Yishun Emerald
Overview & Key Facts
Yishun Emerald is a 436-unit condominium developed by Yishun Land Pte Ltd and designed by P & T Consultants Pte Ltd, located along Canberra Drive in Yishun, District 27. Completed in 2002 on a 99-year lease from 1998 (approximately 71 years remaining), the development comprises eight residential blocks rising to 16 storeys, set on a generous site that features landscaped gardens with cascading waterfalls and a free-standing clubhouse overlooking spacious grounds.
Yishun Emerald and its sister development Yishun Sapphire were conceived as part of a twin-development strategy to bring private condominium living to the expanding northern suburbs at accessible price points. The two developments share the same developer, the same architect, the same lease commencement year, and similar facilities standards — effectively operating as companion estates on the same street. What distinguishes Yishun Emerald is its slightly larger unit count (436 vs 380) and its landscaping design, which leans into a tropical garden aesthetic with the cascading waterfall features that residents consistently highlight as a defining characteristic of the estate.
At approximately $1,080 psf on average, Yishun Emerald sits alongside Yishun Sapphire in the budget segment of Singapore’s private condo market. The 3.5% rental yield is competitive for the price point, and the development has maintained steady occupancy through a combination of affordable pricing, spacious units, and a well-maintained estate environment that appeals to both Singaporean families upgrading from HDB and tenants seeking northern corridor private condo living. The lease at 71 years — already below the CPF 75-year threshold — is the most significant consideration for prospective buyers.
Location & Connectivity
Yishun Emerald is located in the Canberra section of Yishun, positioned between the established Yishun Central commercial hub and the newer Canberra HDB estates that have been developed over the past decade. The neighbourhood is mature suburban Singapore at its most functional: comprehensive amenities, reliable public transport, good schools, and a pace of living that prioritises practicality and family comfort over lifestyle aspiration.
Yishun Central, the town’s commercial anchor, hosts Northpoint City — the largest mall in northern Singapore with over 500 retail and F&B outlets. The mall integrates directly with Yishun MRT and includes a cinema, supermarkets, and a rooftop community garden. Yishun Park Hawker Centre, widely regarded as one of the best hawker centres in the north, is accessible within a short drive. The Yishun Polyclinic, public library, and community centres round out a comprehensive suite of daily amenities that ensures residents rarely need to travel far for essential services.
The school catchment is well-served. Yishun Primary School (698 m), Ahmad Ibrahim Primary School (734 m), Chongfu School (902 m), and Xishan Primary School (1 km) all fall within comfortable range. Sembawang Primary School (1.3 km) provides an additional option. The northern corridor also offers nature-oriented recreation: Sembawang Hot Spring Park, Lower Seletar Reservoir, and the Yishun Dam Promenade are all accessible for weekend outings.
Schools & Education
2 primary schools within the 1 km Priority Phase balloting radius.
| School | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Canberra Secondary School | secondary | Within 1 km |
| Canberra Primary School | primary | Within 1 km |
| North View Primary School | primary | Within 1 km |
| Sembawang Primary School | primary | ~1.4 km |
| XCL World Academy | international | ~1.4 km |
| Yishun Primary School | primary | ~1.4 km |
| Sembawang Secondary School | secondary | ~1.4 km |
| Yishun Town Secondary School | secondary | ~1.4 km |
Facilities
Yishun Emerald’s facilities package is a step above basic for its era and price segment. The development offers a swimming pool, fun pool, spa pool, tennis courts, a gymnasium, multi-purpose hall, clubhouse, putting green, jogging track, barbecue areas, and a children’s playground. The estate’s design centrepiece is the landscaped environment: lush tropical plantings, cascading waterfalls, and a free-standing clubhouse that overlooks the spacious grounds — features that give Yishun Emerald a more resort-oriented character than its pricing might suggest.
“Very nice and peaceful place. Beautiful condo with lots of facilities. The landscaping with the waterfalls and tropical plants is genuinely lovely — visitors are always surprised by how attractive the grounds are for a Yishun condo. The swimming pool is well-maintained and there is a nice spa pool for relaxing. The putting green is a fun bonus. Overall, it feels like a peaceful retreat from the busier parts of Yishun.”
— Resident, three-bedroom unit (Singapore Expats)
The 436 units across eight blocks on a generous site means the facilities-to-resident ratio is reasonable, with pool and common areas rarely feeling overcrowded outside of peak weekend periods. The MCST has maintained the estate to a satisfactory standard, with the swimming pool, gardens, and security consistently cited as positives. The gymnasium equipment is basic by modern standards, and the multi-purpose hall serves practical community functions (AGMs, gatherings) rather than providing a premium entertaining venue. The cascading waterfall features, while attractive, do require ongoing maintenance investment — a cost that the management corporation has continued to bear, preserving one of the estate’s most distinctive characteristics.
Unit Sizes & Layout
Yishun Emerald offers three main unit types across its 436 apartments, with sizes ranging from approximately 990 sqft to 2,045 sqft. The distribution includes two-bedroom, three-bedroom, and four-bedroom configurations, with the development spread across 16-storey blocks. These are generous proportions for the OCR budget segment — a three-bedroom unit at 1,200+ sqft provides the kind of family living space that equivalent pricing in more central districts could not come close to delivering.
The unit layouts are practical and family-oriented: enclosed kitchens designed for Asian cooking, bedrooms that accommodate queen or king beds with wardrobe space, and living-dining areas proportioned for actual family use. The construction quality from P & T Consultants is solid, with reasonable soundproofing and structural integrity that has endured well over 24 years. Original fittings will require updating for most resale purchases — budget $60,000–$100,000 for a comprehensive renovation covering bathrooms, kitchen, flooring, and painting. The spacious room proportions give renovators good material to work with, and several units in the development have been attractively renovated by previous owners.
| Bedrooms | Transactions | Avg PSF | Avg Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 BR | 55 | $930 | $1,075,299 |
| 4 BR | 23 | $936 | $1,321,022 |
| 5 BR | 1 | $894 | $1,818,888 |
Pricing & Market Position
Based on 79 recorded transactions, sale prices range from $785,000 to $1,818,888, averaging $1,156,251 (~$1,099 psf).
Rents range from $1,800 to $5,000 per month across 207 rental transactions. Current rental yield sits at approximately 3.7%.
Price Appreciation
From 2021 to 2026, the average PSF has appreciated by 35.2% (from $792 to $1,071 psf).
Neighbourhood Comparison
Yishun Emerald ($1,080 psf, 99-year from 1998, ~71 years remaining) is practically a twin of Yishun Sapphire ($1,048 psf, 99-year from 1998). The two developments share a developer, architect, lease year, and street address. Yishun Emerald is marginally larger (436 vs 380 units) with slightly higher PSF pricing, and its landscaping with cascading waterfalls gives it a modest aesthetic edge. In practice, the two developments are near-interchangeable, and the choice between them typically comes down to specific unit availability and block orientation rather than any meaningful qualitative difference.
For buyers wanting to stay in the northern corridor but with more lease runway, Nine Residences ($1,250 psf, 99-year from 2017, ~90 years remaining) in Yishun offers newer construction, modern facilities, and an additional 19 years of lease at a 16% PSF premium. The trade-off is smaller unit sizes — a common pattern when moving from older to newer developments. For families prioritising space, Yishun Emerald delivers substantially more square footage per dollar.
The Criterion ($1,400 psf, EC, 99-year from 2015) near Yishun MRT is the executive condominium alternative with newer finishes and better MRT access, though as an EC it comes with a minimum occupation period and resale restrictions. For a pure private condo comparison in the north, The Wisteria ($1,150 psf, 99-year from 2016) in Yishun offers a newer build at a modest premium. Across all these comparisons, Yishun Emerald’s advantage is always the same: more space for less money, with the lease as the known trade-off.
| Development | Tenure | TOP | Units | ~Avg PSF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| YISHUN EMERALD | 99 yrs lease commencing from 1998 | 2002 | 436 | $1,099 |
| NORTH GAIA | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2021 | 2022 | 616 | $1,312 |
| THE WATERGARDENS AT CANBERRA | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2020 | 2021 | 448 | $1,491 |
| PROVENCE RESIDENCE | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2020 | 2021 | 413 | $1,182 |
| CANBERRA CRESCENT RESIDENCES | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2024 | 2025 | 376 | $1,989 |
| THE VISIONAIRE | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2015 | — | 632 | $1,366 |
Lease Decay Analysis
The 99-year lease runs from 1998, meaning approximately 28 years have already been consumed. Roughly 71 years remain — still comfortably within the range where most banks will offer full financing without restrictions.
| Year | Lease remaining | Implication |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (now) | ~71 years | Full bank financing available |
| 2028 | ~69 years | CPF usage still unrestricted for most buyers |
| 2037 | ~59 years | Approaching 60-year threshold — CPF limits begin for some |
| 2057 | ~39 years | Significant financing restrictions for next buyer |
| 2097 | Expiry | Lease reverts to state |
For a buyer purchasing today with a 10-year horizon (exit around 2036), the lease situation is essentially a non-issue — you’d be selling a property with ~61 years remaining, which is still very bankable. The risk profile changes for longer holds.
ShiokNest Scores
Our proprietary scoring system evaluates YISHUN EMERALD across multiple dimensions.
What Residents Say
“Very very nice and peaceful place. We have been here for years and love the tranquil environment. The gardens with the waterfalls and tropical plants create a beautiful setting. The pool is well-maintained, the security is reliable, and the neighbours are friendly. Yishun Central has improved enormously with Northpoint City. For the price we paid, we have a spacious three-bedroom home in a lovely estate.”
— Owner-occupier, three-bedroom unit (Singapore Expats)
“Recommended for families with children. The grounds are safe for kids to play, there is a playground and pool, and the estate is quiet in the evenings. We chose Yishun Emerald over HDB because we wanted the facilities and security at a price we could afford. The walk to MRT is a bit far — about 12 minutes to Canberra station — so we drive most places. But for a suburban condo, the environment is really nice.”
— Owner-occupier, four-bedroom unit, since 2019 (PropertyGuru)
“Solid rental investment at the price point. My tenants — a young family — have renewed twice because they appreciate the space and the quiet environment. At around $1M for a three-bedder, the yield works out to about 3.5%. The concern is the lease — 71 years and below the CPF threshold. I plan to hold for another 5–7 years and then evaluate. For now, the rental income is steady and the development is well-kept.”
— Investor-owner, three-bedroom unit (99.co)
Strengths & Weaknesses
- Among the most affordable private condos in Singapore at ~$1,080 psf — genuine budget entry into private residential market
- Spacious units (990–2,045 sqft) delivering exceptional square footage per dollar
- Attractive landscaping with cascading waterfalls, tropical gardens, and a scenic estate environment
- Comprehensive facilities: pool, spa pool, tennis courts, gym, clubhouse, putting green, and playground
- Competitive 3.5% rental yield supported by affordable pricing and steady northern corridor demand
- Multiple primary schools within 1 km including Yishun Primary (698 m) and Ahmad Ibrahim Primary (734 m)
- Yishun Central amenities including Northpoint City (500+ shops) within short drive or bus ride
- Peaceful, family-friendly estate with well-maintained grounds and reliable security
- Nature recreation options: Sembawang Hot Spring Park, Lower Seletar Reservoir, Yishun Dam Promenade
- Lease at ~71 years remaining — below CPF 75-year threshold, restricting financing options for buyers
- Nearest MRT (Canberra NS12) is ~1 km away — 12–15 minute walk, car strongly recommended
- Building age (completed 2002) requires renovation for resale units — budget $60K–$100K
- Capital appreciation severely limited by depleting lease and OCR location
- Yishun location carries neighbourhood stigma that may affect resale perception
- NSL commute to CBD is 35+ minutes — lengthy for city-centre professionals
- Gymnasium equipment and some common-area furnishings are dated
- Narrowing buyer pool as lease continues to deplete — resale liquidity declining over time
Verdict
Yishun Emerald and its sister development Yishun Sapphire represent the practical end of Singapore’s private condo market: spacious, affordable, well-maintained, and located in a functional (if unexciting) northern suburb with comprehensive amenities. At $1,080 psf, the entry barrier is among the lowest in the private condo segment, and the 3.5% rental yield demonstrates that the investment arithmetic works for income-focused strategies. The landscaping with its cascading waterfalls gives the estate a touch of character that elevates it above the purely utilitarian.
The lease position is identical to Yishun Sapphire and equally pressing: approximately 71 years remaining, already below the CPF 75-year threshold. This is not a theoretical future concern — it is a current constraint that affects every buyer’s financing options today. CPF withdrawal amounts are pro-rated, and banks may apply loan tenure caps. The narrowing buyer pool will likely compress resale prices over the coming decade as the lease continues to deplete. Buyers must approach Yishun Emerald with a realistic assessment of the exit strategy: those planning to hold for 10+ years should model the cumulative impact of lease decay on future valuations.
Yishun Emerald is best understood as a lifestyle purchase for families who want space and facilities at an affordable price in a well-functioning suburb, or as a yield-focused investment with a finite horizon. It delivers genuine comfort and value today, with the understanding that the lease clock is ticking and capital appreciation is not the story here. For the right buyer — one who prioritises living quality over asset-class optimisation — it is a sound, honest home in a neighbourhood that works.