Upmarket home launches in Kau To Shan, near Tolo Harbour, give wealthy buyers a way in

The charm of Kau To Shan lies not only in its picturesque location against the rolling hills of Kau To, but also in its proximity to the Tolo Harbour and MTR network.

Kau To Shan’s “traditional” luxury residential areas are located around Kau To Shan Road and Ma Ling Path, where over 100 single-family houses are located.

While most properties in these neighbourhoods were built more than two decades ago, the low-density setting and landscaped grounds keep them as prestigious as ever and obviously they command top dollars in the secondary market.

Away from Kau To Shan Road and Ma Ling Path, Lai Ping Road is now emerging as a new prime residential location of Kau To Shan.

Over the past two years, at least two developments were completed on Lai Ping Road, and it is expected that a few more will be launched this year or next.

These newbuild developments feature a more diverse layout and floor plan mix, including apartments and houses.

Most Kau To Shan homeowners are occupiers themselves who have a strong holding power, says Tony Yu, senior district director at Midland Realty.

“So no matter whether the market is up or down ... listings in the secondary market is very rare. But the new developments on Lai Ping Road present homebuyers [with] the opportunity to purchase a new home in this traditional residential area,” Yu says.

Among the established complexes, Windsor Heights is perhaps the best known. Perched on an elevated site, this gated community comprises 40 luxury houses and a clubhouse.

Double Haven is a newer development within the area. Providing a range of leisure and sports facilities, it makes an ideal home for younger elite who would like to live a physically more active lifestyle. The entire development is composed of 32 houses, with most configured as four-bedrooms.

Conifer Lodge and Wesley Villa offer single-family homes at a smaller footage, and therefore are relatively more affordable compared with the previous two.

Along Lai Ping Road, a winding road leading uphill towards the hilltop, there are several newbuild developments completed or nearing completion. At least two were completed in the past two years.

“It’s like really the best of both words. Air quality is excellent,” Yu says.

“The roads and driveways offer convenient access to the highway and railway network, northbound to the mainland, and southbound to the urban area.”

Completed and handed over to the owners in 2015, Dragons Range is located by the hillside. The architecturally designed complex offers 973 flats, from one- to four-bedroom, as well as special units.

Further uphill, Kau To Highland development was completed last year. It comprises 20 houses arranged along the roadside, with one side positioned to take in an unobstructed view of Tolo Harbour. Each house occupies a single lot, meaning that each has its own address.

Occupying a hilltop position towards the end of Lai Ping Road, Le Cap and La Vetta are the latest luxury developments expected to go on sale in the second and third quarters.

These two projects will offer a collection of luxury garden houses and apartments, many of them duplexes, laid out no smaller than 1,600 sq ft, and up to 4,700 sq ft of saleable floor area, according to Wing Tai Properties.

St. Moritz is another low-density development around the hilltop area. It will offer 59 homes, including 24 three-storey four-bedroom houses on the front row, and three low-rise blocks with 35 three- and four-bedroom flats at the rear.

The developer, Sun Hung Kai Properties, has yet to announce any sale plan.

HKR International and Nan Fung are also working on their joint-venture development, La Cresta. It will have 61 three- and four-bedroom homes, including 14 houses and 47 flats, ranging in size from 1,500 sq ft to 3,300 sq ft.

Down the development pipeline, CK Property is at work on a Kau To site it acquired last year for HK$1.953 billion.

The site covers about 67,800 sq ft of area, on which about 244,100 sq ft of gross floor area can be built.

Construction also started last August on another Kau To site (STTL 578), a joint venture between Paliburg and Regal Hotels, on which 160 homes will be built, according to Buildings Department records.

“As construction of these projects progress, it is inevitable to see heavy-duty and construction vehicles drive in and out of the roads,” Yu adds.

“But when these homes are completed and come to the market these [next] two years, the roads will be lined with supercars and luxury sedans.”