Is a new launch or a resale condo the better buy?

It depends on three levers this calculator makes explicit: the growth assumption for each (new launches are priced ahead of the market today but historically appreciate into TOP; resale prices are established), the structural interest saving of a progressively drawn BUC loan against a resale loan that runs in full from day one, and the day-one costs only resale carries — renovation, furniture, maintenance, and property tax. There is no universal answer; there is your answer on your assumptions.

Why is the bank interest so much lower for a new launch?

A building-under-construction loan disburses by construction stage, so for the first years you pay interest on a fraction of the loan. On a $750,000 loan over four years, a resale buyer pays roughly $36,000 of interest while a BUC buyer on the standard progressive timeline pays roughly a third of that. The flip side: the BUC instalment ramps up and peaks after completion, and you may be paying rent somewhere else while you wait.

What costs does resale carry that a new launch does not?

From day one: maintenance fees, property tax, usually renovation, and furniture. A BUC defers all of these until TOP — but adds rent while waiting if you have no home meanwhile. Both sides pay the same BSD/ABSD at the same price.

What growth rates should I assume?

That assumption decides the comparison — which is why it's an input, not a hidden default. Ground the resale side in actual project-level history (every condo's appreciation is scored in our Resale Project Scorecard), and stress the new-launch side both ways rather than assuming launch-day pricing always grows into profit.

Why are properties owned and outstanding housing loans separate?

They determine different parts of the comparison. Properties owned set ABSD. Housing loans still outstanding set the bank-loan LTV and mandatory cash tier. Age and tenure can also move both sides to the reduced-LTV tier. If your entered loan is above the applicable limit, the calculator uses the limit and says so.

New Sale vs Resale

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Same budget, two paths — who wins after 4 years?

A new launch draws its loan slowly and skips resale's day-one costs; a resale starts appreciating — and costing — immediately. This runs both sides of the ledger.

Scenario

How you will use it

Projection horizon

Loan-to-value

Loan tenure

Outstanding housing loans

Separate from properties owned. This sets the bank-loan LTV and mandatory cash tier.Borrower age

For joint borrowers, use the income-weighted average age.Include buying expenses

New launch (BUC)

Purchase price

TOP is set at 48 months. Until then: no rental income, no property tax, no maintenance fee.

Expected annual growth

Package rate

Rent while waiting (monthly)

If you'd rent until TOP. Counted for 48 months.

Resale condo

Purchase price

Expected annual growth

Package rate

Maintenance fee (monthly)

Charged to the new launch too, from TOP (month 48) onward.Property tax (annual)

Auto-estimated for own-stay from the resale price (annual value ≈3.5% of price) at IRAS owner-occupier rates. Edit to override.Renovation (one-off)

Enter a price for both sides to run the comparison.

How the comparison works

Each side runs its own ledger over your horizon. Growth compounds annually on your per-side assumption. Interest is where the structure differs: the resale loan amortises in full from day one (computed exactly), while the BUC loan draws by the standard progressive payment stages — TOP set at month 48, with CSC and the later legal-completion draw grouped at month 60 for modelling — so interest accrues only on the drawn balance. Costs are side-specific: rent-while-waiting for BUC; maintenance, property tax, renovation, and furniture for resale. Optional buying expenses (BSD, ABSD, legal) hit both sides identically.

The same financing profile is applied to both homes. Property count determines ABSD; outstanding housing loans determine the bank-loan tier. A private-property tenure above 30 years or ending after age 65 uses the lower LTV tier. The calculator caps an entered loan at that tier and shows the mandatory cash floor, so the interest, downpayment and equity figures stay on one valid loan assumption.

Projected gain is growth minus interest, listed running costs and any buying expenses. It is deliberately not called final profit: selling commission, sale legal fees, SSD and CPF refund allocation are outside this comparison. “Equity before sale costs” is projected valuation less the outstanding loan; it is not cash back after a sale. The honest caveat: the verdict is only as good as the growth assumptions you feed it. Ground the resale number in real project history via the Resale Project Scorecard, and see the BUC cash-flow reality in the New Sale planner.

Frequently asked questions

Is a new launch or a resale condo the better buy?: It depends on three levers this calculator makes explicit: the growth assumption for each (new launches are priced ahead of the market today but historically appreciate into TOP; resale prices are established), the structural interest saving of a progressively drawn BUC loan against a resale loan that runs in full from day one, and the day-one costs only resale carries — renovation, furniture, maintenance, and property tax. There is no universal answer; there is your answer on your assumptions.
Why is the bank interest so much lower for a new launch?: A building-under-construction loan disburses by construction stage, so for the first years you pay interest on a fraction of the loan. On a $750,000 loan over four years, a resale buyer pays roughly $36,000 of interest while a BUC buyer on the standard progressive timeline pays roughly a third of that. The flip side: the BUC instalment ramps up and peaks after completion, and you may be paying rent somewhere else while you wait.
What costs does resale carry that a new launch does not?: From day one: maintenance fees, property tax, usually renovation, and furniture. A BUC defers all of these until TOP — but adds rent while waiting if you have no home meanwhile. Both sides pay the same BSD/ABSD at the same price.
What growth rates should I assume?: That assumption decides the comparison — which is why it's an input, not a hidden default. Ground the resale side in actual project-level history (every condo's appreciation is scored in our Resale Project Scorecard), and stress the new-launch side both ways rather than assuming launch-day pricing always grows into profit.
Why are properties owned and outstanding housing loans separate?: They determine different parts of the comparison. Properties owned set ABSD. Housing loans still outstanding set the bank-loan LTV and mandatory cash tier. Age and tenure can also move both sides to the reduced-LTV tier. If your entered loan is above the applicable limit, the calculator uses the limit and says so.

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Indicative projections on user assumptions — not a forecast and not financial advice. Stage timing follows the standard progressive scheme; actual schedules vary by development.

Disclaimer

The tools on this page provide estimates for general reference only and do not constitute financial, legal, tax, or investment advice. Calculations are based on prevailing MAS, IRAS, HDB, and CPF rules and rates at the time of publication, which may change without notice. Actual figures — including loan eligibility, interest rates, stamp duties, and CPF usage — depend on your specific circumstances and the final assessment of banks, IRAS, and other relevant authorities. TRIBE makes no warranty as to the accuracy or completeness of any output and accepts no liability for decisions made in reliance on these tools. Please verify all figures with the relevant institutions or a qualified professional before committing to any transaction.