The Linq @ Beauty World Review: Home to everything at once

By Farrand Hey, 7 November 2020

It’s always interesting for buyers when there are half a dozen launches springing up within 1km of Beauty World. This year, that’s the scenario with the latest launch, The Linq @ Bukit Timah. 

In case you are wondering what are the other five, they are Verdale, Forett@Bukit Timah, Mayfair Modern, Mayfair Garden and Daintree Residence.

On top of this, the area around Beauty World MRT station provides a good deal of resale options. From Suites @ Bukit Timah to the 15-year old Meadowlodge, things could get quite competitive for The Linq @Beauty World.

In this review, we’ll look at the key considerations of this new property offering.

Some key dates to keep in mind, 31 October 2020 will be the preview date where the showflat is open to the public for viewing and acceptance of Letter of Authorization. The booking date is slated to be on the 14th of November 2020 and will be by the way of balloting. 

Here are some key dates to take note:

• Preview: 31st Oct, Saturday
• Cheque cut-off: 10th Nov 2020
• Merging: 11th Nov 2020
• Pre-balloting: Estimated to be on 12th Nov 2020
• Booking/Launch: 14th Nov 2020

Update on 14th November 2020: The Linq was open to an exceptional demand from the buyers, all but 4 units were snapped up on the first day. Here are the remaining units.

#06-07 797sqft 3 Bed compact $1,720,000

#14-07 797sqft 3 bed compact $1,760,000

#19-07 797sqft 3 bed compact $1,788,000

#06-02 958sqft 3 bed premium $2,009,000

Rating of The Linq @ Beauty World

Accessibility……………….…..10/10

Amenities………………..……..10/10

Design…………….…………….7/10

Facilities………………………….7/10

Layout…………………………….8/10

Value…………………….………..8/10

Pros

• Highly central and convenient location
• Upside potential as Beauty World undergoes transformation
• Rare freehold property that is almost an integrated development

Cons

• A small site may not have the scale to take off

Quick facts about The Linq @ Beauty World

Tenure: Freehold

Expected TOP: 6 July 2025 

Site Area: Estimated 45,757 sq ft

No. of Towers: 1

No. of Storeys: 20

No. of Units:  120 residential and 53 commercial units

Carpark Lots:  96 + 2 accessible residential and 49 + 1 accessible commercial lots

About The Linq @ Beauty World

It was formerly known as the Goh & Goh Building, it was en bloc by Alika Properties, a subsidiary of BBR Holdings (S) Limited for $116.5mil. The Goh & Goh building was completed in the late 80s, it had only 7 shops and 7 apartment units.

The name was chosen as The Linq because the developer wanted to convey the interconnectedness of this development with various amenities and buildings nearby. The residential units sit atop a 2-storey podium of F&B shops. It has underground links to the MRT, a future Integrated Transport Hub, a future Community Centre and a revamped Bukit Timah Food Centre. 

You should be seeing this video as an advertisement pretty soon.

Check out the facilities

Despite being on a smallish site and also being a mixed residential-commercial property, this development does have a decent collection of facilities for the residents. It has a total of 22 named facilities ranging from usual ones like a pool (30m), clubhouse, gym, BBQ, playground etc to the less common ones like a lawn and an aqua gym.

What I found weird is the split level for the facilities deck. Why couldn’t they make the 5th level larger to contain the Yoga Deck, the Jogging Track, the Fitness Station and the Explorer Garden on the same level as the rest of the facilities?

I suspect it could be some kind of regulation concerning the set back to the road? Otherwise, it just doesn’t make sense to do it this way.

There is this feature called the Privately Owned Public Space (POPS) which was mandated by the URA to enhance the commercial space and give the community a greater sense of ownership and involvement as this space can be utilised by the public. This will bring greater vibrancy as the space can host events like mass dancing sessions or performances.

What is nearby? Location, location, location

Transportation

The most prominent feature of The Linq’s location is the underground link (hence the name, Linq) to the MRT and the future bus interchange. Beauty World MRT station is part of the Downtown Line otherwise known as the blue line that runs from Bukit Panjang in the north to Beauty World and through Bukit Timah towards the Central Business District and eastwards to terminate at Expo.

Having an underground link to the MRT means you can get to the train station or the bus interchange without any exposure to the elements. 

Of course, the highly anticipated completion of the Integrated Transport Hub (ITH) that will be located just across the road from The Linq is scheduled to be ready by 2025 to 2026. 

In addition, the Cross Island MRT line which will be completed in 2030, which will cut through Beauty World and possibly have its interchange at the ITH.

Amenities

As a mixed residential-commercial development, The Linq has 53 commercial spaces within the development itself. Of which 10 are office spaces and the rest of the 43 units are all F&B. 

Located just beside the future ITH which will come with a mall. Also, across the road, which you don’t have to cross as it will all be linked via a network of underpasses, is the new community hub where the current Bukit Timah Market and Food Centre stands.

There is a Giant in Beauty World Centre and a 24-hour FairPrice Finest in Bukit Timah Plaza, so it’s convenient to get groceries.

Residents currently have a choice of 5 malls within a 500m radius, but in a few years time, this will increase to 8 malls.

The above map from URA’s Master Plan gives an excellent view of how central and how valuable the various pieces of land are. The light blue plots are mixed residential-commercial land, while the dark blue plots are pure commercial plots. The beige plots are residential and the green is nature reserves. 

Schools

There are several local and international schools that are near the Linq@Beauty World. 

The popular Pei Hwa Presbyterian Primary School is within 1km to The Linq.

Bukit Timah Primary School, along with Methodist Girls’ School, are actually quite close by. On a day-to-day basis, that still makes for a short commute but sadly, they fall just short of the important one-kilometre radius to have priority for school registration.

Nearby you also have tertiary institutions, such as Ngee Ann Polytechnic and Singapore Institute of Management (SIM).

Within a 2-kilometre radius, are several international schools, namely, Dimensions International College, Hollandse School, Singapore Korean International School, Chatsworth International School and Swiss International School. For those buying for investments, this expat base will provide a good tenant pool.

Hopping on the MRT or a short trip by public bus, it will take you easily to other popular schools like Hwa Chong, Nanyang Girls’ School, National Junior College, Raffles’ Girls Primary School, Singapore Chinese Girls’ School and ACS. No wonder Bukit Timah is known as an educational belt! 

Other points of note

Below are some points which we believe also contributes to the livability of a location. These include services like salons, clinics, pet grooming, enrichment schools, recreational options.

Wide range of food options

Cheong Chin Nam Road, which is well known for its row of restaurants serving various local favourites, is also home to a good selection of Korean restaurants.

The Bukit Timah Market & Food Centre is diagonal across from The Linq, although it will be demolished to make way for a future community hub, I doubt the residents will be lacking in alternative choices from food court located on the 5th floor of Beauty World Centre or the row of restaurants along Lorong Kilat.

Be close to nature

Bukit Timah is well-known for its nature reserves.

This development is only about 550 metres (around eight minutes’ walk) to Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. You can also look right into Rifle Range Nature Park from the Sky Garden. North facing units will have an almost unobstructed view of Bukit Timah Hill while the South facing units enjoy pockets of greenery view of the King Albert Park, Holland Plain and the Rail Corridor.

The upcoming Rail Corridor is a 24-kilometre stretch, which turns the disused rail line into a park with nature walks, shops, eateries, etc. (think of it as Singapore’s version of New York City’s High Line Park). It is slated for completion in 2022.

Together with the Bukit Timah Sky Park in 2024, they will offer additional outdoor nature options to residents of Linq@Beauty World.

Plenty of recreational options

The Linq is a short drive to The Grandstand where you have a wide selection of enrichment facilities for your kids. In fact, there is already a multitude of enrichment centres like martial arts or ballet within walking distance of Beauty World.

Of course, The Grandstand houses even more, like horse riding, archery, soccer, rugby etc.

Site discussion

The building is mainly orientated North and South. With stacks 01, 02, 07 and 08 facing North and enjoys the view of Bukit Timah Hill. And stacks 03, 04, 05 and 06 facing South. 

According to the architects, Laud Architects, the exposure to the Pan Island Expressway for the South facing stacks are minimal. Thus, there are no noise mitigation measures taken unlike what the developers for Hyll on Holland and Penrose did for theirs. However, they do have the stretch of Jalan Jurong Kechil that is terminating at the junction of Jalan Anak Bukit and the slip road to PIE. This is a rather busy and major traffic junction. 

Do also take note that the South facing stacks will eventually be facing the ITH. We think part of the noise from the PIE should be blocked by the new building as it should be able to be built to the same height as The Linq. 

The North facing stacks, however, will likely find their view pretty much unchanged at least until the redevelopment of Bukit Timah Shopping Centre, Beauty World Centre or Beauty World Plaza. They are all also zoned for the same height as The Linq.

Finishing and Layout

The floor tiles are homogenous tiles that look incredibly like marble. However, the uniformity of the grain and pattern hints that it is not the real McCoy. Flooring for the bedrooms are engineered timber. 

Overall, the premium pricing of the units doesn’t translate much to the fittings and finishes. You are primarily paying for the location and convenience of such a central location.

The supplied kitchen appliances like the fridge, hob, hood, oven and washer are from Bosch. 

3-Bedroom Type C1 and C2 Layout discussion

Type C1 and C2 are essentially the same as they are a mirror image of each other, flipped along a line across the main door. Type C1 is exclusively found only in Stack 06 or South facing. While Type C2 is in Stack 07 and faces North towards Bukit Timah Hill.

This is also the first show flat unit you will see at the sales gallery. Walking from the scaled model of the building and past some discussion tables, you will reach the balcony of the show flat first and probably enter from there. 

This unit type is 797 sqft or 74 sqm in area and is marketed as a 3-bedroom. Keep in mind, there is a larger 3-bedroom option which is Type D. 

Walking into the unit via the balcony, you find yourself in the living room. Placement of the furniture as shown in the floor plan is probably the best option as the same is tight. Alternative placement of furniture may not be optimum. Do take note that the sliding glass door to the balcony is three panels into one, thus the placement of the sofa is probably the best as it rests against the fixed panel. 

Unfortunately, that would result in a rather narrower wall for mounting your TV. On the bright side, you can still enjoy a view of the TV from the dining area. 

The 3-bedroom units in The Linq have an open kitchen. As there are no windows for the kitchen, an induction hob is provided instead. The oven is at chest level which is great. But the washer-cum-dryer is located right beneath it. Fortunately, the developer didn’t provision for a cabinet door to conceal the washer, as it is probably not a good idea from a practical, day-to-day, point of view. However, upon seeing the show flat, we do concede that it is not the most aesthetically pleasing sight. 

It is a nice touch to have windows by the entrance which brings in light and ventilation for the kitchen. 

We found the common bathroom to be a tad small, most notably the shower area and the sink. As doors aren’t shown in the show flat, we think with the swing door, it gets a bit tight to get in and out of the bathroom. 

Although Bedroom 2 does have floor to ceiling windows, the bottom half is frosted as the second aircon ledge is just beside it. 

In our opinion, this is a shade too small for a 3-bedroom but certainly could be a 2+Study. Bedroom 3 could technically fit a single bed, but it doesn’t come with any wardrobe. On a positive note, the white coloured lines indicating the walls for Bedroom 3 could be knocked down to either make the master bigger or the Bedroom 2 bigger. 

Pricing

Based on the price of the land bid and factoring in the costs, the break-even pricing should be $1,821psf.

For the month of September, there were 69 recorded condo transactions in this district, of which 48 were developer sales. Prices in the entire district average $1,630 psf, or roughly a seven per cent increase since January of the same year.

Forett at Bukit Timah, a freehold development along Toh Tuck Road, which is about 10 to 12 minutes walk to Beauty World MRT, was recently launched at an average price of $1,931psf.

The average sales prices of other nearby projects in District 21 are:

• Mayfair Gardens (99 year LH): $1,964psf
• Mayfair Modern (99 year LH): $1,959psf
• Daintrees Residence (99 year LH): $1,688psf
• Verdale (99 year LH): $1,717psf

Two MRT stations away, at the Sixth Avenue MRT station (District 10), there are two other new developments:

• Fourth Avenue Residences (99 year LH): average price $2,259psf
• Royalgreen (FH): average price of $2,707psf 

The Linq @ Beauty World will likely be priced from $2,2xxpsf up. The premium price is expected with its freehold and integrated development status, while on the other hand, it is cheaper than nearby projects in more prestigious District 10. 

While freehold units are priced higher than their leasehold counterparts, I feel they’re better suited to long-term buyers, as there’s no lease decay issue. As such, buyers who are looking 15 or 20 years ahead will definitely see value in this development.

This is the estimated selling price quoted by sales agents. Actual asking prices will be revealed by the developer on booking day.

1BR 431sqf from $98x,xxx

2BR 549-614sqf from $1,2xx,xxx

2BR Premium 667sqf from $1,4xx,xxx

3BR 797sqf from $1,6xx,xxx

3BR Premium 958sqft from $1,9xx,xxx

4BR 1346sqft from $2,7xx,xxx

Summary

It is not often we have a condominium development that is freehold and is almost sitting on top of a MRT. In addition, this is also a mixed development with F&B outlets right at the base of the condo. Not to mention underground links to an integrated transport hub, a community centre, a food centre and a mall. 

The Linq does have future upside potential as the rest of Beauty World undergoes rejuvenation.