District 11 has not seen a new GLS private condo since 2017. That nine-year drought ends this July — with a name to match the address: Dunearn House. Frasers Property, Sekisui House and CSC Land won the first private residential site in the entire Bukit Timah Turf City precinct. They are not just building 380 apartments. They are writing the opening chapter of a 20 to 30-year masterplan that will bring up to 20,000 homes to one of Singapore's most storied addresses.
The question is not whether Turf City will matter. It will. The question is whether this is the right entry point — and whether the price being asked is worth paying before the precinct proves itself.
This is the complete buyer guide. No hype. Just the numbers, the context, and a straight verdict.
What Is Bukit Timah Turf City — And Why It Matters
The site sits on the old Singapore Turf Club racecourse land along Dunearn Road and Eng Neo Avenue — a name most Singaporeans over 40 will remember from weekend afternoons at the races. URA's Draft Master Plan 2025 transformed that heritage into a housing vision: 15,000 to 20,000 new public and private homes over the next 20 to 30 years, built around a 10-minute neighbourhood — parks, schools, retail, and community facilities all within a short walk. No car required.
Dunearn House sits on Plot 1 of this precinct. It is the first private residential site to be tendered. Every future GLS site in Turf City will benchmark its price against what happens here. The developer who wins the first site sets the tone for design standards, pricing expectations, and buyer confidence across the entire estate.
URA's design guidelines are unusually specific: at least 35% of the site must be dedicated to greenery; building heights are capped at 10 storeys; the development must provide a direct pedestrian link to the future Civic Heart and Turf City MRT station. This is not a marketing promise. It is written into the tender conditions that Frasers, Sekisui House and CSC Land bid on.
The future Turf City MRT station — on the Cross Island Line, estimated to open around 2032 — will sit within walking distance of Dunearn House. That is a second station, in addition to Sixth Avenue MRT (Downtown Line) today. Dual-line connectivity in a low-rise, green neighbourhood is genuinely rare in Singapore.
The Tender That Surprised Everyone — 9 Bids for a CCR Site
When URA launched the Dunearn Road (1) tender in April 2025, most analysts expected five or six bids and a top offer somewhere between $1,400 and $1,500 psf ppr. What arrived on 26 June 2025 was considerably more emphatic.
Nine developers submitted bids — the strongest CCR developer turnout since a Cuscaden Road GLS in May 2018. The spread between the highest and lowest offers was 48.6%. Developers were not just divided on pricing. They were divided on whether a brand-new, unproven precinct was worth betting serious capital on at all.
Frasers, Sekisui House and CSC Land bet $491.5 million that it is.
URA Tender · 26 Jun 2025 · All 9 BidsSite: 145,173 sqft · GPR 2.4 · ~380 units · 99-year LH · District 11 CCR
| Bidder | Bid Amount | psf ppr |
|---|---|---|
| Frasers Property / Sekisui House / CSC LandWinner | $491.5M | $1,410 |
| City Developments Ltd (CDL) | — | ~$1,360 |
| Sim Lian Group | — | ~$1,327 |
| GuocoLand | — | ~$1,254 |
| UOL / Singapore Land | — | ~$1,197 |
| Hong Leong / Mitsui | — | ~$1,126 |
| Kingsford / MCC Land | — | ~$1,037 |
| Allgreen Properties | — | ~$950 |
| Lowest bidder | — | <$950 |
(2× analyst forecast)
above CDL (2nd)
vs lowest bid
The 3.7% margin above CDL is modest — Frasers did not overpay recklessly. But the 48.6% spread between top and bottom tells a more interesting story. Conservative developers priced in uncertainty about a brand-new, unproven estate. Frasers, Sekisui House and CSC Land paid a first-mover premium, confident that being Plot 1 in a 20 to 30-year masterplan is worth something that a second-mover can never buy back.
Where Exactly Is Dunearn House?
Dunearn House sits along Dunearn Road, which runs between Bukit Timah Road and the Pan-Island Expressway — one of the most established residential corridors in Singapore. To the east are the Watten, Duchess and Namly landed estates. To the west is Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. The surrounding area is low-rise, green, and quiet — unusual for a CCR address this close to the CBD.
Sixth Avenue MRT (Downtown Line) is approximately an 8-minute walk. From there: Botanic Gardens in one stop, Bugis in six, Marina Bay in eleven. The expressway access via PIE and BKE makes Jurong and Changi airport equally accessible by car.
The school cluster is one of the strongest in Singapore. Within 1km: Methodist Girls' School (Primary), Pei Hwa Presbyterian Primary and Nanyang Primary. Within 2km at secondary and JC level: Methodist Girls' School (Secondary), Hwa Chong Institution and National Junior College. Families who have spent years managing school registration priorities for this zone do not move out of it lightly. That is a structural driver of resale demand, not just a marketing talking point.
The Cross Island Line Turf City MRT station — estimated completion 2032 — will add a second station within walking distance of the development. When that opens, Dunearn House will have dual-line connectivity: Downtown Line via Sixth Avenue today, Cross Island Line via Turf City MRT by the time the estate matures. That is not priced in at the current land rate.
How We Got Here — The Dunearn House Timeline
Expected Launch Price — $2,900 to $3,100 PSF
Three analyst houses have landed on the same range. CBRE's Tricia Song pegs the launch at $2,900 to $3,000 psf. SRI's Mohan Sandrasegeran puts it at $2,910 to $3,100 psf, noting that new CCR units have been selling at around $2,922 psf over the first five months of 2025. PropNex Research is consistent with that range.
The honest read: $2,900 to $3,100 psf is not cheap for a 99-year leasehold on a brand-new estate. But it sits below comparable CCR freehold launches, and that discount is appropriate — and arguably underpriced once the Turf City CRL station is factored in.
Why Dunearn House is priced below Watten House: Watten House is freehold and sits on a fully established D11 address with no estate transformation uncertainty. Dunearn House is 99-year leasehold on a brand-new precinct. A $200 to $330 psf leasehold discount versus freehold comps is appropriate. The Turf City masterplan upside — compounding over 20 to 30 years as the estate matures — is the compensation.
What $3,000 PSF Looks Like Per Unit Type
Indicative quantum at midpoint estimate · All GFA harmonised · Sizes TBC at launch
The GFA Harmonisation Advantage — Every Dollar Buys Liveable Space
For a detailed breakdown of what GFA harmonisation means for buyers — and which resale condos in the area are non-harmonised — read the GFA Harmonisation Explained guide on mychoicehomez.com.
7 Reasons to Be at the July 2026 Preview
Plot 1 of the Turf City precinct is the opening move in a 20 to 30-year urban transformation. Early buyers in comparable masterplanned estates — Jurong Lake District, Punggol, Marina Bay — consistently outperformed the broader market as the estate matured. The same structural dynamic applies here.
An 8-minute walk to Sixth Avenue MRT (Downtown Line) provides immediate connectivity. The Cross Island Line Turf City station, estimated to open around 2032, adds a second rail line within walking distance. That dual-station connectivity is not yet priced into the launch PSF.
Methodist Girls' School (Primary and Secondary), Nanyang Primary, Pei Hwa Presbyterian Primary, Hwa Chong Institution and National Junior College — all within 1 to 2km. Families in the Bukit Timah school belt do not move out voluntarily. That is 30 years of sustained demand baked into the postcode.
Maximum 10 storeys. At least 35% of site area in greenery. URA's design guidelines explicitly require the development to blend into its surroundings with generous setbacks. This is the antithesis of a typical CCR tower launch — and increasingly rare at any price point in Singapore.
Fourth Avenue Residences — awarded at $1,540 psf ppr in 2017 and launched at around $2,100 psf in 2019 — has posted 18 resale transactions in 2024 to May 2025 at a median of $2,520 psf. That is a 20% capital gain on a 99-year leasehold in six years. Dunearn House is 500m away with a longer lease, harmonised GFA, a stronger school footprint, and the CRL tailwind Fourth Avenue Residences never had.
Watten, Duchess, Namly, Greenwood and Eng Neo Avenue are all within walking distance. Owners who have lived in these estates for 20 or 30 years — and whose children are now grown — want to right-size without leaving the neighbourhood. Dunearn House is the first new private condo they can move into without giving up their school zone, their MRT station, or their café.
Frasers Property brings deep Singapore residential experience — Rivière, Seaside Residences, Forett at Bukit Timah. Sekisui House is Japan's largest residential developer, with a philosophy built around homes that improve with age rather than date. Their involvement in a development is a reliable signal of above-average construction quality and thoughtful spatial planning. Singapore buyers have consistently paid a premium for that.
Who Should Be at the July 2026 Preview?
Four buyer profiles — with honest notes on ABSD and affordability.
| Buyer Profile | Why Dunearn House Works | Best Unit | Key Watch Point |
|---|---|---|---|
| D10/D11 Landed Right-Sizer Best fit | Sell landed to unlock equity. Buy in the same neighbourhood. Same schools, same MRT, brand-new 99yr lease. No lifestyle adjustment. Children and grandchildren likely already in MGS / Hwa Chong zone. | 3BR or 4BR | Sequence sale and purchase carefully to avoid ABSD on overlap. SSD on landed if held under 3 years. Get the timeline right. |
| Singaporean Upgrader (1st private property) | 0% ABSD. Premium CCR address at a leasehold entry quantum below freehold D11. Turf City first-mover upside. Dual-income households can access 2BR or 3BR at $1.5M–$2.7M. | 2BR or 3BR | HDB MOP if upgrading from HDB. TDSR check at current SORA-based rates. CPF OA usage for CCR property — check your limits. |
| CCR Investor | Bukit Timah expat tenant pool (international schools corridor). Frasers/Sekisui brand commands a rental premium. Expected gross yield 2.8–3.2% at launch PSF. | 1BR+S or 2BR | 20% ABSD for SC 2nd property. Build the rental yield model before committing — net yield is thin in the first three years. Long game only. |
| Fourth Avenue Residences Owner | Cash out the resale gain at $2,520 psf median. Roll into a brand-new, longer-lease, fully harmonised unit in the same corridor at Turf City's first-mover PSF — before Plot 2 prices reset the benchmark. | Like-for-like upgrade | Watch the SSD window. Full stamp duty planning on both the sale and purchase. Get a proper timeline from your agent before you commit to either. |
Why July 2026 Is the Entry Window, Not the Wait-and-See Moment
I have watched every major CCR GLS since 2017 and the pattern is remarkably consistent: buyers who register early, attend the preview, and make a decision in the first two weeks get the best unit selection — and sometimes the best pricing. Buyers who "wait to see how it performs" pick from what is left. Or they find themselves at the back of the queue for Dunearn Road (2), which Wing Tai won at $1,576 psf ppr. That land cost implies a launch price of $3,100 to $3,400 psf. The first-mover window closes when Plot 2 opens.
The question I hear most often about Dunearn House is whether $2,900 to $3,100 psf is too expensive for an unproven estate. My answer is always the same: Fourth Avenue Residences launched at around $2,100 psf in 2019. It resells today at $2,520 psf. That is a 20% gain on a 99-year leasehold in the same corridor, in six years, without a second MRT station, without GFA harmonisation, and without the Turf City masterplan as a structural tailwind.
Dunearn House has all of that — plus a developer combination that does not cut corners. Register early. I will build you a full financial model — BSD, ABSD, TDSR, projected rental yield, and a 5-year capital gain scenario — before you commit to anything. No pressure. Just the numbers.
Get Early Access to Dunearn House Floor Plans and Financial Model
James provides priority preview registration, floor plan analysis, unit selection guidance, and a complete BSD/ABSD/TDSR financial model — before the official launch day.
CEA Reg No. R008385F · PropNex Realty · District 11 specialist
I'm James Ong, a licensed property consultant with PropNex Realty and a Managing Agent with over 10 years of residential estate management experience. I advise buyers across Districts 11, 20 and 26 — from first private property purchases to multi-property portfolios — and I bring a perspective that most agents cannot: I have managed new condominium handovers, MCST governance, defects liability periods, sinking fund planning, and inter-floor disputes from the inside. I understand not just how to buy a condominium, but what it actually costs and takes to run one. That estate governance quality is the lens through which I evaluate every development I recommend.
- URA GLS tender award, Dunearn Road (1), July 2025
- ERA Singapore GLS site analysis, June 2025
- EdgeProp — Frasers/Sekisui/CSC top bid $1,410 psf ppr, June 2025
- CBRE (Tricia Song) — expected launch $2,900–$3,000 psf, June 2025
- SRI (Mohan Sandrasegeran) — expected launch $2,910–$3,100 psf, June 2025
- PropNex Research (Wong Siew Ying), June 2025
- EdgeProp — Fourth Avenue Residences $2,520 psf median, May 2025
- 99.co — Dunearn Road GLS full breakdown including URA design guidelines, June 2025
- ERA press release on Dunearn Road (2) tender, December 2025
- Knight Frank (Leonard Tay) — commentary, June 2025
- URA GFA Harmonisation circular, September 2022
- URA Draft Master Plan 2025 — Bukit Timah Turf City precinct designations
For informational purposes only. Expected launch PSF, unit types and timeline are analyst estimates and developer indications only — to be confirmed at official launch. This does not constitute financial or investment advice. All investment decisions should be made with reference to your own financial position and after consulting a licensed financial advisor and a CEA-registered property agent.
