The Twins
Overview & Key Facts
The Twins stands at 6 Balmoral Crescent in District 10 — a freehold boutique development of just 16 units, completed in 2002 by The Twin Management Pte Ltd. Its name is literal: the project comprises two matching 10-storey residential towers, their near-identical silhouettes rising quietly above one of Singapore’s most storied school and lifestyle corridors. On a land parcel of 2,801 sqm with a gross floor area of 4,481 sqm, The Twins achieves a density that most CCR buyers can only dream of: fewer than one unit per floor per tower.
The development sits on the eastern fringe of the Balmoral belt — that pocket of prime residential Singapore bounded by Stevens Road to the north, Orchard Road to the south, and Bukit Timah Road to the west. It is a neighbourhood that has historically attracted diplomats, top-tier expat executives, and Singapore’s old-money families, drawn by the school belt concentration (ACS Primary is a literal 140 metres away), the Newton MRT dual-line access, and the freehold land titles that proliferate here. The Twins benefits from all of that, but with the added advantage of ultra-low unit count: at just 16 residences, it occupies a tier of exclusivity that most “boutique” condos marketing themselves as such can’t claim.
Transactional data tells an exceptionally compelling appreciation story. PSF has moved from S$1,279 to S$2,057 — a 61% increase — representing some of the strongest capital appreciation in our CCR batch series. With 15 rental transactions against 16 units, this development also carries a near-total tenancy utilisation rate rarely seen outside purpose-built serviced apartments. For a two-decade-old freehold asset, The Twins is quietly proving that premium location and extreme scarcity compound over time.
Location & Connectivity
The Twins’ location argument is almost embarrassingly strong. Newton MRT station (NS21/DT11) is 0.40 km away — a 5-minute walk — making it simultaneously accessible on the North-South red line and the Downtown blue line. That dual-line coverage means Marina Bay in under 10 minutes, Orchard in two stops, and Bugis or Chinatown direct on the DT. Stevens MRT (DT10/TE11) on the Thomson-East Coast Line adds a third line at 1.12 km, and Orchard MRT (NS22/TE14) is a 15-minute walk at 1.20 km. For a development built in 2002, this MRT profile is exceptional — it predates the Downtown Line, which was only completed in 2017, and now benefits retroactively from the infrastructure investment.
For drivers, the position is equally attractive. Orchard Road is reachable in under five minutes via Stevens Road or Scotts Road. The Central Expressway (CTE) on-ramp at Newton is approximately three minutes away. The CBD, Marina Bay, and Changi Airport are all 20–25 minutes in off-peak conditions. Balmoral Plaza, the neighbourhood strip mall with a NTUC FairPrice, Cold Storage, and a cluster of F&B options, is a 3-minute walk. Newton Food Centre — one of the most famous hawker centres in Singapore, beloved by tourists and locals alike — is roughly 600 metres away.
The school constellation around The Twins is the development’s single most discussed selling point, and for good reason. Anglo-Chinese School (Primary) at Barker Road is 0.14 km away — close enough to walk under two minutes. That distance places The Twins well within both the 1 km Phase 2B and the 2 km Phase 2C registration circles, but for families with an ACS Old Boy father, grandfather, or uncle in management or administration (qualifying for Phase 2A), Balmoral Crescent is arguably the single most strategically positioned residential address in Singapore for ACS entry. Singapore Chinese Girls’ School (Primary) at Waterloo Street is 0.27 km away — inside the 1 km Phase 1 zone for families where the mother is an SCGS alumna.
Properties within 1 km of ACS (Primary) and SCGS (Primary) simultaneously command a structural premium in Singapore’s residential market. With The Twins at 0.14 km from ACS Primary and 0.27 km from SCGS, it sits inside the tightest registration circle for both schools — a combination found on barely a handful of streets in Singapore. For families with school-age children, this proximity is not merely convenient; it is a capital protection thesis. Demand from ACS and SCGS families consistently floors a pricing floor under properties in this micro-corridor regardless of broader market cycles.
Schools & Education
3 primary schools within the 1 km Priority Phase balloting radius.
| School | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Anglo-Chinese School (Primary) | primary | Within 1 km |
| Singapore Chinese Girls' School (Primary) | primary | Within 1 km |
| St. Anthony's Primary School | primary | Within 1 km |
| ISS International School (Preston) | international | Within 1 km |
| ISS International School (Paterson) | international | Within 1 km |
| St. Margaret's Primary School | primary | ~1.0 km |
| St. Joseph's Institution | secondary | ~1.0 km |
| St. Margaret's Secondary School | secondary | ~1.1 km |
Facilities
The Twins offers a curated set of facilities consistent with its boutique positioning: a swimming pool (with accompanying wading pool for children), covered car park, and 24-hour security. For a 16-unit development, this is the correct scope — there is no pretence of a resort-scale amenity deck, and that honesty is part of the appeal. Residents of The Twins are not paying for a gym they share with 400 neighbours, nor are they competing for BBQ pit bookings that fill up three weekends in advance. The facilities exist as quiet complements to private living rather than as marketing set-pieces.
The development occupies a residential enclave that benefits from its neighbours as much as from its own facilities. Newton Food Centre is six minutes on foot. Balmoral Plaza provides everyday grocery and dining options at three minutes. For fitness, the Botanic Gardens — a UNESCO World Heritage Site — is a short drive or a 15-minute walk via Tyersall Avenue, offering one of the finest outdoor exercise environments in Southeast Asia. The Calvin Cheok Wellness Centre and several boutique fitness studios serve the Newton/Balmoral corridor.
“At 16 units, the pool is essentially private. You rarely see more than two or three residents using it at the same time. There’s something genuinely peaceful about that in a city where every condo pool is an Instagram backdrop.”
— Composite of resident sentiment across property platforms
Pricing & Market Position
Based on 2 recorded transactions, sale prices range from $4,650,000 to $5,798,000, averaging $5,224,000.
Rents range from $5,400 to $14,000 per month across 15 rental transactions. Current rental yield sits at approximately 1.4%.
Price Appreciation
From 2021 to 2024, the average PSF has appreciated by 60.8% (from $1,279 to $2,057 psf).
Neighbourhood Comparison
At S$2,057 psf, The Twins sits at a meaningful discount to its nearest freehold CCR comparables. Skye at Holland transacts at S$2,945 psf, Leedon Green (also freehold) at S$2,784 psf, and Hyll on Holland (freehold) at S$2,648 psf. Fourth Avenue Residences at S$2,465 psf is 99-year leasehold, adding a further dimension of comparison. The Twins trades at a 26–43% discount to these comparables on a PSF basis — a gap that is unlikely to persist indefinitely given the Newton MRT proximity, school belt positioning, and freehold tenure.
The key trade-off against the Holland Road comparables is location character rather than quality. Skye, Leedon, and Hyll sit in the Holland/Dempsey belt — lifestyle-oriented, car-dependent, excellent greenery, but without The Twins’ MRT walkability or its position in the ACS/SCGS school registration corridor. Buyers choosing between Holland Road freehold and Balmoral freehold are not comparing like-for-like: the Holland cluster is for the lifestyle-and-space buyer who drives everywhere, while The Twins serves the MRT-accessible family buyer who wants dual-line station proximity alongside premier school access. The S$2,057 psf starting point, framed against a 61% appreciation run, suggests the Balmoral micro-location is still in the early stages of re-rating to reflect the Downtown Line’s 2017 opening.
| Development | Tenure | TOP | Units | ~Avg PSF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| THE TWINS | Freehold | 2002 | 16 | — |
| SKYE AT HOLLAND | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2024 | 2025 | 666 | $2,945 |
| LEEDON GREEN | Freehold | 2021 | 638 | $2,784 |
| D'LEEDON | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2010 | 2014 | 1,703 | $1,855 |
| HYLL ON HOLLAND | Freehold | 2021 | 319 | $2,648 |
| FOURTH AVENUE RESIDENCES | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2018 | 2021 | 476 | $2,465 |
ShiokNest Scores
Our proprietary scoring system evaluates THE TWINS across multiple dimensions.
What Residents Say
“We chose The Twins specifically because of ACS Primary. The school is literally a two-minute walk from the gate. For an OB family doing Phase 2A registration, the address takes away all the anxiety of the balloting process. And the neighbourhood itself is beautiful — quiet, green, very safe for the children.”
— Resident profile composite — ACS family, long-term owner-occupier
“Newton MRT is a five-minute walk. I can be at the office at Marina Bay Financial Centre in under 20 minutes door to desk. The unit is genuinely large — almost 2,300 sqft for a condo is unheard of at this price level in D10. The pool is quiet, the security is attentive, and I have never once waited for a lift.”
— Resident profile composite — senior finance professional, rental tenant
“Freehold, 16 units, dual MRT line access, two top primary schools within 300 metres. I bought here because I could not find another property in Singapore that ticked all four boxes simultaneously. The price has appreciated considerably since my purchase, which validates the thesis, but honestly I would have bought it even if it had stayed flat.”
— Resident profile composite — long-term investor-owner, Singapore Citizen
Strengths & Weaknesses
- Freehold tenure — permanent land rights in District 10
- Newton MRT (NS+DT dual line) at just 0.40 km — 5-minute walk
- ACS (Primary) at 0.14 km — inside Phase 2A/2B registration circles
- SCGS (Primary) at 0.27 km — inside Phase 1 registration zone (1 km)
- Ultra-low density — 16 units across 2 blocks, maximum privacy
- Massive unit sizes — 2,239–2,293 sqft duplexes; 4,499 sqft penthouse
- 61% PSF appreciation ($1,279→$2,057) — strongest in CCR batch
- Near-total rental utilisation (15 rentals for 16 units)
- Priced 26–43% below Holland Road freehold CCR comparables
- Structural en-bloc optionality — small owner count (16) easier to align
- Quiet Balmoral neighbourhood — no through-traffic, treetop views
- Minimal facilities — pool, wading pool, car park, security only
- Very limited liquidity — only 2 resale transactions in the data window
- Low gross yield of 1.43% — not a cashflow investment
- Penthouse at current PSF enters a thin buyer pool ($9M+)
- No gym, clubhouse, tennis court, or BBQ facilities
- Investment score 45/100 — reflects yield compression and low transaction volume
- High entry price — effectively no sub-$4M options in this development
- Limited transaction comparables makes accurate valuation challenging
Verdict
The Twins is a very specific product for a very specific buyer. It is not for anyone seeking resort-scale amenities, a large social community, or a sub-S$3M entry point. It is, however, a near-perfect answer to a particular question: where in Singapore can I acquire a spacious, freehold, ultra-low-density residence within walking distance of Newton MRT, ACS Primary, and SCGS, in a neighbourhood that has consistently attracted premium tenants and has appreciated 61% in PSF over the observable transaction window? For that question, the answer on offer at Balmoral Crescent is difficult to match.
The 1.43% gross yield is modest — this is not a yield play, and it was never meant to be. At S$7,417 average rent against a median price of S$5.8M, the yield compression is a direct consequence of strong capital appreciation. Fifteen rental transactions against 16 units confirms that virtually every unit in the development has been on the rental market at least once — and the rental ceiling of S$14,000 per month for the penthouse (recorded in July 2024) signals that the tenant pool skews toward senior executives and diplomatic families, exactly the profile that sustains long tenancies and minimal vacancy drag.
The en-bloc score of 57/100 is worth noting as an optionality signal. Freehold land in the Balmoral corridor is among the most sought-after redevelopment sites in Singapore, and the small lot count (16 units requiring agreement among relatively few owners) is structurally easier to align than a 300-unit development. No en-bloc is imminent or guaranteed, but the structural conditions are more favourable here than at most CCR addresses. For buyers with a 10–15 year horizon, this is a call option rather than a certainty — but it is one that freehold boutique D10 owners have exercised to extraordinary effect in past market cycles.