4 min read
By now, you’ve probably heard all about those headline-grabbing, million-dollar resale flats. But let’s be honest – that’s not the kind of news most of us can act on, especially when such transactions represent just a tiny fraction of the market. What really matters for homeowners and buyers alike is knowing where real profits are being made. If you’re wondering which BTO flats are making the biggest gains when they hit the resale market, here’s the inside scoop on the most profitable BTO projects to date.
Note: For the following, we used BTO flats that saw transactions from 2023 onward. All the flats have leases starting in 2019, to account for their five-year MOP.
Most profitable 3-room flats:
| BTO Name | Lease Commenced | BTO Price | Median Resale Price | Profit ($) | Profit (%) |
| EastLink II @ Canberra | 2020 | $170,000 | $487,500 | $317,500 | 186.76% |
| Meadow Spring @ Yishun | 2019 | $163,000 | $449,444 | $286,444 | 175.73% |
| West Edge @ Bukit Batok | 2020 | $176,000 | $460,000 | $284,000 | 161.36% |
| West Quarry @ Bukit Batok | 2020 | $181,500 | $471,000 | $289,500 | 159.50% |
| Tampines GreenRidges | 2020 | $219,000 | $550,000 | $331,000 | 151.14% |
| MacPherson Spring | 2020 | $299,500 | $729,000 | $429,500 | 143.41% |
| Toa Payoh Apex | 2019 | $309,500 | $748,000 | $438,500 | 141.68% |
| Saint George’s Towers | 2020 | $358,000 | $800,000 | $442,000 | 123.46% |
| Fengshan GreenVille | 2020 | $265,000 | $575,000 | $310,000 | 116.98% |
Most profitable 4-room flats:
| BTO Name | Lease Commenced | BTO Price | Median Resale Price | Profit ($) | Profit (%) |
| EastLink II @ Canberra | 2020 | $270,000 | $711,983 | $441,983 | 163.70% |
| Tampines GreenRidges | 2020 | $321,000 | $730,000 | $409,000 | 127.41% |
| MacPherson Spring | 2020 | $441,000 | $980,000 | $539,000 | 122.22% |
| Fernvale Woods | 2020 | $275,000 | $595,000 | $320,000 | 116.36% |
| Meadow Spring @ Yishun | 2019 | $266,500 | $570,000 | $303,500 | 113.88% |
| West Quarry @ Bukit Batok | 2020 | $296,500 | $628,888 | $332,388 | 112.10% |
| West Edge @ Bukit Batok | 2020 | $295,500 | $622,750 | $327,250 | 110.74% |
| Toa Payoh Apex | 2019 | $460,000 | $968,000 | $508,000 | 110.43% |
| Alkaff Vista | 2020 | $491,500 | $1,008,750 | $517,250 | 105.24% |
| Saint George’s Towers | 2020 | $516,500 | $1,044,944 | $528,444 | 102.31% |
| Fengshan GreenVille | 2020 | $404,500 | $804,000 | $399,500 | 98.76% |
Most profitable 5-room flats:
| BTO Name | Lease Commenced | BTO Price | Median Resale Price | Profit ($) | Profit (%) |
| Tampines GreenRidges | 2020 | $417,000 | $899,000 | $482,000 | 115.59% |
| Alkaff Vista | 2020 | $584,500 | $1,200,000 | $615,500 | 105.30% |
| West Edge @ Bukit Batok | 2020 | $391,000 | $776,500 | $385,500 | 98.59% |
Most profitable projects overall:
1. EastLink II @ Canberra
Canberra is not a mature area, but EastLink II and its neighbouring blocks are spared the associated inconveniences. EastLink II happens to be a very short walk from Canberra MRT station (NSL). The train station is connected to Canberra Plaza, which is a New Generation Neighbourhood Centre (NGNC). This is HDB’s term for a live-work-play area, and the Plaza incorporates a food court, an NTUC, a Guardian, and other shops.
Eastlink II is also nicely between Canberra Park and the MRT station, and nearby services like 115C go directly to Bukit Canberra. This is a major sports and recreation hub for the north, and one of the biggest hawker centres in the area.
If it were just being launched today, EastLink II would likely be considered a Plus model flat, given its proximity to the hub of the neighbourhood. As is, launch prices for this project were extremely low, with the 3-room and 4-rooms being a mere $170,000 and $270,000 respectively.
There is one potential issue we found though: there seem to be very few schools within one kilometre of EastLink II, with Sembawang Primary and Ahmad Ibrahim Primary barely being in range (do check the exact postal code on One Map to be sure).
2. Meadow Spring @ Yishun
Meadow Spring @ Yishun has a Prime Supermarket and a Giant both within walking distance, in its particular HDB enclave. It also has a childcare centre, and the usual assortment of coffee shops and heartland amenities, which makes for a fairly self-sufficient area.
While Yishun MRT (NSL) isn’t within walking distance, the bus stop right outside the block has services like 117, which will get you there in just a few minutes. This is where you’ll find Northpoint City, the major mall servicing the Yishun area. Alternatively, if you don’t mind a long stroll, you can make it to Yishun Mall on foot; this is an HDB run mall with the usual day-to-day amenities.
The block is also in an area with a lot of greenery, overlooking Yishun Dam on one side, and Yishun Park on the other. As with many others on this list, the profitability is tied to the exceedingly low launch prices; with an initial price tag of $163,000 (3-room flat), even a very modest resale price of $449,444 is a profit of over a quarter million ($286,444).
Meadow Spring is just a few minutes walk from Blossom Spring below.
3. Buangkok Tropica (2019)
Buangkok Tropica is just a block away from Buangkok Square Mall (walk across block 996C). This isn’t a big mall, but it does have a food court, a Prime supermarket, and a preschool. On the side of the Sungei Punggol, the block overlooks the low-rise, landed enclave of Mugliston Park.
There’s no question that Buangkok Tropica is a little isolated, and you do need a bus to get to Buangkok MRT station (NEL), but services like 114 get you there in just a few minutes. Sengkang Grand Mall is right on top of the train station; this is a sizeable CapitaLand-owned mall, which has a 700-seat hawker centre (although some might call it a food court), an NTUC, and the usual range of shops, chain restaurants, etc.
There are also a solid number of schools, Primary and Secondary, that are close by: Anchor Green Primary, Fernvale Primary, Pei Hwa Secondary, Nan Chiau High, and Hougang Secondary are all within one-kilometre, so this is good for families who want to cast a wider net.
4. Blossom Spring @ Yishun (2019)
This is within the same HDB enclave as Meadow Spring @ Yishun (see above), being just a few minutes’ walk. It has broadly similar traits in terms of location, although some may consider the view a bit better; higher floors can peek out across the Johor Strait in the direction of Seletar Island.
The bust stop right outside this block has services like 801, which go directly to Yishun MRT (NSL); this is where you’ll find Northpoint City as mentioned above. There’s also a Prime supermarket just outside this block, near the McDonald’s.
Other than this, it’s quite comparable to Meadow Spring.
5. Marsiling Greenview
This is another example of a project that, were it launched today, could fall under the Plus category. Greenview is within the hub of Marsiling: it’s within walking distance of Marsiling MRT station (NSL), and the surroundings are well developed. There’s a coffee shop and a Sheng Siong supermarket just outside the block, along with the usual heartland amenities scattered throughout the area.
Note that Marsiling is just one stop from Woodlands, where you’ll have access to Causeway Point; the largest retail hub in the north.
Also nearby is Marsiling Mall. This is an HDB-run mall that’s been around for decades, and as a result, the hawker component has accumulated the usual range of famous eateries.
Marsiling Greenview, as the name implies, is between two park spaces: Marsiling Park in the direction of Woodlands Centre Road, and Woodlands Town Park East, in the direction of Woodlands Street 13. While this sort of greenery is somewhat expected (it’s Woodlands after all), it does provide a nice spot for cyclists, walkers, and other outdoors types. This makes for a project with an excellent balance between greenery, convenience, and accessibility. A launch price of $170,500 (3-room) was a huge steal.
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