FLAMINGO VALLEY (Review)

The wife and I decided to drop by the sales gallery of FLAMINGO VALLEY this morning. The sales gallery, which is opened for about 2 weeks now, is located at the actual site, along Siglap Road. As some of you are already aware, Frasers Centrepoint Homes bought the freehold site in an en bloc sale back in 2007 and have decided to retain the name of the old development.




Here are the project details of the new FLAMINGO VALLEY

District:   15
Location:   Siglap Road/East Coast
Address:   460 – 480 Siglap Road
Developer:   Frasers Centrepoint Homes
Tenure:   Freehold
Estimated site area:   335,000sqft
Expected TOP:   April 015
Description:   10 Blocks (6x 5-sotrey and 4x 3-storey)
Total number of units:   393
Total number of carpark lots:   393 (all basement)

For a mid-size project with only 393 units, FLAMINGO VALLEY has a mind boggling number of unit types that include lofts and “dual-key” units.

Unit Types & Sizes:
• 1BR+Study (41 units):   517 – 678sqft
• 2BR (65 units):   818 – 1087sqft
• 2BR+Study (24 units):   969 – 1195sqft
• 2BR Loft (4 units):   990sqft
• 3BR (126 units):   990 – 1593sqft
• 2BR “Dual Key” (15 units):   786 – 936sqft
• 3BR “Dual Key” (21 units):   1216 – 1518sqft
• 4BR (48 units):   1593 – 1927sqft
• Roof Terrace PH (21 units):   1647 – 3111sqft
   (2BR/3BR)
• Duplex PH (26 units):   2067 – 2669sqft
   (3BR/4BR w family area)
• Single Level PH (2 units):   2971sqft
   (4BR)

Facilities:
FLAMINGO VALLEY is a full-facility condominium (refer to site plan). The main feature is the Rainforest Valley, with its breathtaking 11-metre high Skybridge and glass lift, as well as the impressive 11-metre cascading water wall.


The first thing that struck us is that the site is actually rather huge for a project with 393 units. However, it is too early to tell if the ground is really as spacious as it is being touted. This is because the 10 blocks are all low-rise that stretches around the 335,000sqft irregular plot.


There are 2 showflats in the sales gallery:
• 1593sqft, 4-Bedroom unit (E1)


• 1206qft, 3-Bedroom unit (C1)


The furnishing/fittings for both showflat are much the same, so we will just go through these generically.

• Living/Dining: Rectangular shape and relatively good size. It comes with 60x60 marble-slab flooring and 2.9m ceiling height.

• Balcony/Plant Box: Rectangular shape and very functional. The balcony/planter box area for the 4-bedder is rather huge – we reckon it is about 200sqft.

• Dry Kitchen (4-bedder): Solid-surfaced worktop with cabinets below and it comes with a sink.

• Wet Kitchen: Rectangular and rather small for both showflat types. Comes with solid surfaced worktop, top/bottom-tier cabinets, “Bosch” brand hob/hood/oven/microwave. However, the kitchen is almost fully enclosed with little/no external ventilation.

• Yard: A decent-sized area that has a dedicated washer/dryer area (separate units need to be stacked though). A door leads to the air-con compressor area, which makes easy access for the service guy. The air-con compressor area is also spacious enough to be used as a drying area for laundry.

• Utility/Maid’s Room: A longish narrow room for the 4-bedder. Bed will definitely have to be custom-made. A small “Maid’s toilet” is located next door.

• Junior Suite (4-bedder): Looks a tad small, with timber strip flooring from good wardrobe space. The attached bathroom is of decent size and comes with “Duravit” bathroom and toilet fittings. However, you only get one of them standard wall-mounted shower.

• Common Bedrooms: These are rather small. Comes with the same timber strip floors and standard wardrobe.


• Common Bathroom: Good-sized, with marble floors and ceramic-tile walls. Storage cupboard is found behind the large mirror as well as underneath the bath sink. It also comes with similar “Duravit” bath/toilet fittings and wall-mounted shower in the shower stall.

• Master Bedroom: This is surprisingly huge for both showflat types. The wardrobe is also ample – you get an L-shaped wardrobe for the 4-bedder that is tucked in one corner of the room, which gives you a “walk-in closet” feel.


• Master Bathroom: Again this is quite huge for both showflat types. The 4-bedder has a long bath and adjacent standing shower (no rain shower though), while the 3-bedder has only a standing shower stall.


What we like:
• The layout of the units – all areas are regular in shape and very functional. The bedrooms are tucked away from the main living/dining area, which allow for better privacy.

• The large plot size of FLAMINGO VALLEY (355,000sqft) in relation to the number of apartment units (393), which will supposedly give you a sense of spaciousness around the development.

• The lush surrounding and extensive facilities within the development – the various themed gardens, Skygarden with its glass lift and the 11-m waterfall look particularly interesting.


• There is the choice of either Opera Estate Primary (co-ed, and supposedly a rather good school) or St. Stephen Primary (boys) that is within 1-km of FLAMINGO VALLEY.

What we dislike:
• The wife and I are not impressed with the quality of furnishings and fittings provided, especially in relation to the price. The brand and look of kitchen appliance within the showflat is particularly disappointing for a project of its status.

• There are currently no designated visitor's parking lots in this development. We were told by the marketing agent that some surface parking lots for visitors may eventually be provided, but there are no guarantees. Should they be no decidated visitors lots, visitors will have to use the same parking lots provided by residents - a potential point of contention among redidents. And if you are familiar with the location where FLAMINGO VALLEY is sited, it is a nightmare trying to find roadside parking nearby.

• The only access into/out of FLAMINGO VALLEY is via Siglap Road. This is a rather busy road lined by houses/apartments on either sides. Given the increased number of apartment units (from 112 previously to 393 now) in FLAMINGO VALLEY and another new project (Siglap V – 114 units) coming up further down the road, one can expect even more congestion along this stretch of road when these projects are fully occupied.

• FLAMINGO VALLEY is located next to Muslim cemetery. One can argue that the whole of Bishan used to be one big burial ground before, but is now one of the most sought after residential address. However, the bodies buried under Bishan are exhumed and that makes quite a fair bit of difference… at least to the wife and I.

Pricing wise, units in FLAMINGO VALLEY are selling for $1150 - $1250psf. As an illustration:

• Block 476 #02-53, 1593sqft Type E1 (4BR) - $1,981,800 or $1244psf
   * This is one of the best facing units – towards the main pool.
• Block 480 #02-73, 1593sqft Type E1 (4BR) - $1,934,100 or $1214psf
   * This unit is west facing – hot!

We will avoid stacks #01, 02, 05, 06, 09 & 10 of Block 460 (as these faces the main Siglap Road – noisy!) and stacks #19 – 27 of Block 468 (faces the cemetery)

The monthly maintenance is surprisingly affordable though: The 4BR owners will pay around $270/month while the Penthouse owners (2,200+sqft) will pay around $330/month.

Overall, the wife and I felt that FLAMINGO VALLEY is somewhat over-priced, considering it is located almost at the fringe of district 15 and the quality demonstrated within the showflats. And call us “puntang” if you like, but the wife and I will not part with almost $2 million dollars to stay next to a cemetery.

Give us a shout if you are interested in the floor plan of other unit types - just do not ask us to email you ALL the floor plans.
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