Three minutes' walk from Novena station — 280 metres — Apleton View puts 37 freehold units on Sinaran Drive, completed in 2005, with a primary school a short stroll away. Nine resales and 36 tenancies sit behind a trailing-year average of S$1,972 psf, a figure that undercuts the district's freehold benchmarks by a wide margin. A 2.3 per cent gross yield is the visible cost, as is a twenty-year-old facilities deck. It is the value seat in the Novena freehold market, priced for a family or long holder rather than a landlord.
S$1,972 psf — that is what freehold currently costs 284 metres from Novena station. Apleton View's most recent transaction, a S$2.42 million deal recorded in 2026, extends a quiet re-rating at this 37-unit building on Sinaran Drive: the trailing-year average sits at S$1,967 psf with price momentum running at about +5.0% year on year, and four units changed hands in the past twelve months — brisk trade by boutique standards.
The context makes those numbers more interesting. On the same street, the 99-year Soleil @ Sinaran trades at S$1,975 psf — effectively the same price for a shorter tenure — while the district's freehold benchmarks, Pullman Residences Newton and Watten House, command S$3,074 and S$3,236 psf respectively. Completed in 2005 by Yong Da Development, Apleton View is the discount counter of the Novena freehold market.
Whether that discount is an opportunity or fair compensation for a small, twenty-one-year-old building with modest facilities is the question this review takes up — with the school map, the rent ledger and the transaction record as the evidence.
Apleton View sits in the Novena corner of District 11, Core Central Region, at the 60th percentile of its district by price. The local hierarchy is unusually legible: Watten House (freehold, S$3,236 psf, S$5.74 million average) and Pullman Residences (freehold, S$3,074 psf) define the top; Peak Residence (freehold, S$2,489 psf) holds the middle; and Apleton View's S$1,886 psf across recorded resales — S$1,967 psf over the trailing year — anchors the value end, alongside the leasehold pair Soleil @ Sinaran (S$1,975 psf) and Amaryllis Ville (S$1,909 psf). Freehold at leasehold pricing, three hundred metres from the MRT, is the entire thesis in one line.
Overview & Key Facts
APLETON VIEW is a freehold condominium at SINARAN DRIVE in District 11 (CCR), developed by YONG DA DEVELOPMENT, comprising 37 units.
Location & Connectivity
Location is Apleton View’s strongest hand. Novena MRT (NS20) is approximately 280 metres away — a comfortable 4-minute walk via Sinaran Drive and Thomson Road, sheltered for most of the route by Square 2 and Velocity@Novena Square’s linkways. That puts the development in genuine MRT-walkable territory, a tier of access that very few freehold projects in District 11 can match at this PSF.
Beyond the immediate Novena interchange, Newton MRT (NS21/DT11) is roughly 1.07 km south — useful as a backup for the Downtown Line. Farrer Park (NE8) at 1.17 km and Little India (NE7/DT12) at 1.46 km open up the North-East and Downtown lines for residents willing to walk or take a short bus ride. For drivers, the Central Expressway entrance at Moulmein Road is under five minutes away, with Orchard Road reachable in 8–10 minutes off-peak.
The amenity density is what makes the address genuinely liveable. Square 2 mall sits directly across Sinaran Drive, anchored by FairPrice Finest, a Cold Storage, and a cluster of medical specialist clinics. Velocity@Novena Square — one of the largest sports retail malls in Singapore — is a short walk further, with a NTUC, food court, and 24-hour gym. United Square handles family-oriented retail and enrichment classes. For hawker food, the Pek Kio Market & Food Centre is roughly 600 m away.
APLETON VIEW is approximately 280m from Novena MRT station, with 6 stations within 1.5 km.
| Station | Line | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Novena | North-South Line | 280m |
| Newton | North-South Line | 1.1 km |
| Newton | Downtown Line | 1.1 km |
| Farrer Park | North-East Line | 1.2 km |
| Little India | North-East Line | 1.5 km |
| Little India | Downtown Line | 1.5 km |
Schools & Education
11 schools within 2 km (1 within 1 km priority zone).
| School | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Farrer Park Primary School | Primary | 910m |
| Anglo-Chinese School (Primary) | Primary | 1.2 km |
| ACS (Junior) | Primary | 1.2 km |
| One World International School (Newton) | International | 1.3 km |
| Hong Wen School | Primary | 1.3 km |
| EtonHouse International School (Thomson) | International | 1.4 km |
| Catholic Junior College | JC | 1.4 km |
| CHIJ Secondary (Toa Payoh) | Secondary | 1.5 km |
Market Position
APLETON VIEW has recorded 9 sales at an average price of $2,352,778.
Price Appreciation
| Year | Sales | Historical Avg PSF | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1 | $1,819 psf | — |
| 2022 | 2 | $1,744 psf | ↓ 4.1% |
| 2024 | 1 | $1,834 psf | ↑ 5.2% |
| 2025 | 4 | $1,966 psf | ↑ 7.2% |
| 2026 | 1 | $1,972 psf | ↑ 0.3% |
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The latest reading marks the highest point in this series — APLETON VIEW prices have climbed 8.4% since 2021.
Price Index Check
The ShiokNest Price Index for District 11 reads 171.6 as of July 2026 — up 44.6% year-on-year. The index tracks repeat-sales price movement, so it is less distorted by shifts in what happens to be transacting than a raw average PSF.
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Neighbourhood Comparison
The most direct comparable is SOLEIL @ Sinaran — literally next door, 417 units, 99-year lease from 2006, transacting at roughly S$1,970 psf. SOLEIL offers a full facility deck (50m pool, tennis, function rooms, gym) at almost identical PSF, but the lease will have ~80 years remaining versus Apleton View’s perpetual freehold. For a 30-year holding horizon, the freehold premium is essentially free; for a 7-year flip, SOLEIL’s amenities and liquidity may matter more.
Among the freehold alternatives in the immediate area, Peak Residence at S$2,489 psf (90 units, freehold) commands a 26% premium for a newer build with better finishings. Pullman Residences Newton (S$3,074 psf) and Watten House (S$3,236 psf) are in a different price tier altogether — branded freehold product with developer pedigree and resort facilities. Amaryllis Ville (S$1,899 psf, 311 units, 99-year from 1997) is the budget alternative but with a much shorter remaining lease (~70 years). The buy-case for Apleton View is specifically the freehold-at-mid-PSF intersection that none of these alternatives match.
| Condo | Tenure | Avg PSF (12m) | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|
| PULLMAN RESIDENCES NEWTON | Freehold | $2,984 psf | 288 |
| DUNEARN HOUSE | 99 years leasehold | $3,117 psf | 227 |
| WATTEN HOUSE | Freehold | $3,247 psf | 180 |
| SOLEIL @ SINARAN | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2006 | $2,180 psf | 97 |
| PEAK RESIDENCE | Freehold | — | 90 |
What Could Work Against You
- With just 2 sales in the trailing year, pricing signals are indicative rather than definitive; expect wider bid-ask spreads when you negotiate.
- The 37-unit size cuts both ways: exclusivity, but thinner resale liquidity and higher per-unit maintenance contributions than larger estates.
Best suited for
Who This Actually Suits
The profile fits mrt-walkable commuters, p1 school balloting families, long-term hold (10+ yr) and freehold / generational hold best. Located ~284m from Novena MRT, this property is a comfortable daily walk for transit commuters.
empty nesters / downsizers and foreign / absd-aware buyers should treat this as a shortlist candidate, not a default choice.
yield-focused investors and resort facilities should probably look elsewhere. CCR (Core Central Region) location with rental demand profile worth running through our Rental Yield Calculator.
HDB Alternatives Nearby
Weighing APLETON VIEW against staying public? These HDB towns sit within walking or short-drive distance:
- Kallang/whampoa — 4-room average $876,802 (400m away), an upgrader gap of about $1,500,000
- Toa Payoh — 4-room average $930,004 (1.2 km away), an upgrader gap of about $1,400,000
- Central Area — 4-room average $1,067,811 (1.3 km away), an upgrader gap of about $1,300,000
Sources & Next Steps
- APLETON VIEW Dashboard — Live charts and analytics
- URA — Official transaction data
- District 11 (Watten Estate, Novena, Thomson) — District 11 neighbourhood guide
Start with the commute, because almost nothing in the Core Central Region beats it at this price. Novena station on the North–South Line is 284 m away — the walkability data awards full marks for MRT proximity — with the Newton interchange at 1.07 km adding the Downtown Line, and the new Mount Pleasant TE10 station (opened 2025) at 1.49 km. A clinic sits 216 m away and a hawker centre 566 m, rounding out a daily radius that works entirely on foot.
The school corridor is the second pillar. CHIJ Our Lady Queen of Peace is 0.32 km from the door — deep inside the 1 km priority band — with St Margaret's Primary at 0.72 km, Singapore Chinese Girls' School (Primary) at 1.13 km and Anglo-Chinese School (Primary) at 1.25 km. Few sub-S$2.5 million freehold addresses put a family this close to that roster; the persona data rightly makes P1 balloting families one of its strongest green flags.
The financial record, for a 37-unit building, is unusually reassuring. Nine resales since 2021 cluster tightly — three-bedders averaging S$2,301,875 at S$1,936 psf — and the yearly series has climbed from S$1,819 psf in 2021 to S$1,972 psf in 2026, giving the +5.0% momentum reading that lifts ShiokNest's investment score to 62, the best in this batch. Thirty-six recorded leases averaging S$4,469 a month supply a steady income floor. The price heatmap shows how sharp the gradient is between this pocket and Newton, one stop south.
Freehold tenure completes the case: no lease decay, a 21-year-old building young enough to avoid end-of-life questions, and an en-bloc score of 57 ("Moderate") that adds quiet optionality — 37 owners on a Core Central Region site is a workable consensus base, even if no catalyst is visible today.
The yield does not pay for the postcode. At 2.28% gross — S$4,469 average rent against a S$2.35 million average price — the income trails what most buyers will pay to borrow, so the purchase must be justified by tenure and appreciation, not cash flow. Landlord-investors should note the rent ceiling too: recorded leases top out at S$5,800 a month, well below what Novena's newer stock signals is possible elsewhere.
Liquidity, while healthy this year, is structurally thin. Four transactions in the trailing twelve months is good for 37 units, but nine deals in five years is the fuller picture, and the 2024 series rests on a single transaction. Small samples cut both ways: the +5.0% momentum could firm or evaporate on the next two deals. The lone four-bedroom data point — S$2.76 million at just S$1,491 psf — also hints that larger, lower-floor stock trades at a material discount to the headline; buyers should not assume every unit earns the S$1,967 average.
Everyday convenience has one real gap: the nearest mall registers at about 1.85 km and the nearest supermarket at 2.06 km in the walkability data, so groceries are a bus ride or delivery rather than a stroll — an odd weakness for such an MRT-rich location, and worth a site visit to judge. Finally, the S$2.3–2.8 million quantum in the Core Central Region draws full ABSD for PR and foreign buyers, and total debt-servicing limits bite at this price point — stress-test the loan maths in the TDSR calculator and verify every transaction cited here against URA's records before negotiating.
- ✅ MRT-walkable commuters
- ✅ P1 school balloting families
- ✅ Freehold / generational hold
- ✅ Boutique low-density (<100 units)
- ⚠️ Empty nesters / downsizers
- ⚠️ Foreign / ABSD-aware buyers
Apleton View is the value seat in the Novena freehold theatre. The evidence is unusually coherent for a boutique building: a trailing-year S$1,967 psf with +5.0% momentum and four deals in twelve months, a three-minute walk to the MRT, a primary school inside 350 metres, and a psf that undercuts the district's freehold benchmarks by a third or more. The compromises — a 2.28% yield, a distant supermarket, a 2005-vintage facilities deck — are visible, priced in, and liveable for the right household.
Shortlist it if you are a P1-planning family that wants the CHIJ–St Margaret's–SCGS corridor without a S$3,000-psf ticket, or a long-hold buyer collecting freehold near infrastructure. Cross-check it against Soleil @ Sinaran — same street, same price, 99-year tenure — on the comparison tool; the tenure difference at near-identical psf is the clearest arbitrage in this review series.
A sensible holding frame is seven to ten years minimum: long enough for the Novena pocket's momentum to compound and for the en-bloc option to mature from talking point to possibility, and long enough to amortise the stamp-duty drag that comes with any Core Central Region entry.
Frequently asked questions
Is Apleton View freehold?
How far is Apleton View from Novena MRT?
What do units at Apleton View cost?
What is the rental yield at Apleton View?
Which schools are within 1 km of Apleton View?
How does Apleton View compare with Soleil @ Sinaran?
Is Apleton View a good en-bloc prospect?
Facilities & Amenities
Facilities are deliberately minimal — this is the trade-off for boutique scale and freehold tenure. Apleton View provides a small lap pool, a basic gymnasium, a BBQ pit, and a handful of landscaped seating areas. There is no clubhouse, no tennis court, no function room, and no dedicated children’s play zone. Maintenance fees sit at the lower end of the District 11 range precisely because there is so little to maintain — a meaningful saving versus the S$500–S$700/month range typical of newer mega-developments in the same district.
Practically, the facility gap is mitigated by the surrounding ecosystem. Velocity@Novena Square houses several gym chains and a 50-metre public swimming pool at Toa Payoh Sports Centre is a short drive away. Buyers who insist on resort-grade amenities should look at SOLEIL @ Sinaran or larger 99-year alternatives — but they should also expect to pay for those facilities through both PSF and recurring maintenance.
Unit Mix & Layouts
Apleton View’s 37 units span a typical mid-2000s mix — primarily two- and three-bedroom layouts with a handful of larger penthouse-style configurations on the top floor. Unit sizes are generous by 2026 standards: typical three-bedroom layouts run in the 1,100–1,300 sqft range, comfortably ahead of the 700–850 sqft three-bedders that newer launches in the same district routinely market. This is the silent advantage of buying a 2005-vintage freehold — you get usable family space rather than efficiency-optimised compact units.
Stack orientation matters here despite the small footprint. North-facing units overlook Sinaran Drive and Square 2 — livelier but with some daytime traffic noise. South-facing units look toward the Tan Tock Seng/Health City compound, which provides good long-term view protection (institutional sites rarely redevelop into towers) but means seeing some hospital ambulance traffic from higher floors. The development’s low-rise profile means there are no truly elevated views; this is a liveability play, not a skyline play.
Who Lives Here
We hold no resident survey for this development. What we do hold is the tenancy record, and it supports a reasonable reading of the resident mix. URA logged 6 tenancies at the project over the trailing twelve months. Broken down, that is 6 three-bedroom at an average of $5,033 a month.
That mix is family-weighted. Three-bedroom and larger units carry most of the letting activity, which points to households with children as the dominant tenant profile. Family tenants typically renew rather than move, so a block with this profile usually shows steadier occupancy and a quieter turnover cycle than a compact-unit development of the same size.
Average rents across those tenancies sit around $5,033 a month, which puts the block in the upper-middle band of the private rental market. Tenants at this level are commonly senior professionals or partly subsidised relocations, and they are more sensitive to commute and school access than to headline unit size. Set against a gross yield of 2.3%, the letting case is weak, and that is itself informative: a block that yields this little is usually held by owner-occupiers, because the numbers do not reward a landlord.
Tenure shapes who stays here. Freehold stock attracts buyers with long horizons — families intending to stay put, and owners who expect to pass the unit on rather than trade it — so the owner-occupier core tends to be more settled, and turnover slower, than in comparable stock on a limited tenure. At roughly 21 years since completion, a good part of the owner base is likely to be original or long-tenured, which tends to show up as a settled community and a correspondingly conservative approach to estate spending. On a development of this size, one active landlord materially moves the numbers — another reason to read the mix above as indicative rather than settled.
Methodology & Sources
This analysis covers All available years and refreshes as new data becomes available.
Transaction data sourced from URA REALIS.
- Sales data: 9 transactions
- Rental data: 36 leases
- Source: URA
Median values used to minimise outlier impact. PSF = price per square foot.
Latest recorded data point: May 2026 · 9 records analysed · Source: URA private-sale caveats