$1.16m for a 4-room HDB flat in Clementi? Why this integrated development commands premium prices

We have a new record for a 4-room resale flat! The winner is 441B Clementi Avenue 3, in Clementi Towers. This flat sold for $1,160,000, narrowly beating the previous record holder ($1,158,000 at 312A Clementi Avenue 4). Here's where it is located:

 

What makes this particularly interesting is that this record-breaking unit is actually older than the previous champion (built in 2012 versus 2017), yet still commanded the higher price.

This is also one of the first Clementi Towers projects to beat Clementi Ridges, which, until now, repeatedly topped prices in this area.

1. Singapore's rare integrated HDB experience

Clementi Towers isn't just another HDB development; it's one of Singapore's few fully integrated HDB projects, directly connected to both Clementi MRT station and Clementi Mall.

This means residents can literally walk from their flat to the train platform and major shopping mall without stepping outdoors. In Singapore's climate, that convenience is worth paying for.

Clementi Mall, besides being one of the largest heartland malls, links directly to the Clementi train stations as well; so the walk to and from the MRT is completely sheltered.

2. The heart of a mature, well-established town

Location within Clementi adds another premium layer. This is a mature estate with decades of established amenities:

• Clementi Mall: The hub at Clementi
• 321 Clementi and Grantral Mall: Additional retail options within walking distance
• Extensive network of coffee shops, convenience stores, and heartland amenities
• Well-developed transport links beyond just the MRT

Unlike newer estates that are still building up their amenities, Clementi offers the full mature town experience from day one.

3. School zone premium: #1 ranked primary school within 1km

Clementi Towers sits within the 1km priority zone for four primary schools, including Nan Hua Primary School, currently ranked #1 in popularity among Singapore's primary schools.

For families with young children, this school zone access alone can justify significant property premiums. Getting your child into a top-tier primary school through address proximity is often worth hundreds of thousands to parents. And even if you don't have children going to primary school, it helps with future ease of resale.

4. The age advantage in a mature estate

Here's something most buyers overlook: in mature estates like Clementi, relatively newer flats become increasingly valuable simply because most alternatives are decades old.

More than half of all 4-room flats in Clementi are over 40 years old. When buyers want something built this century with modern layouts and finishes, their options become extremely limited.

Clementi Towers, completed in 2012, represents one of the few "modern" HDB options in the area. As surrounding blocks age further, this relative newness becomes more valuable over time.

5. The private property comparison: Half the price, prime location

As with most million-dollar HDB flats at this price point, it's not so much the competition of resale HDBs as it is with the price gap when compared to private property in the area.

Most 3-bedroom private condos in Clementi start above $2 million:

• Carabelle: Around $2.21 million average
• Freesia Woods (freehold): $2.3 million average
• The Parc Condominium (freehold): $2.55 million average
• Parc Clematis (newer, 99-year lease): $2.12 million average

At $1.16 million, Clementi Towers costs roughly half what buyers would pay for private alternatives in the same neighbourhood. And none of those private condos can match the integration with MRT and major shopping mall that Clementi Towers offers.

The closest comparable option might be the leasehold Regent Park at around $1.63 million — but it's still $470,000 more expensive, older (completed 1997), and without the integrated convenience.

6. Size and floor premium: 93 sqm at mid-high level

At 93 sqm, this unit sits on the slightly larger end of 4-room flat sizes. Located between the 16th and 18th floors with unblocked views over surrounding low-rise HDB blocks, it offers both space and elevation advantages.

While Clementi Towers goes up to 40 floors, the 16th-18th floor range provides a sweet spot — high enough for good views and privacy, but not so high as to feel disconnected from ground-level activity.

7. The Clementi Ridges connection: Location trumps everything

Interestingly, four out of the top five most expensive 4-room transactions in Clementi are from nearby Clementi Ridges — the development that sits right next to the failed Trivelis DBSS project.

For those with good memories, Trivelis became infamous when buyers complained that neighbouring Clementi Ridges units were both larger and cheaper than their DBSS purchases. This controversy reportedly contributed to the eventual discontinuation of the entire DBSS programme.

The irony? Today, both Clementi Ridges and Clementi Towers command million-dollar premiums, proving that prime location ultimately matters more than development type.

So while our record-breaking 4-room flat seems expensive, it does make sense given the prices of the nearby alternatives.

We're quite confident that, if Clementi Towers were launched as a BTO today, it would fall under at least the Plus category, and be heavily oversubscribed; flats with a central, mature location are very hard to find in the market right now.

It does make us wonder though, if more condo upgraders might rethink their plans and instead look at well-located, million-dollar resale flats instead.

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This article was first published in Stackedhomes.