JCube Residence will add another 700 homes to the bustling JLD, which already houses several businesses such as JCube, Westgate mall, Big Box and IMM Building. Other nearby landmarks include JEM, JCube, Jurong East Sports and Recreation Centre, National University of Singapore (NUS) High School @ Tampines and St. Anthony’s Primary School. JCube Residence is set to enhance the Jurong Lake District living experience through its comprehensive range of recreational, entertainment and lifestyle amenities.

The popularity of HDB Built-to-Order (BTO) flats amongst prospective buyers has been on the rise, with the May 2021 launch of 5,495 new BTO units in five neighbourhoods – Bedok, Kallang, Serangoon, Tengah and Whampoa.

Lee Sze Teck, senior director of research for Huttons Asia, attributes the overwhelming response to pent-up demand. He says, “It’s been over a decade since the interval of BTO launches in Serangoon, so first-timer families wanting to live near their parents rushed for this rare opportunity.”

Unsurprisingly, the flats in Serangoon had the highest application rate – with more than nine applicants for each 4-room flat, and over 13 applicants for the 5-room flats. This demand could likely be attributed to the space a 5-room flat provides for hybrid work and a growing family. The popularity of the 5-room flats in Bedok also corroborates this.

With regard to the two Tengah BTOs, Lee believes the higher number of applicants (over 5,000 for the 3-, 4- and 5-room flats) could be due to the proximity to the future Anglo-Chinese School (Primary) as well as Tengah Town.

In August this year, the Housing Board will launch three more BTOs in the Kallang-Whampoa neighbourhood, as well as one each in Queenstown, Choa Chu Kang and Tengah – the majority having benefited from a recent land use update from URA.

The Jalan Tenteram site in Whampoa and Kallang Airport Way/Geylang are both expected to be 40 storeys in height, and thus enjoy a high application rate. The BTO at Kallang Airport Way/Geylang Road is within easy access to the Singapore Sports Hub, and is likely be categorised as a prime location public housing (PLH) project, similar to Kallang Horizon BTO which was launched in November last year.

Former Tanglin Halt flats sold through the Selective En Bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS) are currently being demolished to welcome the upcoming BTO at Queensway. With Ulu Pandan and Ghim Moh identified as PLH locations, Lee sees this BTO project as likely to be launched as a prime location public housing (PLH) project.

In November 2023, a BTO exercise in the Bishan-Sin Ming neighbourhood is imminent. As the last BTO launch in the area was done more than 30 years ago for Sin Ming Court, Lee foresees a high application rate for these flats due to both pent-up demand and a shorter completion period. He expects the indicative price to be between $525,000 and $650,000 for 4-room flats.

Overall, HDB’s BTO launches have seen an overwhelming response, with the various neighbourhoods being chosen due to their proximity to amenities, and sometimes for their scarcity in mature estates. With the government’s continued efforts to create more public housing for Singaporeans, this demand is likely to remain strong.