August 2023 HDB BTO review: Choa Chu Kang
PHOTO: 99.co
PUBLISHED ONJuly 17, 2023 3:39 AMByVirginia Tanggono
With an estimated 1,870 units, the August 2023 Choa Chu Kang BTO will be the biggest project in this launch. All flat types, including 3Gen flats, will be offered in this project. Unlike a standard BTO flat, 3Gen flats come with two master bedrooms.
This marks the second time 3Gen flats are available for balloting this year. The first one was at Bedok South Blossoms during the May 2023 BTO exercise.
August 2023 Choa Chu Kang HDB BTO at a glance
| Location | Along Woodlands Road |
| Classification | Non-mature estate |
| Flat types and number of units | 1,870
Two-room Flexi Three-room Four-room Five-room 3Gen |
| Estimated price for a four-room flat* | $280k – $370k |
| Estimated waiting time | TBC |
| Estimated completion date | TBC |
| Delivery possession date | TBC |
| Nearest MRT | Bukit Panjang MRT, Senja LRT, Phoenix LRT |
| Notable amenities | Junction 10, Hillion Mall, Bukit Panjang Mall, Bukit Panjang Polyclinic, SAFRA Choa Chu Kang, Rail Corridor |
August 2023 Choa Chu Kang HDB BTO: Price range and estimated monthly instalments
HDB hasn't released the price range yet. For now, here's SRX's estimations based on nearby resale transactions and launch prices from recent BTO launches.
| Flat type | Price range |
| Three-room | $200,000 – $250,000 |
| Four-room | $280,000 – $370,000 |
| Five-room | $400,000 – $520,000 |
*Source: SRX. These estimations have been adjusted for differences in property age and location. If a launch is nearer to an MRT or commercial development, it's likely to be more expensive.
Estimated downpayment, monthly instalments and income
Based on these pricing forecasts, we can estimate the downpayment, monthly instalments and household income needed to pay for the August 2023 Choa Chu Kang BTO flat. These estimates are based on the following assumptions:
- An HDB loan is taken to maximise the 80 per cent loan-to-value (LTV), given the latest changes in LTV
- The loan tenure is 25 years, with the current interest rate of 2.6 per cent
- A stress-test rate of three per cent is used to calculate the Mortgage Servicing Ratio (MSR), which stipulates that up to 30 per cent of your monthly household income can be used to pay the monthly instalments.
- There is no other housing loan to service
To illustrate, we'll use the median of the price range and won't be taking into account any CPF grants or savings to be used.
| Flat type | Median price | Loan amount (80 per cent) | Downpayment (20 per cent) | Estimated monthly instalment (with 2.6 per cent interest rate) | Estimated monthly household income (with three per cent stress-test) |
| Three-room | $225,000 | $180,000 | $45,000 | $816.61 | $2,845.27 |
| Four-room | $325,000 | $260,000 | $65,000 | $1,179.54 | $4,109.83 |
| Five-room | S$460,000 | $368,000 | $92,000 | $1,669.50 | $5,817.00 |
August 2023 Choa Chu Kang HDB BTO: Location and nearby amenities
Disclaimer: Walking, public transport ride and driving durations are based on Google Maps estimates. Actual times may vary.
Accessibility
What makes this August 2023 Choa Chua Kang BTO pretty convenient is that it's around a 10-minute walk to three train stations: Bukit Panjang MRT, Senja LRT and Phoenix LRT.
Through Bukit Panjang MRT, you can take the Downtown Line and get connected to other MRT lines.
Meanwhile, through Phoenix LRT, you can get to Choa Chu Kang MRT in four stops to switch to the North-South Line and Jurong Region Line from 2027 onwards.
As for drivers, the Kranji Expressway entrance and exit are just down the road.
Food and retail amenities
We also like that there are three malls near the August 2023 Choa Chu Kang BTO.
The nearest mall is Junction 10, at just around a three-minute walk away. Walk a little further, and you can reach Hillion Mall in around 10 minutes from the BTO. Meanwhile, across the street from Hillion Mall is Bukit Panjang Plaza (it's around 20 minutes away from the BTO, by bus or walking).
Or you can head to Teck Whye Shopping Centre across Sungei Pang Sua for your daily necessities. Located at around a 15-minute walking distance from the BTO, you can find neighbourhood shops, eateries and NTUC Fairprice here.
Schools
For parents (and future parents), the good news is that there's a number of primary and secondary schools in the area.
There are two primary schools within one kilometre of the Choa Chu Kang BTO:
- West View Primary (and MOE kindergarten)
- Teck Whye Primary
Depending on your block, you may also be within 1km of South View Primary (which will have a MOE Kindergarten from 2024 onwards).
If you enrol your kid in a MOE Kindergarten, you get to enjoy a better chance of securing a seat for them in the primary school located in the same compound, as you can enrol via Phase 2A of the Primary One Registration.
Other schools in the area include:
- Choa Chu Kang Primary
- Yew Tee Primary
- Choa Chu Kang Secondary
- Regent Secondary
- West Spring Secondary
- Jurong Pioneer JC
- Delta Senior School
- ITE College West
Healthcare facilities
Healthcare facilities are also within easy reach, as this Choa Chu Kang BTO is near two polyclinics.
For instance, Bukit Panjang Polyclinic, which opened two years ago, is located across the street from the BTO.
Meanwhile, Choa Chu Kang Polyclinic is around 20 minutes away (by bus).
The closest hospital is Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, at around a 15-minute drive from the BTO.
Greenery
This Choa Chu Kang BTO is near the Rail Corridor, which runs through Pang Sua Park Connector along Sungei Pang Sua. According to the current BTO map, part of it runs through the BTO site, but this is only for the interim.
With the Rail Corridor close to home, you can easily go for a walk or cycle to Kranji or Bukit Timah Nature Reserve.
Another park nearby is the Bukit Panjang Neighbourhood 5 Park, which is connected to the Pang Sua Pond via an elevated boardwalk.
At the same time, we note that this BTO is part of the land parcel that HDB previously commissioned an environmental study in 2021. After some public feedback, the housing board announced last year that at least two hectares of the existing greenery along the canal will be retained.
We also want to point out that the 2021 environmental study highlighted that wildlife, such as pangolins and otters, move between habitats through this land parcel.
But with public housing slated to be built here, this could mean that future residents may encounter more wildlife at home.
August 2023 Choa Chu Kang HDB BTO: What's the potential price appreciation?
A major development in Choa Chu Kang is SAFRA Choa Chu Kang, which recently opened its doors in June. The main facilities here include a sheltered swimming pool and futsal court, as well as an indoor climbing wall.
Another upcoming development in the estate is the opening of the Jurong Region Line from 2027 onwards, improving connectivity for residents in the area as Jurong Lake District is set to become a second CBD in Singapore.
There's also the opening of the Sungei Kadut MRT to look forward to, which will be located between Kranji MRT and Yew Tee MRT. Slated to be ready in the mid-2030s, it will be an interchange for the North-South Line and Downtown Line.
These public transport enhancements should help support the price growth in the area.
When looking at the price trend in the last 10 years, it's interesting to note that among the flat types, three-room HDB resale flats have the highest appreciation.
Over the last 10 years, three-room HDB resale flats in Choa Chu Kang have appreciated by 26.33 per cent, higher than the average for non-mature estates (19.65 per cent). At the same time, we note that the price psf had only started catching up with the non-mature estate average in the last five years.
But the same can't be said for the four-room HDB resale flats in the estate. While prices have appreciated by 20.65 per cent, the average price psf is still below the average price psf for the flat type in non-mature estates.
Similarly, five-room HDB resale flats in Choa Chu Kang have increased by 19.58 per cent in the last decade, with the average price psf remaining below the average price psf for the flat type in non-mature estates.
Here are the average resale prices in Choa Chu Kang so far this year, as of July 13, 2023:
| Flat type | Average price psf | Average price |
| Three-room | $544 | $400,735 |
| Four-room | $466 | $496,417 |
| Five-room | $457 | $586,571 |
August 2023 Choa Chu Kang HDB BTO: What are my chances of getting a queue number?
The last launch in Choa Chu Kang was a year ago during the August 2022 BTO exercise for Keat Hong Grange.
So we'll use the application rates of Keat Hong Grange to gauge the application rate for this August 2023 Choa Chu Kang BTO.
| Flat type | Seniors | First-timer singles | First-timer families | Second-timer families |
| Two-room | 2 | 4.9 | 0.2 | 0.7 |
| Three-room | NA | NA | 1.2 | 8.6 |
| Four-room | NA | NA | 1.5 | 11.5 |
| Five-room | NA | NA | 2.0 | 19.9 |
For the August 2023 BTO exercise, Choa Chu Kang BTO and Tengah BTO are the only non-mature projects offering two-room Flexi flats. This is the only BTO flat type that singles can apply for. At the same time, seniors are given priority for it.
So if you're applying as a single, expect some stiff competition.
(It's also why singles generally prefer getting an HDB flat from the resale market, since there's no restriction on the flat type and waiting for another four to five years before moving in.)
Meanwhile, based on the previous application rate, first-timer families going for the three-room, four-room and five-room stand a good chance of securing a BTO queue number.
ALSO READ: August 2023 HDB BTO review: Queenstown