Sen Apartment Review: Good layout, freehold, convenient location... If you like Geylang, Money News-AsiaOne

2021-12-13 18:36:31 By : Ms. Lisa Li

Mori is a new freehold condominium in District 14, with an interesting concept of wabi-sabi, a rooftop swimming pool, and a well-planned unit layout.

Very efficient layout, some of them provide guest rooms/studies to increase versatility

Average new launch unit size

Beautiful selection of tiles and decent European brands used

Japanese-style themes stand out in the sea of ​​condominiums in Geylang

Interesting facilities on small land

Good quality but limited by land area

5 minutes drive from Paya Lebar District

Singapore listed developer with more than 50 years of experience

Not the closest to the subway station, but you can reach the city center quickly

One of the more affordable freehold RCR new launches

Mori on Guillemard Road belongs to the “latest generation” of overall sales. Roxy-Pacific acquired 15 townhouses for only US$93 million in November 2020. There is no prize for the inspiration to guess its name-given that Japan may be the favorite holiday destination of Singaporeans.

For me, Panasonic's advantage lies in its strong execution of small development projects, emphasizing efficient layout and small unit size, while maintaining the overall quantum price affordability.

If you need any reference points, please check their development in recent years. Their 2-bedroom units in RV Altitude start from 441 square feet, Fyve Derbyshire starts from 560 square feet, and even the nearby Arena Residences starts from 549 square feet. In some ways, when you get the practicality of 2 bedrooms, you will get a lot of benefits without having to go bankrupt for it.

In other words, Covid-19 has completely subverted our way of life, so people are more eager to have a slightly larger unit while keeping the unit efficient and affordable. If this is what you are looking for, I think Mori may have a good product worth considering.

The gentrification of Geylang is a good sign for Sen, and as Singapore continues to prosper, its traditional stigma as a red light district is gradually disappearing. The numbers speak for themselves. We have seen the recent launch of new products in Geylang perform well, including good numbers for NoMA and Rezi 24, both of which are said to be sold out.

Mori is inspired by the Japanese concept of Wabi-Sabi and provides a different appearance from its competitors. This will be an interesting project worth paying attention to.

Without further ado, let us dive into what Mori has to offer!

Mori is a Japanese inspired project based on the concept of wabi-sabi. It is transformed into wisdom in the simplicity of nature, and beauty is found in imperfection. All materials selected for the project have been carefully selected to ensure that as the project matures, residents will gradually appreciate them. This includes profiled concrete, wood-look aluminum and greenstone mosaic tiles used in public areas.

This is also a similar theme for the unit, offering bright (1 and 2 bedrooms) and dark solutions (3 and 4 bedrooms), providing a pleasantly differentiated combination. Didn't give up much at this point (please continue reading the unit tour), I do like the lighting scheme-but unfortunately, if you choose a larger unit, you have no choice!

I must say from the beginning that Mori's overall appearance does provide it with a different atmosphere from other nearby apartments. For the unfamiliar, Sen is located in the wider Geylang area, where there are many small apartments and it is usually difficult to distinguish. Therefore, I do think Mori has made a good start here.

As for the name of the development project, Mori, it translates to "forest" in Japanese and is played on the location address of Jalan Molek. The development seeks to be more peaceful, more active and more social through the different areas described in its marketing materials, thus continuing its word game.

Overall, it is a minimalist and very soothing look. This reminds me of Ki Residences, which is another project that is popular with the people I live in.

Starting from the entrance, it provides a single-lane entrance outside Guillemard Road and has a guardhouse. The single lane serves residents of Mori and Guillemard Suites, so it may be a bit crowded during peak hours. If you want to know where the exit is, you may not be alone.

The vehicle will leave via Jalan Molek, which may be due to land restrictions on the project.

As for the parking lot, there are 110 parking spaces on the first floor and the ground floor, enough for 80% of the units.

Mori is indeed mainly composed of 1 bedroom and 2 bedroom units, so this ratio may be sufficient for residents. What I find strange is the lack of regulations for charging electric vehicles. Given that the government promotes electric vehicles by 2030, this is a strange omission. Of course, this is something that is easy to change, and I think this should be done because of how high the adoption rate of Tesla cars in Singapore is so far!

The drop-off area is located further afield. This is not a big drop-off point, which is not surprising considering the small land area of ​​less than 40,000 square feet.

The facilities are distributed on the 2nd and 6th floors. For this scale of development, I think Roxy-Pacific has done a good job in packaging as many facilities as possible. Starting from the 6th floor, you will notice that all facilities are located on the side facing Guillemard Road. This should not be surprising, as it provides a view of the Singapore Sports Centre in the southwest.

The best use of these landscapes is the 23m long and 4m wide (approximately 2 people) small swimming pool. This is not the 50m standard we see in many development projects today, but it may be enough for a boutique apartment with only 137 units and less than 40,000 square feet of land.

Sukabumi stone mosaic tiles will form the bottom of the swimming pool, and the green landscaping around the swimming pool will make it a very pleasant sight on the roof. There will also be some lounge chairs for residents to enjoy. However, if I have to be picky, this is not a lot.

Nearby is the social lounge, which is a comfortable lounge area surrounded by bubble pools, play pools and hammock pools. I have always liked sinking pods because they always give me a "floating" feeling, which is not a common feature, especially in small projects.

I do like having more than one swimming pool to choose from, one of which is obviously suitable for swimming, and the other is for you to relax.

With the theme of relaxation, there are several huts around for your entertainment.

The children here may be very disappointed, because there seems to be only a lonely slide to entertain them in the children's creative play area. Children must be very creative when considering how to keep entertaining in such a simple space. However, I do not blame them, because in any case, the area where it is located is usually not the primary consideration for parents with children.

Mori does not have an air-conditioned clubhouse, but has two independent restaurants next to each other. The Grill & Dine Pavilion appears to be completely obscured, while the Social Dining is open to the sky. Frankly speaking, according to the renderings, the entire roof looks very comfortable and beautiful, so I would like to know if it is really so impressive when Mori TOPs are!

Surrounding the sunken lounge is the Pool Lounge, which provides chairs and a bar counter in the swimming pool to serve people on land and in the swimming pool. Once again, there is a very unique feature here, so I am very grateful to the developers for ensuring that they have a personal touch when developing Mori. There won’t be a bartender stationed to provide you with drinks, but on your party days, I think you can hire a bartender to do so at will.

But, frankly, if there is no pool service available, I find that these facilities usually become a bit like white elephants. It may just be me, so I would love to know what you think in the comments below!

Now moving to the 2nd floor, I will start from the projector lounge directly above the entrance of the apartment. The sofa and long table suggest that you can easily host a wonderful movie/football party here with some wine and pizza. The dense foliage in the background inspired by nature also makes this space look quite comfortable and warm.

In addition, other facilities on the 2nd floor include a multifunctional fitness station, which is essentially an outdoor gym. The developers stated that this is a surprising request due to Covid-19, so although I am happy to hear their feedback, I personally prefer indoor gyms. This may just be a new trend moving forward, so it may just be me.

As you might imagine, given the crowded nature of the area, this cutaway actually faces the Guillemard Suite-hardly the most inspiring exercise landscape.

There are also rest areas for residents who may only want to leave their homes for a while, including floating islands, where you will be surrounded by water and lotus flowers to create a private courtyard (because the surrounding residential areas are even more so).

If you want to find more space to think about life, it is not the only place. Although it may seem private in nature, I cannot say that completely because it is right next to the residential area-so your unit will face the seat.

In order to gain more privacy, I will turn to Onsen Hideaway on the corner, where there are hot and cold hot spring pools, so you can swim as you like. Following the trend, Sen also has a small herb garden for residents to grow their own vegetables.

There are dots of green plants scattered throughout the development project, which really provides a respite and soothing point for the eyes. I do hope there can be more, because some parts may feel a bit naked.

Although I really like that the walkways between the blocks are almost covered by lush greenery!

In general, when evaluating Mori's facilities, we must first recognize that this is a boutique development project. With less than 40,000 square feet of land, I think Sen has done a good job of packing practical facilities, including some unique facilities such as sunken pods and pool lounges. More importantly, I think each of them has a great aesthetic design that will appeal to the millennials targeted by this project.

It does not have the best environment (this is the nature of Geylang District), but even with nearby restrictions, it does make full use of it.

Finished talking about the facilities, let's take a look at the model house!

The 2-bedroom unit accounts for almost 50% of all units in Sen, and is the most important unit here. More specifically, this precise display unit occupies 30% of the entire project, which makes your attention to its details even more important.

So immediately, I really like the layout of this unit. At 710 square feet, it is comparable in size to other newly launched products, but in my opinion, it performs well due to the versatility provided by this layout. For those who are not familiar with Roxy-Pacific, it has always been their strength-making the most of small spaces.

The average ceiling height is 2.83m. The 1 and 2 bedrooms are designed with light themes, and the neutral and earthy tones evoke the warmth and simplicity of the unit. It aims to show the love of baking and pottery (which many millennials may agree with). The floor provided will be tile in the common area and vinyl floor in the bedroom, which is consistent with the project at this price.

When you enter the unit, there is no wasted space at all, because you will find the DB cabinet and open concept kitchen on your right immediately after entering.

Kitchen appliances include integrated refrigerator, washing machine and dryer (De Dietrich), oven, induction cooker and Bosch range hood. The built-in cabinets will also include a clamshell cabinet with an internal cutlery rack for practical purposes. The sink and mixer are from Blanco. For the price point, these are all first-class things.

Now, most of what you see in the photo above comes down to ID processing, but I have to say that they have determined the aesthetic of the target market they seek to attract. The colors and overall atmosphere are very popular, and I can imagine that few people would look for inspiration from here.

Similar to what I have seen in projects such as CanningHill Piers and Irwell Hill Residences, Mori’s kitchen also includes a pull-out table that can be used as a countertop space for food preparation or as an extension of a very compact dining table. It's easy to operate this pull-out table (in fact, it was the smoothest implementation for me so far), so don't worry when you need to use it.

Please note that it can only bear a weight of up to 30 kg, especially without any additional support, which will be its limit. Nevertheless, this is definitely a trend forward, and I hope to launch at most 1 bedroom from now on.

Although I have seen that the newly launched product manages to fit in a similarly sized enclosed kitchen (I think of Forrett in Bukit Timah), although I like it-I must say that the open kitchen will definitely help to release some- -The space required in a compact unit. Of course, it depends on whether you are engaged in heavy cooking, but living in the heart of Geylang means having good food all day (and at night), so the residents here may not actually need a kitchen that much.

This frees up considerable space for the rest of the unit, so you will notice that the entrance is wide enough and you can build a shoe cabinet and bench on the left if needed.

Opposite the kitchen is the public bedroom and public bathroom. This is definitely one of my favorite parts of this layout. It is away from the master bedroom and provides more privacy for the respective occupants.

More importantly, if you buy this unit for investment purposes, I believe your tenants will also appreciate the increased exclusivity here. In fact, for this ordinary bedroom, you can easily install a door to make this room a suite, which can visually enhance its rental appeal.

(On the right is the entrance to the master bedroom, and on the left is the entrance to the common bedroom). Please note that the above console is not actually included as part of the unit-it illustrates the appearance of the extra storage space in this apartment, which is important because there is no utility room in this unit.

I will start with the public bedroom, which measures 10.6 square meters, which is actually very impressive for a 710 square foot unit. It is square with a small corner next to it.

If you notice, the corner is actually a very useful space because the interior designer has skillfully turned it into a small study room. It adds practical elements without affecting the actual bedroom space. Although facing the communication window sill is not the most exciting inspiration for your study, it is still several miles longer than facing a blank wall.

In addition, although you do not get windows that extend the length of the device, it is interesting to note that despite the air conditioning ledges outside, you still get full-length windows. To recap, for almost all other (actually every one of them) newly released products, rooms with air-conditioning ledges outside usually have their lower half frosted for aesthetic purposes. However, in this case, the developer chose to accept it, and I agree with it because it really helps to illuminate the unit.

Since this room is large for an ordinary bedroom, especially for a 710 square foot unit, there is enough space for a single or queen bed. Shown here is the single bed, and the side cushions also show how big the queen looks in this space.

It's absolutely comfortable, and your study area is in the corner. Having a big bed is definitely not a problem, and it's one of the rare occasions I really say this for a public bedroom. The built-in wardrobe here has an open shelf at the top for storage, built-in LED lights, trousers rack and transparent glass top for easy viewing from the accessory tray.

Moved to a 3.3 square meter public bathroom, which is smaller than the average area. I think the developers did a great job making sure it feels larger than the actual size. What I like about Mori's bathroom is the practical aspect, because this small bathroom not only includes a mirror cabinet, but also an additional one with an open shelf corner above the w/c.

Bathroom appliances also come from recognized European brands, including Gessi faucets and hand showers, Roca wash basins and wall-mounted w/c, as well as Tece flush plates and water tanks. For example, Gessi is also used in Canninghill Piers, a CCR project that costs almost twice that of Mori. However, please note that this bathroom has no windows, so only mechanical ventilation can be used.

Back to the dining and living area connected to the open concept kitchen. This is a space that meets the needs of the market and can accommodate a dining table for 4 people. 710 square feet, this is the standard configuration, if you have more, it would be better.

If you want to go to the storage table, you must pay more attention to the size of the table to avoid crowding in the aisle.

As for the living room, the width of the sofa and the TV is not so prominent. The display plane optics that usually don't have a coffee table also work here (and that small circular rug), which helps make this space look bigger. Nevertheless, a 3-seater sofa fits here, consistent with new products of similar dimensions.

Overall, the living room, dining room and kitchen area occupy 22.9 square meters of space.

However, I want to emphasize that the wall facing the sofa is not the widest, so if you have an idea for a large TV, you must be cautious.

Continue to the 8.7 square meter balcony. For units of this size, I would say that this size is above average. The extra space comes from its extension to the master bedroom (although the balcony space there is narrower).

However, in general, its shape is very square and large enough, if you like, you can put a tableware for outdoor dining. Even if it is not a suitable tableware, putting a small coffee table here will easily allow you to breathe fresh air after a long day of work.

Now to the master bedroom, the average area is 10.7 square meters. Interestingly, this means that it is only 0.1 square meters larger than a normal bedroom. In my opinion, this is not a bad thing, especially if you plan to rent out your unit. The room feels a bit spacious, although I think this is because it has direct access to the balcony.

Although the balcony part here is quite narrow, you can still place chairs as they did here. I always like to mix indoor and outdoor spaces in my home, especially if there is a view-although I will state here and now that there is almost no view here in Mori.

From a practical point of view, you will be able to comfortably accommodate a king-size bed, just like they did here. You may also notice that you not only have window panels leading to the balcony, but also window panels leading to the air-conditioning wall shelf, which brings you ventilation on both sides.

There is a built-in wardrobe in the master bedroom, and a novel open accessory part in the corner. This is actually the first one I have encountered. You will get a mirror with LED lights and even a rare drawer.

Although the storage space is here all the way to the top, they decided to choose an open concept instead of the usual cabinets. In this regard, I have two ideas. On the positive side, you can store awkwardly shaped items (because it can now stick out), but unless you are at the level of Marie Kondo's neatness, you can't be untidy here because it will be unsightly. Please note that this applies to all bedrooms here, not just the master bedroom.

Finally, I came to the master bathroom with an average area of ​​4.9 square meters. First of all, this bathroom has windows for natural ventilation.

Otherwise, you can also get a standard built-in cabinet with a uniquely shaped mirror provided by the developer. Bathroom accessories are of very good quality, including faucets and showers from the Italian brand Gessi, wall-mounted w/c and washbasins from the Spanish brand Roca, and flush plates and water tanks from the German brand Tece.

Mori has 38 three-bedroom units, accounting for approximately one-third of the development. The unit size ranges from 958 square feet to 1,184 square feet, the difference being that it includes a study and/or family shelter. The unit measures 1,173 square feet, is spacious, can accommodate 3 bedrooms, and is equipped with practical functions such as a family shelter, study room and 3 bathrooms (instead of the usual 2 bathrooms).

In general, I like the dumbbell layout here because it does provide more flexibility and privacy for the occupants.

The ceiling height is 2.83m on average, and the floors provided will be tiles in the common area and vinyl floors in the bedrooms. You will notice that even though the materials are the same, the design is very different from the previous 2-bedroom display unit. This is because the 3 and 4 bedrooms have a darker color scheme, which has a stronger and more textured finish.

The overall appearance will be more modern and industrialized, choosing burnt wood and tarnished metal to represent the eternity and toughness of these materials. As mentioned earlier, you cannot choose between light or dark themes, which is unfortunate, because it would be great to be able to choose.

When you enter the unit, you will immediately see the enclosed kitchen (on the right side of the actual unit). This is a U-shaped kitchen, and the dark theme becomes obvious the moment you walk in.

Although it has an area of ​​5.8 square meters, it is compact (dark colors certainly do not help), but it does try to maximize the area with ample storage space, and some of the open shelves are becoming more and more popular these days.

The storage space also includes a dish rack, and the Bosch refrigerator is also integrated behind the cabinet here. I like the fact that even though Mori is an affordable development project, it contains great details throughout the process.

The washer/dryer is De Dietrich's. Other appliances also come from Bosch, including ovens, range hoods and induction cookers.

Please note that all units, large or small, are equipped with induction cookers, which may be disadvantageous for those who expect open flame cooking. In any case, there is a window here to help dissipate any residual smell.

Thanks to the L-shaped corners, you can indeed use the convenient pull-out drawer and install the shelf, which really makes the storage space as efficient as possible.

In general, I like the appearance of the kitchen. The black sexy look is a completely different and fashionable look, I think this will be the alley for most people.

There are some walkways before you reach the living room and dining room, although they also provide you with more useful lockers. There is a multi-purpose locker with iron plates and brooms, and an open shelf with LED lights for you to store important necessities such as car keys and access cards. Public baths and family shelters are located on the left and right leading to the living room and dining room.

Start with the family shelter, which is important for every larger apartment. It is a rectangle of 4.1 square meters, which is very helpful for you to store extra items or household necessities. For newly launched products, balancing practicality and the overall number of units is a real struggle, so much so that owning a utility room is now almost regarded as a luxury. Of course, this can also double as a maid's room, which is very common in Singapore.

As for the bathroom 3 located opposite the family shelter, it can meet the needs of your guests and the occupants of the common bedroom. This is the only bedroom without an ensuite bathroom. The location of this bathroom makes it easier for guests to enter and provides more privacy for the occupants of the common bedroom and the master bedroom at the end of the guest. In other words, the occupant of the common bedroom is very inconvenient because he/she has to walk a certain distance to enter the bathroom.

In any case, it is not common for every bedroom to have a bathroom, so I don’t think too many people will complain in this regard.

In any case, this 3.2 square meter bathroom is more compact than usual. This is a common theme of Mori, but if the space is better used elsewhere in the unit, it is not a bad thing. Once again, you will see the original, darker tones used in this bathroom, which evokes more industrial themes here. The two mirrors on both sides are provided by the developer, so no matter how you turn it, you can check yourself.

Bathroom accessories come from top European brands, including Gessi for faucets and hand showers, Roca for wall-mounted w/c and washbasins, and Tece for flush plates and water tanks. I really like how they use the matte black series as bathroom accessories to truly integrate different themes into the home. According to the location, this bathroom has no windows, so I am worried that there is no natural ventilation here.

Continuing to the restaurant, they have a square layout of about six people. This space is quite ordinary to me, please remember that two of the four sides use benches (to save space). If the table is bigger, the seats will invade the aisle, so you are very limited here.

I do think that round tables can also work here, but doing so definitely means that there is less space for you to move, so there are more forms here.

As for the living room, you have quite a long space for a longer sofa. However, for those of you who have visited the model house, you will notice that the walls are not actually aligned seamlessly (some of them are thicker). Therefore, the interior designer hides it by placing a mini shelf behind the sofa to fill the gap.

Of course, this kind of wall structure is not ideal, and it will be very inconvenient for your future interior designer. In other words, if I want to put on my creative hat to think about it, you can use a modular (or customized) sofa set-push it slightly outward to fit the wall. Thankfully, this quirk only applies to this unit type and not to all 3 bedrooms in Mori.

The wall-to-wall distance is slightly better than one of the 2-bedroom model houses, and is expected to be the same, as this unit is significantly larger than the other. It is hard to imagine what a complete TV console and a coffee table would look like in this space, because the furniture here is rather sparse. In any case, although you also want to avoid any bulky furniture, both have plenty of space.

This unit has two balconies, one in the living room and the other in the master bedroom. There is no exact breakdown of the two, but they will occupy a total of 13.7 square meters of space, which is slightly larger in the master bedroom.

However, let me start with the balcony in the living room. This is a square area, the developer kept it simple, only a simple bar with two stools. There is enough space to set up a second dining area (but you definitely can't accommodate six people!) I think the larger balcony in the master bedroom illustrates the outdoor space of this unit. As always, if you are an outdoor enthusiast, that's great. But for those who don't like outdoor spaces, this will be a small problem.

What I want to say is that the outside scenery is not very good (depending on the stack), so I don't like more outdoor space here.

Let us now continue to discuss the bedroom in this unit, starting with the junior master. This room is far away from other bedrooms and has a dumbbell layout, so it really helps from a privacy point of view. As the name suggests, it also comes with an en suite bathroom. It is very rare for a 3-bedroom unit to have a total of 2 ensuite bedrooms and 3 bathrooms, so this is of course a plus point.

12.3 square meters, this junior master must be larger than all other ordinary bedrooms around. With such a large space, you can even have an area on the left side of the room to build some shelves (or even another wardrobe), just like they display your bags or accessories here.

For a small bathroom (3.2 square meters below the average area), it's not big, but it really doesn't matter, because owning an ensuite bathroom is a luxury in itself. Similar to an ordinary bathroom, the overall theme brings a more industrialized, tarnished metallic atmosphere.

Once again, you will get mirrors with cabinets behind the sides, which helps make the bathroom look bigger (and it does have a unique design). Many European brands of sanitary ware are also used here, including Gessi for faucets and hand showers, Roca for wall-mounted w/c and wash basins, and Tece for flush plates and water tanks. I have always liked the matte black look of bathroom accessories because it looks more stylish and modern, so I am happy to report that it runs through.

Although it has to be said that this bathroom has no windows, natural ventilation is also out of the question.

The actual size of the bed is actually quite similar to another ordinary bedroom. They placed a queen-size bed and two small side tables.

Since the air conditioning wall shelf is next to the room (there is also one next to bedroom 3), the window is only half the length.

Compared with the 2-bedroom model room, the theme of the built-in wardrobe is also darker, but the actual design remains basically unchanged. This is a typical size, although as mentioned above, the space to the left of the entrance is very convenient here.

Next, let's explore bedroom 3, which is the only bedroom in this unit without an ensuite bathroom. Compared with other newly launched projects, its area is 9.2 square meters. As mentioned earlier, there is also an air-conditioning ledge next to it, so the window is only half the length and the lower half is frosted.

The built-in wardrobe continues the overall dark theme, the size of the room allows for a queen-size bed, and the compact study room is used as part of the platform bed setting.

Although the unit is officially only a 3 bedroom unit, one of Roxy-Pacific's strengths is that it can maximize your price/performance ratio. This is a "+Guest" unit, which means you will get an extra room of 5.5 square meters. It has many uses, including your assistant, friends who have slept once in a while, and even as a suitable bedroom when absolutely necessary.

However, the most common use case here may be as a home office, which fits well with today’s work in a home environment.

Either way, you can meet your actual needs because there is a window for natural ventilation. In addition, you also have a built-in wardrobe, although it is smaller than usual, you can even hang a long skirt (I should mention that this goes all the way to the top).

Bed wise, you may only fit a single bed. In any case, this extra room left a deep impression on me, because Roxy-Pacific's space management technology is very good, so you take it as a "reward".

Finally, let us explore the master bedroom and its en suite bathroom. Its area is 12.9 square meters, which is only slightly larger than the junior master bedroom, so it can be said that the developer treats the residents here fairly equally. However, the area here is arranged more efficiently, so placing a king-size bed as they did here still leaves room for the bedside table.

In terms of storage, a typical 2-plate wardrobe is used. Except for the open accessory storage space next to it, the master bedroom is no different from other bedrooms. In fact, the junior master bedroom is better here because there is a smaller corner that can accommodate more storage space.

The most impressive part of the room must be the presence of the balcony. This complements the balcony you already have in the living room. As mentioned earlier, the balcony here is bigger!

Due to the sheer size of this space, you do have multiple options, including owning a home gym as they do here. Otherwise, owning a few swing chairs or a coffee table is not a bad idea. I do like the private balcony in the master bedroom because it is always nice to have extra space for you to relax and enjoy the tranquility and tranquility (relatively speaking, depending on your orientation).

In other words, I want to avoid over-rendering, because the balcony is also about the landscape-not here. In fact, the distance between the block and the adjacent development (Guillemard Suites) can be a real privacy issue, especially for the lower floors.

Last but not least, the master bathroom. The space of 4.9 square meters is average at best, but still very practical in terms of its supply.

First, there is a naturally ventilated window and a matte black shower head designed by Gessi. There is a cabinet with open shelves and LED lights, which makes it look very high-end.

In addition, in regulations similar to five-star hotels, a rotating mirror is provided on the side of the top of the main mirror. It allows you to truly examine yourself from any angle and highlights the small details that Roxy-Pacific puts in its planning process. You may already know that all the mirrors installed so far are very unique, and ambitious people may be satisfied with the equipment so far!

From an objective point of view, Sen has a good position. Located within the RCR, whether you drive or take public transportation, it is close to the Central Business District. Although it is not the closest place to the subway station, both the Ring Line (Mountbatten) and the East-West Line (Aljunied) are within a 10-minute walk. Not intolerable, especially if you still think you are young.

In order to refresh your memory on the MRT map, Mountbatten is only 4 stops (8 minutes) from Bayfront MRT (Marina Bay Sands) and five stops (10 minutes) to the city center MRT, where you can visit your A-level Offices, such as MBFC, Asia Plaza and Binhai One, etc. On the other hand, it takes only 3 stops (6 minutes) from Aljunied MRT station to Bugis, 4 stops (8 minutes) to City Hall, and 5 stops (10 minutes) to Raffles Place. You know what I mean-Sen's RCR location means that those who work in the central business district can get good accessibility at a reasonable price.

For parents with school-age children, both Guanghua and Geylang Methodist Churches are within the ideal radius of 1 km. However, if you consider how Mori's unit types are organized, you will notice that most of them are smaller unit types (1 bedroom and 2 bedrooms), which at best may be best for small families.

The lack of attention to family-friendly units is certainly not due to the lack of amenities in the area. There are 3 major shopping malls near Paya Lebar, and Guanghua is considered one of the best primary schools. For foodies among us, you will also be happy to know that Geylang is a real food paradise (JB Ah Meng, Swee Guan Hokkien Mee, Koung's Wanton Mee, 126 Dim Sum, etc.). The Old Airport Road Food Centre is also less than a 10-minute walk away.

Given that the government is pushing for further gentrification of Geylang and its surrounding areas, it will be interesting to see how this area and dynamics change after completion. Yes, you might argue that Mori's address is Guillemard Road, but it is still in Geylang District, sandwiched between Lorong 22 and 24.

Before the completion of gentrification, Sen's location will be objectively convenient, but some persuasiveness may be needed, especially for the older generation, to overcome traditional views of the region.

Nearest subway: Mountbatten subway (650m, 8 minutes), Aljunied (800m, 10 minutes)

Direct road exit: 1-Guillemard Road, which can take you to the PLQ shopping mall or the PIE and Nicoll highways in less than 6 minutes.

Roxy-Pacific Holdings is a Singapore real estate company established in 1967. Their development portfolio mainly includes boutique development projects such as Mori, recently Neu at Novena, Fyve Derbyshire, Dunearn 386 and Wilshere Residences. Roxy-Pacific is very familiar in District 15/East Coast, and it owns long-term hotel and commercial properties in Grand Mercure Roxy and Roxy Square. They also have a large number of residential development projects here, including Arena Residences, Straits Mansion, Sunnyvale Residences, etc.

Ronny Chin Architects (RCA) is a Singaporean architectural firm established in 1992. Although not a household name locally, RCA actually has a broad portfolio of apartment development projects. Unsurprisingly, its advantage seems to lie in the boutique development area, including many boutique development projects in Geylang/Sims 14, namely the Maori neighbors Guillemard Suites, Guillemard Edge, Centra Studio, Water Edge and Suites @ Sims. Some of its other projects include CCR projects such as RV Altitude, Newton Edge, Espada, Spottiswoode 18 and Robin Suites.

Sen is located in the densely populated Geylang area and has many boutique development projects, most of which provide smaller units. In Mori, approximately 70% of units are 2 bedrooms or smaller. On the one hand, given that the location is easily accessible and close to the city, it is not surprising that Sen and his neighbors followed the same road.

On the other hand, the lack of differentiation in unit size (perhaps focusing on units that are more suitable for families) may mean that competition for tenants will be more intense in the future. In other words, if you have checked the development projects of Panasonic Pacific before, you will know that their units here are already very generous. This is important considering how Covid-19 has made WFH the norm for many people, so it is always good to have more breathing room.

Sen has a major directional advantage, all units either face north or south. This means that no matter which unit you choose, you don't have to endure the ruthless afternoon sun in Singapore. Directions aside, there are other considerations for Mori's best stack.

First of all, the 19th to 21st groups will face Guillemard Road, which means that these units may face the most road noise, although I will not say that Guillemard Road is a particularly busy road. These units will be equipped with balcony screens provided by the developer to provide additional privacy. The landscape when the unit arrives here will be the landscape of the Pine Lane / Cassia Crescent apartment 58m away, and perhaps some pocket landscapes of the sports center to the southwest.

Personally, the most unobstructed view will come from the 8th to 15th floors. These stacked units go up to the 8th floor and overlook the shophouses on the higher floors of Geylang District, so you would expect to get plenty of wind from these stacks.

Stacks with less than ideal views, especially stacks on the lower floors will be stacks 4 to 7 and 22 because they are very close to the Guillemard suite. At a distance between 6.2m (stack 22) and 7m (stack 4 to 7), your device will be placed side by side with Guillemard Suites. For context, in a larger apartment, the block-to-block distance is usually about 25m, so your next block, especially blocks from different development projects, is only 7m apart, which may be a little too close to be comfortable.

As mentioned earlier, the north-south orientation of Sen means that the chimneys here will not directly face the afternoon sun.

If you are considering Mori, you will undoubtedly compare it with neighboring development projects. So here is an overview for you to review:

Although Mori’s 3-bedroom units start at US$1,619 per square foot, I expect the average per square foot on the day of launch will be approximately US$1,800, and then move towards Roxy-Pacific’s goal of US$1,900 per square foot. At this price, it is 13% and 17% higher than the recently launched new peers NoMa and Rezi 24. NoMa is a unique project in many ways, but it is smaller than Mori, less than half the number of units there. 

At the same time, Rezi 24 is slightly similar in scale and facilities, but it can be said that it was launched when the real estate market was not so hot. In other words, even if these two newly launched products are much cheaper, they are only reference points because the units there are already sold out. Therefore, from the supply point of view of Geylang's new market launch, Mori does not appear to be competitive.

As for resale properties, its closest competitor is Guillemard Suites, which offers a 34% discount over Mori. However, do not calculate the quantity at face value, as most of the units there are duplex units and are usually sold at discounted prices. Therefore, the actual price of available space will actually be higher. Mori is a newly launched project, and its product can be said to perform better and should be at least 20% higher than its closest competitor.

Finally, I also included The Sunny Spring and The Waterina, which in my opinion are the weather vanes of the Geylang area. They are located in the "higher" Luolong, and have always been considered less dirty and closer to Paya Lebar. Many families considering Geylang will inevitably consider The Waterina to be one of their top choices. Mori trades at a 30% discount, but please note that due to the year, the units there are also larger.

Now, let me do a more in-depth price comparison.

If you want to buy a unit in Mori, you probably know that there are a large number of boutique development projects in the area.

There are about 160 apartments/apartments in total. Due to area limitations (height restrictions and land area), many development projects are of a boutique nature, with less than 50 units. Having many boutiques around is not necessarily a bad thing.

Although competition in the selection of development projects has become increasingly fierce, the supply of each development project is limited. In the resale market, although there are more than 150 development projects here, buyers who want to stay in a certain area may have only a few development projects to choose from at any time.

Construct a pricing review by answering the following questions:

If we look at the one-bedroom transactions in the area (assuming <=500 square feet), 37 development projects will appear in the transaction record. Here are their prices:

Source: Urban Construction Bureau. Data from November 2020 to October 2021.

A total of 36 development projects have at least 1 transaction within this size range. According to Mori's instructions, it is 26% higher than the second highest resale (smart suite) and 47% higher than the average price in the area.

The following is a comparison between Mori's price and resale projects within 300 million:

Within 300m, Mori's price is 41% higher than the second most expensive resale apartment in the area. Of course, price is not everything, now let's compare Mori and Rezi 26. I chose it because the price of Rezi 26 is very close to the average price of an apartment within 1 km of Mori <= 500 square feet.

Here are some differences between Rezi 26 and Mori:

A typical boutique development project, it has a small gym, small swimming pool and barbecue area. In this regard, Mori’s facilities look much better because it has more than 1 swimming pool.

So what does the 1-bedders of Rezi 26 look like?

Despite its small size, the one-bedroom in Rezi 26 has a long entrance. Considering that the space between the kitchen and the dining room is very narrow, this is useful for wheelchair accessibility. However, many buyers view this entrance as an expensive aisle. There is no natural ventilation in the bathroom, but floor-to-ceiling windows can be enjoyed in both the living room and the master bedroom because the air-conditioning wall shelf is located behind the living room.

This is what Mori's one bedroom looks like:

Immediately you will see that there is no entrance-it just leads to the kitchen area, which is quite spacious for a one-bedroom unit. The dining area is not so cramped, so it can accommodate up to 4 people, with the option of dining on the balcony. The bathroom is a jack, so guests can use it conveniently without entering the master bedroom. Unfortunately, the air-conditioning window sill is just outside, so the bedroom does not have a full-height window. But my optimists would think this is a plus point for privacy.

Obviously, Mori's layout is much better. But is it worth the extra 47% on quantum? Such a premium may make potential buyers suspicious, which leads me to my next question:

Let's see where the $859,000 for a unit smaller than 500 square feet is compared to all transactions:

Source: Urban Construction Bureau. Based on transactions from May 2021 to October 2021.

During these six months, there were 823 transactions under 500 square feet. At a price of $859,000, Sen will rank 499th among 823 transactions, which places it at the 60th percentile. In today's market conditions, this is great for new freehold condominium launches.

Of course, it is not fair to compare it with non-central area projects, so its status in central area development projects is as follows:

Compared with other central regions (RCR + CCR) transactions, Sensen ranks 214th among 498 transactions, which is 43rd percentile. Compared to other deals here, it’s really good if we treat Mori as a new launch of freehold, which includes mixed lease properties, many of which are in the resale market.

But of course, if we compare with our surrounding competitors, the premium gap is still terrible, so this makes me ask:

To this end, I will review the Rezi 26 launched in October 2011 and compare its 1-bedroom $PSF with the surrounding resale development projects at that time.

As early as when Rezi 26 was launched, there were not many transactions in the region. There were not many residential projects in Geylang District at that time (this is obviously changing). These are the only six resale transactions recorded a year before the first sale of Rezi 26 in October 2011:

Source: Urban Construction Bureau. Transaction data from October 2010 to September 2011.

As you can see, most resale prices are in the $600,000 range.

At this time, Rezi 26 was launched and sold all its units within 7 months. Its average quantity is US$548,296 and the average PSF is US$1,205:

Therefore, compared with resale peers, Rezi 26 actually trades at an overall discount. This is almost unheard of today, and the prices of newly launched products are mostly higher than resale peers.

Rezi 26 has been profitable since then, with 26 profitable transactions and 3 unprofitable transactions:

Presenting today’s situation, you have to wonder whether the premium can gain a foothold in the future resale market. To be honest, this is a difficult question to answer.

My optimists will again focus on resale projects like Martin Modern. When it was launched, it would certainly not be considered cheap by anyone, but when it got the TOP, the price had risen to 2021, rewarding those buyers who took the risk despite paying a premium.

My pessimist would say that when Martin Modern was launched, it had just reached the bottom of the market (different market conditions). It is also located in a completely different area (river valley), has different competitors, and has different tenure and price points. Unlike the Geylang planning area, the surrounding resale projects have also received a lot of appreciation.

However, I must point out that the newly launched NoMa has indeed completely sold out most of its units since August 2020, and it also carries a premium, showing how strong the market demand in this field is. A generation

In a sense, the growth of the Geylang residential project can be regarded as a kind of gentrification in the area, while its reputation as a dirty place is less. Development projects like Mori can even provide mixed catering services for families. As the overall price of CCR is still relatively unaffordable, the once-neglected "red light district" area may soon be transformed, so that the prices of newer and more modern development projects such as Mori and NoMa can be well maintained.

Where is Mori's 2 bedroom price?

Source: Urban Construction Bureau. Deals from November 2020 to October 2021.

These are projects where there is a two-room transaction within 300m of the forest. As you can see, Mori here is still much higher than Rezi 26. However, it is only 14% higher than Cosmo. Strangely, Cosmo is the oldest development project here. When Mori is built, it will be 16 years newer than Cosmo. However, its price is very close to the requirements of the new release!

In fact, the listings on PropertyGuru show that the asking price for 2 bedrooms is even closer to Mori's indicative price:

This bodes well for Mori, because the existence of resale development projects in the region at prices close to newly launched products does support the view that the resale market can swallow such a quantity.

Source: Urban Construction Bureau. Deals from November 2020 to October 2021.

Only when you start to pay attention to other new product releases, you will start to appreciate Mori's price point. Compared with the other 45 newly launched new projects, Mori ranks 11th in terms of the price of a 1-bedroom unit. The following is a comparison of its $PSF:

Source: Urban Construction Bureau. Deals from November 2020 to October 2021.

If we look at the $PSF, you will find that Mori is ranked even higher-#9 out of 45 other new products.

This is the real advantage of Mori's products today. Not only is it one of the more affordable new launches on the market-it is also affordable for the Central project. If we consider how the one-bedroom price of The Commodore starts from around $700K+, then the 800K+ one-bedroom in the central region is definitely not ridiculous!

Location is everything, so let's see what the new releases nearby look like.

Source: Urban Construction Bureau. All new sales transactions based on each newly released.

At the time of writing, both NoMa and Rezi 24 are sold out. Both are boutique development projects, providing usual apartment facilities. The price of Rezi 24 may be much lower because it has been on the market since its lower price in 2019.

Over the years, developers have managed to increase prices, and given these larger units used in development, this year’s PSF prices are lower.

Overall, Mori’s PSF premium over NoMa is only 2-3%. However, the overall prices of NoMa's 1 and 2 bedroom units are indeed lower, and Mori's prices are 6-12% higher than its newly launched competitors.

This premium is usually not much, especially considering how quickly the supply in the region absorbs buyer demand, as can be seen from NoMa's rapid sales. This may even mean that the price of NoMa may not be high enough, especially in today's context (to be fair, NoMa was sold when the market just started to rise). Therefore, although there is a premium, I do think that based on today's market environment and newly released pricing, Mori's overall price is very good in today's environment.

As early as 2015, the URA announced that it would not approve any new residential projects from Lorong 4 to Lorong 22 Geylang under the proposed rezoning plan. Therefore, this long section of road will be designated for commercial use, thereby limiting future residential supply and improving the overall livability of the area. Mori is located outside of this rezoning because it is located along Lorong 24 in Geylang. Nevertheless, the impact of the URA’s decision should be seen as positive, as it will bring more business opportunities to the area and ultimately eliminate bad activities. In the long run, this move will benefit Senli in the future.

Although I realize that Mori in Geylang is not entirely in the Lavender apartment complex (think Citylights, Kallang Riverside, and Riverine by the Park) directly benefiting from this transition, there may be potential spillover effects that will help to improve the buds. The value of the cage in the future apartment. In retrospect, Kampong Bugis will become Singapore's next waterfront residential area, and its grand plan is to lightweight cars, community-centric and sustainable development. You can read more about it on the URA website.

Geylang lorongs are divided into those close to Aljunied MRT station and those close to Paya Lebar MRT station. Although Sen belongs to the former, it is not far from the latter. Paya Lebar has undergone major changes in the past ten years. I remember studying at MacDonald's in the old SingPost Center when I was in school, which was the only shopping mall here at the time. Now, there are 3 shopping centers and very important office space. Many multinational companies have offices in PLQ, including Bayer, Jones Lang LaSalle, Roche and Great Eastern. Paya Lebar's continued demand for office space will help boost housing demand in nearby areas, which may help from the perspective of rental yield and price support.

Your opinion of Sen depends largely on your opinion. Let me explain. Objectively speaking, the initial $1619 per square foot of Mori's freehold RCR development project provides tremendous value on paper. It is close to the convenient facilities of Paya Lebar and Old Airport Road, and close to the Central Business District. Geylang itself is becoming a fashionable new area, with cafes such as Brawn & Brains appearing in the area.

However, on the other hand, this Geylang has long been considered a red light district in Singapore. Although this ugliness has more or less disappeared, but has also been subverted by Covid-19, you can't deny that some people continue to observe the area through tinted glasses. In addition to the shame, the area is dotted with many small apartments that are difficult to distinguish. In view of these factors, even banks are sometimes reluctant to fund all 75%.

After noticing the shortcomings, the question is whether Mori has done enough as a product to ensure that these shortcomings are alleviated. I like the overall wabi-sabi concept developed, and I really like how the developers work hard to choose the materials in the unit to ensure a consistent theme. I also appreciate the unique facilities that are often missing in boutique developments, such as rooftop swimming pools, pool lounges, sunken pods and projector lounges. However, some of Mori's units will also be very close to the neighboring blocks of Guillemard Suites, which may cause privacy issues for some people.

In general, I think my perception of Geylang is changing. With the continued gentrification of the area, moving in and buying a unit at a reasonable price may mean becoming a pioneer in an undervalued area. This is the key to It is undoubtedly convenient for parts of Singapore.

What this means to you:

Mori offers you the opportunity to be close to the CBD while keeping the overall number low.

2 The bedroom model room is a positive example of an ideal layout that can help you achieve your actual goals and budget.

Although Mori is located along Guillemard Road, it is part of a larger apartment complex in the wider Geylang area. Development is often tightly integrated (including Mori's) and may not be suitable for everyone.

Although the gentrification of Geylang is underway, it is still difficult to get rid of the traditional view of the region, especially for the older generation.

This article was first published on Stackedhomes.