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An Chuan Building Review

An Chuan Building Review
Commercial Property Review — District 07, Bugis / Bras Basah / City Hall

An Chuan Building

A conservation shophouse block on Purvis Street, three minutes from Esplanade MRT — heritage character wrapped around downtown-core convenience.

SGCPI Research Desk Updated 23 August 2026 27 Purvis Street, Singapore 188604 ≈FREEHOLD (CONSERVATION SHOPHOUSE BLOCK)

Street-level view of An Chuan Building, 27 Purvis Street, Singapore 188604. Imagery: Google Street View (user-contributed imagery), accessed August 2026.

Project Overview

Building NameAn Chuan Building
Address27 Purvis Street, Singapore 188604
DistrictDistrict 07 (Beach Road / Bugis / Rochor)
Tenure≈Freehold (conservation shophouse title)
Zoning / UseCommercial — office & ground-floor F&B/retail
Built Form≈3-storey conservation shophouse block
Land Area / GFA≈150 sqm land / ≈420 sqm GFA
Completion Year≈Pre-war (early 1900s), restored ≈1990s
Nearest MRTEsplanade (CC3), City Hall (EW13/NS25), Bugis (DT14/EW12)
Key Road AccessVictoria Street, Beach Road, Nicoll Highway, ECP
Transacted PSF Range≈S$2,200 – S$2,800 psf
Sale Price Range≈S$950,000 – S$2.4 million
Asking Rent Range≈S$5.50 – S$7.50 psf/month
Occupier BaseMixed professional services and F&B tenants, incl. Interlexis and Hock Lam Street Popular Beef Kway Teow

Location & Connectivity

An Chuan Building sits along Purvis Street, a short pedestrian lane tucked between Bras Basah Road and Beach Road in the Bugis / City Hall precinct. This is one of the last intact stretches of low-rise conservation shophouses in the Downtown Core, and the building’s position places it inside a five-minute walking loop that takes in Bugis Junction, Raffles City, National Library Building and the Civic District’s museums and galleries.

Public transport access is a genuine strength here. Esplanade MRT Station (Circle Line) is roughly 650 metres away, while City Hall (East-West and North-South Lines) and Bugis (Downtown and East-West Lines) are both within comfortable walking distance, giving occupiers a three-line interchange cluster on their doorstep. Drivers reach the Central Business District in about ten to fifteen minutes via Nicoll Highway and the East Coast Parkway, with Victoria Street and Beach Road handling local access.

The immediate catchment is dense with lunch and after-work amenities — hawker stalls, cafés and restaurants line Purvis Street itself, while Bugis+, Suntec City and Raffles City provide larger retail and F&B options. Carrefour and other supermarkets sit within a short walk, and several childcare centres and primary schools serve the surrounding residential pockets, making the location workable for smaller firms whose staff live nearby.

Location of An Chuan Building. Map data: Google Maps, accessed August 2026.

Building & Facilities

An Chuan Building is a low-rise, party-wall conservation shophouse of the type that defines Purvis Street’s streetscape — narrow frontage, deep floor plates, and a restored façade under Urban Redevelopment Authority conservation guidelines. Floors are typically connected by internal staircases rather than lifts, which is standard for buildings of this vintage and scale, and buyers should expect to walk up to upper-floor units.

Ground-floor space is generally handed over in F&B-ready or retail-ready condition, with the upper floors more commonly fitted as offices with basic partitioning, ceiling-mounted air-conditioning and standard electrical loading. Because the block is small, there is no shared gym, function room or other large-format amenity; the appeal instead lies in the building’s character, its conserved shopfront, and its walkable, heritage-dense setting.

Prospective buyers should conduct due diligence on the specific conservation status and any URA restrictions attached to the unit before purchase, since alterations to the façade, roofline or common areas of conservation shophouses are tightly controlled. It is also worth verifying fire safety certification, structural condition given the building’s age, and whether any addition-and-alteration works have been separately approved.

Unit Types & Floor Plan Notes

Units at An Chuan Building are sold and leased individually by floor or partial floor, which suits owner-occupiers and small businesses rather than large corporate tenants seeking a single contiguous footprint. Layouts are narrow and deep, typical of shophouse floor plates, with natural light concentrated at the front and rear of each unit.

Ground Floor

≈550 – 750 sq ft

F&B or retail-ready shopfront unit with street frontage onto Purvis Street; highest footfall and highest psf tier in the building.

Level 2

≈500 – 650 sq ft

Office suite with front and rear window openings; suited to professional services, design studios or small back-office teams.

Level 3 / Attic

≈400 – 550 sq ft

Loft-style upper unit with sloped ceiling sections; quieter, lower-traffic floor typically priced at a discount to Level 2.

Whole-Floor / Combined Lot

≈1,000 – 1,400 sq ft

Two adjoining units combined for firms needing a full-floor footprint; subject to availability and MCST approval for any internal reconfiguration.

Floor-to-Floor Height: ≈2.8 – 3.2 metres, typical of pre-war shophouse construction
Vertical Access: Internal staircase; no passenger lift
Loading: No dedicated loading bay; kerbside loading on Purvis Street within permitted hours
Air-Conditioning: Split-unit / condenser-based, unit-by-unit
Facade & Alterations: Subject to URA conservation guidelines for shopfronts and common areas

Investment Case

An Chuan Building’s investment thesis rests on scarcity and location rather than scale. Conservation shophouse stock in the Bugis / City Hall corridor is fixed in supply, cannot be redeveloped upward, and sits inside one of Singapore’s most connected and amenity-dense precincts — a combination that has historically supported resilient capital values even through softer commercial cycles.

What Works

  • Freehold-type, tightly-supplied conservation stock in a prime central location
  • Multi-line MRT access via Esplanade, City Hall and Bugis, all within walking distance
  • Heritage character and street-level footfall support F&B and lifestyle-tenant demand
  • Small strata quantum makes individual units accessible to owner-occupiers and SME investors
  • Surrounding precinct continues to benefit from Civic District and Bugis rejuvenation efforts

What to Weigh Carefully

  • No lift and limited floor plate depth restrict the tenant pool for upper floors
  • Conservation status caps redevelopment or en-bloc upside for the foreseeable future
  • No on-site parking; reliant on public transport or nearby paid carparks
  • Building age means higher ongoing maintenance and periodic restoration costs
  • Thin resale transaction volumes can make price discovery slower than in larger developments

Who This Suits

An Chuan Building is best suited to owner-occupiers running small professional-services, creative or F&B businesses who value a walkable, transit-rich, character-driven address over large floor plates or building-wide amenities. It also appeals to investors seeking a small-quantum, tightly-held conservation asset for rental income and long-term capital preservation, rather than a redevelopment or en-bloc play. Buyers who need lift access, large contiguous space, on-site parking, or scope for future intensification of use are likely better served by a newer strata office or business park development elsewhere in the city.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is An Chuan Building zoned for, and what businesses can operate here?
An Chuan Building sits on commercially-zoned land within the Downtown Core / Rochor planning area, and is used for a mix of office and F&B/retail purposes, consistent with its conservation shophouse status. Ground-floor units are generally suited to food and beverage, retail or lifestyle concepts, while upper floors are typically used as offices for professional services, consultancies, design studios and similar small teams. Heavier commercial or industrial uses are not appropriate for this building. Because it carries conservation status, any change of use or alteration to shopfronts, signage or common areas is subject to Urban Redevelopment Authority approval, so buyers planning a specific business use should verify permissibility with URA and the appointed conservation architect before committing.
Can foreigners buy a unit in An Chuan Building?
Yes. Commercial and office units, including strata shophouse space, fall outside the restrictions of Singapore’s Residential Property Act, so foreign individuals and foreign-owned entities can generally purchase units at An Chuan Building without the approvals required for residential property. There is no Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty ceiling or citizenship-based quota on commercial purchases of this kind, and financing is available to both local and foreign buyers, subject to the usual bank credit assessments. Foreign corporate buyers should still check any internal company or fund-level restrictions, and all buyers should engage a conveyancing lawyer to confirm the specific title and any conservation covenants attached to the unit before exercising an option.
Does Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty (ABSD) apply to a purchase here?
No. ABSD in Singapore applies specifically to residential property purchases and does not extend to commercial or office units such as those at An Chuan Building. Buyers, whether Singapore citizens, permanent residents, foreigners or corporate entities, are not subject to ABSD when acquiring strata commercial space here, regardless of how many other residential properties they already own. This is one of the structural advantages commercial assets hold over residential property in the current policy environment, and it is a key reason some investors rotate capital toward small strata commercial units. Standard Buyer’s Stamp Duty still applies, and buyers should always confirm current rates with their conveyancing lawyer at the point of purchase.
What about Seller’s Stamp Duty (SSD) if I sell within a few years?
Commercial and industrial properties in Singapore are not currently subject to Seller’s Stamp Duty, which applies mainly to residential and, separately, industrial property under its own holding-period regime introduced in past cooling measures. For a general office/commercial shophouse unit such as at An Chuan Building, sellers are typically not liable for SSD regardless of holding period, giving owners more flexibility to sell opportunistically. That said, SSD rules have changed before and can be revised again, so sellers should reconfirm the prevailing treatment with a property tax adviser or conveyancing lawyer at the time of any intended sale, rather than relying solely on historical practice.
How much Buyer’s Stamp Duty (BSD) will I pay?
Buyer’s Stamp Duty applies to all property purchases in Singapore, including commercial units at An Chuan Building, and is calculated on a tiered percentage of the purchase price or market value, whichever is higher. Rates increase progressively across price bands, so a higher-quantum unit attracts a proportionally larger BSD bill. Unlike ABSD, BSD is not tied to citizenship or the number of properties owned, so it is payable uniformly by local and foreign buyers, individuals and companies alike. Buyers should ask their lawyer to compute the exact BSD payable on their intended purchase price, since rate bands are periodically revised by the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore.
Is GST payable on the purchase price?
Whether GST applies depends on the seller’s GST registration status rather than the property type itself. If the vendor is a GST-registered entity selling in the course of business, GST is chargeable on top of the purchase price for a commercial unit like those at An Chuan Building; if the seller is an individual or non-GST-registered entity, no GST applies. Buyers purchasing through a GST-registered company of their own may be able to claim input tax on GST paid, subject to normal input tax rules. Because this varies case by case, buyers should always clarify the seller’s GST status and structure the sale-and-purchase agreement accordingly before signing.
How does bank financing work given the building’s age and lease status?
Financing a unit in a pre-war conservation building like An Chuan Building is generally available, but banks will pay close attention to the building’s structural condition, conservation status and freehold-type title when assessing the loan. Because the asset is freehold rather than a decaying leasehold, remaining lease tenure is not the constraint it would be for an aging 60-year leasehold industrial building; the main considerations instead are the bank’s valuation, the borrower’s income or company financials, and standard loan-to-value limits for commercial property, which are typically less restrictive than for residential purchases. Buyers should obtain an in-principle approval early, since older buildings can occasionally require additional bank-commissioned structural or fire-safety checks before drawdown.
What kind of rental yield can I expect?
Based on asking rents of roughly S$5.50 to S$7.50 psf per month against transacted prices in the S$2,200 to S$2,800 psf range, gross rental yields for units at An Chuan Building broadly fall in the 3% to 4% per annum range, which is typical for small, well-located strata commercial shophouse space in the Downtown Core. Ground-floor F&B units generally command the highest absolute rent and can push yields toward the upper end of that range when fully let, while upper-floor office units tend to sit closer to the lower end. Actual yield will depend on tenant mix, vacancy periods, and the specific unit’s condition and fit-out at the time of purchase.
How old is the building, and does that matter for buyers?
An Chuan Building is a pre-war conservation shophouse, meaning the core structure likely dates from the early twentieth century, with later restoration works carried out to bring it up to modern fire safety and structural standards, as is common for gazetted conservation buildings in this precinct. Age matters in two practical ways: buyers should expect higher and more frequent maintenance costs than in a newer building, and any renovation or addition-and-alteration works will require conservation-compliant materials and URA approval. On the positive side, the building’s age is also the source of its scarcity value, since no new conservation shophouse stock can be created, only restored and reused.
What are the odds of en-bloc sale or redevelopment?
En-bloc or redevelopment odds for An Chuan Building are low. As a gazetted conservation shophouse, the building’s façade, roofline and overall built form are protected under Urban Redevelopment Authority conservation guidelines, which effectively rules out demolition and rebuilding to a larger scale. Any collective sale would most likely involve a buyer acquiring the block for continued conservation use rather than redevelopment, and such transactions are uncommon for small shophouse strata titles with fragmented ownership. Buyers should treat this as a hold-for-income-and-capital-preservation asset rather than a redevelopment play, and factor that expectation into their long-term investment horizon and exit planning.
What about parking and loading/unloading?
An Chuan Building does not have dedicated on-site parking, which is typical for narrow-frontage shophouse stock in this part of the Downtown Core. Occupiers and visitors generally rely on nearby public car parks, including those serving Bugis Junction, Raffles City and other commercial buildings within walking distance, as well as on-street parking where permitted. Loading and unloading for F&B and retail tenants is typically done kerbside on Purvis Street within designated time windows, rather than through a dedicated loading bay. Businesses with frequent, heavy or oversized deliveries should factor this constraint into their operational planning before committing to a ground-floor unit here.
What are the maintenance and MCST fees like?
As a strata-titled commercial building, An Chuan Building is managed by a Management Corporation Strata Title council, which collects monthly maintenance fees from unit owners to cover cleaning, common-area upkeep, fire safety servicing, and periodic façade and structural maintenance mandated by conservation guidelines. Fees for small conservation shophouse buildings tend to run moderate relative to larger developments, given the absence of lifts, pools or other shared amenities, but can spike periodically when major restoration or compliance works fall due. Prospective buyers should request the latest MCST accounts, sinking fund balance and any planned capital works before purchase, so they can budget accurately for near-term fee increases.
How liquid is the resale market for units here?
Resale liquidity for small conservation shophouse units like those at An Chuan Building is generally thinner than for larger strata office towers, simply because there are fewer units in the building and transactions happen infrequently. This can mean longer marketing periods and a smaller pool of comparable transactions to anchor pricing, which buyers and sellers should factor into their timeline expectations. On the other hand, the scarcity of conservation stock in this precinct tends to support pricing resilience once a transaction does occur, and well-presented units with clean tenancy and title records typically attract steady interest from owner-occupiers and boutique investors familiar with the area.
What business types suit this building best?
The building’s small floor plates, walk-up access and heritage shopfronts suit businesses that benefit from character and footfall over sheer floor area. Ground-floor units work well for café, restaurant, bar or specialty retail concepts that can leverage Purvis Street’s dining reputation and nearby tourist and office-worker traffic. Upper floors suit small professional-services firms, design studios, consultancies and creative agencies that prioritise a central, transit-linked address and are comfortable without lift access or large meeting spaces. Businesses requiring large open-plan floors, heavy equipment, extensive storage or on-site parking are generally better matched to a newer business park or high-rise commercial development instead.

This article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, tax or investment advice. Figures marked with the ≈ symbol are reasoned estimates based on publicly available listings data and comparable transactions in the vicinity, and should be independently verified against current URA, IRAS and MCST records before any purchase decision. Prospective buyers should engage a qualified property agent, conveyancing lawyer and financial adviser to confirm zoning permissibility, conservation status, title particulars, stamp duty liability and financing terms specific to their circumstances.

© 2026 SG Commercial Property Insights. All rights reserved.

An Chuan Building Review
Commercial Property Review — District 07, Bugis / Bras Basah / City Hall

An Chuan Building

A conservation shophouse block on Purvis Street, three minutes from Esplanade MRT — heritage character wrapped around downtown-core convenience.

SGCPI Research Desk Updated 23 August 2026 27 Purvis Street, Singapore 188604 ≈FREEHOLD (CONSERVATION SHOPHOUSE BLOCK)

Street-level view of An Chuan Building, 27 Purvis Street, Singapore 188604. Imagery: Google Street View (user-contributed imagery), accessed August 2026.

Project Overview

Building NameAn Chuan Building
Address27 Purvis Street, Singapore 188604
DistrictDistrict 07 (Beach Road / Bugis / Rochor)
Tenure≈Freehold (conservation shophouse title)
Zoning / UseCommercial — office & ground-floor F&B/retail
Built Form≈3-storey conservation shophouse block
Land Area / GFA≈150 sqm land / ≈420 sqm GFA
Completion Year≈Pre-war (early 1900s), restored ≈1990s
Nearest MRTEsplanade (CC3), City Hall (EW13/NS25), Bugis (DT14/EW12)
Key Road AccessVictoria Street, Beach Road, Nicoll Highway, ECP
Transacted PSF Range≈S$2,200 – S$2,800 psf
Sale Price Range≈S$950,000 – S$2.4 million
Asking Rent Range≈S$5.50 – S$7.50 psf/month
Occupier BaseMixed professional services and F&B tenants, incl. Interlexis and Hock Lam Street Popular Beef Kway Teow

Location & Connectivity

An Chuan Building sits along Purvis Street, a short pedestrian lane tucked between Bras Basah Road and Beach Road in the Bugis / City Hall precinct. This is one of the last intact stretches of low-rise conservation shophouses in the Downtown Core, and the building’s position places it inside a five-minute walking loop that takes in Bugis Junction, Raffles City, National Library Building and the Civic District’s museums and galleries.

Public transport access is a genuine strength here. Esplanade MRT Station (Circle Line) is roughly 650 metres away, while City Hall (East-West and North-South Lines) and Bugis (Downtown and East-West Lines) are both within comfortable walking distance, giving occupiers a three-line interchange cluster on their doorstep. Drivers reach the Central Business District in about ten to fifteen minutes via Nicoll Highway and the East Coast Parkway, with Victoria Street and Beach Road handling local access.

The immediate catchment is dense with lunch and after-work amenities — hawker stalls, cafés and restaurants line Purvis Street itself, while Bugis+, Suntec City and Raffles City provide larger retail and F&B options. Carrefour and other supermarkets sit within a short walk, and several childcare centres and primary schools serve the surrounding residential pockets, making the location workable for smaller firms whose staff live nearby.

Location of An Chuan Building. Map data: Google Maps, accessed August 2026.

Building & Facilities

An Chuan Building is a low-rise, party-wall conservation shophouse of the type that defines Purvis Street’s streetscape — narrow frontage, deep floor plates, and a restored façade under Urban Redevelopment Authority conservation guidelines. Floors are typically connected by internal staircases rather than lifts, which is standard for buildings of this vintage and scale, and buyers should expect to walk up to upper-floor units.

Ground-floor space is generally handed over in F&B-ready or retail-ready condition, with the upper floors more commonly fitted as offices with basic partitioning, ceiling-mounted air-conditioning and standard electrical loading. Because the block is small, there is no shared gym, function room or other large-format amenity; the appeal instead lies in the building’s character, its conserved shopfront, and its walkable, heritage-dense setting.

Prospective buyers should conduct due diligence on the specific conservation status and any URA restrictions attached to the unit before purchase, since alterations to the façade, roofline or common areas of conservation shophouses are tightly controlled. It is also worth verifying fire safety certification, structural condition given the building’s age, and whether any addition-and-alteration works have been separately approved.

Unit Types & Floor Plan Notes

Units at An Chuan Building are sold and leased individually by floor or partial floor, which suits owner-occupiers and small businesses rather than large corporate tenants seeking a single contiguous footprint. Layouts are narrow and deep, typical of shophouse floor plates, with natural light concentrated at the front and rear of each unit.

Ground Floor

≈550 – 750 sq ft

F&B or retail-ready shopfront unit with street frontage onto Purvis Street; highest footfall and highest psf tier in the building.

Level 2

≈500 – 650 sq ft

Office suite with front and rear window openings; suited to professional services, design studios or small back-office teams.

Level 3 / Attic

≈400 – 550 sq ft

Loft-style upper unit with sloped ceiling sections; quieter, lower-traffic floor typically priced at a discount to Level 2.

Whole-Floor / Combined Lot

≈1,000 – 1,400 sq ft

Two adjoining units combined for firms needing a full-floor footprint; subject to availability and MCST approval for any internal reconfiguration.

Floor-to-Floor Height: ≈2.8 – 3.2 metres, typical of pre-war shophouse construction
Vertical Access: Internal staircase; no passenger lift
Loading: No dedicated loading bay; kerbside loading on Purvis Street within permitted hours
Air-Conditioning: Split-unit / condenser-based, unit-by-unit
Facade & Alterations: Subject to URA conservation guidelines for shopfronts and common areas

Investment Case

An Chuan Building’s investment thesis rests on scarcity and location rather than scale. Conservation shophouse stock in the Bugis / City Hall corridor is fixed in supply, cannot be redeveloped upward, and sits inside one of Singapore’s most connected and amenity-dense precincts — a combination that has historically supported resilient capital values even through softer commercial cycles.

What Works

  • Freehold-type, tightly-supplied conservation stock in a prime central location
  • Multi-line MRT access via Esplanade, City Hall and Bugis, all within walking distance
  • Heritage character and street-level footfall support F&B and lifestyle-tenant demand
  • Small strata quantum makes individual units accessible to owner-occupiers and SME investors
  • Surrounding precinct continues to benefit from Civic District and Bugis rejuvenation efforts

What to Weigh Carefully

  • No lift and limited floor plate depth restrict the tenant pool for upper floors
  • Conservation status caps redevelopment or en-bloc upside for the foreseeable future
  • No on-site parking; reliant on public transport or nearby paid carparks
  • Building age means higher ongoing maintenance and periodic restoration costs
  • Thin resale transaction volumes can make price discovery slower than in larger developments

Who This Suits

An Chuan Building is best suited to owner-occupiers running small professional-services, creative or F&B businesses who value a walkable, transit-rich, character-driven address over large floor plates or building-wide amenities. It also appeals to investors seeking a small-quantum, tightly-held conservation asset for rental income and long-term capital preservation, rather than a redevelopment or en-bloc play. Buyers who need lift access, large contiguous space, on-site parking, or scope for future intensification of use are likely better served by a newer strata office or business park development elsewhere in the city.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is An Chuan Building zoned for, and what businesses can operate here?
An Chuan Building sits on commercially-zoned land within the Downtown Core / Rochor planning area, and is used for a mix of office and F&B/retail purposes, consistent with its conservation shophouse status. Ground-floor units are generally suited to food and beverage, retail or lifestyle concepts, while upper floors are typically used as offices for professional services, consultancies, design studios and similar small teams. Heavier commercial or industrial uses are not appropriate for this building. Because it carries conservation status, any change of use or alteration to shopfronts, signage or common areas is subject to Urban Redevelopment Authority approval, so buyers planning a specific business use should verify permissibility with URA and the appointed conservation architect before committing.
Can foreigners buy a unit in An Chuan Building?
Yes. Commercial and office units, including strata shophouse space, fall outside the restrictions of Singapore’s Residential Property Act, so foreign individuals and foreign-owned entities can generally purchase units at An Chuan Building without the approvals required for residential property. There is no Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty ceiling or citizenship-based quota on commercial purchases of this kind, and financing is available to both local and foreign buyers, subject to the usual bank credit assessments. Foreign corporate buyers should still check any internal company or fund-level restrictions, and all buyers should engage a conveyancing lawyer to confirm the specific title and any conservation covenants attached to the unit before exercising an option.
Does Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty (ABSD) apply to a purchase here?
No. ABSD in Singapore applies specifically to residential property purchases and does not extend to commercial or office units such as those at An Chuan Building. Buyers, whether Singapore citizens, permanent residents, foreigners or corporate entities, are not subject to ABSD when acquiring strata commercial space here, regardless of how many other residential properties they already own. This is one of the structural advantages commercial assets hold over residential property in the current policy environment, and it is a key reason some investors rotate capital toward small strata commercial units. Standard Buyer’s Stamp Duty still applies, and buyers should always confirm current rates with their conveyancing lawyer at the point of purchase.
What about Seller’s Stamp Duty (SSD) if I sell within a few years?
Commercial and industrial properties in Singapore are not currently subject to Seller’s Stamp Duty, which applies mainly to residential and, separately, industrial property under its own holding-period regime introduced in past cooling measures. For a general office/commercial shophouse unit such as at An Chuan Building, sellers are typically not liable for SSD regardless of holding period, giving owners more flexibility to sell opportunistically. That said, SSD rules have changed before and can be revised again, so sellers should reconfirm the prevailing treatment with a property tax adviser or conveyancing lawyer at the time of any intended sale, rather than relying solely on historical practice.
How much Buyer’s Stamp Duty (BSD) will I pay?
Buyer’s Stamp Duty applies to all property purchases in Singapore, including commercial units at An Chuan Building, and is calculated on a tiered percentage of the purchase price or market value, whichever is higher. Rates increase progressively across price bands, so a higher-quantum unit attracts a proportionally larger BSD bill. Unlike ABSD, BSD is not tied to citizenship or the number of properties owned, so it is payable uniformly by local and foreign buyers, individuals and companies alike. Buyers should ask their lawyer to compute the exact BSD payable on their intended purchase price, since rate bands are periodically revised by the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore.
Is GST payable on the purchase price?
Whether GST applies depends on the seller’s GST registration status rather than the property type itself. If the vendor is a GST-registered entity selling in the course of business, GST is chargeable on top of the purchase price for a commercial unit like those at An Chuan Building; if the seller is an individual or non-GST-registered entity, no GST applies. Buyers purchasing through a GST-registered company of their own may be able to claim input tax on GST paid, subject to normal input tax rules. Because this varies case by case, buyers should always clarify the seller’s GST status and structure the sale-and-purchase agreement accordingly before signing.
How does bank financing work given the building’s age and lease status?
Financing a unit in a pre-war conservation building like An Chuan Building is generally available, but banks will pay close attention to the building’s structural condition, conservation status and freehold-type title when assessing the loan. Because the asset is freehold rather than a decaying leasehold, remaining lease tenure is not the constraint it would be for an aging 60-year leasehold industrial building; the main considerations instead are the bank’s valuation, the borrower’s income or company financials, and standard loan-to-value limits for commercial property, which are typically less restrictive than for residential purchases. Buyers should obtain an in-principle approval early, since older buildings can occasionally require additional bank-commissioned structural or fire-safety checks before drawdown.
What kind of rental yield can I expect?
Based on asking rents of roughly S$5.50 to S$7.50 psf per month against transacted prices in the S$2,200 to S$2,800 psf range, gross rental yields for units at An Chuan Building broadly fall in the 3% to 4% per annum range, which is typical for small, well-located strata commercial shophouse space in the Downtown Core. Ground-floor F&B units generally command the highest absolute rent and can push yields toward the upper end of that range when fully let, while upper-floor office units tend to sit closer to the lower end. Actual yield will depend on tenant mix, vacancy periods, and the specific unit’s condition and fit-out at the time of purchase.
How old is the building, and does that matter for buyers?
An Chuan Building is a pre-war conservation shophouse, meaning the core structure likely dates from the early twentieth century, with later restoration works carried out to bring it up to modern fire safety and structural standards, as is common for gazetted conservation buildings in this precinct. Age matters in two practical ways: buyers should expect higher and more frequent maintenance costs than in a newer building, and any renovation or addition-and-alteration works will require conservation-compliant materials and URA approval. On the positive side, the building’s age is also the source of its scarcity value, since no new conservation shophouse stock can be created, only restored and reused.
What are the odds of en-bloc sale or redevelopment?
En-bloc or redevelopment odds for An Chuan Building are low. As a gazetted conservation shophouse, the building’s façade, roofline and overall built form are protected under Urban Redevelopment Authority conservation guidelines, which effectively rules out demolition and rebuilding to a larger scale. Any collective sale would most likely involve a buyer acquiring the block for continued conservation use rather than redevelopment, and such transactions are uncommon for small shophouse strata titles with fragmented ownership. Buyers should treat this as a hold-for-income-and-capital-preservation asset rather than a redevelopment play, and factor that expectation into their long-term investment horizon and exit planning.
What about parking and loading/unloading?
An Chuan Building does not have dedicated on-site parking, which is typical for narrow-frontage shophouse stock in this part of the Downtown Core. Occupiers and visitors generally rely on nearby public car parks, including those serving Bugis Junction, Raffles City and other commercial buildings within walking distance, as well as on-street parking where permitted. Loading and unloading for F&B and retail tenants is typically done kerbside on Purvis Street within designated time windows, rather than through a dedicated loading bay. Businesses with frequent, heavy or oversized deliveries should factor this constraint into their operational planning before committing to a ground-floor unit here.
What are the maintenance and MCST fees like?
As a strata-titled commercial building, An Chuan Building is managed by a Management Corporation Strata Title council, which collects monthly maintenance fees from unit owners to cover cleaning, common-area upkeep, fire safety servicing, and periodic façade and structural maintenance mandated by conservation guidelines. Fees for small conservation shophouse buildings tend to run moderate relative to larger developments, given the absence of lifts, pools or other shared amenities, but can spike periodically when major restoration or compliance works fall due. Prospective buyers should request the latest MCST accounts, sinking fund balance and any planned capital works before purchase, so they can budget accurately for near-term fee increases.
How liquid is the resale market for units here?
Resale liquidity for small conservation shophouse units like those at An Chuan Building is generally thinner than for larger strata office towers, simply because there are fewer units in the building and transactions happen infrequently. This can mean longer marketing periods and a smaller pool of comparable transactions to anchor pricing, which buyers and sellers should factor into their timeline expectations. On the other hand, the scarcity of conservation stock in this precinct tends to support pricing resilience once a transaction does occur, and well-presented units with clean tenancy and title records typically attract steady interest from owner-occupiers and boutique investors familiar with the area.
What business types suit this building best?
The building’s small floor plates, walk-up access and heritage shopfronts suit businesses that benefit from character and footfall over sheer floor area. Ground-floor units work well for café, restaurant, bar or specialty retail concepts that can leverage Purvis Street’s dining reputation and nearby tourist and office-worker traffic. Upper floors suit small professional-services firms, design studios, consultancies and creative agencies that prioritise a central, transit-linked address and are comfortable without lift access or large meeting spaces. Businesses requiring large open-plan floors, heavy equipment, extensive storage or on-site parking are generally better matched to a newer business park or high-rise commercial development instead.

This article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, tax or investment advice. Figures marked with the ≈ symbol are reasoned estimates based on publicly available listings data and comparable transactions in the vicinity, and should be independently verified against current URA, IRAS and MCST records before any purchase decision. Prospective buyers should engage a qualified property agent, conveyancing lawyer and financial adviser to confirm zoning permissibility, conservation status, title particulars, stamp duty liability and financing terms specific to their circumstances.

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