When buyers compare new launches, floor plans are often reduced to two numbers: bedroom count and square footage.
That misses the more important question.
What is the space actually doing?
A 2-bedroom can be an efficient investment unit or an awkward compromise. A 3-bedroom can function as a genuine family home—or simply be a larger apartment with another room squeezed in. And once we move into 4-bedroom territory, the distinction between “more bedrooms” and a properly designed family residence becomes even more important.
Dunearn House is particularly interesting because its floor plans reveal a fairly deliberate segmentation of buyers. The development ranges from compact 2-bedroom units of 527 sq ft, through 2-bedroom premium and study configurations, several 3-bedroom formats, and finally the larger Pinnacle Collection homes reaching 1,378 sq ft.
Looking closely at the plans, we would divide the potential buyers into three broad groups:
Investors / investment-led buyers → compact 2-bedroom units
Hybrid owner-occupiers / future-proofing buyers → 2+Study and efficient 3-bedroom units
Long-term family owner-occupiers → larger 3-bedroom Premium and 4-bedroom Pinnacle units
Here is why.
The First Thing to Understand: Dunearn House Has Two Different Housing Philosophies
The developer broadly separates the smaller units into the Luxury Collection, while the larger 3- and 4-bedroom homes move into the Pinnacle Collection.
That distinction is more meaningful than branding alone.
At the smaller end, the layouts are highly space-efficient. Kitchens, dining and living areas are tightly integrated, circulation is kept under control, and relatively little saleable area is devoted to ancillary spaces.
As the units become larger, however, the plans increasingly introduce features associated with owner occupation: household shelters, yards, WC, separate wet and dry kitchens, storage and dedicated studies.
That progression gives us a useful framework for understanding whom each floor plan is really designed for.
1. The 527 sq ft 2-Bedroom: The Most Investment-Led Layout
The entry-level Type B1 and B1a units come in at 49 sqm / 527 sq ft. The plans include two bedrooms, living/dining, kitchen, balcony, master bath, and essential appliance/storage zones within a very compact footprint.
Who is this for?
Primarily:
- investors;
- singles wanting a spare bedroom;
- couples without children;
- buyers prioritising quantum over spaciousness.
The strength here is efficiency.
Remarkably little space is allocated to corridors or elaborate transitional areas. The living, dining and kitchen functions sit close together, while both bedrooms occupy a significant proportion of the overall footprint.
From an investor’s perspective, that matters.
Tenants generally pay for utility rather than architectural grandeur. A second usable bedroom potentially expands the tenant pool to couples who need a home office, two sharers, or small households that want flexibility.
The 527 sq ft configuration therefore gives buyers the marketing advantage of a genuine 2-bedroom apartment while keeping the overall area—and therefore potentially the purchase quantum—relatively contained.
The trade-off
The same efficiency that makes the unit attractive to investors is also its limitation for owner-occupiers.
There isn’t much “buffer space”.
Once two people are working from home, entertaining regularly, accumulating possessions or considering children, 527 sq ft can begin to feel tight.
Our Verdict: strongest fit for investment-led buyers and compact-living owner-occupiers.
2. The 614 sq ft 2-Bedroom Premium: A Much More Comfortable Couple’s Home
The Type BP1/BP1a and BP2 layouts increase the 2-bedroom footprint to 57 sqm / 614 sq ft.
That 87 sq ft increase over the smallest 2-bedroom may not sound dramatic. In a compact apartment, however, it is significant.
The plans retain two bedrooms but create a more comfortable relationship between the kitchen, dining and living spaces. Importantly, the Premium layouts also provide two bathrooms, including a master bath.
That significantly changes the potential buyer profile.
Investor versus own-stay
For pure investment, the 527 sq ft 2-bedroom probably deserves consideration first because the lower area can translate into a lower absolute purchase price, assuming comparable pricing efficiency.
But for an owner-occupying couple, we would lean toward the Premium.
Why?
Because this is where the apartment starts to feel easier to live in, not just more efficient.
A couple can use:
- the master bedroom as their primary bedroom;
- Bedroom 2 as a study or guest room;
- the second bathroom for guests or another occupant.
It also gives investors another option: two-person sharing becomes more practical when each occupant isn’t dependent on one bathroom.
Our Verdict: a good middle ground for investors who want a stronger tenant proposition and couples who intend to stay several years.
3. The 657–678 sq ft 2-Bedroom + Study: Possibly the Most Interesting Hybrid Product
Dunearn House offers several 2-bedroom + Study configurations.
Type BS1 is 657 sq ft, BS2 667 sq ft, while BS3 reaches 678 sq ft.
This category deserves attention because the study fundamentally changes how the apartment can be used. The BS2/BS3 plans show the study positioned adjacent to the dining/living zone rather than consuming one of the bedrooms.
That sounds like a small distinction, but it solves one of the biggest problems with ordinary 2-bedroom apartments.
Consider a professional couple.
In a normal 2-bedder:
Bedroom 1 → couple
Bedroom 2 → office
Suddenly there is nowhere for parents, guests or eventually a child.
With a separate study:
Master → couple
Bedroom 2 → child/guest room
Study → work-from-home space
The apartment therefore has significantly more “life-stage elasticity”.
Is it still an investment unit?
Yes—but this is where the calculation becomes more nuanced.
An investor should compare the price premium against the 527- and 614-sq-ft units. Tenants may value a study, particularly professionals working hybrid schedules, but rental premiums do not always rise proportionately with additional square footage.
For owner-occupiers, however, those extra square feet can be disproportionately useful.
Our Verdict: arguably the sweet spot for couples who want flexibility without committing to the price of a full 3-bedroom.
4. The 872 sq ft 3-Bedroom: Where Family Ownership Starts Becoming Serious
The Type C1 is 81 sqm / 872 sq ft and provides three bedrooms alongside living/dining, kitchen, two bathrooms and additional functional areas including a flexi space in the plan.
At this point the buyer profile changes substantially. We are no longer primarily discussing an investor trying to maximise bedrooms per dollar.
This is much more naturally a young-family product.
Three bedrooms create the obvious configuration:
Master → parents
Bedroom 2 → Child 1
Bedroom 3 → Child 2 / study
And because there are two bathrooms, morning routines become much more manageable than in smaller configurations.
There certainly can be rental demand for 3-bedroom units. But the investment thesis changes.
Instead of targeting singles or couples, the landlord is increasingly targeting families, which means factors such as schools, commute, neighbourhood quality and long-term liveability become more important.
Our Verdict: strong entry point for young families and buyers planning for children.
5. The 936 sq ft 3-Bedroom + Flexi: A More Future-Proof Family Layout
Type C2 increases the footprint to 87 sqm / 936 sq ft and is specifically classified as a 3-Bedroom + Flexi.
The floor plan includes three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a household shelter, a kitchen, and the additional flexible area. This is an important step up.
For a family with two children, three bedrooms are already spoken for.
The interesting feature is the Flexi area.
Flexible rooms are valuable because household needs rarely remain static over a five- or ten-year ownership period.
It could begin as:
- storage;
- a compact office;
- helper’s space depending on configuration and intended use;
- hobby space;
- children’s storage/study area.
Later, its role can change.
That adaptability is particularly valuable to owner-occupiers because families usually buy space not only for their requirements today but for what they expect their household to become.
Investor appeal?
The Flexi then becomes the “pressure-release valve” of the apartment.
It could accommodate work-from-home requirements, storage, children’s materials or other household functions without sacrificing Bedroom 3.
That makes the layout particularly relevant to buyers thinking about five to ten years of occupation rather than simply their current household configuration.
Our Verdict: one of the stronger own-stay choices for young families who want three genuine bedrooms without moving into the larger premium segment.
6. The 947–969 sq ft 3-Bedroom + Study: Designed Around Modern Family Life
The Type CS1 and CS2 are 947 sq ft and 969 sq ft respectively, both explicitly offering three bedrooms plus a study.
The plans show something increasingly important in post-pandemic residential design:
the study is additional to the bedrooms rather than requiring a bedroom to perform double duty.
The CS layouts also incorporate a household shelter, kitchen, two bathrooms and WC alongside the study.
For many households, this could actually be more useful than simply buying another bedroom.
Imagine a couple with two children:
Master → parents
Bedroom 2 → Child 1
Bedroom 3 → Child 2
Study → permanent office
Nobody has to pack away a laptop every evening so that a room can revert to being a bedroom.
That makes these layouts particularly suitable for:
- professional couples with children;
- hybrid-working households;
- families wanting a dedicated children’s study;
- buyers upgrading from a smaller condo but not yet requiring a 4-bedroom.
From a resale perspective, this is also a broadly understandable configuration. “Three bedrooms plus study” addresses a large middle segment of the private-housing market.
Our Verdict: probably one of Dunearn House’s most balanced family formats.
7. The 1,001 sq ft 3-Bedroom Premium: A Different Kind of 3-Bedroom
The Type CP1 moves into the Pinnacle Collection at 93 sqm / 1,001 sq ft.
What matters is not merely crossing the psychological 1,000 sq ft threshold.
The internal programme changes.
The plan includes:
- dry kitchen;
- wet kitchen;
- yard;
- WC;
- household shelter;
- three bedrooms;
- two bathrooms;
- living/dining;
- balcony.
That tells us immediately who the developer expects to buy it. This is an owner-occupier’s 3-bedroom.
Separate wet and dry kitchens become meaningful when a household cooks regularly. A yard becomes useful when laundry and household chores are part of everyday family life. A WC provides additional utility that smaller units simply cannot accommodate.
These are not particularly glamorous spaces.
But they are precisely the spaces that determine whether a condominium remains comfortable after several years of family occupation.
The CP1 therefore competes less with compact investor-oriented 3-bedders and more with the traditional family home.
Our Verdict: particularly attractive to families that cook frequently, employ domestic help, entertain regularly or intend to remain in the development long term.
8. The 1,184 sq ft 4-Bedroom: The Natural Family Upgrade
Type D1/D2 is a 4-bedroom at 110 sqm / 1,184 sq ft.
Once buyers reach this category, the investment argument becomes secondary for most purchasers.
The relevant question becomes:
Can this replace a larger resale condominium or become the family’s long-term home?
The fourth bedroom dramatically increases flexibility.
A family with two children could use:
- Master → parents
- Bedroom 2 → Child 1
- Bedroom 3 → Child 2
- Bedroom 4 → study/guest room/grandparents
A family with three children can simply use all four bedrooms. This is why the jump from three to four bedrooms often matters more than the raw square-footage increase suggests.
The fourth room gives households optionality.
Our Verdict: best suited to established families, HDB upgraders with larger space requirements and buyers planning to stay through their children’s schooling years.
9. The 1,313 sq ft 4-Bedroom Premium: Space Starts Becoming Lifestyle
The Type DP2 expands the 4-bedroom format to 122 sqm / 1,313 sq ft.
The plan shows four bedrooms alongside three bathrooms, a household shelter, storage, a yard, a WC, a kitchen, and a balcony.
This is no longer simply about fitting four bedrooms into an apartment.
It is about creating enough supporting space for four-bedroom living to actually work. That distinction is critical.
A household of five generates more:
- laundry;
- groceries;
- storage;
- cooking;
- bathroom demand;
- circulation;
- household equipment.
The DP2’s additional ancillary spaces therefore matter just as much as its bedrooms.
Likely buyer
We would expect this format to appeal particularly to:
- affluent HDB upgraders;
- families moving from older private condominiums;
- multi-generational households;
- families with three children;
- buyers wanting a long-term Bukit Timah-area residence.
Our Verdict: predominantly an owner-occupation product rather than an investment-efficiency play.
10. The 1,378 sq ft 4-Bedroom Premium + Study: The Long-Term Family Home
At the top of the hierarchy sits the Type DPS1: 128 sqm / 1,378 sq ft, configured as a 4-Bedroom Premium + Study.
The keyword is not “Premium”.
It is Study.
Four bedrooms already accommodate a relatively large household. Adding a dedicated study means the family doesn’t have to sacrifice a bedroom for work-from-home or children’s academic needs.
This becomes especially valuable for households with three children:
Master → parents
Bedrooms 2–4 → three children
Study → office/children’s study
The apartment can therefore support a household configuration that many smaller new-launch units struggle to accommodate.
At this level, buyers are unlikely to be optimising simply for rental yield per square foot.
They are purchasing duration of use.
A 1,378 sq ft apartment that continues working when children become teenagers can potentially prevent the need for another upgrade several years later.
Our Verdict: strongest fit for affluent family owner-occupiers prioritising longevity and functional flexibility.
So Which Dunearn House Floor Plan Should Each Buyer Choose?
| Buyer profile | Floor plans worth studying |
|---|---|
| Pure investor | 2BR 527 sq ft |
| Investor wanting broader tenant appeal | 2BR Premium 614 sq ft |
| Single professional | 2BR 527–614 sq ft |
| Professional couple | 2BR Premium 614 sq ft |
| Couple working from home | 2BR + Study 657–678 sq ft |
| Couple planning for first child | 2BR + Study or compact 3BR |
| Young family with 1–2 children | 3BR / 3BR + Flexi |
| Family with two children + WFH needs | 3BR + Study 947–969 sq ft |
| Heavy-cooking family / long-term owner | 3BR Premium 1,001 sq ft |
| Family with 2–3 children | 4BR 1,184 sq ft |
| Larger / multi-generational household | 4BR Premium 1,313 sq ft |
| Affluent long-term family buyer | 4BR Premium + Study 1,378 sq ft |
The Most Important Insight: Don’t Buy Bedrooms. Buy Functions.
The Dunearn House floor plans illustrate something buyers frequently overlook.
An additional 100 sq ft is valuable only if those 100 sq ft solve a problem.
For an investor, additional space that substantially increases the purchase price without increasing achievable rent may actually dilute returns.
For an owner-occupier, however, the exact opposite can be true.
A seemingly mundane study, yard, household shelter or second kitchen can extend the useful life of a home by years.
That is why we would not evaluate Dunearn House simply as:
527 sq ft vs 614 sq ft vs 872 sq ft vs 1,378 sq ft.
We would evaluate it as a progression of household needs:
Investment efficiency → couple flexibility → young-family functionality → full family infrastructure.
And viewed through that lens, the unit segmentation becomes quite logical.
The compact 2-bedroom units maximise functionality within a relatively small footprint. The 2+Study and mainstream 3-bedroom layouts introduce flexibility. The larger 3-bedroom Premium and 4-bedroom Pinnacle units progressively introduce the supporting spaces required for genuine long-term family living.
One final technical point to remember when comparing sizes: unit area includes the balcony or PES where applicable, while excluding areas such as AC and RC ledges since the development harmonised. Also note that floor plans are approximate and subject to government re-survey.
So the best floor plan at Dunearn House isn’t necessarily the largest—or the cheapest.
It is the one where the layout, purchase quantum and intended holding period match the buyer’s actual life stage.
For investors, efficiency should dominate the decision.
For owner-occupiers, longevity should.
And for buyers somewhere between the two, the 2+Study and 3-bedroom formats may be where Dunearn House becomes most interesting.
Article contributed by Jerry Wong.
Jerry Wong is a realtor at Propnex Realty, bringing a rich background in interior and lighting design to his work. He loves exploring diverse spaces and observing the transformative power of real estate. Beyond his professional role, Jerry finds his greatest fulfillment in connecting people with the right properties, gaining immense satisfaction from helping clients achieve their dreams.
