Update as of 27 May 2022: This article has been updated with more information released during the May 2022 BTO launch.
Have always wanted to live near the city centre? Look out for the May 2022 Bukit Merah HDB BTO project. With 1,669 flats available, this project makes up one-third of the total number of flats to be offered in this launch.
May 2022 Bukit Merah HDB BTO (Bukit Merah Ridge) at a glance
| Location | Along Henderson Road, Tiong Bahru Road and Lower Delta Road |
| Classification | Mature estate |
| Number of units | 1,669 |
| Flat types | 3-room and 4-room |
| Number of blocks | 5 |
| Estimated waiting time | 5 years |
| Estimated completion date | Q1 2028 |
| Nearest MRT | Redhill MRT and Tiong Bahru MRT |
| Notable amenities | Tiong Bahru Plaza, Great World City, Tiong Bahru Market and Food Centre, Delta Sports Hall, Delta Swimming Complex, Southern Ridges, SGH, Alexandra Hospital |
May 2022 Bukit Merah HDB BTO (Bukit Merah Ridge) indicative price range
Here’s the price range and estimated floor area for Bukit Merah Ridge.
| Flat type | Estimated floor area (sqm) | Price range |
| 3-room | 66 | S$377,000 – S$509,000 |
| 4-room | 89 | S$540,000 – S$737,000 |
Estimated downpayment, monthly instalment and income
Based on these indicative price range, we can estimate the downpayment, monthly instalments and household income needed to pay for the May 2022 Bukit Merah BTO flat. These estimates are based on the following assumptions:
- An HDB loan is taken, maximising the 85% loan-to-value (LTV)
- The loan tenure is 25 years, with the current interest rate of 2.6%
- There is no other housing loan to service
To illustrate, we’ll use the median of the price range and won’t be taking into account any CPF grants or savings to be used. We’ll also be using a mortgage calculator to do the math.
Another thing is that for public housing, you can only use up to 30% of your monthly household income to service the home loan. This is called the Mortgage Servicing Ratio (MSR). By taking this into account, we can then find the estimated household monthly income needed for the flat.
| Flat type | Median price | Loan amount (85%) | Min. downpayment (15%) | Estimated monthly instalment | Estimated monthly household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3-room | S$443,000 | S$376,550 | S$66,450 | S$1,708.29 | S$5,694.30 |
| 4-room | S$638,500 | S$542,725 | S$95,775 | S$2,462.18 | S$8,207.27 |
What we noticed about the May 2022 Bukit Merah HDB BTO (Bukit Merah Ridge)
Among the May 2022 HDB BTO projects, the first thing we noticed is that this Bukit Merah project is one of the closest to the MRT. The nearest MRT for this BTO is Tiong Bahru MRT.
It’s also the first BTO project in Tiong Bahru; past projects were all launched in Telok Blangah. So until the May 2022 launch, the newer flats here have mostly been SERS replacement projects, such as City Vue @ Henderson, which is located just opposite this Bukit Merah Ridge BTO.
And given the size of the project, residents here will be served by two multi-storey car parks.
May 2022 Bukit Merah BTO (Bukit Merah Ridge): The Pros
Accessibility
This Bukit Merah BTO is probably the most accessible one. For instance, it’s around an eight-minute walk to Tiong Bahru MRT, and a 10-minute walk to Redhill MRT.
Plus, there’s the upcoming Havelock MRT on the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) nearby, which is expected to open this year and will be around a 15-minute bus ride away. So besides the East-West Line, you’ll also have direct access to the north and East Coast.
And for drivers, there’s the Central Expressway just a short drive away.
The good news is that if you work in the CBD, you can reach there in just two to four stops on the East-West Line or within a 15-minute drive.
Food and retail amenities
Another thing we love about this Bukit Merah BTO project is that there’s a market and hawker centre just across the road. Perfect for those who don’t cook much or are just too tired to cook!
In fact, Bukit Merah Ridge is just around a two-minute walk to Bukit Merah View Market and Food Centre. For more options, there’s the famous Tiong Bahru Market and Food Centre just a bus ride away.
The nearest mall will be Tiong Bahru Plaza (an eight-minute walk from Bukit Merah Ridge). A little further are Valley Point and Great World City, at around a 10- to 15-minute bus ride from the BTO.
And that’s not all! If you like cafe-hopping, securing a flat here will mean that you’re a short bus ride away from the hipster cafes and retail outlets at Tiong Bahru, such as PS. Cafe Petit, Tiong Bahru Bakery, Plain Vanilla and Cat Socrates.
Childcare centres
We think this BTO is ideal for small families as well (more on that later), as there are several childcare centres within 15 minutes walking distance. This includes Cambridge Pre-School at the Artra condo, Alora Child Care at Leng Kee CC, PCF Sparkletots at Redhill Close and My First Skool at Henderson Crescent.
There will also be a childcare centre at Blk 132 in the BTO.
Schools
On top of child care centres, there are several schools in the area.
Primary schools within 1km of this Bukit Merah BTO include Alexandra Primary, Gan Eng Seng Primary and Zhangde Primary.
Other nearby schools include Gan Eng Seng Secondary, Crescent Girls’ Secondary, Bukit Merah Secondary and APSN Tanglin School.
Recreational facilities
Delta Swimming Complex and Sports Hall (which also has a hockey pitch) will be around a five-minute walk from the BTO. Both have been closed for renovation since 2019, but should be opened again in August 2022.
Nature lovers will be pleased to know that the Bukit Merah BTO is also close to parks, with the closest park being Tiong Bahru Park. Moreover, the Henderson Park Connector nearby links to Telok Blangah Hill Park and Mount Faber. For a longer walk, there’s the Rail Corridor that stretches from Kranji to Tanjong Pagar.
Healthcare facilities
Healthcare facilities here are pretty accessible too, with two public hospitals in the vicinity.
Singapore General Hospital (SGH) and Alexandra Hospital are both less than 10 minutes drive away from Bukit Merah Ridge.
But for acute illnesses and non-emergencies, there’s the Bukit Merah Polyclinic around a 10-minute bus ride from here.
May 2022 Bukit Merah BTO (Bukit Merah Ridge): The Cons
No 5-room flats
This is probably the only gripe we have about this Bukit Merah BTO. No 5-room flats will be offered here, which means these flats will be more suitable for those with small families, such as couples with one or two children.
So those with bigger families and need more space will have to look at Yishun or Jurong West if you’re planning to ballot during the May 2022 BTO exercise. Alternatively, if you’re looking for a flat in a central location, there’s the Ang Mo Kio BTO in August to look forward to, which is expected to offer 5-room and 3Gen flats.
Another alternative? Go for resale flats, which are generally bigger than BTO flats.
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Oversubscription
Bukit Merah Ridge is probably the most popular project among the May 2022 BTO launches.
It may even attract a similar application rate like the last launch in Bukit Merah, which had an overall application rate of 49.6 for 4-room flats.
If you want to face less competition, but still want to try your luck for a Bukit Merah BTO, we suggest that you try balloting for Bukit Merah Ridge, which has 1,669 units up for grabs.
Because as we’ve learned recently, the BTO along Alexandra View that was initially planned for this launch has been pushed back to the next launch in August. While that BTO site is closer to the MRT, it offers around 780 units, which is around half the number of units offered in this BTO.
May 2022 Bukit Merah BTO (Bukit Merah Ridge): Where are the best stacks with the best views?
We’re looking at this based on the surrounding areas of the projects and the site plan of Bukit Merah Ridge.
If you’re looking for an unblocked view, your best bet is to get a flat at the northern stacks that face Tiong Bahru Park. These include the following stacks: 536, 538, 540, 542, 520, 522, 524 and 526.
If you can get a flat that’s high enough, you might just be able to get a view of the landed property at the north, including the Chatsworth Park GCB area.
Alternatively, you might be able to get a view of the Southern Ridges with a flat on a higher floor in the southern stacks. These include the following stacks: 566, 564, 578, 576, 518, 516, 502 and 500.
Another reason why we suggest going for this BTO instead of the Alexandra View BTO in the next launch is that the latter is mostly surrounded by condos and HDB flats. For instance, at the north, there’s Echelon. At the west, there’s Artra. Both condos are 43 storeys high. At the south of the BTO, there are older (and shorter) HDB blocks.
May 2022 Bukit Merah BTO (Bukit Merah Ridge): What’s the potential price appreciation?
In general, the average price of 3-room and 4-room flats in the estate have increased by 19.76% over the last 10 years. After all, this is an estate that has recorded several million-dollar flats.
So far, there aren’t any BTO flats in the Tiong Bahru area. Newer flats are the SERS replacement flats like the City Vue @ Henderson that’s just opposite Bukit Merah Ridge. (City Vue has recently recorded the most expensive resale transaction at S$1.4 million.)
So we’re looking at the transactions at City Vue instead to get a gauge of the price appreciation. Prices of 3-room and 4-room flats have increased by 14.04% since the first flats entered the resale market in 2020.
And given the prime location, we expect a high price appreciation in future for this Bukit Merah BTO.
Another thing is that there will be a few major developments in the vicinity in the coming years, which should lead to higher appreciation. This includes the Havelock MRT on the TEL and the redevelopment and expansion of SGH over the next two decades.
And further south, there’s the Greater Southern Waterfront, where we can look forward to more lifestyle attractions.
May 2022 Bukit Merah BTO (Bukit Merah Ridge): Should you apply?
Yes, you should apply here if you’re looking for convenient access to the city centre.
But if you’re looking for a bigger space, whether it’s because you foresee yourself having more kids or want to have your own man cave or additional walk-in closet, you might want to ballot somewhere else due to the smaller flats available.
And given the location, this project is under the Prime Location Public Housing (PLH) model. Compared to non-PLH flats, the flats at Bukit Merah Ridge have a smaller floor area.
3-room flats here have an estimated floor area of 66 sqm (compared to 69 sqm of the same flat type in the Toa Payoh BTO) ,while the estimated floor area of 4-room flats is 89 sqm (compared to 93 sqm of the same flat type in the Toa Payoh BTO).
On top of that, flats here will come with restrictions like a 10-year Minimum Occupation Period (MOP) and a 6% subsidy clawback. These can make it harder for you to upgrade to a condo.
We also think this will be the most contested project. So you have to be really lucky (like can get Toto or 4D kind of lucky) to get a queue number. As we’ve seen for the application rate of the last launch in Bukit Merah, at least 30 people were competing for each 4-room flat.
Will you apply for the May 2022 Bukit Merah BTO? Let us know in the comments section below or on our Facebook post.
If you found this article helpful, check out our overview of the May 2022 BTO projects and in-depth reviews:
Looking for a property? Find the home of your dreams today on Singapore’s fastest-growing property portal 99.co! If you would like to estimate the potential value of your property, check out 99.co’s Property Value Tool for free. Also, don’t forget to join our Facebook community page or Telegram chat group! Meanwhile, if you have an interesting property-related story to share with us, drop us a message here — and we’ll review it and get back to you.
Frequently asked questions
When is the next BTO launch in 2022?
Now that the May 2022 BTO launch has begun, the next one will be in August 2022.
How long do I have to wait for a BTO flat?
It depends on the project. The waiting time can range from around 3 years to 5 years.
Do I have to ROM before applying for BTO?
No, you don’t have to register your marriage before applying as you can apply under the Fiance/Fiancee Scheme. But you’ll need to solemnise your marriage within 3 months of collecting your keys.
About Virginia Tanggono
Virginia covers the property news in Singapore, from record sales to profile stories on home ownership. In her free time, she occasionally searches for spoilers of movies and TV shows.
Looking to sell your property?
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Meanwhile, if you have an interesting property-related story to share with us, drop us a message here — and we’ll review it and get back to you.
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