In early August 2025, a 3-bedroom unit at Maple Woods changed hands for $3.26 million ($2,117 psf). To many, this might sound like just another multi million-dollar condo deal in Singapore’s competitive resale market. But a closer look reveals something remarkable: the seller had purchased the unit for just around $1 million in January 1999. The sale translated to a $2.26 million profit — or an annualised return of 8.7% over almost 27 years.
This single deal marked the sixth-biggest gain ever recorded at Maple Woods, a freehold condominium built in 1997 along Bukit Timah Road. More importantly, it highlights why Maple Woods has proven to be one of the most enduring and profitable condos of its generation.
In a market where some prime developments can quietly erode wealth — Reflections at Keppel Bay, for instance, saw a 4-bedroom unit sold at a $380,000 loss in the same week — Maple Woods offers timeless lessons for today’s buyers.
So what makes Maple Woods a “winner” after nearly three decades? And what can it teach us about selecting a property that will still deliver value 20 or 30 years down the road?
Maple Woods: A Quick Profile
From the outside, Maple Woods looks like a typical freehold development from the late 1990s. But peel back the surface, and you see a pattern: consistently profitable resales, resilient demand, and relevance across generations of buyers.
Unit Size as a Hedge Against Future Density
One of Maple Woods’ biggest strengths lies in its unit sizes. Ranging up to 3,003 sq ft, its units are significantly larger than the compact layouts typical of new launches today.
Over the past two decades, Singapore’s developers have progressively shrunk unit sizes to keep overall quantum palatable. A 3-bedroom in a 2025 launch might start at around 900–1,000 sq ft, whereas Maple Woods offers 3-bedders exceeding 1,500 sq ft.
This difference matters because space is a scarcity premium in land-constrained Singapore. Families looking for long-term homes still prioritise spacious layouts that allow for flexible living — larger bedrooms, a proper dining area, or even a home office.
In that sense, Maple Woods serves as a hedge against future density. As newer launches get smaller, older developments with expansive layouts retain a timeless edge, ensuring their resale appeal doesn’t fade. Buyers aren’t just paying for the address; they’re paying for a scale of living that’s becoming harder to replicate.
Permanent Anchors vs. Passing Trends
Another reason Maple Woods has aged so well is its permanent demand anchors. Unlike projects that rely heavily on aspirational branding or luxury finishes — which can feel dated over time — Maple Woods is supported by fundamentals that do not expire.
Compare this to Reflections at Keppel Bay, where the allure of a luxury waterfront address hasn’t been enough to sustain prices. Lifestyle branding can fade with time; schools and MRT stations do not.
Scale and Community Appeal
Maple Woods’ size — 697 units — gives it another edge. It is large enough to maintain vibrant resale activity, ensuring liquidity for sellers, yet not so massive that it feels impersonal or overcrowded.
This middle ground matters. Large-scale projects typically benefit from economies of scale in maintenance, spreading costs across more households and keeping monthly fees reasonable. They also create a “community effect,” where steady transaction activity builds a track record of profits that reassures future buyers.
In contrast, boutique developments often face thin resale activity, making price discovery harder and exits slower. For buyers who value both liquidity and lifestyle, Maple Woods hits the sweet spot.
Bukit Timah’s Evolving Story
Location is often cited as the holy grail of real estate, but it’s not just about where you buy — it’s also about how the neighbourhood evolves over time.
Bukit Timah has always carried prestige as a residential address, but Maple Woods has benefited from the area’s ongoing rejuvenation:
Rather than becoming obsolete with age, Maple Woods has ridden on this wave of rejuvenation, making it more relevant than ever.
Proof That Time Alone Isn’t Enough
Finally, Maple Woods proves that time, while important, is not the sole ingredient for success.
Its $2.26 million profit over 27 years looks impressive, but the same period has produced very different outcomes for other projects. For example, Reflections at Keppel Bay — only nine years old in its latest loss-making transaction — shows that even with nearly a decade of holding power, weak fundamentals can result in a $380,000 loss.
The message is clear: patience compounds profits only when paired with the right fundamentals. Holding a property for decades is no guarantee of wealth creation if the development itself lacks enduring appeal.
Lessons for Today’s Buyers
So what can today’s buyers learn from Maple Woods’ long-term success?
Think in Terms of Scarcity: Space is becoming rarer. Older condos with larger units will likely command a premium as new launches trend smaller.
Anchor to Permanence: Buy where there are long-term drivers of demand — schools, MRT lines, lifestyle corridors. Avoid relying solely on branding or trend-driven appeal.
Consider Liquidity: Developments of Maple Woods’ scale provide a healthier resale environment than ultra-boutique projects.
Follow Neighbourhood Narratives: Choose areas with strong stories of rejuvenation. Projects that benefit from broader infrastructure and lifestyle upgrades age more gracefully.
Patience + Fundamentals = Results: A long holding period works best when the property is built on timeless strengths.
Conclusion
The $2.26 million profit from a single Maple Woods unit isn’t just a headline — it’s a case study in what makes a condo endure.
By offering large unit sizes as a hedge against shrinking spaces, anchoring itself to permanent demand drivers like schools and MRT connectivity, balancing community scale with resale liquidity, and riding on Bukit Timah’s rejuvenation, Maple Woods has managed to remain relevant across nearly three decades.
It proves that buying right — not just buying prime or buying freehold — is what ultimately delivers potential growth.
For today’s buyers, the key question to ask isn’t just “Is this condo attractive now?” but rather: “Will this condo still be attractive when my children are grown, or even when I retire?”
Maple Woods shows that when the answer is yes, the rewards can be generational.
If you’re considering your next move in Singapore’s property market, our team is here to help you identify developments with the same kind of lasting appeal as Maple Woods. Contact our sales consultants here to explore homes that balance timeless fundamentals with long-term growth potential.
