Gems Ville Unit Types Review: Which Layout Is Best for Homeowners, Investors, Dual-Key and Co-Living Buyers?

Gems Ville is a development where the floor plans deserve considerably more attention than the relatively simple unit mix might initially suggest.

The freehold development at 8 Lorong 13 Geylang contains just 25 residences, ranging from a 517 sq ft one-bedroom + study to a 1,216 sq ft three-bedroom dual-key apartment. There are four principal layouts: Type A, Type B, Type C1 and Type C2.

On paper, that sounds straightforward. Look more closely at the actual floor plans, however, and the differences become much more significant.

Some layouts are conventional owner-occupier homes. Others have configurations that could potentially work particularly well for investors, unrelated occupants or co-living arrangements. Most notably, Type C2 is specifically designated as a 3 Bedroom DK, or dual-key residence.

There is therefore an interesting question for buyers:

Should Gems Ville be assessed purely according to bedroom count, or according to how each floor plan could actually be occupied?

For investors in particular, the latter may be considerably more useful. This article examines each Gems Ville unit type, its strengths and compromises, and the buyer profiles that may find each configuration most attractive.

Gems Ville at a Glance

Gems Ville is a boutique freehold development in Geylang.

The development comprises four unit types across its residential floors:

Each configuration is repeated across the second to seventh storeys. That means buyers are not choosing among dozens of variations of essentially the same apartment. There are four fundamentally different propositions.

Gems Ville’s freehold tenure is another important part of the equation. For buyers considering longer holding periods, rental investment or intergenerational ownership, that can make the development particularly interesting.

1. Type A — 1 Bedroom + Study, 517 sq ft

Units: #02-04 to #07-04
Size: 48 sqm / 517 sq ft

Best suited for: Singles, couples, first-time private-property buyers, investors and buyers who require a compact work-from-home space

Type A is the smallest residence at Gems Ville, but at 517 sq ft it provides something increasingly valuable in smaller private developments: a proper separation between the main bedroom and an additional study.

The layout is classified as a 1 Bedroom + Study, with six units occupying Stack 04 from the second through seventh floors.

More than a conventional one-bedroom apartment

The floor plan is organised into clearly defined functional zones, with the entrance opening into the main living area while the kitchen, bathroom, study and bedroom each occupy their own designated spaces.

What makes Type A particularly interesting is how it uses its compact 517 sq ft footprint. Instead of allocating more space to a conventional living room, part of the living area has been carved out to create a dedicated study.

This reflects the way living habits have evolved. With entertainment increasingly consumed through laptops, tablets and other personal devices, a large television-oriented living room may no longer be essential for every household. For buyers who work from home, converting some of that space into a dedicated study could provide considerably more day-to-day utility while keeping work activities separate from the bedroom.

At the same time, the layout does not force buyers to use the space as a home office. Those who prefer a more conventional one-bedroom configuration could instead position their television and console within the study area, effectively integrating it back into the living zone. This gives Type A some flexibility to function either as a one-bedroom + study or as a more traditional one-bedroom apartment with a larger entertainment-oriented living space.

Who should buy Type A?

The most natural owner-occupier is probably a single professional or couple who wants a freehold city-fringe apartment without paying for a full second bedroom. It could also appeal to investors targeting tenants working around Paya Lebar, Kallang or the wider central area.

Kallang MRT is approximately nine minutes’ walk away, while Aljunied and Paya Lebar MRT are accessible by short drives. James Cook University Singapore is also approximately seven minutes’ walk away. That surrounding employment, education and transport network broadens the potential tenant profile.

Investment verdict

Type A is probably the easiest unit to understand from a conventional investment perspective. It has one bedroom, one flexible study, and a relatively compact overall floor area.

Its weakness is equally straightforward: it offers much less scope to separate multiple occupants than the larger Gems Ville configurations.

Buyer profile scorecard

• Single owner-occupier: Excellent
• Couple: Excellent
• Small family: Limited
• Conventional rental investment: Strong
• Co-living: Limited
• Dual-key use: Not designed as such
• Multi-generational living: Poor

2. Type B — 2 Bedroom, 797 sq ft

Units: #02-03 to #07-03
Size: 74 sqm / 797 sq ft

Best suited for: Couples, small families, investors, two unrelated occupants and buyers considering a more rental-oriented use of the apartment

Type B is where Gems Ville becomes considerably more interesting. At 797 sq ft, this is a relatively substantial two-bedroom apartment. Stack 03 has six Type B residences.

The floor plan shows why the additional space matters. Instead of squeezing two bedrooms around a single bathroom, the layout includes two bathrooms, plus distinct living, dining, and kitchen spaces.

The bathroom arrangement changes the investment proposition

This is an important detail. For a conventional family, two bathrooms simply improve convenience.

For an investor, however, bathroom distribution can influence how comfortably an apartment accommodates unrelated tenants.

One persistent weakness of renting bedrooms individually in conventional apartments is that multiple occupants may have to share one common bathroom.

Type B provides a much better starting point. That potentially makes it suitable for two professionals sharing an apartment, or for a co-living strategy where privacy between occupants matters.

Type B is not officially designated as a dual-key apartment. Buyers should therefore distinguish between an actual dual-key residence and a conventional apartment whose internal configuration may lend itself to shared occupancy.

Nevertheless, from a functional perspective, the floor plan has considerably more rental flexibility than bedroom count alone suggests.

797 sq ft also makes it viable for owner occupation

The investment potential should not obscure Type B’s usefulness as a normal home. A couple could use the second bedroom as a study or guest room before eventually converting it into a child’s bedroom.

Alternatively, a small family receives two proper bedrooms without immediately having to step up to the substantially larger 1,130 sq ft Type C1. That creates an interesting middle ground.

Who should buy Type B?

Type B probably has one of the broadest buyer profiles in the development.

It can work particularly well for couples planning for a child, small families, singles wanting a substantial home office, investors renting the entire apartment, or investors targeting two unrelated occupants.

It may also be worth studying for a professionally managed co-living model because of the relationship between the bedrooms and bathrooms. The 797 sq ft size creates a significant jump from the 517 sq ft Type A without entering three-bedroom territory.

Buyer profile scorecard

• Single owner-occupier: Very good
• Couple: Excellent
• Small family: Excellent
• Conventional rental investment: Excellent
• Co-living: Strong potential
• Dual-key use: Not officially designated
• Multi-generational living: Limited

3. Type C1 — 3 Bedroom, 1,130 sq ft

Units: #02-02 to #07-02
Size: 105 sqm / 1,130 sq ft

Best suited for: Families, investors prioritising bedroom-rental flexibility, larger households and buyers wanting a substantial freehold city-fringe apartment

At 1,130 sq ft, Type C1 represents a major change in scale. There are six units, occupying Stack 02 from the second to seventh storeys.

The floor plan shows three bedrooms arranged around a substantially larger common living and dining zone. But once again, the important feature for investment-oriented buyers is not simply the number of bedrooms. It is the relationship between the bedrooms and bathrooms.

Why Type C1 deserves attention from co-living investors

Three-bedroom apartments are commonly considered family products. Type C1 can certainly fulfil that role. However, its internal planning could also make the apartment relevant to buyers considering shared accommodation.

The bathroom arrangement provides substantially greater convenience for multiple occupants than a typical configuration where several bedrooms rely heavily on a single common bathroom. That could become particularly useful when bedrooms are occupied by unrelated adults.

Instead of looking at the apartment purely as:

three bedrooms + living room

an investment buyer could assess it as:

multiple private sleeping zones + shared kitchen/dining/living infrastructure + distributed bathroom access.

That is effectively the logic underpinning many professionally operated co-living properties.

Could the living room become another bedroom?

There is also a more aggressive investment configuration worth considering conceptually.

Because the apartment has a meaningful kitchen and dining zone, an investor exploring co-living could investigate whether part of the conventional living area could be reconfigured to create another private sleeping space while retaining the kitchen and dining area as the principal common zone.

That could potentially increase the number of independently usable sleeping areas without eliminating communal space altogether. However, this should not be treated as an automatic entitlement.

Any physical alteration, partitioning, occupancy arrangement or rental strategy would need to comply with prevailing planning, building, fire-safety, minimum-stay, occupancy and other applicable regulations, together with the development’s by-laws where relevant.

The point is not that every Type C1 should be converted. It is that 1,130 sq ft gives an investor considerably more space with which to formulate different occupancy strategies.

The conventional family case remains strong

For owner-occupiers, the attraction is much simpler. At 1,130 sq ft, Type C1 offers substantially more internal space than Type B.

The additional bedroom allows a family with two children to allocate one bedroom to each child, or alternatively retain one as a study, guest room or other flexible space depending on how the household evolves.

It could therefore appeal to buyers who want to remain in the city fringe but do not want the tighter proportions associated with many smaller three-bedroom apartments.

Type C1 versus Type C2

This is where buyers face the most important decision at Gems Ville.

Type C1 is 1,130 sq ft. Type C2 is 1,216 sq ft. The difference is only 86 sq ft.

Yet the way the two apartments can be used is fundamentally different. C1 is essentially the larger conventional family/co-living proposition. C2 is the purpose-designed dual-key proposition.

That distinction may matter far more than the 86 sq ft difference.

Buyer profile scorecard

• Single owner-occupier: Excessive for most
• Couple: Very good if space is a priority
• Family: Excellent
• Conventional rental investment: Strong
• Co-living: Very strong potential
• Dual-key use: Not officially designated
• Multi-generational living: Good

4. Type C2 — 3 Bedroom Dual Key, 1,216 sq ft

Units: #02-01 to #07-01
Size: 113 sqm / 1,216 sq ft

Best suited for: Investors, multi-generational households, owner-investors, buyers wanting rental-income flexibility and purchasers specifically seeking dual-key functionality

Type C2 is arguably the most distinctive residence at Gems Ville. At 1,216 sq ft, it is the largest floor plan in the development, with six units occupying Stack 01. More importantly, C2 is specifically classified as 3 Bedroom DK.

The schematic diagram differentiates C2 from C1 by identifying C1 simply as “3 Bedroom” and C2 as “3 Bedroom DK”. That makes C2 fundamentally different from merely having a three-bedroom apartment with several bathrooms.

A genuine dual-key proposition

The floor plan shows the defining feature.

Rather than treating the entire 1,216 sq ft residence as one conventional apartment, the entrance arrangement and internal planning create greater separation between different parts of the home. This opens several potential occupancy models.

Configuration 1: Multi-generational family

One part of the residence can provide greater independence for parents or adult children while keeping the extended household under one property. This is one of the strongest arguments for dual-key housing.

The family remains physically close, but different generations do not necessarily have to share every aspect of daily living.

For ageing parents, adult children or relatives requiring greater privacy, this can be much more practical than simply giving them a spare bedroom inside a conventional apartment.

Configuration 2: Live in one portion and rent the other

This is potentially the most attractive strategy for an owner-investor. Instead of buying a separate investment property, the owner could potentially occupy the principal residence while renting the separated portion, subject to prevailing regulations.

The rental income can then offset part of the household’s property-related expenses. For buyers who value privacy, this is significantly different from renting out an ordinary bedroom inside their home.

Configuration 3: Rent to separate tenant groups

For a pure investor, the dual-key format introduces another possibility.

Different portions of the property could potentially cater to separate tenant profiles while remaining under a single property title, subject to prevailing rental and occupancy rules.

This potentially diversifies the tenant pool. For example, one portion could appeal to a couple, while another portion could serve a single professional.

Configuration 4: Extended co-living arrangement

Type C2 could also be examined through a co-living lens.

Its separation of spaces and multiple bathroom facilities potentially provides a stronger privacy hierarchy than a conventional three-bedroom apartment.

Rather than forcing all occupants into one homogeneous household arrangement, the layout allows occupants to establish more clearly differentiated private and communal zones.

That flexibility is probably C2’s greatest asset.

Why Bathroom Design Matters So Much at Gems Ville

One of the most interesting characteristics of the Gems Ville floor plans is that buyers should not analyse them purely by counting bedrooms. Bathroom access is almost equally important.

For a conventional owner-occupied family apartment, bathrooms are largely a convenience issue. For shared accommodation, they become part of the property’s operating infrastructure.

Imagine three unrelated working professionals occupying a three-bedroom apartment.

A configuration where several occupants must compete for one common bathroom creates a very different living experience from one where bathroom access is better distributed.

• Privacy improves.
• Morning congestion decreases.
• Tenant compatibility becomes less dependent on sharing personal facilities.
• And individual rooms can potentially become more attractive to prospective occupants.

That is why Type B, C1 and especially C2 deserve consideration from investors examining co-living or shared-tenancy strategies.

Gems Ville Unit Types Compared

There is therefore no single “best” Gems Ville layout. The answer depends heavily on what the buyer wants the property to do.

Which Gems Ville Unit Should You Choose?

Best for singles and couples: Type A

For buyers who simply want their own private freehold home, Type A probably provides the most straightforward proposition. The study increases its versatility without forcing buyers into the substantially larger financial commitment associated with Type B.

It should particularly appeal to professionals who work from home.

Best balance between own-stay and investment: Type B

Type B may be the development’s all-rounder.

At 797 sq ft, it provides enough room for genuine owner occupation while still accommodating two adults or tenants, with substantially more privacy than a smaller apartment.

For buyers who are uncertain whether they will eventually occupy or rent out the property, that versatility could be valuable.

Best conventional family apartment: Type C1

Families that do not require a dual-key arrangement may find C1 the more logical three-bedroom choice. You still receive 1,130 sq ft of space, while the apartment remains organised principally as one household.

For buyers who prefer a larger communal living environment rather than separating part of their property into another occupancy zone, C1 arguably makes more sense.

Its bathroom distribution nevertheless gives it interesting potential for shared accommodation later.

Best for co-living flexibility: Type C1 or C2

The decision here depends on the intended operating model. Type C1 provides a large conventional apartment that could potentially be organised around several occupants sharing communal areas.

Type C2 provides more deliberate separation. For a conventional room-rental or co-living concept, C1 could therefore be highly interesting.

For an investor who wants different groups of occupants to enjoy greater independence, C2 is probably the stronger configuration.

Best for multi-generational families: Type C2

This is one of the clearest use cases. Parents and adult children can remain close while retaining a degree of independence.

The dual-key arrangement effectively creates a middle ground between living together in a conventional apartment and buying two entirely separate properties.

Best for owner-investors: Type C2

For buyers who want to occupy their property while simultaneously generating rental income, C2 is arguably the standout unit at Gems Ville.

The ability to separate occupancies is precisely what makes dual-key properties attractive.

Instead of sacrificing one conventional bedroom and sharing the rest of the apartment with a tenant, the owner can potentially maintain greater separation between private areas.

The Boutique Nature of Gems Ville Is Important

There is another dimension to this analysis. Gems Ville contains only 25 residences.

That means this is not a large condominium where investors compete against hundreds of near-identical apartments when they try to lease or sell.

The development nevertheless provides rooftop facilities including a yoga deck, recreational swimming pool, pool lounge, gym, BBQ area and alfresco dining space.

For tenants, this creates something quite different from renting a room or apartment in an older walk-up property nearby. It still offers a condominium lifestyle component.

Location Also Supports the Rental Argument

The usefulness of flexible layouts ultimately depends on whether there is sufficient demand for accommodation in the surrounding area.

Gems Ville’s city-fringe location strengthens the argument.

Kallang MRT is approximately nine minutes’ walk away, while Paya Lebar MRT Interchange is around three minutes by car. Paya Lebar Square, PLQ, and SingPost Centre are listed at around a three-minute drive away, while the Singapore Sports Hub is approximately four minutes away.

The immediate Geylang location also provides extensive dining options, while the broader Kallang and Paya Lebar districts expand the property’s potential employment and tenant catchment.

This does not guarantee rental performance. But it does mean the flexible layouts are located in an area where multiple tenant profiles could plausibly exist.

Final Verdict: Gems Ville Is More Interesting Than Its Four Unit Types Suggest

At first glance, Gems Ville has an extremely simple unit mix.

There are only four principal configurations:

517 sq ft Type A.
797 sq ft Type B.
1,130 sq ft Type C1.
1,216 sq ft Type C2.

But bedroom count alone does not tell the whole story.

Type A is fundamentally a compact owner-occupier or conventional investment apartment.

Type B introduces substantially greater flexibility and could work equally well for a couple, small family or unrelated occupants.

Type C1 takes that concept further. Its 1,130 sq ft floor area, three bedrooms and bathroom distribution make it not only a credible family home but potentially one of the more interesting layouts for investors considering shared accommodation or co-living.

And then there is Type C2. At 1,216 sq ft, it is only 86 sq ft larger than C1, yet its official dual-key configuration changes the property’s possible uses considerably. It can potentially accommodate an extended family, an owner plus tenant, or different tenant groups with greater separation than a normal three-bedroom apartment.

That makes the C1-versus-C2 decision particularly interesting.

Choose C1 if you want the space to operate principally as one large home. Choose C2 if separation, rental optionality and multi-generational flexibility are priorities.

For investors, meanwhile, Gems Ville demonstrates why floor-plan analysis should go beyond calculating price per square foot.

A bathroom in the right location, an entrance that allows greater separation or a communal area that can serve several occupants can materially change how a property functions.

And in a freehold boutique development with only 25 residences, that flexibility may ultimately be one of Gems Ville’s most distinctive attributes.

Disclaimer: Any discussion of dual-key, room-rental, co-living, partitioning or alternative occupancy arrangements should be treated as a floor-plan and use-case analysis rather than confirmation that a particular configuration is legally permissible. Buyers should verify prevailing planning, building, fire-safety, rental and occupancy requirements, as well as any applicable MSCT by-laws and approvals, before carrying out alterations or implementing a rental or co-living strategy. Floor areas and layouts should also be verified against contractual and final surveyed plans, as floor areas are stated to be approximate and subject to final survey verification.

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.