Gem Residences Review — Toa Payoh North · D12
HuatScore: 78/100 — Solid Choice!
Is Gem Residences a good buy?
HuatScore rates Gem Residences 78/100 — a "Solid Choice!" verdict. That makes it a solid buy for value-focused buyers comfortable with the location tradeoff and investors chasing a workable ~3.2% yield. Strongest card: Both anchors locked in. Main watch-out: District price gap is wide. Pricing is reasonable for the location at current market.
Last updated 2026-08-20 · scored against URA caveat data.
Key facts
- Verdict: Solid Choice!
- Region: Rest of Central Region
- Tenure: 99-yr leasehold
- Completed: 2019
- Units: 578
- Developer: TID Pte Ltd
- Avg PSF: ~$2,000 psf
- Price from: S$0.8M
Live market data
- Resale transactions (12mo): 31
- Recent resale PSF: ~$2,110 psf
- Gross rental yield: 3.4%
What works in its favour
- Both anchors locked in: 539m to PEI CHUN PUBLIC SCHOOL [SAP] and 446m (~6-min walk) to Braddell MRT (Exit C). Strictly within the P1 1km zone, plus walkable to the nearest MRT entrance. This is the non-negotiable demand anchor — kiasu parents AND yield-chasing investors are both your buyers.
- Popular primary inside 1km — PEI CHUN PUBLIC SCHOOL: PEI CHUN PUBLIC SCHOOL is SAP. These primaries are heavily oversubscribed, so addresses inside the 1km P1 zone hold a durable premium — kiasu parents will pay up to keep this option open.
- Hot resale demand: Demand pulse 89/100 — 5.4% annual turnover (31 resales/12mo). Units turn over fast; easy to find buyers when you exit.
- 3-bedder × investment — appreciation sweet spot: Sells into the deepest pool — owner-occupier families. That demand floor drives durable capital appreciation. The investor default for total return, not just headline yield.
What to watch out for
- District price gap is wide: New launch PSF is +37% above the 5–10 year resale median in Balestier / Toa Payoh. Market needs ~8 years of growth to match the entry price.
- Thin future upgrader pool: Live count: 0 HDB blocks within 2km cross the 5-year MOP between 2025 and 2028 (of 641 HDB blocks total within 2km), and 3 nearby BTOs (incl. Kim Keat Crest, ~2031) add a fresh upgrader wave from ~2036. Narrow pool to absorb your resale — demand leans more on private-market churn here.
Who Gem Residences suits
- Value-focused buyers comfortable with the location tradeoff
- Yield investors — ~3.2% gross is workable; favour larger unit types
- Buyers who value a stable, established neighbourhood over speculative upside
Who should look elsewhere
- Buyers hunting deep relative value — the market has already priced in most of the story
- Short-term flippers — stamp duty + agent fees demand a 5-year minimum hold
- Buyers wanting a guaranteed top-tier primary within 1km walking distance
Huat Kueh says
Pei Chun Public School at 539m. P1 crowd already eyeing. No drama, just numbers. Quietly strong one.