century Square and Tampines 1. We assess fit across these segments using the price heatmap and commute time map, then layer in scenario-specific math via the mortgage calculator and total cost calculator.
Tampines East is one of three sub-zones within the broader Tampines planning area, sitting east of the Tampines town centre and north of the Bedok Reservoir corridor. The precinct's identity has shifted dramatically since the Downtown Line stage 3 opened in 2017, transforming what was historically a quieter residential pocket into a transit-anchored gateway between the Tampines regional centre and the upcoming Tampines North precinct.
Within District 18, The Alps Residences is one of a cluster of 2014-2015 vintage 99-year leasehold projects launched as part of the Tampines Street 86 GLS tranche. Its immediate cohort includes The Santorini directly across the street and Q Bay Residences a short walk south. Each was conceived with similar facility ambitions but differing site geometries — Alps sits on a more rectangular parcel that allowed for centralised facility decks, while Santorini's wedge-shaped site pushed amenities to the perimeter.
The defining context for any unit transaction here is the Cross Island Line. The 2030-completion CRL interchange at Tampines East will turn the station into a twin-line node, materially compressing commute times to the Jurong Lake District and Punggol once both legs are operational. The URA Master Plan map shows the surrounding land remaining largely residential with light-commercial overlays — there are no major rezoning surprises that would alter the precinct character. Pricing context is best understood by overlaying the price heatmap against the new launches map, where the supply pipeline from Tampines North will set the medium-term ceiling for resale PSF.
Overview & Key Facts
The Alps Residences is a 626-unit leasehold condominium at 105–117 Tampines Street 86, completed in 2019 and developed by MCC Land (Tampines) Pte Ltd. Designed collaboratively by Group8Asia and AGA Architects, the development comprises 9 blocks of 15 storeys on a 15,660 sqm site, with a distinctive Alpine-inspired architecture featuring cascading roof terraces and gabled façades. The Swiss mountain theme extends beyond aesthetics — unit names reference alpine elements, the landscaping features a “Pine Forest” and “Spring Garden,” and the overall massing creates a stepped silhouette unusual for a mass-market Tampines condo.
MCC Land is a subsidiary of the Metallurgical Corporation of China (MCC Group), a Fortune Global 500 state-owned enterprise. In Singapore, MCC has built landmarks including Universal Studios at Resorts World Sentosa and the Keppel Distripark, and developed residential projects such as The Santorini, The Poiz Residences, Queens Peak, and the more recent Sceneca Residence. Their track record is mixed: MCC earned a BCA CONQUAS Star Award for construction quality, but URA issued a no-sale licence for Sceneca Residence over concerns about satisfactory completion of past projects. The Alps Residences itself has drawn no notable construction quality complaints — the issues residents raise are management-related, not structural.
The numbers reveal a quietly solid performer in a location most buyers initially overlook. Average PSF has climbed from roughly $1,344 in 2021 to $1,520 in 2025 — a 13% gain over four years, modest but consistent. With 206 resale transactions, 750 rental contracts, and a 3.52% gross yield, The Alps Residences has established respectable liquidity for a 626-unit development. The buyer profile skews heavily local — 78.1% Singaporean, 19.1% PR — reflecting its heartland positioning and affordable quantum. Recent PSF data shows a slight dip from $1,520 to $1,506, which warrants honest assessment: the development’s distance from the nearest MRT creates a soft ceiling on capital appreciation relative to better-connected Tampines condos. This is a development that rewards patient, yield-oriented ownership rather than speculative flipping.
Location & Connectivity
Let’s address the elephant in the room: Tampines West MRT (DTL) is 1.41 km away. That is a 17–20 minute walk — too far for daily commuting on foot, and firmly in the “need a bus or bicycle” category. This is the single biggest compromise buyers make at The Alps Residences, and no amount of marketing can disguise it. Bus services along Tampines Avenue 10 connect to Tampines MRT interchange (EWL + DTL) within 10–15 minutes, and MCC Land has historically provided a shuttle bus service to Tampines MRT, but the MRT accessibility rating here is honestly a 3–4 out of 10. For MRT-dependent commuters, this matters.
That said, the location has genuine compensating strengths. Drivers reach the Tampines Expressway (TPE) and Pan Island Expressway (PIE) within minutes. Changi Airport is approximately 10–12 minutes by car. The Tampines Regional Centre — one of Singapore’s four regional centres — is a short drive away, with Changi Business Park and the upcoming Changi Region development corridor providing employment nodes that reduce the need for CBD commutes. For two-car households or remote workers, the MRT distance may be largely irrelevant.
Daily amenities are available across the road in the HDB enclave along Tampines Street 86, including a Sheng Siong supermarket, coffee shops, bakeries, a clinic, and a hair salon — genuine heartland convenience within a 3-minute walk. For major retail, Our Tampines Hub (800-seat hawker centre, five-storey regional library, 20-court badminton hall, swimming complex) is approximately 2 km away. Tampines Mall, Century Square, Tampines 1, IKEA, Giant, and Courts Megastore are all within the Tampines Central cluster — reachable in 5–8 minutes by car or bus.
The nature surroundings are a genuine lifestyle plus. Bedok Reservoir Park is approximately 1 km away, offering jogging paths, fishing, kayaking, and wakeboarding. Tampines Quarry Park, an Instagram-worthy former quarry with turquoise waters, is also roughly 1 km away and connected via the Park Connector Network. Tampines Eco Green, a curated wetland habitat, is 2 km distant. For residents who value weekend outdoor activities — cycling, running, water sports — the surrounding green infrastructure is substantially better than what most Tampines condos offer. The trade-off is clear: you sacrifice MRT proximity for nature access and school proximity at a price point that few Tampines condos can match.
Schools & Education
3 primary schools within the 1 km Priority Phase balloting radius.
| School | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| St. Hilda's Primary School | primary | Within 1 km |
| Gongshang Primary School | primary | Within 1 km |
| Tampines Primary School | primary | Within 1 km |
| Tampines North Secondary School | secondary | ~1.0 km |
| Institute of Technical Education (College East) | tertiary | ~1.0 km |
| Temasek Polytechnic | tertiary | ~1.1 km |
| Tampines Secondary School | secondary | ~1.2 km |
| Tampines Meridian Junior College | jc | ~1.6 km |
Facilities
The Alps Residences packs a comprehensive facility set across its 15,660 sqm site, anchored by a 50-metre lap pool — a genuine competition-length pool that is increasingly rare in mass-market developments. The aquatic offering extends to a children’s swimming pool, jacuzzi, sun loungers, and a floating pavilion that provides a photogenic centrepiece. For a 626-unit development, the pool capacity is generous — weekday mornings will see near-empty lanes, though weekends and public holidays bring predictable crowding.
Dry facilities include a well-equipped gymnasium with sauna and changing rooms, a recreational tennis court, a yoga deck, two fitness corners, a children’s playground, and BBQ pavilions. The landscaping leans into the alpine theme with a Pine Forest zone, Cascading Garden, Floral Alley, Spring Garden, and Summer Garden — more planted diversity than the typical condo offers. Practical additions include a foot reflexology corner, meditation corner, reading cove, outdoor living corner, community gardening plots, bicycle parking, and two ground-floor retail shops within the development.
“Near Sheng Siong supermarket, bakery, coffeeshop, salon and clinic. Good environment to raise a family. Security is friendly and managing agent is extremely responsive to feedback.”
— Resident review via PropertyGuru
The roof terraces across the 9 blocks are a distinctive architectural feature that doubles as usable communal space — offering elevated views toward Bedok Reservoir and the surrounding greenery. The function room and outdoor terrace provide event hosting options. At 626 units across 9 blocks, the facility-to-unit ratio is reasonable — not as stretched as a 2,000-unit mega-development, but not as exclusive as a boutique 200-unit project. The absence of a dedicated clubhouse or swimming pool lounge area is noticeable; the floating pavilion partially fills this gap but lacks air-conditioning for Singapore’s climate.
Unit Sizes & Layout
The Alps Residences offers 626 units across 9 blocks with a unit mix spanning 1-bedroom to 4-bedroom configurations, plus penthouses. The 34 distinct floor plan types range from 441 sqft 1-bedrooms to 2,486 sqft penthouse units, providing genuine choice across budgets and household sizes.
The breakdown: 56 one-bedroom units (441–463 sqft), 126 one-bedroom-plus-study units (495–506 sqft), 183 two-bedrooms (689–700 sqft), 55 two-bedroom-plus-study units (689 sqft), 178 three-bedrooms (936–1,087 sqft), 22 four-bedrooms (1,410 sqft), and 6 penthouses in 4-bed or 5-bed-plus-study configurations (1,668–2,486 sqft). The 1-bedroom and 1+study categories dominate at 29% of total stock, followed closely by 2-bedrooms at 38%. This weighting toward smaller units reflects MCC Land’s strategy of maximising affordability and rental appeal — and it works: the 1-bed and 2-bed units are the most liquid in the resale and rental markets.
A notable design decision is the omission of balconies in most unit types. MCC Land deliberately sacrificed outdoor space to maximise internal floor area — a pragmatic choice that divides opinion. For investors focused on usable square footage per dollar, this is a net positive: every foot counts toward liveable space. For lifestyle buyers who value morning coffee on a balcony, it is a genuine drawback. The compact 1-bedrooms at 441 sqft are tight but efficiently laid out, functional for a single occupant or couple. The 3-bedrooms at 936–1,087 sqft offer family-sized living that competes well on a price-per-sqft basis against larger Tampines developments.
Interior finishes are functional and clean — consistent with MCC Land’s mass-market positioning. Kitchens come with standard appliances; bathrooms are serviceable with homogeneous tiles. Quality is described as “exquisite finishings and quality fittings” by the developer, though resident experience suggests solid but unremarkable. Budget $10,000–$25,000 for a refresh of a 2 or 3-bedroom unit if the original finishes feel dated after six years. The higher-floor units in northern-facing stacks enjoy open views toward the low-rise surroundings and Bedok Reservoir in the distance — a genuine amenity that commands a modest premium.
| Bedrooms | Transactions | Avg PSF | Avg Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 BR | 29 | $1,481 | $688,272 |
| 1 BR | 111 | $1,399 | $896,614 |
| 2 BR | 25 | $1,442 | $1,350,542 |
| 3 BR | 39 | $1,397 | $1,500,590 |
| 4 BR | 6 | $1,386 | $2,100,815 |
| 5 BR | 2 | $1,263 | $3,140,000 |
Pricing & Market Position
Based on 212 recorded transactions, sale prices range from $590,000 to $3,500,000, averaging $1,087,998 (~$1,524 psf).
Rents range from $1,750 to $6,400 per month across 758 rental transactions. Current rental yield sits at approximately 3.5%.
Price Appreciation
From 2021 to 2026, the average PSF has appreciated by 19.2% (from $1,270 to $1,514 psf).
Neighbourhood Comparison
The most direct comparison is Treasure at Tampines ($1,584 PSF), the 2,203-unit mega-development by Sim Lian Group completed in 2023. Treasure is Singapore’s largest condo by unit count, offering 128 facilities and 13 swimming pools — a scale that The Alps Residences cannot match. Treasure is also marginally closer to Simei MRT than Alps is to Tampines West MRT, though neither development has genuinely convenient MRT access. At $66/PSF more, Treasure offers newer finishes, more facilities, and greater scale — but also comes with the crowding and noise of 2,200+ households sharing common spaces. For buyers who prioritise a quieter, more intimate environment over mega-condo amenities, The Alps Residences’ 626 units offer a meaningful quality-of-life difference.
Parktown Residence ($2,369 PSF) represents the new-launch premium play in Tampines. This upcoming development near Tampines North MRT commands a 56% PSF premium over Alps — reflecting new-build pricing, better MRT connectivity, and the Tampines North growth narrative. For the price of a 2-bedroom at Parktown, a buyer can secure a 3-bedroom at Alps with cash to spare. The developments serve different buyer profiles: Parktown targets capital appreciation seekers willing to pay for location and newness, while Alps suits yield-focused investors and value-conscious families.
Aurelle of Tampines ($1,769 PSF) is the EC-turned-privatised option in the comparison set. At $251/PSF above Alps, Aurelle benefits from its more central Tampines location and proximity to Tampines MRT interchange. However, as a former Executive Condominium, Aurelle was subject to resale restrictions during its first 5–10 years, and its unit sizes tend toward the larger end. Alps competes on absolute affordability and rental yield rather than location prestige.
Within the immediate vicinity, The Alps Residences also competes with The Tapestry (approximately $1,500 PSF), a 861-unit development by City Developments Limited at Tampines Avenue 10. The Tapestry is marginally closer to Tampines West MRT and benefits from CDL’s generally higher build quality reputation. However, Alps trades at a slight discount and offers comparable rental yields. Both developments share the same fundamental location constraint — distance from the MRT — and the choice between them often comes down to developer preference, specific floor plan needs, and unit availability at the time of purchase.
| Development | Tenure | TOP | Units | ~Avg PSF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| THE ALPS RESIDENCES | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2015 | — | 626 | $1,524 |
| TREASURE AT TAMPINES | 99-year leasehold | 2023 | 2,203 | $1,588 |
| PARKTOWN RESIDENCE | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2023 | 2025 | 1,193 | $2,367 |
| AURELLE OF TAMPINES | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2024 | 2025 | 760 | $1,769 |
| TENET | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2021 | 2022 | 618 | $1,386 |
| RIVELLE TAMPINES | 99 years leasehold | — | — | $1,933 |
ShiokNest Scores
Our proprietary scoring system evaluates THE ALPS RESIDENCES across multiple dimensions.
What Residents Say
“Near Sheng Siong supermarket, bakery, coffeeshop, salon and clinic. Good environment to raise a family. Security is friendly and managing agent is extremely responsive to feedback.”
— Resident review via PropertyGuru
“Avoid this condo due to incompetence of Management team. They impose parking charges for 2nd vehicle despite sufficient carpark lots. They seem obsessed with the carpark while the general upkeep of the estate is not great.”
— Resident review via EdgeProp
“Highly unprofessional and inconsiderate security guards.”
— Resident review via EdgeProp
“Friends have moved out due to regular air pollution around the condo. Despite many complaints, the management did not take any action.”
— Resident feedback, September 2024 via PropertyGuru
The resident feedback at The Alps Residences presents a sharply divided picture. Positive reviews consistently praise the heartland convenience — the HDB enclave across the road with its supermarket, coffee shops, and clinics provides daily-use amenities that many private condos in Tampines lack at walking distance. Families note the quiet environment, child-friendly facilities, and the proximity to schools. The alpine-inspired landscaping and 50m pool draw occasional compliments.
The negative feedback concentrates firmly on management and security. Multiple reviews across EdgeProp and PropertyGuru cite an unresponsive or “incompetent” MCST management team, with specific complaints about second-vehicle parking charges, poor estate upkeep, and defensive responses to resident feedback. Security guard professionalism is a recurring concern. The air pollution complaint (likely from nearby construction or industrial activity) is less common but notable for management’s alleged inaction. Prospective buyers should attend an AGM or visit the management office during a viewing to assess the current management culture — the building itself is sound, but the service layer has room for improvement.
Transit positioning that improves over time. Tampines East MRT is already a Downtown Line stop with direct rides to Bugis, Promenade and Chinatown. The Cross Island Line addition — confirmed under the LTA 2030 timeline — will add east-west connectivity to the Jurong Lake District and northwards to Punggol, structurally upgrading the station's centrality. For owners holding through the 2030s, this is a rare case of forward-looking transit value being underwritten by committed government infrastructure rather than speculative announcements.
Facility density at mass-market pricing. With 50-plus facilities across a 12,000-plus-square-metre site, The Alps Residences delivers a facility-to-unit ratio that punches above its PSF tier. The Alpine theme is more than cosmetic — the multi-level pool decks, sky lounges and tennis court create genuine resort utility, which materially helps rental appeal for expatriate tenants relocating from CCR districts seeking space and amenities.
Schooling continuity for upgraders. The 1km and 2km school-distance bands cover several mature east-side primary schools, including Poi Ching School and St Hilda's Primary. For families upgrading from HDB flats in Tampines or Pasir Ris who already have children enrolled at these schools, The Alps Residences allows continuity of enrolment without breaking the priority distance bands.
Retail and F&B redundancy. The Tampines regional centre — Tampines Mall, Century Square, Tampines 1, plus the Our Tampines Hub civic complex — sits a short drive or one MRT stop away. This is one of the densest suburban retail clusters in Singapore, and the redundancy across malls means residents are not hostage to any single landlord's tenant mix. Compare this against newer launches in less-mature pockets where retail depends on a single integrated mall, and the optionality here is a meaningful liveability premium.
Unit mix breadth. The 626-unit count is distributed across 1-bedroom to 5-bedroom configurations, with a healthy weighting toward 3- and 4-bedders that match upgrader demand. This contrasts with smaller boutique projects in the district where the unit mix skews to compact 1- and 2-bedders unsuitable for family occupation. Use the comparison tool to benchmark configurations across competing developments before locking in a layout.
The Treasure at Tampines supply overhang. Treasure at Tampines — Singapore's largest condominium at 2,203 units — completed in 2023 and sits less than a kilometre away. Its sheer unit count creates persistent resale and rental supply pressure across the precinct, especially in the 2- and 3-bedroom segments where Treasure's stock dominates listing volumes. Owners at Alps need to price realistically against a competitor with newer fittings and a younger TOP date, particularly when stacking rental quotes.
Tampines North launches will reset the ceiling. The Tampines North planning area is the next major residential frontier, with multiple GLS sites and new launches scheduled for the next several years. These will arrive with newer specifications and likely premium PSF on day one, but their second-hand resale within five years could meaningfully cap appreciation at older Tampines East stock. Monitor the new launches map and GLS sites map for supply telemetry as launch tenders are awarded.
99-year lease decay clock is ticking. With the lease commencing in 2015, the development has roughly 88 years remaining at the time of writing. While this is still well above the CPF withdrawal threshold and the BSD recoverability window, prospective buyers holding for ten to fifteen years should model the lease-decay drag explicitly using the lease decay calculator. The drag accelerates as remaining tenure dips below 60 years — relevant for hold strategies that extend into the 2050s.
CRL completion risk and disruption. While the Cross Island Line is a confirmed project, completion timelines for large MRT works have historically slipped. More immediately, construction activity around Tampines East station during the CRL build-out may introduce noise, traffic re-routing and temporary loss of amenity that could weigh on rental yields during the construction window.
Facility maintenance load. The 50-plus facility count is a double-edged sword. Sinking fund contributions and monthly maintenance fees scale with facility complexity, particularly water features, lift-served sky terraces and specialty equipment. Verify current maintenance quantum against comparable projects before committing — use the total cost calculator to fold the ongoing OPEX into a ten-year holding-cost view.
HDB upgrader from Tampines or Pasir Ris. This is the highest-fit profile. You retain your existing east-side schooling network, your commute to Bugis or the CBD via the Downtown Line is unchanged or improved, and the price gap between your sold HDB and a 3- or 4-bedder at Alps is bridgeable with a standard mortgage calculation. Run your affordability calculator first to confirm the LTV and TDSR envelope, then layer in BSD and ABSD if you are holding the HDB during the transition.
Investor-landlord targeting expat or local professional tenants. The facility depth and twin-line MRT prospect make Alps a credible play for landlords willing to hold through the CRL completion window. Yields will look modest on day-one math against the entry PSF, but the rental ceiling has room to climb once the CRL opens. Stress-test cash flow via the cash flow calculator assuming a 5 to 10 percent vacancy buffer and rising interest rate scenarios. Cross-reference rental dynamics on the rental yield map before committing.
Right-sizer from a larger east-side condominium. Owners of older, larger units in Bedok, Tampines or Pasir Ris looking to consolidate into a more facility-rich, transit-adjacent development without leaving the east will find Alps a comfortable fit. Run the math through the decoupling calculator if joint ownership restructuring is on the table, and the refinancing calculator if you are leveraging existing CPF or cash from a sale.
Single professional or DINK seeking transit-first 1- or 2-bedder. The Downtown Line ride to Bugis is short enough to make Alps a workable CBD-adjacent lifestyle base, but the Tampines East location will feel suburban compared to OCR-fringe alternatives closer to the city. Best fit for buyers who value space, facilities and price-per-square-foot over walkability to nightlife or CBD adjacency. Use the total cost calculator to compare lifetime cost against a smaller CCR or RCR unit before deciding.
Less suitable: short-term flipper or sub-3-year holder. The Seller's Stamp Duty schedule and the precinct's competitive resale supply make rapid-flip strategies structurally hard. The lease-decay clock plus the Tampines North supply pipeline argue for hold horizons of seven years or longer to capture the CRL-completion uplift.
The Alps Residences earns its place in the District 18 conversation by being honest about what it is and is not. It is not a marquee mega-development with the latest fittings, nor a CCR trophy asset. It is a well-conceived, transit-positioned, facility-rich family condominium at a PSF that has historically rewarded buyers willing to hold through the Cross Island Line completion window.
The decisive call rests on three questions. First, is your time horizon long enough to ride the CRL uplift? If you are holding through the 2030s, the transit-value math is in your favour. Second, are you comfortable competing with Treasure at Tampines on rental and resale comparables? If yes, price discipline at the buy-side becomes the key variable. Third, does the existing east-side ecosystem — schools, malls, transit — match your lifestyle pattern? If two or three of those align, this development is a credible base case.
For HDB upgraders and east-anchored families, The Alps Residences ranks as a high-conviction shortlist candidate alongside the broader Tampines East cohort. For pure investors, the entry price needs to be sharp enough to absorb the supply overhang from Treasure and the Tampines North pipeline. Run your final shortlist through the comparison tool and the precinct scores map before deciding, and pressure-test the financing stack via the TDSR calculator and mortgage calculator.