TOP: Nov 2025
D15 Freehold
For a build-up district such as D15, this makes it more challenging to obtain good Freehold sites for development. Royal Hallmark joins this exclusive class. Would it be a hidden gem or a dime in a dozen?
Royal Hallmark
Royal Hallmark is classified as a residential lowrise. At 2327.6 sqm, it falls short of the 4000 sqm to be term as a condominium. It is a 5 storey with attic residential. There are 32 units in the development consistently of 3 Bedrooms to 5 Bedrooms configuration. Given the makeup of units in this project, it is likely to attract families.
The developer is H Homes Pte Ltd and the architect for this project is JGP Architecture (S) Pte Ltd. JGP Architecture had designed several projects in Singapore including The Whitely Residences, Village at Pasir Panjang and The Iveria.
Location
Royal Hallmark is located at 1 Haig Lane. It is right smack in the landed enclave of Haig Road and Duman Road. Being in the much sought after D15 district, there are plenty of amenities found in the vicinity.
Kinex Mall is located 750m away while I12 Katong is about 1km away. PLQ and Parkway Parade is a short 5 minutes drive from the development. Dakota MRT is about 3 bus stops away and can be reached in under 8 minutes.
For food options, Duman Food Center is a 5 minutes walk away with Joo Chiat and Katong Eateries just around the corner. There is also the option of the bigger Haig Road Market and Food Center located 750 away via a park connector. This park connector also extends to East Coast Road.
You can also opt for a quick grocery run at Giant Express located near Duman Food Center.
For primary schools, residents have the options of Haig Girls' School and Tanjong Katong Primary located within 1 km. Toa Nah school, Kong Hwa School, Geylang Methodist school and CHIJ (Katong) are located within 2 km. Nearby secondary schools include Tanjong Katong Secondary, Tanjong Katong Girls School and Chung Cheng High School (Main)
As the project is located opposite Tanjong Katong Secondary, expect the usual morning traffic one would expect to be associated with staying near a school. That said, unless you leave the house for work at 7 am on weekdays, it should not be an issue for most.
Why Should you consider Royal Hallmark?
Marketing for this Freehold project had been encouraging. Despite the recent cooling measures and the small scale, it has already generated over 100 appointments for the preview over the weekend. With only 32 units, it would not be surprising that balloting may be required during the launch.
Here are 5 reasons why we think Royal Hallmark will be a sell-out when it launched
1) Price
Royal Hallmark will be marketing 3 Bedrooms to 5 Bedrooms units.
The starting price will be from $1.7 million for a 3 BR Classic to $3.5 million for the 5 BR Penthouses. At these prices, the bigger units will market from $17xx psf while the smaller units are from $21xx psf.
3BR Price Comparison vs New Launch Apartments
In terms of absolute numbers, the 3BR are significantly lower ($1.7-$1.9m) compared to the similar size Infini at East Coast. The 4BR at Royal Hallmart starts from $2.1xxm (1130 sq ft) looks more attractive than Infini 3BR at $2,1xx m (1066 sqft)
4BR Price Comparison vs Condos
For smaller developments, one of the big selling points is the affordability of the bigger units. The 4BR in Royal Hallmark are marketed from $2.1x m ($17xx psf) and the 5 BR are marketed from $3.0xm ($18xx psf). Compared to the Freehold Amber Park in D15, a similar size 4 BR will cost $3.1xx m( $24xxpsf) and a 5BR from $5,0xm ( $24xx psf) , This is a whopping 25% discount. Although Amber Park is a full-fledged Condo, the difference of close to $2m in the price for a comparative unit would definitely place Royal Hallmark on the radar of homebuyers in the East.
2) Design
The architectural design invoked a sense of Singapore's colonial past. Unlike cookie-cutter apartments, Royal Hallmark has a distinct black and white exterior that present a sense of majesty. The name Royal Hallmark befits its stature.
Tucked away in the corner between Haig Road and Haig Lane, the orientation of the units are facing NorthWest, SouthEast directions which means you avoid both morning and afternoon sun.
The entrance area on the less busy Haig Lane as it is a dead-end road leading to landed properties. Although it is a small development, there are 16 facilities including a lap pool, pet's corner, rooftop lawn and lounge.
Although there are 28 lots (including 1 handicapped lot) for 32 units, parking is possible along Haig Lane.
3) Big units - A draw during the pandemic
The pandemic era has taught property owners a valuable lesson - the bigger the better.
Without Work from Home (WFH) and Home Based Learning becoming the norm for the past year or so, many have yearned or hoped that they have more space at home. While smallish 2 bedrooms is the rage for investments in 2021, bigger units are much sought after for families. Even if we are looking to hit the tail end of the current pandemic, certain arrangements like WFH are still in place. Moreover, with the uncertainty of another similar pandemic on the horizon, many feel that buying a bigger unit is better.
While Royal Hallmark 3BR Classic starts from 797sqft, it's 4BR and 5BR are the main draws for families.
3BR
The 3BR comes in 2 different configurations. 3BR classic and 3BR premium. The main difference between the two would be the bigger BR sizes. The 3BR Classic has one smaller BR that fits the single size bed vs the queen size bed of the 3BR premium. In terms of orientation, The 3BR premium has a pool view while the classic faces the car park and Haig Lane.
3BR Classic has an area of 797 sqft and 3BR premium has a size of 915 sqft. Given the difference is about $200k, 3BR premium does make a better choice.
4BR
There are 3 different configurations for 4BR
Type C1A is the smallest at 1130. Type C1B layout is similar to Type C1A with the exception of a corridor from the entrance and a sliding door for the kitchen. The orientation for both faces the main road.
For Type C2, one has a generous size of 1292 sqft with an enclosed kitchen. From the floor plan, the layouts are well planned without much-wasted space in terms of balcony or PES.
With 4 BR, the unit allows the possibility of multi-generation living or the conversion of a bedroom to an office. All these bode well for WFH and HBL scenarios.
5BR / Penthouse
The 5 BR comes in 2 different configurations.
Type E1 is a ground floor unit that would attract landed homeowners. With a single floor plate of 1711 sqft, it is much bigger than a typical single-storey terrace unit in terms of liveable space. There is also a PES and a Flexi space that could even allow for gardening or a small pond cum water feature. Oriented towards the pool, it is great for families with younger kids.
The separation of one-bedroom to the corner of the house would also encourage multi-generation living. We do think that this layout will be snapped by families looking for a unit with a dedicated 'granny's room'.
The Penthouse unit is a double floor unit measuring 2077 sqft. While it is bigger than the 5BR ground unit, it has a smaller floor plate. There is direct access to the Roof level where a lawn and sky lounges await.
There is only a pair of penthouses and ground units up for grabs. Judging by the price point of $3.5xx m and $3.0xx m, we would not be surprised if these are snapped up on day 1
4) Quality Finish
Even in a small development, quality finishes are provided.
From Marquis HQO for outdoor furniture to Blum, Bosch, Gessi, Laufen, Mitshubishi Electric products, you will get branded quality finishing for this project.
5) Potential Capital Gains
When advising clients on property purchases, we would look at exit strategy even if that may not be on the cards in the near future.
For Royal Hallmark, there will be 2 new launches that should be on the market by 2023. The GLS site at Jalan Tembusa located 500m away was sold to CDL at $1302 psf per plot ratio. This translates to a potential $2100-$2300 launch price for the 99-year-old project.
Meanwhile across the road, the much anticipated Thiam Siew Ave Condos is expected to launch at $2400 to $2600 psf given its Freehold status.
As you can see, at prices from $17xx psf, Royal Hallmark presents tremendous capital gains potential. It would not be surprising to see it transacting closer to $19xx to $21xx when it is ready, especially with the proliferation of new launches in the vicinity.
Additionally, there are new BTOs that will be ready by 2022 in the nearby Dakota region. When this BTO meets its minimum MOP by 2027, it will be a potential pool of buyers to tap upon if one chooses to sell.
If you would like to view the showflat or make a purchase, do make an appointment with us. We would gladly arrange for a private viewing at the showhouse or even a virtual tour at your convenience.