What it took for Bishan's first 4-room HDB flat to hit $1.3m

What it took for Bishan's first 4-room HDB flat to hit $1.3m

Asia One·2026-08-25 15:00

In August 2026, a four-room HDB resale flat in Bishan changed hands for $1.3 million, setting a new town record for the flat type.

The transaction is the first Bishan four-room sale to reach the $1.3 million mark. At approximately $1,271 psf, it also set a new town-wide psf record for a four-room flat.

However, this was not an ordinary four-room unit. Its high-floor position, relatively long remaining lease, DBSS design and location within one of Bishan's most prominent HDB projects created a combination that is difficult to replicate elsewhere in the town.

The first $1.3m four-room transaction in Bishan

The record-setting 1,023 sq ft (95 sqm) flat is located between the 34th and 36th floors of Block 273A Bishan Street 24. 

The unit forms part of Natura Loft, a Design, Build and Sell Scheme (DBSS) project comprising 480 flats across three 40-storey residential blocks. Of these, 160 are four-room flats, while the remaining 320 are five-room units.

The deal surpassed the previous Bishan four-room record set just three months earlier. In May 2026, another 1,023 sq ft unit in the same block, located between the 22nd and 24th floors, was sold for $1.263 million, or approximately $1,235 psf. The latest transaction is $37,000, or about 2.9 per cent, higher.

It is also not the only high-value four-room transaction Natura Loft has produced this year. Based on 99.co's Researcher, Bishan recorded 130 four-room sales between January and August 2026 at the time of writing. 

Four of these transactions were at Block 273A, while the remaining sale came from neighbouring Block 275A. This concentration suggests that Natura Loft occupies its own premium segment within Bishan's 4-room resale market.

Why did this four-room flat command $1.3m?

Rather than one feature being responsible for the price, the record appears to reflect a combination of project, unit and location attributes.

Natura Loft's distinctive DBSS appeal

Under the DBSS, private developers took charge of designing, building and selling the flats, although the completed homes remained public housing and did not undergo privatisation.

Natura Loft does not provide the full suite of facilities associated with a private condominium, such as a swimming pool, gym or clubhouse. However, its design stands apart from many conventional HDB projects of its time.

Features such as balconies, full-height windows, planter areas, a basement car park and a more distinctive façade may appeal to buyers who want some condo-like design elements while retaining an HDB form of ownership.

These features do come with trade-offs. Balconies and planter boxes form part of the unit's total floor area, leaving less enclosed living space than some older four-room flats of a similar overall size. 

Their value therefore depends heavily on what an individual buyer prioritises.

The project's DBSS status also carries an element of scarcity. The scheme was suspended in 2011, and no new DBSS projects have since been introduced. 

Buyers interested in this particular housing type are therefore choosing from a fixed pool of existing developments.

A high-floor position in a 40-storey project

The record-setting unit sits within the 34th-to-36th-floor band of a 40-storey block, placing it among the project's higher-floor homes.

Such units may receive more natural light and ventilation while potentially enjoying more open views than flats on lower floors. However, HDB's publicly available records do not reveal the unit's exact floor, stack or facing, so its specific outlook cannot be confirmed from transaction data alone.

Height is unlikely to explain the entire premium either. A 4-room unit between the 37th and 39th floors of Block 273A sold for S$1.25 million in November 2025, S$50,000 below the latest record despite being in a higher storey band.

This suggests that factors such as the unit's orientation, interior condition, renovation, exact view and negotiations between the buyer and seller may also have influenced the final price.

A relatively long remaining lease

Natura Loft is also one of the younger resale HDB projects in Bishan, with its lease commencing in 2011.

With around 84 years remaining on its lease, Natura Loft offers a longer tenure than much of Bishan's existing HDB stock, which largely dates from the 1980s and 1990s. 

This may appeal to younger households looking for a home that can support their long-term housing plans while remaining attractive to future buyers.

Connectivity and mature-estate conveniences

Natura Loft is served by Bishan MRT station, an interchange connecting the North-South and Circle lines. Residents can also reach the station and town centre by bus.

At Bishan Town Centre, Junction 8 provides retail, dining, entertainment and grocery options beside the MRT and bus interchange. Closer to home, residents have access to neighbourhood shops and dining options around Bishan North Shopping Mall.

Families may also value the range of established schools in the area, including Catholic High School and Whitley Secondary School. Parks and recreational spaces include Bishan North Neighbourhood Park and the larger Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park.

Together, these amenities give Natura Loft the advantage of being located within an established town where transport, schools, shopping and recreational facilities are already in place.

This is still not Natura Loft's most expensive sale

As eye-catching as $1.3 million is for a four-room HDB flat, it is still not the most expensive transaction recorded at Natura Loft — or in Bishan.

That record belongs to a 1,292 sq ft five-room unit at Block 275A, which sold for $1.632 million in November 2025. Located within the same 34th-to-36th-floor band, the unit fetched $332,000 more than the latest four-room sale.

The two transactions nevertheless reinforce Natura Loft's position at the premium end of Bishan's HDB resale market, with the project now holding both the town's overall and four-room price records.

Living near Natura Loft does not have to cost $1.3m

Natura Loft's resale prices are undeniably high. At the time of writing, 99.co had one unit in the project listed for sale: a 1,292 sq ft five-room flat with an asking price of $1.48 million.

However, buyers who value the wider location more than Natura Loft's DBSS design still have considerably more affordable options nearby. Listings within roughly 2km include two-room flats from the high $200,000s, while three-room and larger HDB flats can be found around $350,000.

These homes may differ in age, size, remaining lease and distance from the MRT, but they can still provide access to many of the same schools, parks, shops and transport connections in the wider Bishan and Toa Payoh area.

Ultimately, the $1.3 million transaction does not mean that every four-room flat in Bishan is approaching the same price. 

Instead, it shows what can happen when several premium attributes, a scarce DBSS identity, a high-floor position, a comparatively long lease and a sought-after location, come together in one unit.

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This article was first published in 99.co.

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