Are There Mansions in Singapore? 8 Most Expensive Houses Right Now

When you think of mansions, what usually comes to mind would probably be mega multi-million dollar Hollywood mansions that celebrities own in Los Angeles’ wealthy neighbourhoods such as Beverly Hills or Bel Air; which celebrity just bought which mansion for how much or even Hugh Hefner’s lavish Gothic-Tudor style hedonistic Playboy Mansion.

But what exactly is this fancy, ultra-luxurious type of house? 

What Is A Mansion?

 In simple terms, a mansion is a large, impressive dwelling or house.

A mansion can also refer to a block of apartments or condominiums in Japan or Hong Kong, but for this article, we are talking about large standalone houses. 

What Makes A House A Mansion?

There is no fixed definition, but generally, what qualifies a house as a mansion is its size, which is at least 5,000 sq ft (464.5 sqm) or 8,000 sq ft (743.2 sqm). It should also be equipped with lots of rooms for entertainment and leisure activities, anything from a game room and gym to movie theatre and spa.

The grounds, understandably, would be huge and be landscaped and filled with all sorts of features – fountains, zen gardens, greenhouses, pools and tennis courts.

Singapore has its own share of mansions as well, think the historic Alkaff Mansion or black-and-white colonial bungalows. Mansions are a desirable class of property that even some condominiums have “mansions” in their names as well such as Nassim Mansion, King’s Mansion and Meyer Mansion.

Are There Mansions in Singapore?

In Singapore’s context, the closest type of property to mansions are Good Class Bungalows (GCBs), which are some of the fanciest and luxurious types of residential properties you can find in Singapore and places that majority of us can only dream of owning.

We usually simply refer to them as “landed properties” but there are different types of landed houses – terrace house, semi-detached, shophouse and bungalow – and GCBs are the most prestigious and exclusive of the lot, even more so than ‘normal’ bungalows.

Good Class Bungalows are large, standalone houses on a plot of land that are not connected to other houses, like terrace houses or semi-detached houses are. What makes GCBs different from normal bungalows are their size and location.

They can only be built on 39 gazetted areas in Singapore in prime districts 10, 11, 20, 21 and 23 and are located in areas such as Cluny Hill near the Botanic Gardens, First, Third and Sixth Avenue off Bukit Timah Road, Nassim Road, Caldecott Hill Estate, Windsor Park. The full list is available on the Urban Redevelopment Authority’s website.

At present, there are an estimated number of 2,700 in the 39 GCB Areas. GCBs can cost anything from upwards of $8 million and can go up to nearly $100 million.

The onslaught of the pandemic saw the GCB market perform even better in 2020, as transaction value increased 35% from $1.05 billion. You can read more about GCBs in this article: Good Class Bungalows: The Creme De La Creme of Singapore Homes

8 Most Expensive Mansions in Singapore

Whether you call them GCBs or mansions, let’s find out just how expensive these luxurious landed properties are. Here are the 8 most expensive mansions currently listed on PropertyGuru.

Note: The following listings are accurate at the time of writing. If the listing is no longer available, it may mean that the property has already be sold and the advertisement was taken down. 

1.     Cluny Hill GCB, $110 million

At over $100 million, this plot  is the most expensive, prime real estate out there in Singapore right now, with four rooms and one bathroom.

Even though the listing states Cluny Hill, the plot is on Nassim Hill, nearer to the Holland and Tanglin side of Orchard Road. Location-wise, this is as best as it gets in terms of proximity to town, shopping malls and restaurants in both Orchard and Dempsey areas. Transport-wise, it’s also near to two upcoming Thomson-East Coast Line stations, Napier and Orchard Boulevard MRTs.

Browse Cluny Area Plot on PropertyGuru.

2.     Cluny Road GCB, $108 million

Closer to the main Botanic Gardens side, this GCB plot is quite a rare commodity as well, in both price and land size. The plot is elevated and square in shape, located on a hilltop and also subdivisible.

As it stands, this GCB has five rooms and five baths and looks to be surrounded by nature. It’s also in close proximity to some of the top schools in Bukit Timah for those with children of different ages, from ACS Barker, Singapore Chinese Girls’ School to National Junior College, Hwa Chong Institution and the NUS Law campus.

Browse Cluny Road GCB on PropertyGuru.

3.     Nassim Area GCB, $98 million

This massive subdivisible plot size is a rarity indeed, with the listing proudly stating that such a size has not been sold in this area for decades and it’s the home of billionaire’s dreams. There’s space for four rooms and four baths.

Conveniently located near Orchard in the Nassim area, which is close to all the action and facilities but still far removed enough to enjoy some seclusion and exclusivity, this sounds like a steal.

Browse Nassim Area GCB on PropertyGuru.

4.     Bukit Timah GCB, S90 million

Set along Binjai Park, near to the King Albert Park side of Bukit Timah Road, this massive land area is surrounded by other GCBs in the area and has potential for redeveloping into four GCBs.

The listing currently states there is an old house on site so it looks like there’s room for the buyer to play around with renovation and redevelopment as he sees fit.

Browse Bukit Timah GCB on PropertyGuru.

5.     Yarwood Avenue GCB, $90 million

Set in the prime Upper Bukit Timah near King Albert Park MRT, this huge plot is subdivisible and is not more than a short 10-minute walk to all the convenient spots such as Cold Storage and Bukit Timah Plaza.

The listing also explicitly states that it’s just 1km to Raffles Girls’ Primary School and Methodist Girls’ School – a good spot for those planning to rely on proximity to get their kid into some of the nearby top schools. 

Browse Yarwood Ave GCB on PropertyGuru.

6.     Queen Astrid Park GCB, $90 million

If you’re a dab hand in the property market and enjoy the process of buying and developing property, this place is a catch for the “discerning entrepreneur and trophy property hunter”, as the listing states.

Surrounded by other bungalows, this plot in Queen Astrid Park is just off Sixth Avenue, nearer to the Holland Road side of the area. It’s amply equipped with four rooms and five bathrooms.

Browse Queen Astrid Park GCB on PropertyGuru.

7.     Holland GCB, $83.8 million

Although it is a slightly smaller floor size than most of the other GCBs, this plot still has five rooms and five bathrooms, as well as considerable land size which can fit two houses.

According to the listing, it’s just an 80m walk to Holland Village MRT and 760m to Buona Vista MRT. Nearby are also Ghim Moh Market, Fusionopolis and One North, good for food options and for those who work in the area.

Browse Holland GCB on PropertyGuru.

8. Queen Astrid Park GCB, $81.88 million

Another Queen Astrid Park listing, this plot is on a hilltop and offers a great view. Its size is one of its biggest advantages, with space for 10 rooms and nine baths.

The listing also explicitly states that it’s just 1km to Henry Park Primary School, which is handy for those who want to get their kids into a nearby school. Nearby, there are bus stops and the Cold Storage for all your shopping needs and a short drive away takes you to the restaurants and cafes that Holland Village has to offer.

Browse Queen Astrid Park GCB on PropertyGuru.

For more property news, resources and useful content like this article, check out PropertyGuru’s guides section. 

Are you looking to buy a new home? Head to PropertyGuru to browse the top properties for sale in Singapore.  

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This article was written by Audrey A.. She can’t wait to move into her own place so she can finally get a cat (or two) and an espresso machine to fuel her love for flat whites. For now, she’s saving up and dreaming of her next trip.