Vicenta Lodge
Overview & Key Facts
Vicenta Lodge sits quietly on Lorong Marzuki in Kembangan, a leafy residential enclave in District 14 that still rewards those who seek genuine freehold value within striking distance of the East-West Line. Completed in 1993, the development occupies a compact freehold site of approximately 1,977 sqm and comprises just four low-rise residential units — a rarity in a district increasingly dominated by large leasehold mega-projects such as Parc Esta and Sims Urban Oasis.
The development gained wider attention when it was sold via collective sale for S$27.2 million in March 2022, following two earlier unsuccessful attempts at higher reserve prices of S$33.6 million (2018) and S$29 million (2021). The eventual sale at S$968 psf per plot ratio reflected the adjustment in buyer expectations as en-bloc fever cooled post-2018. Under the URA Master Plan 2019, the site is zoned Residential with a plot ratio of 1.4, offering potential for redevelopment to approximately 27 units.
For buyers and renters still occupying units in the interim period, Vicenta Lodge’s appeal lies in three pillars: freehold tenure in an otherwise leasehold-heavy district, genuine proximity to Kembangan MRT at roughly 370 metres, and the unhurried residential character of Lorong Marzuki itself — a quiet cul-de-sac bounded by private landed homes and mature trees that offers a pace of life uncommon this close to the city fringe.
Location & Connectivity
Kembangan is one of those neighbourhoods that earns its devotees slowly. It lacks the marketing allure of Marine Parade or the transient buzz of Tanjong Katong, but it compensates with a walkable, self-contained character and MRT access that outperforms many more expensive sub-markets. Vicenta Lodge is approximately 370 metres from Kembangan MRT (EW6) on the East-West Line — a genuine seven-minute walk that most households will accomplish without complaint. From Kembangan, Paya Lebar interchange is two stops east and Bedok town centre is one stop west, positioning the development well for both the commercial east and the CBD via the EWL.
Eunos MRT (EW7) lies roughly 750 metres in the opposite direction, providing a secondary access point and a useful fallback during peak-hour crowding. The broader neighbourhood wraps the development in a pocket of primarily landed housing — the Kembangan-Chai Chee landed estate is immediately adjacent — which means Vicenta Lodge enjoys the relative quiet and low-rise skyline of a landed precinct while still benefiting from MRT-grade connectivity. Geylang Road and Bedok North Road provide easy arterial access for drivers, with the Pan-Island Expressway reachable in under 10 minutes.
Day-to-day provisions are well served. Kembangan Plaza, a small neighbourhood mall directly opposite the MRT station, contains a NTUC FairPrice, a food court, clinics, and various retail and F&B tenants. The Bedok North hawker centre and Eunos Crescent market round out options within a short bus ride. Telok Kurau Primary School and Canossa Catholic Primary School both fall within the 1 km radius — relevant for families navigating Phase 2C registration in an increasingly competitive P1 exercise.
East Coast Park is approximately 1.8 km away via Joo Chiat Road and is accessible by bicycle via the park connector network. The Canadian International School (Tanjong Katong campus) at 1.7 km makes Vicenta Lodge an occasional choice for expat families seeking East-side proximity without Katong pricing.
Schools & Education
2 primary schools within the 1 km Priority Phase balloting radius.
| School | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Telok Kurau Primary School | primary | Within 1 km |
| Canossa Catholic Primary School | primary | Within 1 km |
| Tanjong Katong Girls' School | secondary | ~1.6 km |
| Chung Cheng High School (Main) | secondary | ~1.7 km |
| Canadian International School (Tanjong Katong) | international | ~1.7 km |
| Broadrick Secondary School | secondary | ~1.7 km |
| EtonHouse International School (Broadrick) | international | ~1.7 km |
| East Coast Primary School | primary | ~1.9 km |
Facilities
As a four-unit boutique development completed in 1993, Vicenta Lodge was never designed with resort-style amenities in mind. The development reflects the stripped-back sensibility of early-1990s Singapore private housing: the emphasis was on tenure, location, and unit size rather than on shared facilities. Residents have access to a common car park and basic landscaped grounds, but there is no pool, gym, or clubhouse — a trade-off buyers accept knowingly when they choose boutique freehold stock of this vintage.
“Very nice, quiet and many choice of food nearby. Kembangan is a peaceful enclave — very different from the Geylang side of D14.”
— Resident review via Singapore Expats
The absence of shared facilities does carry practical implications for maintenance fees, which remain low relative to larger developments in the district. Residents effectively subsidise amenities they actually use — whether that is a commercial gym nearby, East Coast Park, or the relatively dense restaurant and recreation offering along Joo Chiat Road. For buyers who find that pool-and-gym amenity packages at larger developments go unused, a boutique development of this type can represent a more honest use of maintenance spending.
Pricing & Market Position
Based on 2 recorded transactions, sale prices range from $1,500,500 to $1,580,000, averaging $1,540,250.
Rents range from $2,200 to $5,000 per month across 26 rental transactions. Current rental yield sits at approximately 2.9%.
Price Appreciation
From 2023 to 2024, the average PSF has appreciated by 5.3% (from $1,181 to $1,244 psf).
Neighbourhood Comparison
District 14’s resale landscape in 2026 is dominated by large leasehold developments that offer the amenity breadth and financing ease that boutique freehold stock cannot match. Parc Esta (1,399 units, 99-year lease from 2018, ~S$2,183 psf) sits at the premium end, offering full resort facilities and direct MRT connectivity to Eunos station. Sims Urban Oasis (1,024 units, 99-year lease from 2014, ~S$1,761 psf) offers a mid-market equivalent with a larger unit mix. Penrose (566 units, 99-year lease from 2019, ~S$1,928 psf) occupies the newer, mid-size segment. All three command a 40–75% psf premium over Vicenta Lodge’s recent transaction range.
The only genuine freehold competitor in the district comparison set is Euhabitat (697 units, ~S$1,326 psf), which, despite a leasehold misconception in some listings, was offered as a long-leasehold product. For buyers strictly committed to freehold tenure in D14, Vicenta Lodge’s sub-S$1,250 psf pricing represents a structural discount that reflects age and the post-en-bloc situation rather than any neighbourhood or connectivity weakness. The comparison exercise ultimately reduces to a single question: is perpetual tenure worth the facility sacrifice and the due diligence complexity of a post-collective-sale asset?
| Development | Tenure | TOP | Units | ~Avg PSF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VICENTA LODGE | Freehold | 1993 | 4 | — |
| PARC ESTA | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2018 | 2021 | 1,399 | $2,183 |
| SIMS URBAN OASIS | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2014 | 2020 | 1,024 | $1,761 |
| PENROSE | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2019 | 2021 | 566 | $1,928 |
| EUHABITAT | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2010 | 2016 | 697 | $1,326 |
| THE ANTARES | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2018 | 2021 | 265 | $1,833 |
ShiokNest Scores
Our proprietary scoring system evaluates VICENTA LODGE across multiple dimensions.
What Residents Say
“Very nice, quiet and many choice of food nearby. The neighbourhood around Kembangan feels very different from Geylang — it’s much more residential and peaceful.”
— Resident review via Singapore Expats
“Freehold land in D14 this close to MRT does not come cheap, but Vicenta Lodge is one of the few older developments where the tenure and location actually make sense together. The trade-off is the lack of facilities, but if you want a pool you can use East Coast Park.”
— Buyer comment via EdgeProp
“Quiet street, well-maintained units for the age. The en-bloc saga dragged on for years which created uncertainty, but the location near Kembangan MRT made it easy to rent out whenever needed.”
— Landlord feedback via PropertyGuru
The consistent theme across feedback is that Vicenta Lodge’s immediate environment — the quiet cul-de-sac, the landed precinct neighbours, the manageable walk to MRT — outperforms its formal amenity offering. Residents who chose it did so knowingly, valuing tenure and location character over facilities. The long en-bloc process (three attempts over four years, 2018–2022) created uncertainty that coloured the ownership experience for longer-term holders, though the eventual sale at S$27.2 million did deliver a meaningful premium over individual unit valuations for participating owners.
Strengths & Weaknesses
- Freehold tenure — rare in a District 14 increasingly dominated by 99-year leasehold stock
- Genuine MRT walkability — ~370 m to Kembangan EWL (7-minute walk)
- Two-stop access to Paya Lebar interchange (EWL/CCL) and one stop to Bedok
- Quiet landed precinct setting — Lorong Marzuki borders the Kembangan-Chai Chee landed estate
- Telok Kurau Primary and Canossa Catholic Primary within 1 km radius
- Meaningful PSF discount (30–45%) vs leasehold neighbours Parc Esta and Sims Urban Oasis
- Generous unit footprints (~1,270 sqft) by contemporary D14 standards
- Low maintenance fees — no resort amenity overhead
- East Coast Park accessible via PCN (~1.8 km) for outdoor recreation
- Canadian International School (Tanjong Katong) within 1.7 km for expat families
- En-bloc completed March 2022 — buyers must conduct thorough due diligence on unit status
- No shared facilities — no pool, gym, or clubhouse
- Very small development (4 units) limits community and resale liquidity
- Older 1993 construction — fittings and common areas reflect vintage age
- Gross yield of 2.89% trails leasehold neighbours (3.5–4.0%) due to freehold premium in pricing
- Limited transaction volume makes PSF benchmarking imprecise
- Post-en-bloc uncertainty may complicate mortgage financing options
- No 24-hour security or concierge typical of larger developments
Verdict
Vicenta Lodge occupies a niche that suits a specific buyer profile: those who prioritise freehold tenure in a district increasingly dominated by leasehold mega-developments, value genuine MRT walkability (370 m to Kembangan EWL) over resort-style amenities, and prefer the quieter residential character of the Kembangan-Chai Chee landed enclave over the higher-density corridors toward Geylang. At S$1,181–S$1,244 psf, it prices at a 30–45% discount to new leasehold neighbours — a gap that is not simply a tenure arbitrage but a reflection of age, facility limitations, and the en-bloc overhang.
The en-bloc completion in 2022 fundamentally changes the calculus. Buyers who can still acquire units should treat this as a niche opportunity with significant due diligence requirements rather than a standard resale purchase. For renters, however, Vicenta Lodge remains a legitimate Kembangan option — the walkability score of 70/100 and MRT access are genuine daily-use advantages, and the neighbourhood’s maturity means quality amenities are already in place rather than promised in a developer’s marketing brochure.
For investors weighing gross yield, the 2.89% return at current rent levels (average S$3,744/month) reflects the freehold premium built into pricing. Compared to leasehold neighbours offering 3.5–4.0% yields, Vicenta Lodge asks investors to accept compressed income in exchange for perpetual land ownership — a trade-off that makes more sense over a 20-year horizon than a 5-year one.