Hougang Central Residence vs The Florence Residences: New Launch or Resale in the North-East?

I get this question almost weekly from North-East buyers. Both sit in the same corridor. One is a fresh launch on top of the train station. The other is a finished project you can walk through this weekend. They suit very different buyers, and the choice usually comes down to your timeline and how much certainty you need on price.

Here is how I frame it for my own clients.

What each project actually is

Hougang Central Residence is a 99-year leasehold development of about 835 private homes, built directly above Hougang MRT on the North-East Line. It is an integrated project: over 430,000 sq ft of retail and commercial space, which will be the largest mall in Hougang, plus a new bus interchange and a town plaza at street level. The site was tendered at S$1.5 billion, working out to roughly $1,179 psf ppr, and it is the first private residential GLS site in Hougang in over a decade (EdgeProp). The developer is a consortium of UOL Group, Singapore Land, Kheng Leong and CapitaLand Development. Hougang MRT is also set to become a Cross Island Line interchange by 2030. For the wider picture, read the full Hougang Central transformation story.

One thing I am careful about: launch pricing for Hougang Central Residence has not been released yet. Any psf figure you see floating around is an estimate, not a confirmed number. You can register interest on the Hougang Central Residence project page and check the price list when figures are confirmed.

The Florence Residences is the established large project buyers compare against. It is a 1,410-unit, 99-year leasehold condo in the Hougang and Kovan area of District 19, developed by Logan Property, which received its TOP in 2023 (latestprojectlaunch.com). It launched in 2019 at an average of roughly S$1,400 to S$1,500 psf. Today it trades on the resale market, where recent listings average around S$1,717 psf, up about 10 percent over the past six months (homejourney.sg). It is completed, tenanted in parts, and you can view actual units rather than a showflat.

Side by side

Which one wins, and for whom

If you are a buyer who wants the newest stock, values stepping out of your lift into a mall and a train station, and you are comfortable waiting through construction, Hougang Central Residence is the stronger fit. The integration is real and rare. A station-on-site address with a future Cross Island Line interchange is the kind of attribute that holds attention from both owner-occupiers and tenants. The trade-off is patience and pricing uncertainty: you are committing before launch psf is confirmed and before the building exists.

If you need a home now, want to see the exact unit, stack and view before you commit, and prefer a price you can check against recent transactions, The Florence Residences is the practical choice. It is large, completed, and liquid on resale. You give up the brand-new integrated address, and you are buying into a 99-year lease that started earlier, but you remove the waiting and the guesswork.

My short version: brand-new integrated launch above the MRT versus a large established condo you can move into today. Pick the first for the address and the upside, the second for certainty and speed.

Common questions about Hougang Central Residence and The Florence Residences

Is Hougang Central Residence better than The Florence Residences?

Neither is simply better. Hougang Central Residence is newer and built above the MRT with integrated retail, but pricing is unconfirmed and it is years from completion. The Florence Residences is completed and buyable now on resale at a verifiable price. The right answer depends on your timeline.

What is the price of Hougang Central Residence?

Launch pricing has not been released yet. What is public is the land cost: the site was tendered at S$1.5 billion, about $1,179 psf ppr. I would not rely on any quoted launch psf until the developer confirms it on the official price list.

How much does The Florence Residences cost on resale?

Recent listings average around S$1,717 psf, up roughly 10 percent over the past six months, with prices varying by unit size and stack (homejourney.sg). Always check the latest transactions for your specific layout before making an offer.

When will Hougang Central Residence be completed?

It is a new launch that is not yet built, so completion is several years out. If you need to move in soon, The Florence Residences, which received its TOP in 2023, is the realistic option.

If you want me to run the actual numbers for your budget and stack, message me directly: +65 88772688.