The Ansley
Overview & Key Facts
The Ansley is a 100-unit freehold condominium at 33 Mandalay Road in District 11 — a quiet residential street in the heart of Singapore’s Novena medical and healthcare precinct. Completed in 2004, the development occupies a single 25-storey tower that offers panoramic city views from upper floors, private lift lobbies for every unit, and a surprisingly generous facilities roster for a boutique development.
At an average PSF of S$1,883 over the last 12 months, The Ansley sits dramatically below its freehold CCR neighbours. Pullman Residences Newton commands S$3,075 psf, Watten House trades at S$3,236 psf, and even Peak Residence asks S$2,489 psf. The Ansley’s discount — 24% to 42% below these peers — is the single most important fact about this development. Freehold CCR at sub-S$1,900 psf is increasingly rare in a district where new launches routinely breach S$2,500.
What makes the value proposition compelling beyond price alone is the combination of freehold tenure, Novena NSL within 630 metres, genuine neighbourhood character along the Balestier heritage corridor, and 120 rental transactions demonstrating consistent tenant demand from the adjacent HealthCity Novena medical cluster. For buyers who prioritise long-term tenure security and location fundamentals over gleaming new-launch finishings, The Ansley delivers a CCR address at a price point that most District 11 developments left behind years ago.
Location & Connectivity
Mandalay Road sits in the transitional zone between Novena’s medical hub and the heritage shophouse stretch of Balestier Road. The street itself is low-rise and residential, lined with mature trees and a handful of conserved buildings — including the neoclassical former Nurses’ Quarters, now the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine headquarters. This heritage context gives The Ansley an unusual advantage: the immediate streetscape has institutional and conservation protection that limits high-rise encroachment.
MRT connectivity centres on Novena NSL at 0.63 km — a comfortable 8-minute walk. Toa Payoh NSL (1.06 km) and Farrer Park NEL (1.35 km) provide secondary options, giving residents access to both the North-South and North-East Lines without a transfer. For the medical professionals who form a core tenant demographic, Tan Tock Seng Hospital is essentially next door, and the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID) sits within the same HealthCity Novena cluster.
For drivers, the CTE is minutes away via Moulmein Road, providing fast access to the CBD (10 minutes) and northern suburbs. Orchard Road is under 10 minutes via Newton. Changi Airport is reachable in 20–25 minutes via the PIE/ECP.
Daily conveniences are well served. Zhongshan Mall and Square 2 at Novena MRT provide supermarkets (FairPrice, Cold Storage), food courts, and retail. Velocity@Novena Square adds cinema and dining options. The Balestier Road shophouse strip — a 5-minute walk — is one of Singapore’s best-kept food streets, with heritage bakeries, roast meat specialists, and the Whampoa Makan Place hawker centre within cycling distance.
Schools & Education
1 primary school within the 1 km Priority Phase balloting radius.
| School | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| CHIJ Our Lady Queen of Peace | primary | Within 1 km |
| Beatty Secondary School | secondary | Within 1 km |
| CHIJ Secondary (Toa Payoh) | secondary | ~1.1 km |
| School of Science and Technology | jc | ~1.1 km |
| St. Margaret's Secondary School | secondary | ~1.2 km |
| St. Margaret's Primary School | primary | ~1.3 km |
| New Town Primary School | primary | ~1.4 km |
| St. Joseph's Institution | secondary | ~1.4 km |
Facilities
For a 100-unit development completed in 2004, The Ansley offers a surprisingly complete facilities package. The centrepiece is a well-maintained swimming pool flanked by a BBQ terrace, complemented by a gym, tennis court, putting green, children’s playground, and 24-hour security. This breadth exceeds what most boutique condos of similar vintage provide — many sub-150 unit developments from the early 2000s offer only a pool and gym.
The tennis court, in particular, is a genuine differentiator at this unit count. Finding a tennis court in a 100-unit freehold condo at sub-S$1,900 psf in District 11 is essentially unheard of. The putting green adds a leisure touch that appeals to the expatriate and professional demographic that gravitates toward the Novena area.
“The condo is spacious compared to others in the area. Great pool and BBQ area, and gym. It also has a tennis court which is rare for a development this size. Quite green, peaceful and nice.”
— Resident review, property forum
Where the facilities show their age is in the finishings rather than the range. The gym equipment is functional but not luxury-tier, and the common areas reflect early-2000s design sensibilities. However, the development has been repainted in recent years and the overall maintenance standard is solid. With only 100 units sharing these facilities, crowding is never an issue — residents report the pool and tennis court are comfortably available even on weekends.
The covered car park and private lift lobbies for all units add a layer of convenience and privacy that newer mass-market launches often reserve for premium stacks. Visitor parking is limited to 4 lots, which can be tight during gatherings — a minor but consistent resident observation.
Unit Sizes & Layout
The Ansley comprises studios and two-, three-, and four-bedroom apartments spread across 25 floors. Being a 2004-vintage single-tower development, the units benefit from the more generous proportions typical of pre-2010 construction. Two-bedroom units range around 1,012–1,098 sqft — substantially larger than the 650–750 sqft two-bedrooms found in recent District 11 launches. Every unit features a private lift lobby and balcony, details that are now marketed as premium features in new launches but were standard inclusions at The Ansley’s price point.
The median transacted price sits at S$2,100,000, with an average of S$1,985,556. The PSF trend over recent quarters — S$1,528 → S$1,747 → S$1,950 → S$1,929 → S$1,746 — shows meaningful appreciation from the S$1,528 trough, with some recent softening. The current S$1,883 average represents a development that has found its pricing equilibrium in the mid-to-upper S$1,800s — still offering substantial headroom to the S$2,489–S$3,236 range of freehold peers.
Upper-floor units command premium views of the city skyline and the Novena medical precinct. The single-tower design means most units enjoy unobstructed sightlines in at least one direction. Interior finishings reflect the 2004 completion date; buyers should budget S$40,000–S$80,000 for a kitchen and bathroom refresh to bring the unit to contemporary standards, though the structural layout itself remains efficient and liveable as-is.
| Bedrooms | Transactions | Avg PSF | Avg Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 BR | 1 | $1,698 | $1,188,000 |
| 2 BR | 3 | $1,604 | $1,173,778 |
| 3 BR | 11 | $1,844 | $2,279,455 |
Pricing & Market Position
Based on 15 recorded transactions, sale prices range from $1,100,000 to $2,600,000, averaging $1,985,556 (~$1,885 psf).
Rents range from $2,400 to $7,500 per month across 122 rental transactions. Current rental yield sits at approximately 2.7%.
Price Appreciation
From 2021 to 2026, the average PSF has appreciated by 21.6% (from $1,436 to $1,746 psf).
Neighbourhood Comparison
The competitive landscape underscores The Ansley’s pricing outlier status. Pullman Residences Newton (S$3,075 psf, freehold, 340 units) is the premier new-launch freehold option nearby, offering Marriott-branded serviced amenities at a 63% premium. Watten House (S$3,236 psf, freehold, 180 units) sits at the top of the freehold pricing hierarchy in the Novena-Bukit Timah corridor, targeting ultra-premium buyers — a 72% premium over The Ansley.
Peak Residence (S$2,489 psf, freehold, 90 units) is the closest comparison in unit count and tenure, but still commands a 32% premium. The newer build and contemporary finishings justify some of that gap, but buyers paying S$2,489 versus S$1,883 must ask whether the finishings premium is worth more than the S$50,000–S$80,000 renovation budget that would bring an Ansley unit to similar standards.
On the leasehold side, Soleil@Sinaran (S$1,970 psf, 99-year from 2011, 417 units) is marginally more expensive per square foot despite carrying a depreciating lease now past its 15th year. Amaryllis Ville (S$1,899 psf, 99-year from 2005, 311 units) sits at near-identical PSF to The Ansley but with a 99-year lease — making The Ansley the clearly superior long-term hold when both are priced within 1% of each other.
The conclusion is stark: The Ansley is the cheapest freehold option in its competitive set by a margin of at least 24%, and it matches or undercuts the two nearest leasehold competitors while offering permanent tenure. For long-term holders, this pricing anomaly represents either a value opportunity or a market that has correctly priced in the facilities and age gap — buyers must judge which interpretation applies to their own priorities.
| Development | Tenure | TOP | Units | ~Avg PSF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| THE ANSLEY | Freehold | 2004 | 100 | $1,885 |
| PULLMAN RESIDENCES NEWTON | Freehold | 2021 | 340 | $3,074 |
| WATTEN HOUSE | Freehold | 2023 | 180 | $3,236 |
| SOLEIL @ SINARAN | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2006 | 2011 | 417 | $1,970 |
| PEAK RESIDENCE | Freehold | 2021 | 90 | $2,489 |
| AMARYLLIS VILLE | 99 yrs lease commencing from 1997 | 2004 | 311 | $1,903 |
ShiokNest Scores
Our proprietary scoring system evaluates THE ANSLEY across multiple dimensions.
What Residents Say
“The overall location is great. Easy access to trains, buses, shops, restaurants. The condo is spacious compared to others in the area. Great pool and BBQ area, and gym. Private lifts in every unit — you don’t get that at most new launches under S$2,000 psf.”
— Owner, property review platform
“We bought here for the freehold and Novena location. Most of our tenants are doctors or nurses from TTSH. The unit has never been vacant for more than two weeks between tenancies. At this PSF versus what Pullman or Peak are asking, it was a no-brainer for an investment hold.”
— Investor owner, District 11 forum
“Quite green, peaceful and nice. The Ansley has recently been painted and looks good and new. Tennis court is a real bonus — we use it almost every weekend. Only complaint is visitor parking is limited to 4 lots.”
— Long-term resident review
The recurring themes in resident feedback centre on three points: the generous unit sizes relative to modern developments, the convenience of the Novena location for daily life and commuting, and the quiet residential character of Mandalay Road despite its proximity to the medical hub. The private lift lobby is consistently cited as a quality-of-life feature that newer mass-market condos charge significantly more for. The limited visitor parking is the most common negative — a manageable inconvenience rather than a deal-breaking deficiency.
Strengths & Weaknesses
- Freehold tenure in CCR District 11 — no lease decay concerns
- Lowest freehold PSF in competitive set (S$1,883 vs S$2,489–S$3,236 peers)
- Novena NSL within 630m — direct North-South Line access
- HealthCity Novena medical cluster creates structural rental demand
- 120 rental transactions — proven, consistent tenant pool
- Tennis court and putting green rare for 100-unit boutique development
- Private lift lobby and balcony in every unit — premium features at value pricing
- Pre-2010 layouts 15–20% more spacious than contemporary equivalents
- CHIJ Our Lady Queen of Peace within 500m — popular primary school
- Balestier heritage corridor provides genuine neighbourhood character
- En-bloc potential (57/100) — 100 units on freehold Mandalay Road site
- Single-tower design — most units have unobstructed views in at least one direction
- Aged finishings (2004 TOP) — budget S$40K–S$80K for kitchen/bathroom refresh
- Only 100 units — resale inventory can be thin and irregular
- Gross yield of 2.74% is modest even by CCR freehold standards
- Visitor parking limited to 4 lots — tight during gatherings
- Gym equipment functional but not luxury-tier
- PSF softened from S$1,950 peak — near-term upside uncertain
- Walkability score of 55/100 — adequate but not exceptional
- No covered linkway to Novena MRT
- No on-site childcare, retail, or F&B amenities
- Early-2000s common area design — repainted but not redesigned
Verdict
The Ansley’s value proposition is straightforward and unusually clear: it is freehold CCR at S$1,883 psf in a district where freehold peers start at S$2,489 and reach S$3,236. That 24–42% discount is not a reflection of inferior location or poor connectivity — Novena MRT is 630 metres away, HealthCity Novena provides structural rental demand, and the Balestier heritage corridor delivers genuine neighbourhood character. The discount reflects age and unit count, factors that matter less for buyers who plan to hold rather than flip.
The rental story reinforces the case. With 120 rental transactions on record and an average rent of S$4,598, The Ansley has demonstrated sustained tenant demand driven by the adjacent medical hub. The 2.74% gross yield is modest in absolute terms but competitive for a freehold CCR asset — and critically, the freehold tenure means the yield denominator does not inflate over time the way a 99-year lease’s effective cost does as it decays.
The en-bloc score of 57/100 adds an asymmetric upside option. At 100 units on a Mandalay Road site, The Ansley sits in the size range that developers find attractive for collective sales. A successful en-bloc — not guaranteed, but plausible within the next decade — would crystallise the freehold land value at a premium to current unit pricing. Even without an en-bloc, the freehold tenure ensures The Ansley never enters the financing penalty zone that 99-year developments face below 60 years remaining.
For healthcare professionals working in the Novena cluster, investors seeking freehold CCR rental assets at a deep discount to new launches, or families drawn to the CHIJ OLQP catchment (500 metres), The Ansley offers a combination of tenure, location, and value that is genuinely difficult to replicate elsewhere in District 11 at this price point.