Cecil Lee

Since each unit does not have a rubbish chute; whenever one buys a unit with an external rubbin bin; always try to find out where it is before signing the dotted line..

Best to avoid being on the sky-roof during thunderstorms. I remembered visiting a landed property nearby at Yio Chu Kang Gardens (Chip Type Gardens). And that year, the owner told me that because his home is on a higher ground; lightning strike a tree on the roof of his terrace home. And I could visibly see a chunk of concrete got bitten away when the lightning bolt tried to find earth after striking the tree and grounding itself to the concrete railing of this home. Thus in this development and elsewhere, above standing too close to a tall tree on the skyline as often; this may be higher than the lightning rods of that building.

three poiinted sail-tip can be a poison arrow if aimed towards a unit's opening such as the balcony or windows.

Under Shapes and Forms Feng Shui, it is less than ideal to have the WC beside the main entrance door. In addition, under Shapes and Forms Feng Shui it is less than ideal if there are two air-con ledges. Especially if one of the air-con ledge is sharing the frontage of the unit.

Children's bedroom with a study Nowadays parents are "forced" to consider this as one of the Options; provided the study direction is suitable for that child.

This massive development should yield some good stacks/units. Since the southern and south-eastern parts face the Serangoon Reservioir. In general good Shapes and Forms Feng Shui. Description: Sengkang East Drive with Serangoon Reservior with a massive 2,440 units of 2R Flexim 3R, 4R and 5R. Development name has yet to be revealed. Of course, stay clear of stacks/units facing the Tampines Expressway and if can help avoid the stacks/units also facing Sengkang East Drive.

Block 799A:- NW3 with stacks 115, 117, 199 and 121. Has the auspicious water wealth #8 at it's frontage. Good if the balcony/living room faces a pool of water. If not can consider placing a water feature at the balcony to activate it. Other than this, the rest of the sectors on this home has inbalances. If the master bedroom or a bedroom is located at West sector of the home: be careful of frequent sickness SE3 such as stacks 111, 113, 123 and 125. These stacks has the water wealth star at it's frontage. Thus, it would be good if the unit faces a pool of water. Or enhanced with a water feature at the balcony area of the living room. The rest of the stars in other sectors are inauspicious. And may need to be disarmed Good, if the rear of the house has a "mountain" support. Block 799B:- NE1: stacks 129 and 131. Has the auspicious water wealth #8 star at the frontage. Thus, units with water position at the frontage (balcony side) can enjoy good Feng Shui. If so, the sum-of-ten can be activated for : Health, wealth and family luck. If the unit is not facing a water position, then best to place a water position at the balcony area to activate the luck. On the downside; the other sectors in such a home has bad stars that best to be disarmed or neutralised. SW with stacks 127 and 139. As the water wealth #8 is at the frontage; water at the frontage is good. It will be advantages if the unit faces a pool of water or activate a water position at the balcony area. As such overall, the unit can activate the sum-of-ten. Need though to disarm bad stars in many sectors of the home. To disarm health related considerations.

Sales Brochure: Site Plan and Floor Plans woodleigh-hillside.pdf HDB Woodleigh Hillside BTO flats Based on Shapes and Forms Feng Shui:- Blk 212D 565, 563 (4 Bedrooms) 559, 561 These four stacks/units are considered amongst the best in this development. But the unfortunate trade-off is the afternoon sun....

Case Study 6: Where is the drainage point at my unit's balcony? Common sense says that this may determine not only how many potted plants but also where it should be placed! Question: I have many potted plants. Can I place them at the balcony of my new condo or EC? 1. Nowadays there is only one miserable drainage point at a unit's balcony. 2. This is because in the past, one was used to a large drainage running from one end of the balcony to the other. This has lead to ponding. And mosquito breeding. 3. For this reason, today's regulation allow only a specific drainage point. Many new developments I had recently visited e.g. The Vale at Sengkang, Rivertrees etc.. there is only one drainage point. 4. With this in mind, if one wants to place potted plants or even a water feature: determine where is the drainage point at the balcony. 5. And place these potted plants and (unfortunately) the water feature beside/at these drainage areas. 6. If not, and if one over waters the plants. The excess water has to flow a long distance to the drainage. Sometimes it may just flow across the balcony. Resulting in algae and in time, the balcony becomes slippery and a danger as one may just slip and fall. 7. The illusration on the left shows the drainage design of an older flat. But this has been phased out in new developments. In new developments since 2010 there can only be drainage points (see the right most illustration):- 8. In the illustration on the right: excess water may cause slime or greenish algae to form and make the entire blcony slippery. And may result in a serious fall. Or need frequent cleaning. 9. In the past, with a large drainage at the balcony stretching from one end to another, many choose to place a decking. And such balconies were prone to ponding and result in mosquito ponding. 10. Today, good news is that new owners don't need to spent money to cover such drainage since it is extinct. 11. The yellow arrow (below) shows the drainage point:- 12. Common sense says to place potted plants close to the drain. And not too far off. Since excess watering needs to flow to it. 13. Therefore, one can only wait until T.O.P. to collect their keys or managed a sneak peak during construction stage...

A three bedroom type C9 and three balcony panels...

Case Study 5: Unit Balcony with just Three Panel Sliding Doors. What does this mean? 1. This photo is from The Terrace at Punggol which had just T.O.P. 1.1 Three panel sliding doors at the balcony/PES:- 2. As the size of flats gets smaller and smaller. There is a surge of flats with balconies that are only three (3) panels instead of the more common four (4) panels found in older condos, ECs and even HDB flats. 3. The benefit of 4 panels means that the openings are exactly at the middle. And the panels can slide to each side for ease of entry and exit of the living room/balcony. 4. Not anymore if there are instead three panels. 5. If so, it is thus not possible to have a large sofa or place it too close to the balcony sliding door(s). Plus the TV console or cabinets cannot be too thick or fully cover the sliding door panel on the other side of the sofa location. 6. Thus, this means that one has to seriously consider not only the length of the sofa but also the height of the arm-chair and the width of it. Make sure that it does not block the lock mechanism at the sofa side and vice-versa. 7. Another plus of a four panel sliding door means that often one may still leave ajar or a gap and not fully close the sliding panels. But for a three panel door; often than not the opening is close to the edge of the roof-line. And often, this is the first area where heavy winds and rains may come in. 8. For example: Sol Acres development has similar three (3) panels:- (Note: This is an acutal photo from The Terrace EC Block 88 ground floor unit PES) 9. More: An added bonus if a unit has an outdoor power socket and water-point. 10. One will only know if there is a water point or outdoor power switch after collection of keys. As often, this is not mentioned in the sales brochure. But an added bonus if your new unit has them:- 10. A Four panels balcony sliding doors. (Location: Bellewaters EC) 10.1 The advantage of this four panel balcony sliding door means that not only the middle two panels can be opened; but also either of the side or corner panels can also be opened. 10.2 Thus it incorporates the best of both worlds of the three panels with this four panel model.

This photo is from The Terrace at Punggol which recently T.O.P. Can't be helped. Since 2016, I keep on seeing a three panel sliding balcony doors. Just imagine, one cannot open the panels in the centre or mid-point. And in many cases, on either side where the entry/exit is; one may either have the bulky sofa or the TV console. Isn't it much harder to access in and out of the unit view these two panels. And especially heavy downpour and windy conditions, it would be fool-hardy to open the sliding panels on either side for ventilation... I have seen many units in Sol Acres also share this similar three panel balcony sliding doors... If sofa and TV consoles are bulky is too close to the openings... can hinder the opening and closing of the door panels on either side .... An added bonus if the PES of Sol Acres units have these:-

An extra bonus especially for ground floor units with PES to have a water-point and a power point. But if one has yet to stay in the unit; try to either not apply for PUB or lock up especially the power point. I have personally seen contractor's workers tapping power from such vacant units. Since the owners are no where to be seen.

Can't be helped. Since 2016, I keep on seeing a three panel sliding balcony doors. Just imagine, one cannot open the panels in the centre or mid-point. And in many cases, on either side where the entry/exit is; one may either have the bulky sofa or the TV console. Isn't it much harder to access in and out of the unit view these two panels. And especially heavy downpour and windy conditions, it would be fool-hardy to open the sliding panels on either side for ventilation...

The Terrace block 88. Let's face it. In Singapore and Hong Kong: a number like 8 or 88 sells... This unts in this block 88 was completely sold out quickly.

Past ranking of 4 bedders..

100 Palms Residence Since this is one of the few ECs that is over-subscribed and few got it... I am releasing the ranking exercise of the 3 bedders..

More photos The Terrace

Just T.O.P. The distinctive "coffin shaped" design..karaoke ...

Just in.. another successful balloting

Hopefully, all new condos and EC developers play their part by including the actual location of the central rubbish bins. In some developments there may be two: normal or regular rubbish and another one for recycling.

Hillion Residence and Onemap.sg The outline of the three blocks in Hillion Residence now appears on onemap.sg. I have taken the liberty to prepare the compass markings on this map. There is a 4 degrees difference between the onemap vs streetdirectory.com map. For example: the E1 for onemap shows 77 degrees. But for streetdirectory is 73 degrees. A small 4 degrees variance. Fortunately, it makes no difference as the stacks/units still face either E1, W1, S1 or N1.

1. Le Quest has similar stacks such as the sample below that has the kitchen and stove at NW. 2. In Feng Shui, this is known as Fire at Heaven's gate. Considered inauspicious for the stove to be within the NW cardinal point. 3. For a male breadwinner, it is less than ideal to select a unit with the kitchen at NW sector. 4. Do a search in this forum for " Fire at Heaven's Gate ". 5. Generally, a kitchen especially if a stove is directly at the NW cardinal point will be inauspicious for the male-head of the house. Typically this can affect him. 6. This is because NW under the Ba Gua Trigram belongs to the Heaven (sign). And NW also represents the male-head elder of the house. 7. Thus in simple terms: turning on a stove at NW will burn one's Heaven luck = not lucky and also may affect the male-head elder's career. 8. If you have done so many review as I have, even in a ranking exercise; I can pick out stacks/units in my mind that has this concern. And flag it to the potential purchaser. 9. Thus for this development, I randomly picked Block 10 stack #33 at Le Quest. For example:- 10. Mind you, there are lots, lots more of similar stacks with kitchen at NW sector in HDB Ubi Grove = caveat emptor.. let the buyer beware!

These are some considerations: 1. As you have mentioned; do expect many view points with regards to a project such as this. 2. Frankly, based on just looking at these three photos; and that you are already aware of the potential "some noise" from the SLOW traffic + the highway (and another road running below the causeway). 3. It is of my personal opinion that:- R & F Princess Cove U/C 3.1. The highway curves away from the development or the potential block/stack/unit that you are eyeing on. 3.2. And the stack/unit that you are looking is of high floor and South Facing; While majority the stacks in the two blocks the smaller and the larger block is more towards SE facing. 4. In fact, in equivalent Singapore, East Coast / Marine Parade "facing" = typically morning sun. And the side closer to UOB bank building does have also some afternoon sun. 5. Considering the unit you refer to: in my opinion is a can buy for this unit. My views may perhaps differ if asked to advice on another stack/unit.

HDB Bishan North Square diamond design motif. This motif is considered an old school design.