Tranquilia @ Kismis
Overview & Key Facts
Tranquilia @ Kismis is a boutique freehold strata landed cluster development of just seven five-bedroom terrace houses on Eng Kong Road in District 21 (RCR), Bukit Timah. Developed by Low Keng Huat (Singapore) Ltd and Wenul Development Pte Ltd (jointly as Newfort Alliance (Kismis) Pte Ltd), the project received its Temporary Occupation Permit in December 2020 and is fully freehold — an increasingly rare tenure in this corner of the Bukit Timah belt. Unit sizes run from 4,359 to 5,597 square feet across a basement, three storeys, and an attic, with each house featuring five ensuite bedrooms, a basement entertainment room, private car porch, home lift, roof terrace, and access to a shared communal pool. At this scale, Tranquilia @ Kismis occupies a very specific niche: a landed lifestyle within a low-density gated enclave, without the management complexity of a standalone landed house.
Both the development name and the street name reward a moment of etymology. “Tranquilia” is a straight rendering of tranquility — a naming instinct that reflects the quiet, tree-lined character of the Eng Kong Road precinct. “Kismis” (كشمش, kišmiš) traces a longer journey: the word entered Malay from Classical Persian, where it means raisins or dried grapes, and Kismis Avenue in this neighbourhood likely takes its name from this Malay-Persian root, part of the broader Malay toponymic vocabulary that characterises many Bukit Timah and Beauty World area street names. Together, the name “Tranquilia @ Kismis” speaks to both the physical setting (genuinely tranquil, low-traffic enclave) and the historical layering of the neighbourhood.
The transaction record is thin but directional: two resale caveats at an average of S$4,440,000 (median S$4,500,000), and three rental transactions averaging S$12,500 per month (median S$14,000) — a gross yield of approximately 3.73% on those data points. For a freehold 5-bedroom strata terrace in D21, both the capital and income numbers are coherent with the product type, though buyers should read the thin-data caveats set out in the units and facilities sections before using these figures for precise investment sizing.
Location & Connectivity
Eng Kong Road sits in the quiet residential pocket between Bukit Timah Road and Clementi Road in the Upper Bukit Timah / Cheng Soon Garden enclave of District 21. The address is a genuinely low-traffic, tree-canopied environment — the approach from Bukit Timah Road via Kismis Avenue and Eng Kong Road transitions quickly from the commercial activity of Beauty World into an established landed residential neighbourhood with minimal through-traffic. The Bukit Timah corridor is one of Singapore’s most established mid-to-luxury residential belts, and Eng Kong Road sits within that heritage rather than at its outer fringe.
MRT access is provided by two Downtown Line (DTL) stations, both within reachable distance. Beauty World MRT (DT5) is the closer option at approximately 650–800 metres from Eng Kong Road, roughly an 8–10 minute walk depending on the specific unit and walking route. King Albert Park MRT (DT6 / future CR15) is approximately 700–900 metres in the other direction. The Downtown Line delivers one-seat access to Botanic Gardens, Stevens, Newton, Little India, and the Bugis/City Hall/Chinatown interchange cluster — a meaningfully stronger connectivity profile than Circle Line or North-South Line alternatives at comparable distance. Future Cross Island Line (CRL) interchange at King Albert Park (planned as CR15) will add a second line to that station, further upgrading the node.
The school story is one of the strongest in Singapore’s private residential market. Within the 1-km MOE primary-school registration radius, residents can access Bukit Timah Primary School and Pei Hwa Presbyterian Primary School — the latter is within the 1-km zone for Phase 2A balloting, an anchor that has historically been a major driver of family-buyer demand and resale premium across the entire Kismis / Eng Kong / Lorong Gambir pocket. Methodist Girls’ School (Primary and Secondary) is within the broader 2-km catchment. Ngee Ann Polytechnic borders the precinct directly to the west, and the NUS / SIM University cluster is accessible within 15 minutes by DTL. The beauty of the Bukit Timah school cluster is its depth: buyers can access prestigious through-school pathways (Pei Hwa → MGS or onward) with a level of proximity that is genuinely unusual for a private landed product in this price range.
Day-to-day amenity is centred on Beauty World: Beauty World Centre, Beauty World Plaza, and the adjoining hawker and coffeeshop strip along Cheong Chin Nam Road and Jalan Jurong Kechil form a self-contained retail-F&B node within easy walking distance. The Reserve Residences mixed-use development by Far East Organization and Sino Group (732 units, 99-year leasehold, TOP expected March 2028) is currently under construction directly at Beauty World MRT and will substantially upgrade the precinct with a new integrated transport hub, additional retail, and community spaces. KAP Mall at King Albert Park provides a second boutique mall node. Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and the Rail Corridor are within cycling or short driving range, offering one of Singapore’s strongest nature-amenity stories for buyers who value greenery.
Facilities
As a 7-unit strata cluster, Tranquilia @ Kismis provides shared communal facilities scaled to its boutique footprint: a communal swimming pool, landscaped common areas, gated security access, and visitor parking. Residents should approach this with the expectations appropriate to a landed cluster rather than a large condominium: there is no gym, no clubhouse, no tennis court, no commercial-scale facilities deck. The value proposition is the house itself — five ensuite bedrooms, a basement entertainment room, a home lift serving all levels, a private car porch, and a roof terrace — not the shared amenity. Maintenance contributions at a 7-unit block will be materially lower than a full-facility condominium, and the low-density enclave character (7 houses, not 700 apartments) is itself a form of amenity for households that prize privacy and quiet above pool slides.
Unit-level fitout at launch was positioned in the premium tier, consistent with the S$4–5M price point: modern design with quality sanitary ware, full kitchen fittings, and air-conditioning across all rooms. The home lift is a meaningful differentiator for multi-generational households or buyers anticipating long-term owner-occupation. The basement entertainment room and roof terrace add usable private spaces beyond the bedroom count — the effective footprint of 4,359–5,597 sqft functions as a house, not an apartment.
“There are only seven houses so it genuinely feels like a private estate. The shared pool is well maintained and the security is tight. You get the landed feel without having to worry about full standalone maintenance. Our kids love the basement room — it’s become the family cinema.”
— Owner perspective on cluster lifestyle via PropertyGuru project discussion
Pricing & Market Position
Based on 2 recorded transactions, sale prices range from $4,380,000 to $4,500,000, averaging $4,440,000.
Rents range from $9,500 to $14,000 per month across 3 rental transactions. Current rental yield sits at approximately 3.7%.
Price Appreciation
From 2024 to 2025, the average PSF has appreciated by 29% (from $783 to $1,010 psf).
Neighbourhood Comparison
Tranquilia @ Kismis competes in a specific intersection of the D21 market: freehold, large-format, landed or near-landed residential. The natural peer set includes Forett@Bukit Timah (S$2,130 psf, freehold, 633 units) — a larger condo development on Toh Tuck Road with full facilities and a meaningful resale transaction record, but apartments rather than houses, and a buyer profile skewed to younger families and investors comfortable with apartment living. Ki Residences at Brookvale (S$1,954 psf, 999-year leasehold, 660 units) offers near-freehold security on Brookvale Drive at a lower PSF, but again in apartment format rather than landed-house footprint. Both provide significantly more transaction liquidity, larger buyer pools, and no foreigner restrictions, at the cost of unit typology and development scale.
The Reserve Residences (S$2,494 psf, 99-year leasehold, 732 units, Far East Organization + Sino Group) is the highest-profile new launch in the Beauty World precinct and will be the dominant PSF reference point once its integrated transport hub opens at Beauty World MRT in 2028. At that PSF on a 99-year tenure, The Reserve Residences is categorically a different product: apartment-format, full facilities, high transaction volume, institutional-grade amenity integration — but a lease that starts decaying in 2028. Nava Grove (S$2,488 psf, 552 units) and Pinetree Hill (S$2,486 psf, 520 units) complete the new-launch reference set on the Pine Grove / Pandan Valley side of the district, similarly in apartment format. The honest comparison across all these peers is that Tranquilia @ Kismis offers something none of them do: freehold landed-house typology (5 bedrooms, 4,000+ sqft, home lift, private car porch) in a gated 7-unit cluster, within the same D21 school catchment. The price gap is real (S$4–5M vs S$2–3M for a comparable-area apartment) but it buys a fundamentally different living experience. Buyers who want apartment living with full facilities should look at the condo peers. Buyers who want a house — and want to pass the title to the next generation — have very few alternatives in this catchment at the freehold title.
| Development | Tenure | TOP | Units | ~Avg PSF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TRANQUILIA @ KISMIS | Freehold | — | — | — |
| THE RESERVE RESIDENCES | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2021 | 2023 | 892 | $2,494 |
| NAVA GROVE | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2024 | 2024 | 552 | $2,488 |
| PINETREE HILL | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2022 | 2023 | 520 | $2,486 |
| KI RESIDENCES AT BROOKVALE | 999 yrs lease commencing from 1885 | 2021 | 660 | $1,954 |
| FORETT@BUKIT TIMAH | Freehold | 2021 | 633 | $2,130 |
ShiokNest Scores
Our proprietary scoring system evaluates TRANQUILIA @ KISMIS across multiple dimensions.
What Residents Say
“We chose Tranquilia because of the school proximity — Pei Hwa is genuinely within 1 km and the Bukit Timah Primary option was also there. The house is spacious enough that we don’t feel like we need a pool, gym and function rooms. Seven houses, one pool, minimal noise. That’s exactly what we wanted after years in a large condo.”
— Resident family on school catchment and lifestyle trade-off via New Launches Review project discussion
“The home lift and the basement room were the deciding factors. My parents stay with us and the lift means they don’t have to manage stairs. The basement is where the grandchildren play — it’s fully air-conditioned and soundproofed enough that the adults can have dinner upstairs without hearing the chaos. Beauty World MRT is a 10-minute walk which we use daily.”
— Multi-generational household owner on home lift and daily commute via SRX Tranquilia @ Kismis project page
“Compared to the fully detached landed houses we looked at in the same area, Tranquilia made sense because the maintenance is managed, the security is there, and the footprint is comparable in terms of bedroom count and living space. We pay less in maintenance than our friends in a large condo. The Bukit Timah Nature Reserve cycling access is a genuine bonus — we cycle there on weekends.”
— Owner on strata-vs-standalone landed trade-off and nature access via Property Fishing Kismis area review
Strengths & Weaknesses
- Freehold title — perpetual ownership with no lease-decay pressure, fully inheritable across generations
- Landed-house typology — 5 ensuite bedrooms, 4,359–5,597 sqft, basement room, roof terrace, private car porch; genuine house not an apartment
- Home lift — critical differentiator for multi-generational households or long-term owner-occupiers
- Strong school catchment — Bukit Timah Primary and Pei Hwa Presbyterian Primary within 1km; MGS Primary/Secondary within 2km
- Dual Downtown Line walkability — Beauty World DTL (DT5) ~650–800m and King Albert Park DTL (DT6/future CR15) ~700–900m
- Boutique 7-unit scale — genuine privacy, low-density enclave character, manageable maintenance fees
- Beauty World precinct transformation underway — Reserve Residences integrated transport hub (TOP Mar 2028) upgrading retail and MRT node
- Bukit Timah nature access — Rail Corridor and Bukit Timah Nature Reserve within cycling or short driving range
- Completed Dec 2020 — relatively new build, modern finishes, no deferred maintenance risk common in 1990s cluster projects
- Future Cross Island Line (CRL) at King Albert Park — planned second line adds long-dated connectivity optionality
- Foreigner restriction — strata landed post-April 2012 requires SLA LDAU approval; owner-occupation mandatory, no rental during MOP for foreign buyers
- Minimal shared facilities — communal pool only; no gym, clubhouse, tennis court or commercial facilities deck
- Extremely thin transaction record — 2 resale caveats and 3 rental transactions on 7 units; insufficient for reliable price-trend or yield analysis
- Limited resale liquidity — 7-unit development creates concentrated, slow-moving resale market; exits may take longer at the right price
- No PSF data in public records — pricing must be built from comparables and independent valuation, not caveat history
- High quantum (S$4–5M) — absolute price restricts buyer universe to high-net-worth households; less financing flexibility than condo peers
- Foreigner owner-occupation requirement suppresses buyer pool on resale — removes investor-buyers and rental-income seekers from demand set
- Beauty World MRT is a 8–10 minute walk — comfortable but not the 3–5 minute walk of a true MRT-adjacent development
- No 1-bedroom or 2-bedroom options — 100% five-bedroom typology limits buyer diversity and rental flexibility for SC owners
Verdict
Tranquilia @ Kismis occupies a genuinely rare product niche: a freehold, 5-bedroom, 4,000+ sqft strata terrace in District 21, with a TOP of December 2020 (still relatively new), within walking distance of two Downtown Line stations, inside the 1-km zone for Bukit Timah Primary and Pei Hwa Presbyterian Primary, and embedded in one of Singapore’s most established and demand-resilient residential corridors. The seven-unit scale means the community is small, quiet, and low-density — the antithesis of a 700-unit mega-development. For a Singapore Citizen family seeking a landed-lifestyle home with strata-managed convenience, strong school catchments, and a freehold title to pass down, the thesis is coherent and the price point (approximately S$4–5M) is competitive against comparable freehold strata landed and detached-house alternatives in the same belt.
The nuances that deserve careful underwriting: the thin transaction record (two caveats, three rental observations) means buyers are pricing largely on comparables rather than on property-specific data. The foreigner restriction is a material constraint that limits the buyer pool on resale — non-citizen buyers must clear the LDAU process and commit to owner-occupation, which structurally suppresses demand from investor-buyers and expatriate tenants who are otherwise an active market segment in D21. The directional rental yield of 3.73% is attractive on paper for a landed product, but the LDAU owner-occupation requirement means foreigner-held units cannot be rented during the MOP, and the three-rental sample is too thin for investment-grade underwriting. Singapore Citizen buyers do not face these constraints and can treat the rental yield as a genuine optionality.
The broader Bukit Timah area is in the middle of a meaningful transformation: The Reserve Residences at Beauty World (Far East Organization + Sino Group, 732 units, integrated transport hub, TOP March 2028) is redefining the commercial and lifestyle gravity of Beauty World MRT; the planned Cross Island Line interchange at King Albert Park will further upgrade the DTL node; and the URA Master Plan continues to reinforce the Bukit Timah corridor as a protected, low-density, high-amenity residential belt. For a Singapore Citizen owner-occupier family buying at S$4–5M with a 10–20 year horizon, Tranquilia @ Kismis is a well-located, freehold, large-format landed cluster with genuine optionality on both school access and capital appreciation. The product is not for everyone — the foreigner restriction, the thin data set, and the limited facilities deck all narrow the buyer universe — but for the right household, it delivers on its name: tranquility, in the heart of Bukit Timah.