Ways developers give their properties extra selling edge

SINGAPORE - Massive penthouses may be one way for developers to differentiate their projects.

Here are some other ways developers have tried to give their projects that extra selling edge.

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Tree houses
If playgrounds are too ordinary for you, the Tree House condo along Chestnut Avenue will have three tree houses when it is completed this year.

These lantern-shaped features, joined by bridges and a spiral staircase, offer a different play experience for kids as well as the young at heart.

Spa pavilions
The 417-unit Soleil@Sinaran condo at Novena has spa pavilions run by well-known local chain Aramsa Spa.

Soleil is believed to be the first in Singapore to tie up with a spa operator to run a facility in a condo.

The spa consists of three wooden-decked pavilions, each with two massage beds, a hot tub and a shower area, located in full view of the pool.

'Sky garage'
Park your car next to your living room in the 30-storey Hamilton Scotts condo along Scotts Road. The development is billed as the first in the world with a self-parking mechanism.

The system works by identifying residents via their thumbprints.

Residents first drive their cars onto a turntable in the basement car park. They then get out and place their thumb on a biometric identifier.

The car automatically registers the resident's unit. It is placed into a lift and taken to the resident's unit.

Wine lockers
At The Orchard Residences, residents can rent a wine locker to store their wine collection in the condo's wine cooler.

The condo's website states that the cooler has two storage zones - for reds and for whites. The cooler is made of tinted tempered glass and framed in solid cherry wood.

Rock-climbing wall
Practise your scaling skills at the two-storey-high rock-climbing wall at the newly completed One Devonshire condo on Killiney Road .

It has hand grips that go up to 6m, and is free for residents.

For safety, proper climbing equipment must be used at all times, and additional aids, like ropes and harnesses, must be utilised during climbs above 3m. These climbs must also be carried out under the supervision of a qualified instructor.

Bird-watching tower
The recently completed Meadows@Peirce on Upper Thomson Road has a three-storey bird-watching tower, where residents can spot birds at the nearby Peirce Reservoir.

Bowling alley
Work on your strikes at this two-lane bowling alley at the clubhouse in the Palm Gardens condo in Choa Chu Kang.

Residents and guests pay $5 an hour during off-peak hours, or $6 an hour during peak hours. Bowling shoes and balls are provided.