Merlot Ville
Overview & Key Facts
Merlot Ville is a compact freehold boutique development along Telok Kurau Road in the heart of District 15, one of Singapore's most enduring residential enclaves. Completed in 2002 by Hoi Hup Realty — a developer with a long track record in the East Coast corridor — the property comprises just 12 units spread across four low-rise floors, offering an intimacy and exclusivity that larger developments simply cannot replicate. Its French-inspired name gestures at the quiet, refined atmosphere the project aspires to, and for residents who value privacy over resort-style amenities, it largely delivers.
Positioned on a freehold plot, Merlot Ville holds a rare tenure advantage in a district increasingly dominated by 99-year leasehold mega-projects. With unit sizes ranging from approximately 97 to 211 sqm and a mix of generously proportioned 3-bedroom and larger configurations, the development appeals to owner-occupiers seeking space and land ownership rather than transient short-term tenants. Three recorded resale transactions at a median of $1,658,888 and a median PSF of $1,511 confirm steady, if modest, capital appreciation consistent with the broader Telok Kurau sub-market.
Gross rental yield sits at a compelling 4.34% — strong for D15 freehold stock — underpinned by 14 rental transactions with a median rent of $6,000 per month. This positions Merlot Ville as an understated but capable income-generating asset in a neighbourhood that continues to attract professional expat tenants, young families and East Coast lifestyle devotees.
Location & Connectivity
Telok Kurau Road runs through a quiet, tree-lined residential precinct that forms part of the broader Katong–Siglap belt, one of the most sought-after addresses on Singapore's eastern seaboard. Merlot Ville sits at 281 Telok Kurau Road, set back from the road amid a low-density streetscape of landed homes, boutique condos, and mature shophouses. The surrounding neighbourhood retains a genuine kampong character rare in modern Singapore — unhurried, walkable, and infused with the culinary culture of Katong's Peranakan heritage.
East Coast Park is reachable within a 10-to-15-minute walk, providing residents with a 15km recreational corridor along the shoreline for cycling, jogging, beach volleyball, and weekend hawker fare. The East Coast Road food belt — stretching from Katong to Siglap — puts dozens of celebrated independent eateries, cafés, and bakeries at walking distance. Parkway Parade, East Coast's primary retail anchor, is approximately 1.0 km away, while the indie boutiques and restaurants of i12 Katong add a vibrant lifestyle layer at under 1.0 km.
Connectivity has improved significantly with the opening of Marine Terrace MRT (Thomson-East Coast Line), sitting just 0.45 km away — a genuine walk-to-station distance that anchors the development's transit credentials. The TEL provides a direct one-seat ride to the CBD, Orchard, and eventually Woodlands, transforming Merlot Ville's commute calculus from car-dependent to genuinely transit-accessible.
- MRT access: Marine Terrace MRT (TEL) at 0.45 km — walk in under 7 minutes
- Parks: East Coast Park within 10–15 min walk; Siglap Park Connector nearby
- Shopping: Parkway Parade 1.0 km, i12 Katong 0.97 km, Roxy Square 1.12 km
- Dining: East Coast Road hawker culture, Katong laksa, Peranakan restaurants
- Schools: Telok Kurau Primary 0.30 km (within 1 km priority), Chung Cheng High 1.16 km
- Healthcare: East Shore Hospital in the vicinity; Parkway East Medical Centre nearby
Schools & Education
1 primary school within the 1 km Priority Phase balloting radius.
| School | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Telok Kurau Primary School | primary | Within 1 km |
| Chung Cheng High School (Main) | secondary | ~1.2 km |
| Canadian International School (Tanjong Katong) | international | ~1.3 km |
| Tanjong Katong Girls' School | secondary | ~1.3 km |
| CHIJ (Katong) Primary | primary | ~1.4 km |
| Broadrick Secondary School | secondary | ~1.4 km |
| EtonHouse International School (Broadrick) | international | ~1.4 km |
| Canossa Catholic Primary School | primary | ~1.4 km |
Facilities
As a 12-unit boutique development, Merlot Ville makes no pretence of competing with the resort-style amenity suites of larger condominiums. The facilities are deliberately pared back — basement car parking and round-the-clock security are the documented provisions, with no pool, gym, or function room forming part of the common property. This is a deliberate trade-off that the development's target buyer clearly understands: lower maintenance fees, a quieter compound, and the absence of pool-deck noise or lift queues shared with hundreds of neighbours. For residents who use the East Coast Park and Marine Terrace recreation corridor as their outdoor living room, the lack of an onsite swimming pool is a negligible sacrifice.
The boutique scale does confer genuine lifestyle benefits that official facility lists cannot capture. Residents frequently cite the extremely low foot traffic in the lobby and car park, the ease of knowing your neighbours by name, and the swift response from a small, attentive building management team. In a district increasingly dominated by developments of 500 to 1,200 units, the tranquillity of a 12-unit compound is itself a differentiating amenity.
"We moved from a 400-unit condo and the difference is remarkable. No queue for the lift, no strangers in the lobby — it actually feels like living in a house. The building's quiet, the management is responsive, and we have the whole of East Coast Park on our doorstep. The lack of a gym just means I actually go for a run now."
— Resident review, long-term owner-occupier
Unit Sizes & Layout
Merlot Ville's 12 units are distributed across four floors with a practical floor-plate that prioritises living space over architectural novelty. Unit sizes span approximately 97 sqm to 211 sqm (roughly 1,045 to 2,271 sq ft), with the bulk of the inventory comprising three-bedroom configurations and a small number of larger units suited to multigenerational living or buyers requiring a dedicated home office. The generous sizing relative to newer launches in D15 reflects the early-2000s era of construction, when floor-plate norms were materially more spacious than today's increasingly compact layouts.
Ceiling heights are typical of the period — adequate rather than luxurious — and units generally feature practical rectangular footprints with good natural cross-ventilation given the low-rise structure and absence of a tight building envelope. The building's four-storey height means even lower-floor units receive meaningful natural light, while upper-floor units on a quiet residential street benefit from reduced ambient noise. For buyers seeking a well-proportioned, move-in-ready freehold unit in D15 without the premium commanded by newer launches, Merlot Ville's floor areas represent tangible value at the current median PSF of $1,511.
- Total units: 12 across 4 floors
- Unit size range: 97–211 sqm (~1,045–2,271 sq ft)
- Primary layout: 3-bedroom; select larger configurations available
- Tenure: Freehold
- Completed: 2002 (Hoi Hup Realty)
- Median transacted PSF: $1,511 (recent)
- Median monthly rent: $6,000 (14 rental transactions)
| Bedrooms | Transactions | Avg PSF | Avg Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 BR | 2 | $1,498 | $1,604,444 |
| 4 BR | 1 | $1,348 | $2,350,000 |
Pricing & Market Position
Based on 3 recorded transactions, sale prices range from $1,550,000 to $2,350,000, averaging $1,852,963 (~$1,511 psf).
Rents range from $2,700 to $12,000 per month across 14 rental transactions. Current rental yield sits at approximately 4.3%.
Price Appreciation
From 2023 to 2026, the average PSF has appreciated by 1.8% (from $1,485 to $1,511 psf).
Neighbourhood Comparison
Merlot Ville occupies a distinct value tier within District 15. Against the new-launch leasehold giants that dominate current D15 conversation — Grand Dunman ($2,537 PSF, 99-year), Emerald of Katong ($2,640 PSF, 99-year), Tembusu Grand ($2,461 PSF, 99-year) — Merlot Ville's median PSF of $1,511 represents a discount of 40–44% on a per-square-foot basis while retaining freehold tenure. Against freehold comparables like The Continuum ($2,790 PSF) and Amber Park ($2,540 PSF), the discount widens further, though those newer projects offer dramatically superior facilities, larger resident communities, and the premium associated with recently built stock. Buyers choosing Merlot Ville are implicitly trading modern amenity and new-build premium for space, freehold land, boutique exclusivity, and a yield advantage that newer launches cannot match.
The relevant question for buyers is whether the 4.34% gross yield and ~40% PSF discount to new-launch leasehold adequately compensates for the illiquidity, limited facilities, and ageing building infrastructure. For long-term owner-occupiers and yield-focused investors comfortable with boutique condo risk, the answer is a credible yes — particularly as the neighbourhood's profile continues to be lifted by the Thomson-East Coast Line and ongoing Katong urban rejuvenation.
| Development | Tenure | TOP | Units | ~Avg PSF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MERLOT VILLE | Freehold | — | 12 | $1,511 |
| GRAND DUNMAN | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2022 | 2023 | 1,008 | $2,537 |
| EMERALD OF KATONG | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2023 | 2024 | 846 | $2,640 |
| THE CONTINUUM | Freehold | 2023 | 816 | $2,790 |
| TEMBUSU GRAND | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2022 | 2023 | 638 | $2,461 |
| AMBER PARK | Freehold | 2021 | 592 | $2,540 |
ShiokNest Scores
Our proprietary scoring system evaluates MERLOT VILLE across multiple dimensions.
What Residents Say
"Telok Kurau has always been our preferred part of D15 — it's genuinely residential, not touristy like parts of Katong. Merlot Ville gave us the freehold title and the space we needed at a price point that made sense. After three years here, the Marine Terrace MRT has been a game-changer for commuting — we barely use the car during the week."
— Resident review, owner-occupier family
"I was drawn in by the freehold status and the school proximity — Telok Kurau Primary is literally a short walk away, which removes a huge amount of stress from the morning routine. The unit sizes here are genuinely spacious by modern standards, and the building is very well-maintained for its age. It's quiet, it's private, and the neighbours are friendly. Exactly what we were looking for."
— Resident review, parent with school-going children
"As a long-term tenant, I've stayed here for over four years — which should say something. The building is well-run, the surrounding area is superb for weekend cycling down to East Coast Park, and the dining options along Joo Chiat and East Coast Road are world-class. The lack of an onsite gym was a minor concern initially but the park just compensates for it completely."
— Resident review, expat long-term tenant
Strengths & Weaknesses
- Freehold tenure — perpetual land ownership with no lease decay
- Excellent gross rental yield of 4.34% — strong for D15 freehold stock
- Marine Terrace MRT (TEL) at 0.45 km — genuine walk-to-station access
- Telok Kurau Primary School at 0.30 km — coveted 1 km priority registration zone
- Boutique 12-unit scale delivers privacy and low-density living
- Generous unit sizes (97–211 sqm) — spacious by modern D15 standards
- Median PSF of $1,511 — significant discount to new-launch leasehold neighbours
- East Coast Park lifestyle corridor within 10–15 min walk
- Vibrant Katong–East Coast dining and retail scene at doorstep
- Low maintenance fees typical of small boutique developments
- Very limited onsite facilities — no pool, no gym, no function room
- Low resale liquidity — only 3 recorded transactions; boutique stock can take time to sell
- Ageing building (TOP 2002) — infrastructure and finishes may require periodic upgrading
- No dedicated recreational amenities for families with young children onsite
- Small resident community may not suit buyers seeking social condo lifestyle
- Price gap versus new launches may narrow slowly given building age
- Limited unit variety — primarily 3-bedroom configurations
Verdict
Merlot Ville is a niche proposition that rewards the right buyer handsomely. It is emphatically not a development for buyers seeking resort-style amenities, large social communities, or the prestige cachet of a branded mega-project. It is, however, an exceptionally well-located freehold boutique in one of Singapore's most liveable eastern neighbourhoods, offering genuine size, privacy, and a rental yield that outperforms much of the surrounding leasehold competition. For the buyer who already knows Telok Kurau and understands what East Coast lifestyle means on a day-to-day level, the calculus is straightforward.
Owner-occupier families will appreciate the 0.30 km proximity to Telok Kurau Primary (within the coveted 1 km priority-registration zone), the walk-to-MRT distance at Marine Terrace station, and the relative calm of a 12-unit compound that delivers a pseudo-landed living experience within a managed building. Investors will note the 4.34% gross yield as one of the stronger yield metrics in D15 freehold stock, supported by consistent tenant demand from the professional expat community that has long favoured the Katong–East Coast corridor.
The principal caveats are the limited exit liquidity (only 3 resale transactions on record, typical for boutique stock), the minimal onsite facilities, and a median PSF of $1,511 that remains well below the premium asked by newer leasehold launches in the same district — a spread that compresses potential near-term capital gains but cushions downside risk. For patient, lifestyle-driven buyers, Merlot Ville quietly punches above its weight.