When land is scarce like it is here in Singapore, chances are your home might've been built on someone else's final resting place, or so they thought. Because sooner or later, they got exhumed... and are now resting elsewhere.

It sounds morbid, but it's the reality of living on a tiny island. Many cemeteries have been cleared to make way for homes, roads, MRT lines, and even malls. That's when the question arises: would you live above a former cemetery?

Back then, we had many many cemeteries. Both small and large burial grounds were scattered all over the island. By 1973, the Ministry of Environment had shut down 34 cemeteries. Yet five years later, there were still 213 left, making up 3.7% of Singapore's land. As the population grew, land scarcity became a real issue, fast.

The government had to do something: land reclamation, which includes cemeteries, since it became abundantly clear that the dead were taking up too much room from the living. Thus, a law was passed so that graves are only allowed to remain for 15 years. After that, the plots will be exhumed or relocated to make space for other uses. By 1985, HDB cleared 21 more cemeteries, exhuming around 120,000 graves in the process.

You'd think that people would avoid ex-cemetery homes like the plague, especially in a country with many superstitious beliefs. But as it turns out, this doesn't deter buyers, at least not all of them. Let's take a look at some examples.

Bishan

You probably already know about this one. Because long before it became a mature estate, the area was known as Peck San Theng cemetery. In fact, the name Bishan was the derived from Peck San (??). The Chinese cemetery started in 1870 as a burial ground for the Cantonese community. It expanded over time, eventually occupying 384 acres of land, and had to be divided into a series of hills and pavilions.

Not long after it was established, a small community began forming around the cemetery. It started with caretakers, gravediggers, and peddlers selling offerings and other ritual items needed to honour the dead. As more Chinese immigrants arrived in the early 20th century, more amenities popped up. From Chinese schools and teahouses to wet markets and even an open-air cinema. And so the area became a kampong community.

However, Kampong San Teng, as it was known back then, was a hotspot for lawlessness. The cemetery's secluded and quiet nature made it the perfect hideout for secret societies to operate discreetly. Their reputation for crime can be traced back to Toa Payoh in the 1950s and 60s, which was nicknamed the "Chicago of Singapore" for being rife with gang activity.

Thus, in September 1973, the government put a stop to all new burials and officially closed the cemetery. Six years later, in 1979, the land was acquired for urban redevelopment. An exhumation notice was issued in November of that year, and between 1983 and 1990, the area was gradually transformed into the Bishan we know today.

At the time, few people were keen to live in a place built on former burial grounds. But, with a central location and excellent transport hubs, Bishan quickly became one of the most desirable HDB estates. So much so that its BTO flats oversubscribed by five times.

Today, Bishan is also synonymous with million-dollar flats and soaring resale prices. Just last year, a 5-room flat in Natura Loft, a Design, Build and Sell Scheme (DBSS) HDB development, was sold for a record-breaking $1.568 million at $1,214 psf. That's the third-highest transacted price recorded for HDB resale flats in 2024.

And if you're wondering how Bishan is holding up overall, the numbers speak for themselves. Just in the past decade, you can see that there is a consistent price gap between Bishan flats and district 20 as a whole. As of Q32025, flats in Bishan are averaging at $747 psf, while the overall district 20 is at $705 psf. This means Bishan holds a 10.84% premium over the district average.

Source: PropNex Investment Suite

Bidadari

Before it became a cemetery, Bidadari was a residence dating back to the 1800s. The land changed hands several times before it was sold to Temenggong Abu Bakar, and it was named Bidadari, meaning angel, as a tribute to his wife.

This name also made sense for a cemetery. Plus, Bidadari's sandy and porous soil makes it an ideal spot for burials. So, when Bukit Timah Christian Cemetery ran out of space, Bidadari became a prime candidate. In 1908, the Bidadari cemetery officially opened. Eventually they expanded to include Muslim, Hindu, and Buddhist sections and became one of Singapore's largest cemeteries with 147,000 graves.

But, between 2001 and 2006, the graves were exhumed to make way for new developments. And in 2013, HDB unveiled that Bidadari would become a new housing area made up of 12 BTO projects, with about 10,000 flats planned in total, across four districts: Alkaff, Bartley Heights, Park Edge, and Woodleigh.

Source: URA.gov.sg

And boy, are these flats popular. Just one day after launching, all the BTO flats oversubscribed. Proving once again that buyers don't care about the property's history as much as its future.

But how are they doing currently? Well, since hitting the resale market in late 2024, Bidadari's flats have consistently outperformed the wider district 13 market by a significant margin. In July 2025, Bidadari flats commanded an average of $1,105 psf, which was 21% higher than district 13 which averaged at $869 psf. On top of that, Bidadari's prices have remained impressively stable, maintaining at around $1,070 psf. In comparison, district 13 prices fluctuated a bit more.

Source: PropNex Investment Suite

Tiong Bahru

Being the trendy neighbourhood that it is, one wouldn't expect that the name Tiong Bahru directly translates to "New Cemetery". But it's true. Reports from as early as 1875 show that Tiong Bahru was already serving as a burial ground, with an estimated 500 burials taking place each year. And yes, there is a "Tiong Lama", an older cemetery which was where the Singapore General Hospital is today.

Source: National Heritage Board

Fast forward to today, and Tiong Bahru is one of the most desirable neighbourhoods, known for its heritage and trendy eateries. The old flats are highly sought after despite their age, with some units fetching over $1,000 psf on the resale market, thanks to the neighbourhood's hip reputation and charm.

And although there are some fluctuations over the past decade, Tiong Bahru flats have maintained a consistent price gap with its overall district counterpart. As of Q32025, flat prices averaged at $931 and $872 in Tiong Bahru and district 3 respectively. This means Tiong Bahru holds a 6.34% premium against the district average.

Source: PropNex Investment Suite

Looking ahead, it's clear that cemeteries are becoming a thing of the past. As exhumations continue, it's only a matter of time before there are no more cemeteries left in Singapore. In fact, there's just one cemetery still open for burials today, Choa Chu Kang cemetery. And even that is awaiting the largest exhumation to date (100 ha of land!!!) for the expansion of the Tengah air base. Approximately 45,500 Chinese graves and 35,000 Muslim graves will be exhumed in phases.

On top of that, around 26 graves will be exhumed from the 140-year-old St John's Church cemetery in Tengah, Singapore's newest town, to free up space for residential use. Though this site only spans around 1 hectare, every little bit of plot counts.

That's why most Singaporeans now opt for cremation and columbariums instead of traditional burials now. A 10-hectare cemetery can only hold about 1,000 graves, but a 3-hectare columbarium can store 10,000 urns. It's simply more practical. Today, cremation rates are already above 80%, and with more land needed for the living, columbaria will likely become the default resting place for future generations. They even come with leases (typically 30, 40, or 99 years). At the end of the day, if the graves hadn't been moved, Singapore wouldn't be the city we know today. We simply wouldn't have the space for the homes and infrastructure we now enjoy.

And honestly, the only frightening thing about these places now is the property prices! Clearly, having a cemetery past isn't going to scare off homebuyers and investors. They don't care about what used to be beneath their feet. They care about location, MRT connectivity, amenities, rental prospects, and long-term potential.

So, would you live on land that was once a cemetery? Who knows, maybe you already do.

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