GFA Harmonisation Explained: Why New Launches Like Dunearn House Look “Smaller” (But Aren’t)

Let me paint you a scenario. You’re shopping for a condo and you shortlist two units. Both advertised as 1,000 sqft. Same price range, same area. But when you walk into both showflats, one just feels more cramped than the other. Same number on paper, totally different in real life.

You’re not seeing things, and it’s not the lighting playing tricks on you. What you’re feeling is the result of a quiet but very important change to how Singapore measures floor area. It’s called GFA harmonisation, and if you’re buying a new launch in 2026 — Dunearn House included — you really should understand it before you start comparing prices.

I’m Patrick, a licensed agent here in Singapore, and I’ll be honest with you the way I’d explain it to a friend over kopi. No jargon dump, no scare tactics. Just what you actually need to know.

In this article:

1. How floor area used to be measured (and why it was a mess)
2. What GFA harmonisation actually changed
3. What it means if you’re buying a new launch like Dunearn House
4. What it means if you’re selling an older unit
5. The bottom line

How floor area used to be measured (and why it was a mess)

Here’s the thing most buyers never realised: for decades, Singapore didn’t have one single standard for measuring a unit’s floor area. Different government agencies counted it differently, depending on what they needed the number for.

• URA measured Gross Floor Area (GFA) including the external wall thickness but left out void spaces.
• SLA measured strata area only up to the middle of the wall, and could include voids.
• BCA used its own Statistical GFA definition with its own set of inclusions and exclusions.
• SCDF measured Accessible Floor Area, excluding external wall thickness.

So the same physical unit could carry several different “official” sizes depending on who was doing the counting. Confusing right? For architects and engineers it was just paperwork pain. But for buyers like you and me, it had a real consequence — developers could legitimately include spaces in the advertised size that you couldn’t actually live in.

Two classic culprits:

Aircon ledges. That narrow concrete shelf outside your window where the compressor sits — that used to be counted as part of your strata area. Space you “owned” and paid for, but never set foot on. Industry estimates put this at roughly 4–5% of a unit’s saleable area. Small, but not nothing when you’re paying a million-plus.

Strata voids. Picture one of those dramatic double-volume living rooms with a sky-high ceiling. In some older developments, the empty air above your head got counted into the strata area. So a unit with maybe 800 sqft of real, walkable floor could be marketed as 1,000 sqft once you tacked on the void. The psf looked nicer on paper — but you were paying premium dollar for air you literally cannot stand on.

So those two 1,000 sqft units that felt so different? Now you know why.

What GFA harmonisation actually changed

In September 2022, URA announced that floor area would finally be defined and measured the same way across all agencies. One rule, everyone follows. Harmonised.

The new rules kick in for development applications submitted to URA on or after 1 June 2023, and for Government Land Sales sites launched from 1 September 2022. Important nuance: not every project marketed after mid-2023 is automatically harmonised — it depends on when the development application was filed. So if harmonisation matters to your comparison, it’s worth checking the specific project.

The core changes:

• One measurement point. All agencies now measure to the middle of the external wall. No more varying interpretations.
• All strata area counts as GFA. This shut the loophole that let oversized aircon ledges sit in that grey zone between “owned” and “counted.”
• Strata voids are out. They no longer count toward strata area or GFA. No more paying for empty air.

The simple logic: if a space is legally yours (part of your strata area), it counts. If you don’t own it, or there’s no floor you can actually stand on, it shouldn’t be padding your unit size.

(If you’re the type who likes reading the actual circulars, URA has the full FAQ and revised definitions on their website. Worth a look if you want the fine print.)

What it means if you’re buying a new launch like Dunearn House

This is the part that trips up a lot of buyers, so let me be clear about two things.

First — newer units look smaller on paper. They’re not.

A unit that might’ve been marketed as 1,000 sqft under the old rules could show up as 950 sqft today. Not because anyone shrank the apartment, but because the void and the aircon ledge no longer get counted. The liveable space you walk on is the same — or honestly, more honestly represented.

This matters enormously when you’re putting a post-harmonisation new launch like Dunearn House side by side with an older resale unit built before 2023. The resale might look like it gives you more space per dollar. Sometimes that’s genuinely true. Sometimes it’s just old measurement rules flattering the numbers.

Second — the psf looks higher. But that’s not the full story.

When advertised floor areas shrink (because the inflated bits got stripped out), the psf naturally goes up — even if the actual price you pay barely moves.

Quick illustrative example so you see the mechanics. Say an older unit is sold as 775 sqft at $1,900 psf, total around $1.47m. But the aircon ledge plus void eat up nearly 190 sqft of that. So your real liveable space is closer to 585 sqft — which means your effective psf on usable space is more like $2,500, not $1,900.

Now compare a harmonised unit sold as 657 sqft at a similar total quantum. On headline psf it might look pricier. But because you’re paying only for liveable space, the effective psf on what you actually use can work out cheaper.

The point isn’t the exact figures — it’s this: comparing units across different measurement eras using headline psf alone will mislead you. Every time.

So my honest advice:

Buying a new launch (like Dunearn House): Accept that the psf will, by design, read higher than an older resale unit. That number alone tells you almost nothing about value. What actually matters: is the usable space efficient, is the layout well-designed, and does the total quantum make sense against rental yield and resale potential?

Buying resale: Check whether the listed size includes voids, big ledges, or other features that wouldn’t count under harmonisation today. These can be real perks — or they can just inflate the numbers. Know which one you’re looking at.

Pro tip: On the floor plan, look at whether the aircon ledge is marked as “Non-Strata.” If it is, you’re looking at a GFA-harmonised unit.

Why Dunearn House is the poster child for harmonisation done right

Here’s where it all comes together. Dunearn House is the first harmonised residential development in Bukit Timah — and that’s not just a trivia line, it’s exactly what this whole article is about. You’re not paying for unusable or wasted space here. Every square foot on the floor plan is space you can actually live in.

What that translates to on the ground:

• Squarish, efficient layouts that maximise both space and liveability — no awkward corners or dead zones you’re paying for but can’t use.
• Spacious living and dining areas built for actual family gatherings, not just looking good in a brochure.
• Master bedroom fits a king-size bed comfortably.
• Common bedrooms fit queen-size beds with room to spare.
• Naturally ventilated kitchens and bathrooms with windows — proper airflow, less reliance on aircon, healthier living.
• Flexible study area that can expand seamlessly into the dining room or master bedroom, adapting as your family’s needs change.

This is what I mean when I say focus on usable space over headline numbers. Dunearn House is practical, highly liveable and genuinely adaptable — a home designed for the way families actually live today, not the way a sqft figure looks on a price list.

What it means if you’re selling an older unit

If you own a pre-harmonisation property and you’re thinking of selling, this actually plays in your favour — but you’ve got to position it honestly.

Your unit probably has things newer projects just don’t build anymore: high ceilings, generous ledges, a private terrace, all of which were counted into your original strata area. On paper, that makes your place look “bigger” than a comparable new launch.

And plenty of buyers will see that as a feature, not a trick. A high-ceiling resale unit can deliver a sense of space and luxury that modern GFA rules simply won’t allow developers to replicate. Some of these older, larger-layout units have actually seen renewed interest because of this distinction.

But — and I mean this — be transparent. Buyers are getting savvier about harmonisation. Present your floor area accurately, explain the old-versus-new measurement difference, and you build trust instead of triggering a dispute down the line. Honesty sells better than spin, every single time.

The bottom line

Strip away all the technical stuff, and GFA harmonisation is really just a transparency reform. It’s the government making sure every buyer knows exactly what they’re paying for. Here’s the space, here’s the price — now go make an informed call.

Two things to burn into your memory:

• A bigger sqft does not automatically mean better value.
• A higher psf does not automatically mean more expensive.

What actually matters is how much of that space is genuinely usable, and whether the overall price makes sense for what you’re getting.

That’s exactly the kind of reading-between-the-numbers I do with my clients — and it’s especially relevant for a launch like Dunearn House, where understanding the real liveable value behind the headline psf can make or break your decision.

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We are licensed real estate salespersons in Singapore. Views are our own and are meant as general guidance, not financial advice. Always do your own due diligence before any property purchase.