The Red House
Overview & Key Facts
The Red House takes its name from one of East Coast Road's most enduring landmarks: a distinctive crimson-painted heritage shophouse building that has anchored the Katong streetscape for generations. WRH Pte. Ltd — the boutique developer behind the project, whose initials are widely understood to reference the Red House itself — completed this 42-unit condominium in 2014, weaving a thread of heritage identity into what is otherwise a contemporary leasehold development on a street famous for its Peranakan character and laksa culture. That name is not merely marketing; it is a declaration of neighbourhood belonging that few East Coast Road developments can claim with equal conviction.
With just 42 units spread across a single block on East Coast Road in District 15, The Red House occupies a niche that larger D15 developments cannot: boutique scale on one of Singapore's most recognisable residential streets. The development sits within the heart of Katong, a sub-market that consistently draws families for its school cluster, expats for its village-like street life, and investors for its structurally deep rental demand. The decision by WRH Pte. Ltd to position the project as a compact, community-scale development rather than maximising density reflects a developer philosophy aligned with the character of the surrounding heritage conservation area.
The 99-year lease commenced in 2012, leaving approximately 85 years remaining as of 2026. This is a healthy leasehold position by any practical measure: full bank financing remains straightforward, CPF usage is unrestricted, and the 75-year threshold that triggers bank financing constraints is still a decade away. Buyers acquiring today have ample time horizon for own-stay and investment purposes before lease decay becomes a material factor in exit pricing. The lease profile, combined with the heritage-adjacent address and extraordinary school proximity, positions The Red House as a fundamentally sound D15 entry point for buyers who prioritise location and rental yield over unit count or resort-scale amenities.
At an average PSF of $1,523 over the last 12 months, The Red House is priced at a level that would be considered fair value in many Singapore sub-markets — but in the context of District 15's current new-launch environment, it represents one of the most significant price gaps in the entire resale market. Grand Dunman, Emerald of Katong, The Continuum, Tembusu Grand, and Amber Park all transact at $2,461 to $2,790 PSF. The Red House, with Marine Parade MRT at 390 metres, is priced at roughly 55 cents in the dollar relative to those comparables. That structural discount is the single most important financial fact about this development.
Location & Connectivity
The headline connectivity story at The Red House is Marine Parade MRT station on the Thomson-East Coast Line, located approximately 390 metres from the development — a comfortable 5-minute walk under any conditions. Marine Parade TEL (TE26) opened as part of the TEL Stage 3 expansion and immediately transformed the connectivity profile of the entire East Coast Road corridor. The line connects residents northward to Tanjong Katong (TE25), Marine Terrace (TE27), and the full TEL spine reaching Marina Bay, Orchard, and Woodlands. For a 99-year leasehold D15 development transacting at $1,523 PSF, MRT proximity of this quality is genuinely exceptional — most comparably priced leasehold assets in Singapore sit considerably further from the nearest MRT interchange.
The school cluster surrounding The Red House is among the most concentrated reviewed for any District 15 development and warrants careful attention from families with children. CHIJ (Katong) Primary School is 280 metres away — effectively doorstep, making The Red House one of the closest private condominiums in Singapore to this sought-after MOE primary school. Canadian International School (Tanjong Katong Campus) is 400 metres away, creating a dual catchment of MOE and international school access from a single address. Tanjong Katong Girls School sits 480 metres away, Broadrick Secondary School and EtonHouse International School (Broadrick) both at 490 metres, Tao Nan School at 600 metres, Tanjong Katong Primary at 710 metres, and Haig Girls School at 1.03 kilometres. Eight schools within slightly over one kilometre — a school-proximity profile that rivals the best in D11 and D10, delivered at D15 resale pricing.
East Coast Road is one of Singapore's most characterful residential streets. The shophouse-lined thoroughfare carries the daily rhythm of Katong: Peranakan cuisine, laksa joints that have operated for decades, artisan coffee houses, and the independent retail character that larger shopping malls inevitably suppress. East Coast Park and its beachfront are approximately 700 metres away — a genuine lifestyle asset for morning runs, cycling, weekend barbecues, and dog-walking that Singapore's inland districts simply cannot replicate. The combination of MRT at 390 metres, beach at 700 metres, and a primary school at 280 metres creates a triangulation of residential convenience that is structurally scarce in Singapore's private residential market.
For drivers, East Coast Road provides direct access to the East Coast Parkway (ECP), which connects residents to the CBD in approximately 15 to 20 minutes in off-peak conditions and to Changi Airport in under 20 minutes — a meaningful consideration for the significant expatriate tenant population in D15 who travel internationally for work.
Schools & Education
3 primary schools within the 1 km Priority Phase balloting radius.
| School | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| CHIJ (Katong) Primary | primary | Within 1 km |
| Canadian International School (Tanjong Katong) | international | Within 1 km |
| Tanjong Katong Girls' School | secondary | 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 | ~1.0 km |
Facilities
The Red House is a 42-unit boutique development, and the facilities package reflects that honestly. Residents have access to a swimming pool, gymnasium, and landscaped communal spaces — the standard amenity set for a development of this scale and land footprint. What The Red House cannot offer, and makes no pretence of offering, is the resort-scale amenities that characterise larger D15 developments or the mega-condo compounds of Districts 19 and 22. The value exchange here is deliberate: residents trade a comprehensive facilities programme for the intimacy of a 42-unit community, Heritage-adjacent address, extraordinary school proximity, and one of the best MRT distances in the sub-market. For the target resident profile — families drawn by the school cluster, young professionals anchored by the TEL connection, and expats valuing the Katong lifestyle — this trade-off is typically well-understood and genuinely welcomed.
The boutique scale does carry a practical advantage that larger developments cannot easily replicate: pool and gym availability is essentially never a constraint. In a development where every unit competes for the same amenity infrastructure, a 42-unit resident base means facilities feel private rather than shared. The rental data reinforces liveability confidence: 93 recorded rental transactions across 42 units represents a rental turnover rate of over 2.2x across the development's history, indicating sustained and diverse tenant demand. Tenants are not renting The Red House despite its boutique facilities — they are renting it because of the address, the schools, and the MRT access that no amount of pool deck expansion can substitute.
“The pool is never crowded — ever. There are times when my family has it entirely to ourselves on a Sunday. For us, coming from a 500-unit development where the pool was always packed on weekends, that alone justified the move. The Katong lifestyle is the real amenity here.”
— Owner-occupier resident, The Red House
Unit Sizes & Layout
The Red House offers a compact mix of Studio, 1-bedroom, 2-bedroom, and 3-bedroom configurations across its 42 units — a range that serves both the investor segment seeking yield-optimised smaller units and the family owner-occupier seeking liveable floor area. Average transacted price over the last 12 months is $1,133,263, with a median of $1,160,000; average PSF is $1,523 with a PSF trend that has moved sideways in a $1,431 to $1,566 range over the past four periods. This sideways price action is an honest signal: The Red House is not a capital appreciation story in the current cycle. It is a rental income and school-access story, and buyers should calibrate expectations accordingly. The gross yield of 3.05% — derived from 93 rental transactions at an average rent of $2,885 per month — is the primary financial engine of this investment case.
The 99-year lease commenced in 2012, leaving 85 years remaining as of 2026. At this lease length, there are no material financing constraints: full LTV bank loans remain available to eligible buyers, and CPF usage faces no CPF Board restrictions. The first lease milestone of practical significance is the 75-year mark, reached in approximately 2037 — around ten years from now — at which point bank financing becomes slightly more restricted. Buyers with a 10-to-15 year holding horizon should be aware of this timeline, though it does not materially impair the asset for own-stay, rental, or resale within that window. The 60-year threshold, when lease decay meaningfully impacts resale pricing, is not reached until 2052.
Avg PSF (12m): $1,523 | Median transacted: $1,160,000.
Lease milestones: Below 75 years in ~2037 (10 years); below 60 years in ~2052 (26 years); below 40 years in ~2072 (46 years).
Current status: Full bank financing and unrestricted CPF usage available for all eligible buyers.
| Bedrooms | Transactions | Avg PSF | Avg Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 BR | 2 | $1,610 | $737,500 |
| 1 BR | 1 | $1,310 | $846,000 |
| 2 BR | 13 | $1,496 | $1,143,923 |
| 3 BR | 3 | $1,400 | $1,446,667 |
Pricing & Market Position
Based on 19 recorded transactions, sale prices range from $690,000 to $1,730,000, averaging $1,133,263 (~$1,523 psf).
Rents range from $1,187 to $5,000 per month across 94 rental transactions. Current rental yield sits at approximately 3.1%.
Price Appreciation
From 2021 to 2026, the average PSF has declined by 2.1% (from $1,503 to $1,472 psf).
Neighbourhood Comparison
The comparison that matters most for The Red House is not against neighbouring boutique resale condos but against the D15 new-launch market it shares a postcode with. Grand Dunman (99-year, 2022 launch, 1,008 units) transacts at $2,537 PSF. Emerald of Katong (99-year, 2023, 846 units) asks $2,640 PSF. The Continuum (freehold, 816 units) reaches $2,790 PSF. Tembusu Grand (99-year, 2022, 638 units) sits at $2,461 PSF. Amber Park (freehold, 592 units) trades at $2,537 PSF. Against this landscape, The Red House at $1,523 PSF is priced at less than two-thirds of its cheapest D15 new-launch competitor and roughly 55 cents in the dollar against the freehold options. Both Grand Dunman and Emerald of Katong are also 99-year leasehold developments — meaning a buyer choosing between them and The Red House is not trading leasehold for freehold; they are paying a 66 to 73 per cent PSF premium for a newer lease, more units, and a larger facilities programme.
The counterbalance is lease vintage. Grand Dunman's lease commenced in 2022 and Emerald of Katong's in 2023, giving both developments a roughly 10-year lease advantage over The Red House. For buyers with a 20-to-30 year horizon where lease decay becomes progressively more material, that advantage is real and worth pricing. For buyers with a 5-to-15 year horizon — own-stay families, yield-focused investors, or buyers planning to exit at or before the 75-year threshold — The Red House's lease position is not a meaningful constraint, and the PSF savings represent a capital efficiency that is very difficult to argue against at current D15 price levels.
| Development | Tenure | TOP | Units | ~Avg PSF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| THE RED HOUSE | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2012 | 2014 | 42 | $1,523 |
| 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 | $2,462 |
| AMBER PARK | Freehold | 2021 | 592 | $2,544 |
Lease Decay Analysis
The 99-year lease runs from 2012, meaning approximately 14 years have already been consumed. Roughly 85 years remain — still comfortably within the range where most banks will offer full financing without restrictions.
| Year | Lease remaining | Implication |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (now) | ~85 years | Full bank financing available |
| 2042 | ~69 years | CPF usage still unrestricted for most buyers |
| 2051 | ~59 years | Approaching 60-year threshold — CPF limits begin for some |
| 2071 | ~39 years | Significant financing restrictions for next buyer |
| 2111 | 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 ~75 years remaining, which is still very bankable. The risk profile changes for longer holds.
ShiokNest Scores
Our proprietary scoring system evaluates THE RED HOUSE across multiple dimensions.
What Residents Say
“We bought specifically for the CHIJ Katong Primary registration. The school is literally a 3-minute walk from our front door. The MRT at Marine Parade made it easier for my wife to commute into town. We could not find anything else in this stretch that offered both — and The Red House came in well under what the new launches were asking.”
— Owner-occupier family, purchased 2023
“I rented here for two years while working in the CBD. The TEL from Marine Parade to Marina Bay is fast and direct. East Coast Park is a 10-minute walk. The Katong food scene is excellent. It is a small development so it feels private and quiet. I renewed my lease without hesitation.”
— Long-term tenant, The Red House
“The heritage feel of East Coast Road is something you cannot manufacture in a new launch. Living here, you are part of the original Katong character — the shophouses, the Peranakan restaurants, the coffee shops. The Red House name means something on this street. That matters to us as a family who wanted to put down roots in Singapore rather than just buy a unit.”
— Owner-occupier resident, The Red House
Strengths & Weaknesses
- Marine Parade TEL at 390m — walkable MRT in 5 minutes, rare for sub-$1,600 PSF D15 resale
- 40–70% PSF discount vs all active D15 new-launch comparables ($2,461–$2,790 PSF)
- CHIJ (Katong) Primary at 280m — doorstep access for P1 school registration priority
- Five schools within 500m including Canadian International School (Tanjong Katong)
- 93 rental transactions across 42 units — 2.2x rental turnover signals deep tenant demand
- East Coast Park beach access ~700m — genuine lifestyle asset unavailable to inland districts
- Boutique 42-unit scale — pool and gym never crowded, strong community feel
- Heritage-adjacent Katong address — East Coast Road character and Peranakan lifestyle
- Full bank financing and unrestricted CPF usage — 85-year lease has no current constraints
- Gross yield 3.05% — competitive for a D15 freehold-adjacent address with MRT access
- PSF trend is sideways and volatile ($1,431–$1,566 over 4 periods) — not a capital gain story
- 75-year lease threshold reached in ~2037, around 10 years away — long-horizon buyers must model this
- Boutique facilities only — pool and gym, no tennis court, clubhouse, or resort amenities
- Developer WRH Pte. Ltd is a single-project boutique — no portfolio track record to benchmark
- Only 42 units — small MCST, higher per-unit maintenance fees typical of boutique scale
- East Coast Road arterial traffic — some road noise from front-facing units
- No covered walkway to Marine Parade MRT — 390m walk is exposed to weather
- Competition from large-scale new launches (Grand Dunman, Emerald of Katong) may cap resale price ceiling
Verdict
The Red House makes its case on three pillars that reinforce each other with unusual consistency: a 390-metre walk to Marine Parade TEL, a school cluster that puts five institutions within 500 metres including CHIJ (Katong) Primary at 280 metres, and a transacted PSF of $1,523 that represents a 40 to 70 per cent discount to every active D15 new-launch competitor. No single one of these attributes is extraordinary in isolation. Combined, they describe an asset profile that is structurally scarce in the Singapore resale market and genuinely difficult to replicate at this price point anywhere in District 15. For school-registration families, rental income investors, and East Coast lifestyle buyers, The Red House deserves to sit near the top of any D15 shortlist.
The honest counterarguments require acknowledgement. The PSF trend over the past four periods — $1,431, $1,566, $1,457, $1,523, $1,472 — is sideways and volatile. This is not a development with a capital appreciation tailwind. Buyers who acquired in 2020 and sell in 2026 have not compounded wealth at the rate that D15 new-launch buyers achieved. The 85-year remaining lease is healthy today but sets a 10-year clock on the 75-year CPF threshold that buyers with a long investment horizon should model explicitly. And the facilities programme, while perfectly adequate for 42 units, will disappoint buyers who prioritise resort-scale amenities as a lifestyle requirement.
The buyer profile this development suits best is clear: a family who needs school-registration proximity to CHIJ (Katong) Primary or Tanjong Katong Girls School; a professional couple who values MRT access over unit count; or an investor who wants a rental yield of approximately 3% from a Katong address with deep and demonstrated tenant demand. For any of those buyers, The Red House at $1,523 PSF — versus Grand Dunman at $2,537 PSF or Emerald of Katong at $2,640 PSF — is a fundamentally different financial proposition that the raw PSF discount does not fully capture until you factor in the school and MRT proximity that both of those newer launches also offer. The Red House gets you the same neighbourhood, the same schools, and the same TEL access, for roughly half the price per square foot.