The thing about going for a BTO flat is that since the flats aren’t built yet, you won’t be able to see the exact locations of the flats.
(This is unlike opting for a resale flat, whereby you get to see its location and where it’s facing.)
Besides visiting the actual BTO site, one way to figure out which unit to pick is to use things like the URA master plan, Google Earth and the site plan. It also helps to know where the windows are, so you know where the unit is facing (and avoid the afternoon sun).
How to find the facing of the unit
Here’s a look at the floor plan of a 4-room flat in Yishun Beacon. BTO flats these days typically have this layout.
The windows are those marked in red. Also, for this layout, the main door (circled in blue) is on the opposite side of the windows. This is important in helping you pinpoint the facing of the stack.
Let’s take a close-up look at the site plan of Yishun Beacon to look at where the units in stacks 142 and 140 are facing. Using the grounding of where the windows and doors are, you can see from the site plan, stacks 142 and 140 face stacks 154 and 156, respectively.
For these units, the precinct pavilion (labelled 5) and drop-off porch (labelled 6) are between these stacks, although they’re on the first floor.
This means that they’re around 20 metres away from each other, which is a good distance apart. So you don’t have to worry too much about being able to look into each other’s house.
With that, here’s our stack analysis of the respective HDB BTO projects in this May 2022 launch
Bukit Merah May 2022 BTO (Bukit Merah Ridge)
Number of units: 1,669
Flat type: 3-room and 4-room
Number of blocks: 5 (29 to 48 storeys)
Estimated waiting time: 5 years
Estimated completion date: Q1 2028
Bukit Merah Ridge is the biggest project in this May 2022 HDB BTO launch with 1,669 units. The high number of units available may explain its lower application rate, despite the expectation that it would be the most popular project. (Its current overall application rate for a 4-room flat as of 1 June, 5pm is 4.3.)
But here’s another reason why we expected it to be popular. This project is where you can get an unblocked view of Tiong Bahru Park just across the road.
That’s why we think the best stacks are those facing this park, which are stacks 536, 538, 540, 542, 520, 522, 524 and 526. In fact, if your unit is high enough, you might even be able to get a view of Chatsworth Park Good Class Bungalows (GCB) area.
Alternatively, if you want views of the Southern Ridges greenery, you can consider going for the higher-floor units in either stacks 566, 564, 578, 576, 518, 516, 502 or 500. If Lady Luck is on your side, you might even be able to get a sea view!
We also like that the majority of the units have a north-south orientation. Take note, though, that stacks 502 and 500 have windows facing the south-west direction. So while you might be able to get views of the Southern Ridges here, there’s a chance of getting the afternoon sun.
In addition, notice that stacks 518, 516 and 500 face one of the multi-storey car parks (MCPS). So you might want to get a unit from the 11th floor onwards for more privacy (we’ve heard of cases where people at the car park can see through the units nearby).
Speaking of MCPS, this BTO has two car parks, with Blocks 132A and 134A nearest to them. If you’re driving, you might want to focus on getting a unit from one of these blocks.
Another thing to note about this BTO is that six to seven lifts will serve each block of eight units. This looks like there are more than enough lifts to be shared. However, keep in mind the number of storeys of these blocks. Some parts of the blocks are 29/47 storeys tall, while two blocks are 48 storeys tall.
Queenstown May 2022 BTO (Ghim Moh Ascent)
Number of units: 867
Flat type: 3-room and 4-room
Number of blocks: 4 (2 blocks are 40 storeys, another 2 blocks are 8 to 31 storeys)
Estimated waiting time: 5 years
Estimated completion date: Q1 2028
What stands out the most to us about Ghim Moh Ascent is not just its proximity to Holland Village. It’s also very close to the GCB areas along Holland Road. So you can get unblocked views of these bungalows (and their pools).
We think the best stacks for unblocked views are 143, 145, 133, 115, 101, 103, 105 and 107. These face the GCB areas such as Holland Rise, Queen Astrid Park, Oei Tiong Ham Park and Ford Avenue.
But take note of the MCPS if you’re thinking of going for either stacks 143, 145, 133 or 115. These stacks face the car park, which is 8 storeys tall with a roof garden on the 9th floor. So for privacy reasons, we suggest choosing a unit from the 11th floor onwards.
And if you can’t stand having a blocked view, you might want to avoid stacks 155, 153, 151, 149, 127 and 125 at the south as these face a potential BTO site. Right now, according to the URA masterplan, this plot has a gross plot ratio of 4.9, while Ghim Moh Ascent has a gross plot ratio of 4.6. So the plot at the south might potentially have blocks that are even taller than the ones in this Queenstown BTO.
Another reason to avoid stacks 155 and 153 is that the windows are south-west facing. Same goes for stacks 141 and 139. Here are the stacks where you might get a bit of the afternoon sun.
Interestingly, for Blocks 48A and 48B, eight units will share three lifts. This may be because of the varying number of storeys of the stacks in these blocks (8, 15 and 31). If you’re choosing a unit at any of these blocks, be prepared for the longer waiting time when taking the lift.
Toa Payoh May 2022 BTO (Kim Keat Heights)
Number of units: 384
Flat type: 2-room Flexi (Type 1 and Type 2), 3-room and 4-room
Number of blocks: 2 (27 to 36 storeys)
Estimated waiting time: 4 years 7 months
Estimated completion date: Q3 2027
Kim Keat Heights is the smallest development among the BTO projects. The low number of available flats and the central location could be why it has the second-highest application rate for a 4-room flat at 8.4 as of 1 June, 5pm.
While this BTO has a pretty good location, it doesn’t have the best views here since it’s mostly surrounded by residential developments. In fact, in terms of views, it pales in comparison to the other BTO projects in this launch like Bukit Merah Ridges and Lakeside View.
So if you ask us which stacks get the best views, we’d say go for the units on the higher floors at stacks 121, 123 and 125. Because here’s where you might be able to get a view of Kallang River and maybe even the landed estate at Lorong Chuan.
In general, given that the nearest HDB blocks here are around 10 to 13 storeys tall, you can get a better view from the 14th floor onwards.
But if you’re going for stacks 103, 101, 111 and 117, go for a unit from the 8th floor or above for more privacy. This is because these stacks face the 5-storey community club and 6-storey MCPS. Both have a roof garden.
Other than that, we like that most stacks here have a north-south orientation, except stacks 123, 125, 113 and 115. Still, the windows here are slightly east-facing, so you can get the morning sun.
There’s also a good spread of lifts available, with four lifts serving six to seven units at each level.
Yishun May 2022 BTO (Yishun Beacon)
Number of units: 646
Flat type: 2-room Flexi (Type 1 and Type 2), 4-room and 5-room
Number of blocks: 5 (14 storeys)
Estimated waiting time: 3 years 3 months
Estimated completion date: Q2 2026
Like Kim Keat Heights, this BTO is surrounded by other public housing. And at 14 storeys tall, it’s hard to get an unblocked view here.
Nevertheless, that doesn’t stop Yishun Beacon from being one of the most popular projects in this launch, with an overall application rate of 10.5 for 4-room flats as of 1 June, 5pm. (Actually its popularity took us by surprise, given that the Bukit Merah BTO and Queenstown BTO are in the same launch. But its popularity could be due to the availability of 5-room flats and the shorter waiting time.)
So, if you manage to get a queue number here, look out for the following stacks.
If you’re going for a 2-room Flexi (Type 1), consider going for stack 110. Here’s where you can get a good view of Yishun Town Garden.
Going for a 2-room Flexi (Type 2)? Consider going for stack 130. Given that the windows are at an angle, you might be able to get a view of the Yishun Pond. Alternatively, go for stacks 108 or 112 that face Yishun Town Garden.
Likewise, if you’re going for the 5-room flats, consider stacks 136 and 138. They’re slightly angled to the east, so you might be able to get a view of Yishun Pond. Or go for stacks 104 and 106 for a view of Yishun Town Garden.
Take note that stacks 102, 100, 120, 188, 190, 192, 146 and 148 face the 7-storey (MCPS). So you might want to pick a unit from the 9th floor onwards if you’re choosing from any of these stacks.
In fact, you might want to avoid stacks 146 and 148. Unlike most stacks here, these two stacks have windows that are almost completely facing the west, so you’ll get the afternoon sun here.
Another thing we notice is the low number of lifts here. All blocks only have two to three lifts each. In fact, blocks 936B and 936D have 11 units sharing two lifts on each floor. Perhaps this is due to the blocks being only 14 storeys tall.
Jurong West May 2022 BTO (Lakeside View)
Number of units: 1,016
Flat type: 2-room Flexi (Type 1 and Type 2), 3-room, 4-room and 5-room
Number of blocks: 7 (11 to 18 storeys)
Estimated waiting time: 3 years 10 months
Estimated completion date: Q4 2026
Here’s another BTO in this launch that’s pretty popular, with an overall application rate of 12.6 for 5-room flats as of 1 June 5pm. And it’s probably because it’s right next to Jurong Lake Gardens.
What we like about this BTO is that it’s easier to get unblocked views here. More specifically, you can get unblocked views of Jurong Lake Gardens from the east-facing stacks 329, 331, 289, 291, 293, 271, 273, 249, 251 and 253.
But if you can’t get a unit from any of these stacks, take note of the stacks you might want to avoid.
For instance, stacks 295, 233, 235, 263, 265, 267 and 269 face the 7-storey MCPS. So we suggest avoiding the units up to the 8th floor and going for the higher floor units for more privacy.
To avoid the afternoon sun, you might want to avoid the following stacks: 313, 311, 267, 269, 263, 265, 231, 229, 213, 215 and 217. All are angled slightly west, so you might not want a unit at any of these stacks.
We also want to highlight the low number of lifts here. For instance, Blocks 344A, 344C, 342A and 341C have 10 units that share three lifts (although this might be because these blocks are not entirely 17 storeys tall, with some parts only 11 or 12 storeys). The other blocks are not that much better either, with nine units sharing three lifts.
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