‘We're fast becoming like Hong Kong now': Wing Tai Holdings' 88% sold River Green condo draws flak over ‘very small' 980 sq ft four-bedders

Independent Singapore

3 days ago

SINGAPORE: Property developer Wing Tai Holdings' River Green residential project launch saw brisk take-up, with 88% of its units gone the day after it launched on Saturday (Aug 2). However, the project has since drawn flak over its 'very small' 980 sq ft four-bedroom units.
By 6 p.m. on Sunday (Aug 3), buyers had taken up 460 units of the 524-unit development in District 9, making it the best-selling project in the Core Central Region (CCR) so far this year, according to Huttons Asia CEO Mark Yip, as reported by EdgeProp Singapore .
Units were sold at an average price of S$3,130 per square foot (psf), with 98% of buyers being Singaporeans and Permanent Residents (PRs), and the rest foreigners. 'All units were well received,' the developer added.
PropNex CEO Kelvin Fong said more than 90% of the two-, three-, and four-bedroom units were taken up at the launch.
Mr Yip added that the larger units were especially popular, with only seven of the 104 three-bedroom units and two of the 35 four-bedroom units left.
According to EdgeProp Singapore's report in early July, 53% of the development was made up of two-bedroom units, which range from 527 sq ft for typical layouts to 657 sq ft for two-bedroom plus study units.
Three-bedroom units, as well as one-bedroom and one-bedroom plus study units, each made up 20% of the development—three-bedders ranged from 786 to 883 sq ft, while the one-bedroom and one-bedroom plus study units have 420 sq ft and 452 sq ft, respectively.
The remaining 7% were four-bedroom units at 980 sq ft.
While nearly sold and 'well received' by buyers, netizens online were surprised by the 'very small' sizes of the units. One commenter wrote, 'Four bedders at 980 sq ft? That's just 91 sq m! One of those bedrooms can only fit a single bed, maybe squeeze in a wardrobe…Some two-bedders that are 527 sq ft; that's just 49 sq m!'
'This is very small. Even for a three-bedder, it's just barely enough,' said another commenter.
Others compared the sizes with older condos, saying even their two-bedroom homes were larger. One commenter noted that their own two-bedroom unit is 1,200 sq ft and already feels cramped, questioning how four bedrooms could fit into something smaller. 'Can all four of those bedrooms even accommodate a wardrobe and a bed? ' he added.
A few compared the situation to Hong Kong, with one saying, 'We're fast becoming like Hong Kong now,' with another adding, 'We definitely don't want to head in that direction.'
Others, however, were not surprised. One user pointed out that the pricing is cheap when looked at as a whole because the four-bedroom units are only 980 sq ft. However, he warned that while this might sound good for investors, it could be 'bad for the country' if the trend goes on.
'Can you imagine a day where all of the new four-bedroom condos and five-room flats are as small as 900+ sq ft? Can you imagine a whole family of six in such a small space?' he said.
Singapore's property 'shrinkflation' has been happening since 2010, a trend analysts link to developers adjusting to loan restrictions, property cooling measures, and changing buyer demands.
According to Cushman & Wakefield, the median size of new non-landed homes in Singapore fell by 10.6%, from 1,012 sq ft in 2010 to 904 sq ft in 2024. The decline was even steeper in prime areas, where average unit sizes shrank by 20.6% to 829 sq ft. /TISG
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