The Hilloft
Overview & Key Facts
The Hilloft is a boutique 14-unit development tucked away on Jalan Dermawan in District 23 — a quiet residential pocket on the slopes between Bukit Gombak and Hillview. Developed by DB2 Development Pte Ltd and completed in 2011, it is one of the smallest private developments in the district and arguably one of the most distinctive on tenure alone: the site sits on a 999-year lease that commenced in 1885, leaving more than eight centuries of effective ownership remaining — a profile that puts it in the same lease-class as Singapore’s most coveted freehold-equivalent assets.
The name itself signals the product. “Hilloft” is a portmanteau of hill and loft, and the development delivers on both: a sloped, leafy site that rises gently from the road, paired with a unit mix dominated by double-volume loft layouts that you almost never see in mainstream condo stock. With just 14 units total, residents enjoy something close to landed-style privacy at a fraction of the price tag.
Transaction data is correspondingly thin. Edge Prop records show only 8 sub-sale transactions over the development’s full history, with the latest median print at S$2,950,000 and average prices clustered around S$2,983,750. Liquidity is limited — this is not a development you flip into — but for a buyer prioritising tenure security, loft architecture, and a near-empty residents’ list, the trade-off is the entire point.
Location & Connectivity
Jalan Dermawan sits in the Bukit Batok–Hillview belt, a stretch of District 23 that has historically been more landed than condo. The nearest MRT is Bukit Gombak on the North-South Line, roughly 640 metres away as the crow flies — but the on-the-ground walk involves a meaningful elevation change and crosses Bukit Batok East Avenue 6, so most residents either drive or take a short feeder bus rather than commit to the 12–15 minute uphill walk in tropical heat. Hume MRT (Downtown Line) and Hillview MRT (also DTL) are roughly 1.1 km and 1.2 km away respectively, giving the development access to two MRT lines but neither at genuine walking distance.
For drivers, the location is a different story. The PIE is a two-minute drive away, putting the CBD at roughly 25 minutes off-peak and Jurong East regional centre at around 8 minutes. Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and Dairy Farm Nature Park are both within a 5-minute drive — an outdoor-living asset that no MRT-adjacent development in the area can match. Bukit Gombak Stadium and the surrounding sports complex are also within walking distance for residents who don’t mind the gradient.
Daily errands lean on West Mall at Bukit Batok MRT (about 1.4 km) and Hillion Mall at Bukit Panjang for groceries and dining. Bukit View Primary School is genuinely close at 710 metres, and Princess Elizabeth Primary is comparably accessible at 730 metres — two within-1km primaries is a meaningful asset for families considering the Phase 2C P1 ballot.
Schools & Education
2 primary schools within the 1 km Priority Phase balloting radius.
| School | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Bukit View Primary School | primary | Within 1 km |
| Princess Elizabeth Primary School | primary | Within 1 km |
| Huamin Primary School | primary | ~1.8 km |
Facilities
Facilities at The Hilloft are modest by design. With only 14 units, the developer prioritised privacy and unit size over an amenity arms race: the development has a single lap pool, a small gym, a BBQ area, and basic landscaped gardens — and that’s effectively the full menu. There is no clubhouse, no tennis court, no function room, no children’s playground of any meaningful scale. Buyers expecting a full-facilities resort experience should look elsewhere; buyers who view facilities as overhead cost they’ll never use will see the lean amenity set as a feature rather than a bug.
“What you trade in facility breadth at a 14-unit boutique, you gain back in monthly maintenance and in never having to queue for the BBQ pit. For the right buyer, that’s the whole pitch.”
— Stacked Homes, on small-development economics
The maintenance fee economics are worth thinking through. Spreading the upkeep of even a basic pool, gym, and lift across 14 units inevitably produces higher per-unit MCST charges than a 500-unit project absorbing the same fixed costs. Owners should budget for monthly maintenance closer to S$450–600 rather than the S$300–400 typical of mid-sized developments. Whether that’s “expensive” depends entirely on how you weight density vs cost.
Pricing & Market Position
Based on 8 recorded transactions, sale prices range from $2,580,000 to $3,680,000, averaging $2,983,750.
Rents range from $5,000 to $10,800 per month across 6 rental transactions. Current rental yield sits at approximately 3.1%.
Price Appreciation
From 2021 to 2024, the average PSF has appreciated by 47.4% (from $497 to $732 psf).
Neighbourhood Comparison
Within District 23, The Hilloft sits in a category of one on tenure: every other comparable in the district is on a fresh 99-year lease. The Botany at Dairy Farm commands the highest average PSF at S$2,053 with 386 units and 2022 lease commencement; Midwood sits at S$1,730 psf (564 units, 2018 lease); Dairy Farm Residences at S$1,659; Lumina Grand at S$1,515; and Sol Acres — the giant 1,327-unit EC-style mega-development — at S$1,382 psf. By comparison, The Hilloft’s recent transaction prints near S$732 psf look anomalously low — but that reflects the absence of recent sales and the loft layout’s niche appeal, not a bargain valuation per se.
The cleaner mental model is to compare The Hilloft not against other condos but against small landed and cluster-house alternatives in the western corridor. At a S$2.5–3 million entry price you are buying significantly more architectural character and tenure security than the same budget delivers in a fresh-lease 99-year condo — but you are giving up MRT walkability, deep facilities, and resale liquidity. That is a different trade than “The Hilloft vs Midwood,” and buyers should frame it correctly.
| Development | Tenure | TOP | Units | ~Avg PSF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| THE HILLOFT | 999 yrs lease commencing from 1885 | 2011 | 14 | — |
| SOL ACRES | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2014 | 2018 | 1,327 | $1,382 |
| MIDWOOD | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2018 | 2021 | 564 | $1,730 |
| LUMINA GRAND | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2022 | 2024 | 512 | $1,515 |
| DAIRY FARM RESIDENCES | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2018 | 2021 | 460 | $1,659 |
| THE BOTANY AT DAIRY FARM | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2022 | 2023 | 386 | $2,053 |
Lease Decay Analysis
The 99-year lease runs from 2011, meaning approximately 15 years have already been consumed. Roughly 84 years remain — still comfortably within the range where most banks will offer full financing without restrictions.
| Year | Lease remaining | Implication |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (now) | ~84 years | Full bank financing available |
| 2041 | ~69 years | CPF usage still unrestricted for most buyers |
| 2050 | ~59 years | Approaching 60-year threshold — CPF limits begin for some |
| 2070 | ~39 years | Significant financing restrictions for next buyer |
| 2110 | 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 ~74 years remaining, which is still very bankable. The risk profile changes for longer holds.
ShiokNest Scores
Our proprietary scoring system evaluates THE HILLOFT across multiple dimensions.
What Residents Say
“The double-height living room sold us instantly. We’d been looking at standard 3-bedders for months and everything felt the same. The Hilloft felt like a real home, not a unit.”
— Owner-occupier comment via PropertyGuru
“Quiet, leafy, and you actually know your neighbours. With only 14 units there’s no anonymity — that’s a feature for us, would be a bug for some.”
— Resident review via EdgeProp
“Be honest with yourself about the MRT walk. We assumed we’d hike to Bukit Gombak daily. We don’t. We drive. If you’re carless, this isn’t your condo.”
— Owner comment via Stacked Homes community thread
The pattern across the (admittedly small) public review sample is consistent: residents who chose The Hilloft for the architecture and tenure are happy; those who underestimated the car-dependence regretted it. Maintenance and management, by virtue of the small unit count, tend to be high-touch and personal — both the upside and downside of small-MCST living.
Strengths & Weaknesses
- 999-year lease from 1885 — functionally freehold, ~860+ years remaining
- Distinctive double-volume loft layouts rare in Singapore condo stock
- Boutique 14-unit count — landed-style privacy at condo prices
- Two within-1km primary schools (Bukit View, Princess Elizabeth)
- Three MRT stations within 1.5 km across two lines (NSL + DTL)
- Quick PIE access — 25 min CBD off-peak, 8 min to Jurong East
- Adjacent to Bukit Timah and Dairy Farm Nature Reserves
- Generous unit sizes (1,500–2,000+ sqft) at sub-S$3M entry
- Quiet, low-density Hillview setting — minimal traffic noise
- Tight resident community — small MCST, high-touch management
- No MRT genuinely walkable — car or bus required for daily commute
- Minimal facilities (lap pool, small gym, BBQ only — no clubhouse)
- Higher per-unit maintenance fees (~S$450–600) due to 14-unit base
- Loft layouts polarising — narrow resale buyer pool
- Only 8 historical transactions — illiquid, slow price discovery
- Walkability score 38/100 reflects steep gradient + lack of shelter
- Gross yield ~3.05% — below D23 average for rental investors
- Double-height ceilings push air-conditioning costs higher
- No on-site retail, F&B, or childcare — full car-dependence for errands
Verdict
The Hilloft is a deliberate niche product, and it should be evaluated as one. For a buyer who values tenure security above almost all else — the 999-year lease from 1885 is functionally indistinguishable from freehold — and who is drawn to loft architecture in a quiet, low-density setting, this is a genuinely uncommon opportunity. The boutique size guarantees privacy, the leafy Hillview surroundings are restorative, and the price point per unit (around S$2.95 million median) buys a much larger and more architecturally distinctive home than the same budget would secure at a newer, denser project nearby.
Where the proposition weakens is on convenience and liquidity. MRT access is technically multi-line but practically car-dependent. Facilities are minimal. The 14-unit count means resale comparables are thin, holding times can be long, and price discovery is unpredictable. The walkability score of 38/100 and investment score of 37/100 in our internal models reflect those structural drags — this is not a development optimised for capital appreciation or rental yield (gross yield ~3.05% is below D23 average for newer projects).
Net-net: own-stay buyers with a car, a love of unconventional layouts, and a long horizon will find The Hilloft compelling. Yield-focused investors and MRT-dependent commuters should look elsewhere. This is a home, not a trade.