The Scenic @ Braddell
Overview & Key Facts
The Scenic @ Braddell is a slender freehold boutique condominium tucked along Braddell Road in District 13 — a stretch of the Toa Payoh fringe that has quietly undergone a generational shift as new integrated developments such as The Woodleigh Residences reshape its northern edge. Developed by Mt. Batten Pte Ltd, the project comprises just 18 units across a low-rise block, making it one of the smallest private condominium releases in the district. Its modest scale is simultaneously its greatest differentiator and its most significant limitation.
At only 18 units, The Scenic @ Braddell occupies a category quite unlike its neighbours. Where The Woodleigh Residences (667 units) and Park Colonial (805 units) offer resort-scale facilities and the anonymity of large-estate living, The Scenic offers something rarer in modern Singapore residential development: intimacy. Owners know their neighbours; the common corridors rarely feel crowded; the carpark is never a battle. For a certain buyer profile — the professional couple, the down-sizer, the investor seeking a tight-supply freehold hold — this distinction matters considerably.
The development sits close enough to the Woodleigh MRT corridor to benefit from neighbourhood vibrancy, while Braddell Road itself provides a direct arterial link toward the PIE, CTE, and Toa Payoh town centre. The freehold tenure, rare in this precinct of otherwise 99-year leasehold launches, is the headline financial argument: buyers are not subject to lease decay, and resale eligibility is unconstrained by TDSR cliff effects that begin to bite as leasehold stock crosses the 60-year mark.
Location & Connectivity
The Scenic @ Braddell sits approximately 530 metres from Woodleigh MRT station on the North-East Line — a comfortable 6–7 minute walk for most residents, though the Braddell Road pedestrian environment has been improved as part of broader works around the Woodleigh precinct. Woodleigh is a single-line station (NEL), which means a transfer is required for Circle Line access; Serangoon MRT interchange, offering both NEL and CCL connectivity, lies about 830 metres away and is reachable on foot in under 12 minutes or by a short bus ride. For commuters requiring CBD access or a one-stop connection to Dhoby Ghaut, the NEL serves well; the typical journey time to City Hall is around 20 minutes.
By car, the location is excellent. Braddell Road provides a fast link to the Central Expressway (CTE) and the Pan-Island Expressway (PIE), and drivers can typically reach Orchard Road in 12–15 minutes, the CBD in 18–22 minutes, and Changi Airport in roughly 25 minutes in off-peak conditions. The Woodleigh precinct also benefits from the Bidadari urban transformation underway at the former Bidadari cemetery site — a new park, community hub, and residential precinct that is gradually reshaping the catchment along Upper Aljunied Road.
For day-to-day needs, the neighbourhood leans on nearby retail rather than walkable ground-floor amenities. The Woodleigh Mall, integrated into The Woodleigh Residences development, is approximately 500 metres north and houses a Cold Storage supermarket, food outlets, and lifestyle retail. HDB neighbourhood coffee shops and hawker centres along Braddell Road and the adjacent Toa Payoh precinct are accessible by car or bus within 5–10 minutes. Serangoon’s NEX mall, one of Singapore’s better-stocked suburban shopping centres, is a short ride away.
Schools & Education
| School | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Bartley Secondary School | secondary | Within 1 km |
| Assumption Pathway School | secondary | ~1.2 km |
| Stamford Primary School | primary | ~1.2 km |
| Red Swastika School | primary | ~1.5 km |
| Cedar Girls' Secondary School | secondary | ~1.5 km |
| Cedar Primary School | primary | ~1.6 km |
| De La Salle School | primary | ~1.6 km |
| Serangoon Secondary School | secondary | ~1.8 km |
Facilities
With only 18 units, The Scenic @ Braddell offers the facilities typical of a boutique freehold release in this size bracket: a lap pool, a small gym, and covered car parking. There is no clubhouse, no function room, no tennis court, and no children’s play area — and buyers should calibrate expectations accordingly. The development is not competing on amenities; its value proposition rests entirely on tenure, location, and unit sizing. Maintenance fees, by contrast, benefit from the limited shared-facility footprint: residents typically report lower monthly contributions than comparable-sized units in larger developments with resort-scale amenities, which is a not-insignificant advantage for investors running yield calculations.
“We knew going in that there’s no frills here — no big pool, no function rooms. But honestly, we use the Woodleigh Mall downstairs for everything and NEX for the rest. The freehold status was what clinched it for us, and the fact that you’re not paying through the nose in maintenance fees every month.”
— Owner feedback via PropertyGuru
For buyers whose recreational needs are met by the surrounding precinct — Bidadari Park for jogging and cycling, The Woodleigh Mall for casual dining, and Serangoon’s NEX for retail — the limited on-site facility footprint is a worthwhile trade-off. Buyers who prioritise on-compound lifestyle amenities should look instead at The Woodleigh Residences or Park Colonial, both of which offer comprehensive clubhouse facilities as part of their larger-scale design.
Unit Sizes & Layout
Transaction data for The Scenic @ Braddell points to a mix of unit types across the small 18-unit layout. Available PSF data over the trailing 12 months shows an average of S$1,375 psf — a meaningful discount to the large leasehold developments in the same district, with The Woodleigh Residences transacting at approximately S$2,227 psf and Park Colonial at S$2,142 psf. The freehold premium is real, but it has not yet bridged the full PSF gap to the newer integrated launches, which some analysts attribute to the boutique development’s limited liquidity (thin transaction volume makes pricing discovery slow) and the absence of the lifestyle facilities that drive premium pricing in the mass-affluent segment.
Stack orientation along Braddell Road means some units will face the arterial road directly, with the associated traffic noise considerations. Units positioned away from the road or facing inward may command a slight premium at resale. Given the boutique scale, buyers negotiating direct purchases or sub-sales have room to leverage unit-specific factors — floor level, orientation, renovation quality — in a way that is rarely possible in a 700-unit development where strata valuations anchor tightly to median PSF.
| Bedrooms | Transactions | Avg PSF | Avg Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 BR | 1 | $1,349 | $755,000 |
| 2 BR | 2 | $1,290 | $1,127,500 |
| 4 BR | 3 | $1,257 | $2,051,667 |
Pricing & Market Position
Based on 6 recorded transactions, sale prices range from $755,000 to $2,450,000, averaging $1,527,500 (~$1,375 psf).
Rents range from $1,350 to $3,805 per month across 22 rental transactions. Current rental yield sits at approximately 1.6%.
Price Appreciation
From 2021 to 2025, the average PSF has appreciated by 14.5% (from $1,201 to $1,375 psf).
Neighbourhood Comparison
The competitive landscape in District 13 is dominated by large-format 99-year leasehold developments, which makes The Scenic @ Braddell a structural outlier rather than a direct comparator. The Woodleigh Residences (S$2,227 psf, 99-year lease, 667 units) is the most prominent neighbour — it offers an integrated mall, comprehensive facilities, and direct MRT access to Woodleigh station, but at a price premium exceeding 60% per square foot and with a clock ticking on its 2017-commenced lease. Park Colonial (S$2,142 psf, 99-year lease, 805 units) and The Tre Ver (S$1,919 psf, 99-year lease, 729 units) present the same fundamental trade-off: scale, facilities, and proximity to infrastructure at a leasehold tenure premium.
For the buyer who has already decided on freehold ownership and District 13 as their target, The Scenic @ Braddell is one of very few liquid options in the market. The meaningful PSF discount to its leasehold neighbours is a counterintuitive market pricing anomaly — one that reflects the boutique development’s thin transaction history rather than a genuine underlying value disadvantage. Buyers who can tolerate limited secondary-market liquidity and take a sufficiently long hold view may find the freehold tenure at a relative discount to be the most compelling value argument in the district.
| Development | Tenure | TOP | Units | ~Avg PSF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| THE SCENIC @ BRADDELL | Freehold | — | 18 | $1,375 |
| THE WOODLEIGH RESIDENCES | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2017 | 2021 | 667 | $2,227 |
| THE TRE VER | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2018 | 2021 | 729 | $1,919 |
| BARTLEY RIDGE | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2012 | 2018 | 868 | $1,703 |
| PARK COLONIAL | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2017 | 2021 | 805 | $2,142 |
| THE POIZ RESIDENCES | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2014 | 2019 | 731 | $1,865 |
ShiokNest Scores
Our proprietary scoring system evaluates THE SCENIC @ BRADDELL across multiple dimensions.
What Residents Say
“It’s genuinely quiet here. 18 units means you know everyone in the lift lobby. Coming from a 500-unit development, the peace and the low maintenance fees were the biggest surprises after moving in.”
— Resident review via EdgeProp
“Location is solid — Woodleigh MRT is a reasonable walk, Woodleigh Mall covers the daily needs, and Braddell Road gets you anywhere fast by car. The pool is small but honestly I have it to myself most mornings, which I prefer.”
— Owner review via PropertyGuru
“Main downside is no real communal facilities beyond the basic pool and gym. If you have kids who want to run around, you’ll need to go out. But the freehold title and the price we paid compared to the newer launches nearby made it an easy decision.”
— Resident feedback via 99.co
The sentiment across review platforms is narrow but consistent: residents value the boutique privacy, the lower maintenance overhead, and the freehold status. The near-universal caveat is the limited on-site facilities, particularly for households with children. Those who use the development as a quiet urban base — rather than a self-contained resort — consistently express satisfaction with the Woodleigh precinct’s expanding amenity base as an effective substitute for on-compound lifestyle infrastructure.
Strengths & Weaknesses
- Freehold tenure — rare in a District 13 precinct dominated by 99-year leasehold launches
- Woodleigh MRT (NEL) approximately 530m — walkable in most conditions
- Lower maintenance fees due to minimal shared-facility footprint
- Boutique intimacy of 18 units — genuinely quiet common areas
- Braddell Road arterial access to CTE and PIE for car-owning households
- Bidadari Park and Woodleigh precinct greenery within walking distance
- PSF discount to nearby 99-year leasehold mega-developments
- Proximity to Woodleigh Mall (Cold Storage, dining, retail)
- Multiple schools within 1.5 km including Bartley Secondary and Cedar Girls' Secondary
- Freehold title provides long-term capital preservation without lease decay risk
- Only 18 units — thin resale liquidity complicates exit timing and bank valuations
- Minimal on-site facilities: basic pool and gym only, no clubhouse or function rooms
- Low gross yield (~1.59%) makes this a weak pure-income-return vehicle
- Woodleigh MRT is a single-line NEL station — transfers required for CCL or EWL
- Low ShiokNest score (34/100) reflects limited investment upside metrics
- Very limited transaction history makes price discovery slow and appraisals difficult
- Some units face Braddell Road directly — traffic noise is a consideration
- No TOP year on record — prospective buyers should conduct independent due diligence on building age
- En-bloc potential low (34/100) — collective sale exit is not a credible strategy here
Verdict
The Scenic @ Braddell is a development that rewards a specific buyer archetype: the freehold accumulator. For investors or owner-occupiers with a 10-to-20-year horizon who want perpetual title in a District 13 address without paying the premium commanded by landed or CCR freehold stock, the property offers a credible entry point. The PSF discount to nearby 99-year leasehold mega-developments is counterintuitive at first glance — freehold should command a premium — but in practice reflects the boutique development’s limited liquidity and facility profile. Buyers who understand this dynamic and are comfortable with thin transaction volumes can acquire a genuine tenure advantage at a surprisingly competitive price point.
The en-bloc score of 34/100 signals that collective sale potential is modest, which is consistent with the development’s freehold status (freeholds are structurally harder to en-bloc), small unit count (unanimous consent requirements are more demanding proportionally), and relatively recent TOP. Investors banking on an en-bloc exit should look elsewhere. The genuine long-term story here is lease-value preservation: as the surrounding 99-year leasehold stock ages through 2040 and beyond, the freehold units at The Scenic will face no such clock. The gross yield of approximately 1.59% as reported is thin by Singapore standards — reflective of the elevated median price relative to median rent — and positions this more as a capital-preservation and appreciation play than an income vehicle.
One nuance worth flagging: Woodleigh MRT at 530 metres is comfortably walkable, but Woodleigh is a single-line NEL station. Buyers heavily dependent on Circle Line or East-West Line access will need to transfer at Serangoon or use the bus network. For most professional commuters oriented toward the CBD or Dhoby Ghaut, the NEL connectivity is adequate. For those with regular need of the eastern or western corridors, factor in the additional interchange stop.