Unbiased New Launch Review – Forest Woods

By KK Tong (guest contributor)

Launched in early October 2016, Forest Woods showed a strong response from buyers as 337 out of 519 units were sold on the launch weekend. Located at Lorong Lew Lian in District 19, this 99-year leasehold development is jointly developed by CDL, Hong Leong, and TID. A total of 519 units sit on a plot size of 150,712 square feet. TOP is expected to be in May 2021.

The unit types and indicative pricing in this development are:

Ceiling height is 2.9 metres for most units. Some premium units come with a ceiling height of 4.1 metres for the living/dining areas. There is a basement carpark with 519 parking lots. The main entrance is at Lorong Lew Lian Road, and a Welcome Lobby/side entrance is located at the junction of Lorong Lew Lian/Upper Serangoon Road, which is the nearest point to Serangoon MRT.

Figure 1: Site Plan

Facilities include a lap pool, barbeque pits, water features, a playground with a Flying Fox, a karaoke lounge and a 24-hour gym. The Residential Host in the welcome lobby can help residents arrange laundry, housekeeping and party management services, to name a few. All condominium units inForest Woodsare equipped with smart home automation. Optional add-ons are available at a fee.

Figure 2: Smart Home Automation

Thoughts from Show Flat Visit

Figure 3: Floor Plan of Type BS2 Unit (2 Bedroom + Study)

The kitchen is on your right as you enter the unit. Beyond is the living/dining and balcony areas. Just after the kitchen to the left are the study area and the second bedroom. The entrance to the master bedroom is via the living area. The shared bathroom is between the two bedrooms.

Figure 4: Kitchen

The kitchen comes with a solid surface worktop and is equipped with a refrigerator, an oven, and cooker hob from Bosch. The number of kitchen cabinets provided is sufficient, though not generous.

Figure 5: Dining Area

The dining area in this unit is beside the kitchen counter and shares part of the extended sofa in the living area. A small coffee table completes the furniture, and the balcony can probably accommodate a small sitting area. Distance between the sofa and the opposite wall seems reasonable.

The flooring is homogenous tiles.

Figure 6: Living / Balcony Areas

Figure 7: Master Bedroom

The master bedroom is the usual, with enough space for a double bed (king or queen) and a small side table.

The common bedroom is slightly smaller than the master bedroom, although you can still place a queen-sized bed inside. However, the wardrobe is pretty small.

For the bedrooms, there are two choices of flooring – either brown timber look-alike vinyl flooring or grey timber look-alike homogenous tiles.

Figure 8: Master Bathroom

The bathrooms come with standard fittings, including cabinets. Fittings are from Grohe.

Figure 9: Area Map

Amenities around the area

The location of Forest Woods is pretty convenient, and getting to any part of Singapore is done easily via Serangoon MRT, which is an interchange for the NE-Line and Circle Line. The distance to the MRT station is about 280 metres.

Nex Shopping Centre is linked to the Serangoon MRT station, which makes it a convenient stop for shopping. This shopping centre also houses a cinema, a library and a supermarket.

Schools are aplenty in this area. These include Paya Lebar Methodist Girls’ School (Primary), Maris Stella High School, St Gabriel’s Secondary School, and Nanyang Junior College.

Positive Aspects of the Development

1. The location of Forest Woods is indeed convenient with regards to transport. The Serangoon MRT Station is home to two MRT lines, so travelling to anywhere in Singapore is a breeze.
2. The area is a mature estate, and amenities are plentiful. Nex Shopping Centre is within walking distance and you can find all you need there.
3. Serangoon Gardens is about 2 km away (linear distance) and has lots of good food.
4. The Welcome Lobby and the smart home automation are nice touches from the developers.
5. Every unit is entitled to a parking lot.

Negative Aspects of the Development

1. The surrounding area of Lorong Lew Lian is a HDB estate, so there is no exclusivity.
2. The condo is situated at the junction of Upper Paya Lebar Road and Upper Serangoon Road. These two major roads will mean that the blocks facing them will be noisy and dusty.
3. The area is rather built-up, so while the amenities around are convenient, it will be crowded, so people who enjoy peace may not like this development.
4. Materials and fittings are just average.

Some Thoughts on Units

1. Units in Blocks 15, 17 and 19 facing Upper Paya Lebar Road will be hit by constant traffic noise.
2. Block 19 is near the bin centre and substation.
3. Units 14, 22, 23, and 25 are located near the public electrical substation, which buyers may not like.
4. Pool facing units are pretty similar, except for slight facing differences.
5. Units facing Lor Lew Lian face the HDB blocks across the road. However, the facing is not direct as these blocks are perpendicular to the units.
6. Units facing Jalan Chermat faces low-rise private housing, which should be quieter, and offer better views.

If I had to choose, I’d probably go for Unit #5 where the opposite block is not direct facing, or Units #6 and #7, which faces Jalan Chermat.

Price Comparison

Figure 10: Location of Forest Woods and Surrounding Areas

For comparison purposes, we will be looking at Cherry Hill, a 104-unit freehold development located at Lor Lew Lian, and Sun Glade, a 475-unit leasehold project at Serangoon Avenue 2.

Price Comparison Table (2 bedrooms)

Price Comparison Table (3 bedrooms)****

Prices for Forest Woods

For 2 bedroom units, my preference will be Cherry Hill due to its freehold status and its psf price. Forest Woods, with units at prices of $1400+ psf, is rather pricey. Having said that, its location is pretty central, and may be well worth the price premium for buyers who value convenience. Buyers who do not mind older developments can consider Sun Glade, as it is equally, if not more convenient than Forest Woods. Its psf price is also about $300 lower than Forest Woods.

Similarly for the 3 bedroom units, the $300 psf difference between Forest Woods and Sun Glade is a trade-off for the age of the condos.

Overall, prices at Forest Woods are palatable only if buyers really like the area and the convenience.