The Richmond
Overview & Key Facts
The Richmond is a freehold boutique condominium tucked along St. Michael’s Road in District 12, completed in 1999 by Trio-United Realty Pte Ltd. With just 38 units across a single low-rise block, it sits firmly in the “small freehold” category — the kind of development that rarely makes the headlines but tends to attract a loyal owner-occupier base who value quiet, ownership permanence, and a manageable strata roll.
The setting is classic inner-RCR Singapore: a residential pocket sandwiched between Boon Keng, Bendemeer, and Potong Pasir, surrounded by a mix of HDB blocks, low-rise shophouses, and other small freehold projects. St. Michael’s Road itself is a quiet residential street, which is part of the appeal — you get inner-ring location and a Catholic-influenced heritage neighbourhood without the noise of an arterial road outside your window.
At 27 years old, The Richmond is well past TOP defects but well short of any en-bloc conversation — it scores 52/100 on our en-bloc indicator, reflecting the difficulty of redeveloping a small 38-unit freehold parcel in an area without strong plot-ratio uplift. The development trades on freehold tenure, location convenience, and unit size at a meaningful PSF discount to nearby leasehold launches like The Orie and recent freehold benchmarks like Verticus.
Location & Connectivity
The Richmond’s strongest practical advantage is its triangulation between three MRT stations on two different lines. Boon Keng MRT (NE9) is the closest at roughly 680m — about an 8-9 minute walk via St. Michael’s Road and Serangoon Road. Geylang Bahru MRT (DT24) on the Downtown Line sits 860m away, and Potong Pasir MRT (NE10) is approximately 870m. Bendemeer MRT is a touch further at 1.23 km. None are at the doorstep, but the redundancy of two lines within walking distance is genuinely useful — you have alternatives if there’s a service disruption on either the NEL or DTL.
Driving is straightforward. The CTE is a five-minute drive away, putting the CBD at roughly 12 minutes off-peak via Ophir Road or about 15 minutes via the PIE. Orchard Road is reachable in around 10-12 minutes via Newton Circus. For families, the catchment of Bendemeer Primary School at 390m and Bendemeer Secondary at the same distance is a meaningful day-to-day asset.
Food is the real win for this neighbourhood. The historic Whampoa Market and Hawker Centre is a short walk west, the Bendemeer Market & Food Centre is 5 minutes away, and the cluster of zi char and supper spots along Serangoon Road and Petain Road keeps the area lively without being noisy. Mustafa Centre at Little India is a 10-minute drive — useful for late-night groceries and household runs that other neighbourhoods can’t match.
Schools & Education
2 primary schools within the 1 km Priority Phase balloting radius.
| School | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Bendemeer Primary School | primary | Within 1 km |
| Bendemeer Secondary School | secondary | Within 1 km |
| Hong Wen School | primary | Within 1 km |
| Stamford Primary School | primary | ~1.2 km |
| Assumption Pathway School | secondary | ~1.2 km |
| Balestier Hill Primary School | primary | ~1.5 km |
| School of Science and Technology | jc | ~1.5 km |
| Beatty Secondary School | secondary | ~1.6 km |
Facilities
Set expectations accordingly: this is a boutique 38-unit freehold from 1999, not a resort-scale mega-development. The facility set is the standard small-condo package — a swimming pool, a basic gym, a BBQ pit, and a covered carpark. There is no clubhouse, no tennis court, no function room, no concierge. What you trade off in amenity breadth, you gain in management simplicity and meaningfully lower maintenance fees compared to facility-heavy peers like Eight Riversuites or Gem Residences.
“Small condo, small problems. Pool is rarely crowded, gym is enough for basic workouts, and the MCST has been stable for years. If you want a clubhouse, look elsewhere — but for a freehold near MRT at this price, I’m not complaining.”
— Resident review via PropertyGuru
In practice, owners of small freehold blocks like The Richmond tend to walk five minutes to ActiveSG’s Toa Payoh and Bendemeer sports facilities when they want a proper workout. The trade-off is a feature, not a bug — but it’s worth being clear-eyed about it before buying.
Unit Sizes & Layout
Unit sizes at The Richmond reflect 1999-era design conventions, which is mostly good news for buyers used to 2020s shoeboxes. Two-bedroom configurations typically run 850-1,000 sqft, three-bedrooms in the 1,150-1,400 sqft range, with a small number of larger penthouses on the top floor. Compare that to a new-launch 2-bedroom at 600-700 sqft and the space premium becomes obvious — you are buying roughly 25-35% more usable floor area at a 25-40% PSF discount to current freehold launches in the same district.
The block’s low-rise format means every unit gets reasonable ventilation, and the small footprint avoids the deep-recessed-corner units that plague larger developments. Stack selection matters less here than in a 500-unit project, but units facing the internal pool are the quietest, while St. Michael’s Road-facing stacks pick up some morning traffic noise (modest — this is a residential street, not a main road).
| Bedrooms | Transactions | Avg PSF | Avg Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 BR | 7 | $1,431 | $1,782,857 |
| 4 BR | 1 | $1,302 | $2,060,000 |
Pricing & Market Position
Based on 8 recorded transactions, sale prices range from $1,380,000 to $2,060,000, averaging $1,817,500 (~$1,562 psf).
Rents range from $2,000 to $5,500 per month across 17 rental transactions. Current rental yield sits at approximately 2.5%.
Price Appreciation
From 2021 to 2025, the average PSF has appreciated by 40.1% (from $1,115 to $1,562 psf).
Neighbourhood Comparison
In the same district, the cleanest comparison is Verticus — also freehold, a more modern 162-unit Soilbuild development at ~$2,122 psf. Verticus offers newer fittings, a more contemporary facility set, and a fresher building, but at a 36% PSF premium over The Richmond. The Orie at $2,730 psf is a 99-year leasehold new launch — buyers there are paying for fresh lease, integrated mall (HDB BTO precinct), and brand-new facilities, but giving up freehold permanence and accepting roughly 75% higher PSF.
Among the leasehold peers, Eight Riversuites at $1,644 psf and Trevista at $1,698 psf are both larger developments (843 and 590 units respectively) with full facility decks. They trade at a slight PSF premium to The Richmond despite being leasehold — a reminder that for the broader market, facility breadth and unit count often matter more than tenure. The Richmond’s case is built for the buyer who actively wants the opposite trade: small block, freehold, low maintenance, walking-distance MRT.
| Development | Tenure | TOP | Units | ~Avg PSF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| THE RICHMOND | Freehold | 1999 | 38 | $1,562 |
| THE ORIE | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2024 | 2025 | 52 | $2,730 |
| EIGHT RIVERSUITES | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2011 | 2016 | 843 | $1,644 |
| GEM RESIDENCES | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2015 | — | 578 | $1,833 |
| TREVISTA | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2008 | — | 590 | $1,698 |
| VERTICUS | Freehold | 2021 | 162 | $2,122 |
ShiokNest Scores
Our proprietary scoring system evaluates THE RICHMOND across multiple dimensions.
What Residents Say
“Lived here for almost 10 years. Quiet street, MRT walkable in under 10 minutes, and Whampoa hawker centre is the best part of the neighbourhood. Maintenance fees are low because there’s not much to maintain — that’s a feature for me.”
— Resident review via 99.co
“Bought here because of the freehold and the unit size — got a 1,150 sqft 3-bedder for what a 700 sqft new launch nearby costs. Facilities are basic but I use the ActiveSG gym at Toa Payoh anyway. No complaints on the trade.”
— Owner-occupier via EdgeProp
“The pool is small and the gym needs equipment refresh. If you have young kids who want a playground or splash pool, this is not the place. But for couples or empty-nesters who want a freehold near MRT, it works.”
— Resident review via PropertyGuru
The pattern across reviews is consistent: residents value the freehold tenure, neighbourhood food scene, and walkable MRT access, but readily acknowledge the limited facilities. The boutique 38-unit count means owners tend to know each other, the AGM is a manageable affair, and decisions on common-area maintenance happen quickly — characteristics that larger developments often envy.
Strengths & Weaknesses
- Freehold tenure — no lease decay risk
- Two MRT lines (NEL + DTL) within 870m walking distance
- Generous unit sizes (2-BR ~850-1,000 sqft, 3-BR ~1,150-1,400 sqft)
- Bendemeer Primary & Secondary at 390m for school catchment
- Walkability score 65/100 — strong for inner-RCR
- Lower maintenance fees vs facility-heavy peers
- ~26-43% PSF discount to nearby freehold/new-launch benchmarks
- Strong food heritage — Whampoa & Bendemeer hawker centres nearby
- Quiet residential street setting (St. Michael’s Road)
- Boutique 38-unit MCST — known neighbours, fast AGM decisions
- Limited facilities — pool, gym, BBQ only (no clubhouse/tennis/function room)
- Closest MRT (Boon Keng) is 680m — walkable but not at doorstep
- Modest gross yield 2.48% — not an investor-yield play
- 27-year-old building — budget S$50K-S$80K for renovation
- Low en-bloc score (52/100) — unlikely redevelopment optionality
- Investment score only 51/100 — value but not momentum play
- Only 8 sales in last 12 months — thin transaction history for price discovery
- No concierge or estate management beyond basic MCST
- Older fittings; original 1999 wet works may need pre-emptive replacement
Verdict
The Richmond is a quiet, sensible freehold buy for a specific kind of household: someone who wants permanent tenure, walkable MRT access, and a generously sized unit at a price that doesn’t require believing a new-launch growth story. At ~$1,562 psf, it sits roughly 26% below the freehold benchmark Verticus ($2,122 psf) and roughly 43% below The Orie ($2,730 psf) — a gap that reflects age, facility breadth, and brand, but not tenure.
Where it works less well: yield-focused investors will find the 2.48% gross yield underwhelming compared to leasehold mass-market peers — a smaller unit count means rental supply is naturally limited, but rental ceiling is also constrained by the lack of facilities. And buyers prioritising amenity-rich living will want to look at Eight Riversuites or Trevista instead — both leasehold but with full facility decks.
The PSF trajectory tells a coherent story. From around $1,115 psf five years ago to $1,562 today, The Richmond has appreciated roughly 40% over the cycle — a respectable run for a small freehold that benefited from inner-ring rerating during the 2021-2024 freehold scarcity premium. Whether the next five years deliver the same is harder to call: the broader freehold-vs-leasehold spread has widened, and small-block freeholds without strong en-bloc optionality tend to track the spread rather than lead it.