Leedon Green vs Hyll on Holland: Which should you pick?

Despite how property prices are climbing everywhere else and demand seems to be insatiable, there’s an area in Singapore that seems to be bucking that trend – Holland Village.

In fact, competition is intense enough that – despite a hot market – prices here have remained relatively calm.

We last did a comparison between the seven new-launched condos in the area, but this time here’s a shootout between two of the projects that home buyers are bound to be comparing – Leedon Green and Hyll on Holland.

Here’s our take on how the two close competitors compare:

Leedon Green

Location: 26 Leedon Heights (District 10)

Lease: Freehold

Developer: MCL Land/Yanlord Land Group

Expected TOP: 2023

Number of units: 638

Current pricing:

• $2,409 psf (lowest)
• $2,716 psf (average)
• $2,846 psf (highest)

Five most recent transactions:

Leedon Green was launched January 2020, and is 39.3 per cent sold.

Hyll on Holland

Location: 99 Holland Road (District 10)

Lease: Freehold

Developer: Far East Consortium/Koh Brothers Group

Expected TOP: 2025

Number of units: 319

Current pricing:

• $2,323 psf (lowest)
• $2,522 psf (average)
• $2,699 psf (highest)

Five most recent transactions:

Hyll on Holland was launched in October 2020, and is 30.4 per cent sold.

Price is not a huge differentiator between Leedon Green, and Hyll on Holland

In terms of absolute quantum, however, Leedon Green has the potential to go lower.

This is because Leedon Green has single-bedders as small as 474 sq ft, whereas Hyll on Holland has no unit smaller than 570 sq ft.

Note that the last transaction of a 474 sq ft single-bedder at Leedon Green (Oct 2) was at $1.259 million, with the lowest so far recorded at $1.218 million.

At Hyll on Holland, the smallest (570 sq ft) single-bedders last transacted at around $1.54 million; slightly higher than Leedon Green’s single-bedders (but bear in mind they’re almost 100 sq ft larger). 

This is far higher than when it had its prices slashed to $2,4xx psf in June, where prices went as low as $1.34 million.

Which has the better location?

Transport and accessibility

When it comes to MRT access, many residents may not consider either condo to be very convenient.

Between the two, Hyll on Holland is closer to the Holland Village MRT station – but this is around 750 metres, or an 11-minute walk.

Leedon Green is even further, at around 760 metres; it would take around 13-minutes to get to Holland Village station on foot. 

That said, while on paper Farrer Road MRT is further away it is actually a quicker walk to get to – at about an 11-minute walk.

So neither condo really has the edge when it comes to the MRT; but it may be a moot point if you don’t consider 11-minutes to be “walking distance” anyway.

In terms of bus access, both condos are comparable. They have bus stops that are just outside the condo grounds.

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The Fairlodge bus stop is shared by both, although it’s a bit closer to Leedon Green at a three-minute walk (six minutes from Hyl on Holland).

This provides both condos with service routes 165, 106, 75, 77, 48, and 7.

Bus stops closest to Leedon Green provides services 48, 93, 153. 165, 174, 186, 855, 961, 961M.

The bus stops near Hyll on Holland provides services 93, 105, 123, 153, 186, 855, 961, 961M.

Their locations are close enough that, for drivers, there’s no clear advantage to either property. By car, both condos are under a 20-minute drive to the CBD, and under a 25-minute drive to the airport.

Overall, Hyll on Holland has a minor advantage in accessibility; just being closer to the Holland V station. But other than that, both condos are almost equal.

Shopping and groceries

Being close to Holland V is the main selling point of both these properties. This is where you’ll find the bulk of eateries and entertainment options.

Most day-to-day retail needs can be covered at Holland Road Shopping Centre, and there’s also a Cold Storage at Holland Village.

Hyll on Holland is technically closer to Holland Road Shopping centre (840 metres), while Leedon Green is about 900 metres out; but this difference is so small, we’d call it irrelevant.

Both condos are about six to seven minutes drive from the heart of Holland V, and neither has a strong advantage here.

For more extensive retail options, residents will probably visit The Star Vista, in the nearby Buona Vista area.

Hyll on Holland is slightly closer to this mall (1.65 km), whereas Leedon Green is 1.74 km away.

But as with distance to Holland V, residents may not feel there’s much difference; both are still roughly six to seven minutes' drive.

This is a tie between the two properties; neither is significantly more or less convenient given how closely located they both are.

Schools

This is where Leedon Green clearly beats out Hyll on Holland.

Due to the new Home School Distance (HSD) measurement, more blocks at Leedon Green count as being within one-kilometre of Nanyang Primary School.

Only two blocks in Leedon Green have addresses that fall outside this range.

This is definitely a big advantage given the new updates, as the proximity to a primary school becomes even more crucial.

For parents with an eye for the future, this edge does make Leedon Green a clear winner.

Besides this, neither property has any other schools that fall within one-kilometre.

Unit size and mix

Hyll on Holland doesn’t offer as wide a variety of unit types, as you’re just picking between two or three-bedders.

Landlords who like shoebox units, for instance, have no real options in Hyll on Holland. As a result, Leedon Green’s unit mix provides for a wider range of price points.

Leedon Green also provides five landed units (villas).

At 2,400 to 2,680 sq ft these are some of the largest new units we’ve seen in district 10 of late.

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While these types of strata-titled properties have not proven too popular, these ones have freehold status – this could provide additional enticement. 

As a sign of their popularity, all five have been sold at the time of writing.

In terms of sheer unit count, Hyll on Holland is more exclusive. 319 units can be considered a good size today, and will appeal to those who dislike dense developments.

We feel most investors, however, will like the mid-sized Leedon Green – 638 units are sufficient to keep maintenance costs low, while likely providing a healthy transaction volume in future.

Overall, Hyll on Holland’s mix will probably appeal more to genuine homebuyers in the area; while Leedon Green could attract a bigger portion of pure investors and landlords.

Two-bedder comparison

For Leedon Green, we’re looking at units above 700 sq ft These can be found in stacks 26 and 27 (for block 32), or stacks 36 and 41 (for block 43).

Overall, we have a preference for stack 36. This stack is an ideal distance away from the opposite block, and has a good view of the facility areas.

For Leedon Green, these specific two-bedders provide better privacy, as they are corner stacks.

While it’s not exactly a dumbbell layout like Hyll on Holland, it’s still squarish and efficient, with no wasted walkway space.

Bedroom sizes are also quite decent; a pleasant diversion from two-bedders that are usually quite cramped in this regard.

For Hyll on Holland, we’re also looking at two-bedders above 700 sq ft to compare. For Hyll, these can be found in stacks 12 and 13 (block 91), stacks 16 and 17 (block 93), stacks 20 and 21 (block 95), stacks 25 and 26 (block 97), and stacks 28 and 29 (block 99).

Stacks 12, 13, 16, 17, 20, and 21 would be ideal; these are north-facing and provide a good view of the common facilities. However, some of these units face the flyover, so there’s a risk of higher road noise.

These units have an efficient dumbbell layout. However, the common bathroom opens up directly into the living area, which some residents dislike.

The biggest standout would be the balcony and windows in the living/dining area; this provides for more natural ventilation, and a lot of natural light. The A/C ledge is also at the back of the unit, where it stays unobtrusive.

The kitchen and bathroom all have ventilation windows, and there’s plenty of cabinet space for the kitchens.

Bedrooms are a decent size, and the full-length windows for the bedrooms are a stand-out feature.

In general, traditionalists will probably prefer the Leedon Green layout; as will homeowners who are not big fans of balcony space (some consider this to be inefficient).

Those inclined toward more contemporary layouts, or who make more heavy use of their kitchen, will probably prefer the Hyll on Holland counterpart.

Three-bedder comparison

For Leedon Green, we like the three-bedders of around 1,044 sq ft.

These can be found in stacks 03 and 07 (block 26), stack 15 (block 28), and stack 22 (block 30). Of all of these, stack 07 is ideal, being a good distance from the opposite block; it also has a good view of the condo facilities.

There are corner stacks available for these units, which provide better privacy. The overall layout is squarish and efficient.

An enclosed kitchen is less common in contemporary styles, but some homeowners will appreciate this – especially those who do a lot of heavy cooking, and don’t want fumes / smells going into the living area.

However, there appears to be a lack of a yard area for laundry.

The A/C ledge is at the back of the unit, which allows the bedrooms to have full-length windows.

The balcony space may strike some as being too large; but some homeowners may consider it an advantage. There is also a good sized utility room in this unit. Again, considered a plus by some, but potentially a space-waster by others.

For Hyll on Holland, we look for comparable three-bedders in stack 11 (block 91), stack 15 (block 93), stack 19 (block 95), and stack 22 (block 97).

We’d prefer stacks 15 and 19. These are south-facing units, well insulated from the noise of the main road. Stack 19 also has a side-view, with a good vantage point of the common facilities.

Again, we see the use of a dumbbell layout, quite characteristic of Hyll on Holland units. Impressively, there’s both a wet and dry kitchen, as well as a good-sized yard area for laundry.

The living and dining area share the same frontage, maximizing the natural light and ventilation. Like its Leedon Green counterpart, there are full-length windows for the bedrooms.

This layout provides a bit more flexibility, with a universal area near the main entrance. As there are windows, you can use turn this into a study nook, or just use it as some other utility room.

Our main complaint would be the small bedroom size, and the large balcony and A/C ledge. A large balcony is (subjectively) an advantage, but a big A/C ledge is just wasted square footage.

Four-bedders comparison

Hyll on Holland doesn’t have four-bedders; so we’re looking at these in Leedon Green, as some buyers are likely weighing them up against the bigger Hyll on Holland three-bedders.

Leedon Green has its four-bedders in stack 02 (block 26), stack 11 (block 28), stacks 53 and 57 (block 38) and stack 48 (block 36).

Overall, stacks 02 and 57 are ideal – they have a good distance from the opposite block, and the frontage provides a good view of the condo facilities.

On par with the three-bedders in Hyll on Holland, Leedon Green’s four-bedders have provision for both wet and dry kitchens.

While it’s not a dumbbell layout, the floorplan is still squarish and efficient. This unit also comes with a private elevator.

These units have an extra spacious master bedroom, with a built-in walk-in wardrobe.

The master bedroom even comes with His & Hers vanities in the bathroom, with a shower as well as a bathtub.

Bedrooms have the typical full-length windows in Leedon Green, and are decent sized.

There’s also a utility area which can double as both back entrance and laundry area (although it doesn’t feel very conducive as a helper’s room to us).

The large balcony spaces are, again, a subjective advantage. If you make use of the space, you’ll like its size; if you don’t, you’ll likely consider it wasteful.

It would be nice if there was a junior Master Bedroom, as that would make this a good layout for extended families; perhaps an interior designer could do something about that.

Who should pick Leedon Green?

• Investors who want shoebox units
• Buyers who want the largest units, or even villas
• Those who consider large balcony spaces to be a plus
• Families who want to be in enrolment distance of Nanyang Primary School

Who should pick Hyll on Holland?

• Buyers who want greater exclusivity (smaller number of units)
• Being even a bit closer to Holland Village MRT matters to you
• Anyone who likes the newer, efficient style of dumbbell layouts

This article was first published in Stackedhomes.