en bloc site
GLS post-Sep 2022
AC ledge at Chuan Park
space at Chuan Park PSF
Chuan Park and Chuan Grove are 200 metres apart. Same MRT. Same schools. Same precinct. But they are separated by one critical rule: GFA harmonisation. Chuan Park launched pre-harmonisation — its floor area includes AC ledges and void spaces that buyers paid for at full PSF. Chuan Grove launches post-harmonisation — every square foot is liveable. At Lorong Chuan's current PSF, that difference costs Chuan Park buyers S$80,000 to S$155,000 per unit in space they cannot use.
GFA harmonisation applies to all GLS sites released from 1 September 2022, and all development applications from 1 June 2023. Chuan Park was a private en bloc transaction — Kingsford and MCC Land purchased the former Chuan Park condominium via private treaty in July 2022, and the High Court granted the sale order in May 2023. Because the land was acquired through en bloc sale — not a GLS tender — the harmonisation rules do not automatically apply.
PropertyLimBrothers confirmed this directly in their November 2024 Chuan Park review: "as an en bloc project, Chuan Park's floor area calculations do not adhere to URA's GFA harmonisation rules and include both non-strata and void spaces." This is not a criticism of Chuan Park — it is simply the regulatory reality. Every en bloc project launched before the harmonisation rules fully bedded in carries this characteristic.
Chuan Grove is different. Both GLS plots were tendered and awarded by URA in 2025 — well after the September 2022 cut-off. The developer had no choice but to comply with harmonisation. Every unit at Chuan Grove will be quoted on 100% liveable floor plate.
| Development | Type | Year | PSF (current) | GFA Status | AC Ledge in Strata? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Springbloom | Resale · 99yr | 1998 | ~$1,400–$1,600 | ❌ Pre-harm. | Yes — in strata area |
| Chiltern Park | Resale · 99yr | 1997 | ~$1,500–$1,700 | ❌ Pre-harm. | Yes — in strata area |
| The Minton | Resale · 99yr | 2010 | ~$1,400–$1,600 | ❌ Pre-harm. | Yes — in strata area |
| The Scala | Resale · FH | 2012 | ~$1,600–$1,900 | ❌ Pre-harm. | Yes — in strata area |
| Forest Woods | Resale · 99yr | 2016 | ~$1,400–$1,700 | ❌ Pre-harm. | Yes — in strata area |
| Chuan Park | New launch · 99yr | 2024 | $2,586 avg | ❌ Pre-harm. (en bloc) | Yes — included in quoted sqft |
| Chuan Grove ★ | New launch · 99yr | 2026 (est.) | ~$2,600–$2,700 (est.) | ✅ Harmonised (GLS) | No — common property, not charged |
AC ledge ~49 + voids/bay ~21 = ~70 sqft non-liveable
At $2,586 psf avg: ~$181K paid for unusable space
AC ledge = common property. No void charges.
Every square foot in your title is one you live in.
2026 · 100% liveable
2024 · includes AC ledge
Strip ~5% AC ledge from strata
D19 resale · freehold · 2012
D19 resale · 99yr · 1997
- No AC ledge charge — $80K–$155K that Chuan Park buyers paid disappears entirely from your purchase price at Chuan Grove
- Lower BSD on true purchase price — at $2,650 psf on 975 sqft vs 1,055 sqft, your BSD calculation is on a lower base by ~$100K
- Better yield math — rental income is anchored to liveable area; a harmonised unit's yield calculation is cleaner and higher relative to purchase price
- Transparent resale comparison — when you sell, buyers know they are comparing apples to apples with other harmonised projects
- Every sqft is functional — developers can no longer design large AC ledges because they now eat into total GFA allowance, reducing unit count
- Cleaner floor plans — no bay windows padded into quoted strata area, no oversized planter boxes. What you see in the brochure is what you walk on
- More efficient living rooms — without void spaces being counted, developers maximise the actual internal floor plate you can furnish and use
- Better-shaped rooms — floor plan irregularities caused by AC ledge protrusions and large bay windows are eliminated by design incentive
When Chuan Park launched in November 2024, I watched the queue form before sunrise. The demand was real — these were families from Serangoon and Bishan who had been waiting 14 years for a new condo next to Lorong Chuan MRT. Chuan Park's launch at $2,586 psf felt expensive to some of them. What nobody explained clearly at the showflat was that the quoted square footage included the AC ledge — a slab of concrete outside the window that nobody lives on. At $2,586 psf, a 3BR buyer paid approximately $127,000 to $142,000 for that ledge.
Chuan Grove gives those same buyers a second chance. And crucially, it gives them a better one — not because the location is superior (it is next door), and not because the developer is more established (Sing Holdings and Sunway are credible but not household names). It is better because every square foot at Chuan Grove is liveable floor plate. The $2,600–$2,700 psf at Chuan Grove, on a harmonised basis, is effectively cheaper per functional square foot than what Chuan Park buyers paid. That is the single most important fact for anyone comparing these two projects.
My advice to anyone who bought Chuan Park: you made a sound decision in a supply-starved corridor, and the demand fundamentals remain intact. My advice to anyone comparing Chuan Park resale against Chuan Grove at launch: do not compare quoted sqft. Compare liveable sqft. Add up what you are paying per room. Then decide. I will run that comparison for you before you sign anything.
Before You Decide.
James Ong | CEA Reg No. R008385F | PropNex Realty Pte Ltd | mychoicehomez.com
For informational purposes only. AC ledge estimates for Chuan Park are based on industry average of 4–5% of strata area for pre-harmonisation en bloc projects. Actual unit dimensions vary by stack and floor. Chuan Grove floor plan estimates are indicative only — unit mix and sizes will be confirmed by developer at official launch. Effective liveable PSF calculations are illustrative. This does not constitute financial or investment advice.
