What Is a Good Class Bungalow? Areas, Rules and Who Can Buy

A Good Class Bungalow (GCB) is a detached house on a plot of at least 1,400 sqm inside one of 39 designated Good Class Bungalow Areas (GCBAs) set by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA). Both conditions must be met. A large house outside those areas is not a Good Class Bungalow, however grand it looks.

GCBs are also some of the hardest homes in Singapore to buy, because ownership is tightly controlled. This guide covers the planning rules, the full list of areas, who is allowed to buy, recent prices, and how a GCB compares with other landed homes.

What Makes a House a Good Class Bungalow?

URA sets the rules for what counts as a GCB. The plot size, width and depth are minimums, and the house must sit inside a gazetted GCBA. The table below summarises the main planning controls.

Older guides often quote 35% or 40% for site coverage. Those figures pre-date URA's revised site coverage guidelines, so check the current URA table before you rely on a number.

Location matters as much as size. Outside the GCBAs, a bungalow needs a plot of only 400 sqm. A listing marketed as a "bungalow" is therefore not automatically a GCB, so always confirm the area and the land area first.

Where Are the Good Class Bungalow Areas?

URA's list of Good Class Bungalow Areas names 39 gazetted areas. Most sit in the prime Central Region around Tanglin, Holland and Bukit Timah, with a handful further out. You can browse current Central Region properties for sale to see what the surrounding market looks like. The groups below are approximate, so check URA's Designated Landed Housing Area Plan for exact boundaries.

• Tanglin, Holland and the Orchard fringe: Belmont Park, Bin Tong Park, Brizay Park, Chatsworth Park, Cluny Hill, Cluny Park, Cornwall Gardens, Dalvey Estate, Ewart Park, First/Third Avenue, Ford Avenue, Fourth/Sixth Avenue, Gallop Road/Woollerton Park, Garlick Avenue, Holland Park, Holland Rise, Leedon Park, Maryland Estate, Nassim Road, Oei Tiong Ham Park, Queen Astrid Park, Ridout Park, Victoria Park and White House Park.

• Bukit Timah and Newton corridor: Bukit Tunggal, Caldecott Hill Estate, Camden Park, Chee Hoon Avenue, Eng Neo Avenue, Raffles Park, Rebecca Park, Ridley Park and Swiss Club Road.

• Upper Bukit Timah and outer pockets: Binjai Park, Bukit Sedap, Chestnut Avenue, Kilburn Estate, King Albert Park and Windsor Park.

How Many Good Class Bungalows Are There in Singapore?

URA has previously said there are about 2,800 plots across the 39 gazetted Good Class Bungalow Areas. URA does not publish an official count of houses, so treat this as an approximate size of the market rather than an exact number.

What is clear is that supply turns over slowly. PropNex Research recorded only 10 GCB deals in the first half of 2026 (up to 7 June), and Realion Research counted seven caveated deals in the second quarter.

Who Can Buy a Good Class Bungalow?

Ownership is the biggest hurdle. The Singapore Land Authority (SLA) administers the approval process under the Residential Property Act. The table shows where each buyer type stands.

For PRs, SLA's guidance says applicants should have been a PR for at least five years and show exceptional economic contribution, such as Singapore tax-assessable income. Applications are submitted online and typically take about 30 working days once documents are complete.

Approvals are rare. A written reply from the Ministry of Law in August 2022 said only five GCBs were approved for acquisition by non-citizens between 2012 and 2021, all to PRs. Three were purchases, and two were inheritance or family transfers.

Can Foreigners Buy Landed Property in Singapore?

Foreigners cannot buy a GCB, and landed homes in general are restricted. Under the SLA's foreign ownership rules, a foreign person needs approval to buy vacant residential land and terrace, semi-detached or detached houses. Approval is also required for Sentosa Cove properties.

Some property types need no approval. Foreigners can buy condominium and flat units, and strata landed houses inside approved condominiums. If you want to browse that segment, see condos for sale in Singapore.

Sentosa Cove is the area most associated with foreign ownership of landed homes, but approval is still required there. Foreign buyers also pay 60% ABSD on any residential property, which sharply raises the cost of any purchase. This is general information, so speak to a licensed Singapore lawyer before you commit.

How Much Does a Good Class Bungalow Cost?

Prices are driven by land value. According to PropNex Research's 1H2026 report, the average GCB land price was S$2,121 psf, up 3.6% on the previous half-year. Deals ranged from about S$1,437 psf in Belmont Park to a record S$4,550 psf on Nassim Road.

That record deal was a 14,264 sq ft property sold for S$64.9 million. Realion Research, the OrangeTee and ETC research arm, calls it the largest deal of Q2 2026. It also put the quarter's average land rate at S$2,341 psf, compared with S$1,803 psf in Q1.

As a rough guide, a minimum-size plot of 15,070 sq ft implies about S$22 million at S$1,437 psf and about S$32 million at S$2,121 psf. This is simple arithmetic, not a valuation, and prices vary by street, plot shape, and condition.

Stamp duty adds to the bill. Under the ABSD rates from the Ministry of Finance (effective 27 April 2023), citizens pay 0% on a first home, 20% on a second and 30% on a third or more. PRs pay 5%, 30% and 35%, foreigners pay 60%, and entities pay 65%. Buyer's Stamp Duty applies on top.

Good Class Bungalow vs Other Landed Homes

A GCB is only one type of landed home. This table shows how it compares with the others, including what foreign buyers can do.

Cluster houses are the most accessible landed option for many buyers, because they are often sold within new developments. You can see what is launching in Singapore projects.

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A Good Class Bungalow is one of the most exclusive homes in Singapore, and the rules explain why. The plot must be at least 1,400 sqm, sit inside one of the 39 gazetted areas and meet URA's width and depth rules. Ownership is also tightly controlled. Foreigners cannot buy a GCB, and the Ministry of Law has said that no foreign buyer, PRs included, has been approved to acquire one since 2021. Prices reflect that scarcity. Recent deals averaged roughly S$1,800 to S$2,300 psf, and one Nassim Road sale reached about S$4,550 psf, so even a minimum-size plot costs tens of millions of dollars.

For most readers, especially foreign buyers and PRs, the more useful question is what to buy instead. There are real options. Foreigners can buy condominium units without approval, and strata-titled cluster houses inside approved condominiums give you a landed-style home without the restrictions on bungalows, terraces and semi-detached houses. Foreign buyers still pay 60% ABSD on any residential property, so set your budget before you shortlist anything, and speak to a licensed Singapore lawyer before you commit to any landed purchase.

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