Should I sell first or buy first when upgrading?

It is a cash-flow and ABSD question, not just preference. Buy first and you momentarily own two properties, so ABSD is payable upfront on the new purchase (refundable for an eligible married couple if the first is sold within 6 months and the refund is claimed, usually by ticking the box in the e-Stamping form). Sell first and you avoid that outlay but may need interim housing. This planner lays both tracks on one timeline so the squeeze points — and any cash bridge — are visible before you commit.

When do my sale proceeds actually arrive?

Cash proceeds typically return within about a week of completion. CPF timing starts only after CPF receives the sale funds: lawyers typically remit private-sale funds within one week, while HDB typically takes 4–8 weeks. CPF then processes an electronic refund in about 3 working days or a manual refund in up to 15 working days. The planner uses the conservative end of those ranges. If your purchase completes earlier, the CPF portion of your downpayment may need a temporary cash bridge.

Why does the planner make me pay private stamp duty in cash first?

For a completed private property, stamp duty is generally paid in cash first. CPF can reimburse eligible BSD and ABSD on completion only if your lawyer applies in time and CPF approves it, so the planner shows reimbursement only when you select that plan and caps it at the current CPF OA entered. For an HDB resale, CPF can pay the stamp duty directly, with no private-property cash bridge.

How does ABSD remission work for a married couple?

If you still own your first property when you buy the second, ABSD is payable upfront on the second. A married couple with at least one Singapore Citizen, buying in both names, can have that ABSD refunded — provided the first property is sold within 6 months of the second purchase (measured by the purchase-contract dates: when each option is exercised or the sale & purchase agreement is signed, not when the option is granted) and the other conditions are met. How you get the money back depends on one box at stamping. If you declared your intention to sell the first property and claimed the refund in the e-Stamping form for the purchase, IRAS refunds it automatically — typically within about six weeks of the sale being stamped, with nothing further to submit. If you did not, the refund must be applied for, and the application has its own deadline: 6 months after the date of sale of the first property. Miss the sale window or the application window and the refund is forfeited — no extensions.

Does this tool tell me what I can afford?

No — it is purely a timing and cash-flow planner. For affordability (TDSR, MSR, LTV) use the Affordability Assessment, and for the detailed sale side use the Sale Proceeds tool.

Sale & Purchase Planner

Selling one home and buying another? Enter both prices, your loan and CPF figures, and the key dates — the planner lays out a timeline of exactly when money moves, and whether it’s cash or CPF, so you can see any gap before it bites.

Selling HDB → Buying Private resale

Your sale

Selling price

Outstanding loan

CPF used (refund)

Principal + accrued interestOwner’s age at sale completionFrom 55, CPF first tops up the Retirement Account from the refundOption date

Option exercised date

Resale submission date

Days: submission → HDB acceptanceResale Acceptance is typically 3–5 weeks (≈21–35 days) from submission.Completion date

Typically 11–15 weeks from submissionExtension of stay (months)HDB’s maximum extension of stay is 3 months.Agent fee (% or $)

% of price (incl. 9% GST) — or enter the full amount. Netted off your cash sale proceeds.Legal & misc fees

Lawyer's fees + misc costs. Netted off your cash sale proceeds.

Your purchase

Purchase price

New loan amount (% or $)

Current CPF in OA

Option date

Option exercising date

Completion date

Extension of stay (months)After completion, before handover/possession.Agent fee (% or $)

% of price (incl. 9% GST) — or enter the full amount. Paid cash on completion day.Lawyer's conveyancing fee

Can be paid from CPF OA via your lawyer on completionMisc purchase costs

Valuation, searches, other costs. Cash, paid on the stamp-duty datePay the conveyancing fee from CPF OASubject to CPF approval. Uses the OA left after the downpayment balance; any part OA cannot cover is cashReimburse private-property stamp duty from CPFOptional. Assumes your lawyer applies and CPF approves it; the duty is still paid in cash first; the reimbursement is limited to the OA left after the downpayment balance and any conveyancing fee paid from OA, and shown on completion.

Buyer’s stamp duty profile (ABSD)

Highest applicable buyer profile

For joint buyers, choose the person with the highest ABSD rate after considering residency and properties owned.Still own the property I’m selling when I buyI confirm we meet the married-couple ABSD remission conditionsBoth spouses buy jointly, at least one is an SC, each owns no more than one home at purchase, and the first home will be sold within 6 months. Other IRAS conditions also apply.

Sale cash before fees / top-up (≈)$0

CPF refund, gross (incl. accrued interest)$0

Left in OA for this purchase$0

Buyer's Stamp Duty (BSD)$0

Additional BSD (ABSD)—

Needed beyond the loan (downpayment, duties, fees)$0

Confirmed funds (sale cash, usable sale CPF, current OA)$0

Surplus (confirmed funds only)$0

Cash-flow timeline

4 Nov 2026

Sale

HDB option fee received

+$1,000(Cash)

25 Nov 2026

Sale

HDB deposit received

+$4,000(Cash)

22 Jan 2027 *

Sale

HDB Resale Acceptance (est.)

—

3 Feb 2027

Buy

Purchase completes

—

19 Mar 2027

Sale

Cash top-up / option monies recycled at sale completion

−$5,000(Cash)

19 Mar 2027

Sale

Sale completes

—

* Estimated date (CPF remittance/processing, HDB Resale Acceptance, or stamp-duty timing).

Scroll the timeline sideways to see all events →

• HDB completion is typically 11–15 weeks from the resale submission date.

After you buy — will your reserves hold?

See how many months your cash would last if your income stopped, and how much you’d rebuild over four years.

Open the Safety Net Calculator →

Estimates for planning only — not financial, tax or legal advice, and not an offer. Timings follow typical Singapore conveyancing practice and current IRAS / CPF rules; actual dates vary. Verify with your banker, lawyer and the relevant agencies before relying on these figures.

How the planner works

A concurrent sale and purchase is really two timelines that have to be paid for out of one set of pockets. This planner hangs every money event off the dates you enter — option and exercise, stamp duty, completion — and tags each as cash or CPF, in or out. The point is to surface the moments where cash is needed before it arrives: stamp duty paid upfront, a purchase that completes before the sale’s CPF has cycled back, or ABSD paid while you wait on the refund.

Ground the buy side with the Affordability Assessment and the sell side with the Sale Proceeds tool.

Frequently asked questions

Should I sell first or buy first when upgrading?: It is a cash-flow and ABSD question, not just preference. Buy first and you momentarily own two properties, so ABSD is payable upfront on the new purchase (refundable for an eligible married couple if the first is sold within 6 months and the refund is claimed, usually by ticking the box in the e-Stamping form). Sell first and you avoid that outlay but may need interim housing. This planner lays both tracks on one timeline so the squeeze points — and any cash bridge — are visible before you commit.
When do my sale proceeds actually arrive?: Cash proceeds typically return within about a week of completion. CPF timing starts only after CPF receives the sale funds: lawyers typically remit private-sale funds within one week, while HDB typically takes 4–8 weeks. CPF then processes an electronic refund in about 3 working days or a manual refund in up to 15 working days. The planner uses the conservative end of those ranges. If your purchase completes earlier, the CPF portion of your downpayment may need a temporary cash bridge.
Why does the planner make me pay private stamp duty in cash first?: For a completed private property, stamp duty is generally paid in cash first. CPF can reimburse eligible BSD and ABSD on completion only if your lawyer applies in time and CPF approves it, so the planner shows reimbursement only when you select that plan and caps it at the current CPF OA entered. For an HDB resale, CPF can pay the stamp duty directly, with no private-property cash bridge.
How does ABSD remission work for a married couple?: If you still own your first property when you buy the second, ABSD is payable upfront on the second. A married couple with at least one Singapore Citizen, buying in both names, can have that ABSD refunded — provided the first property is sold within 6 months of the second purchase (measured by the purchase-contract dates: when each option is exercised or the sale & purchase agreement is signed, not when the option is granted) and the other conditions are met. How you get the money back depends on one box at stamping. If you declared your intention to sell the first property and claimed the refund in the e-Stamping form for the purchase, IRAS refunds it automatically — typically within about six weeks of the sale being stamped, with nothing further to submit. If you did not, the refund must be applied for, and the application has its own deadline: 6 months after the date of sale of the first property. Miss the sale window or the application window and the refund is forfeited — no extensions.
Does this tool tell me what I can afford?: No — it is purely a timing and cash-flow planner. For affordability (TDSR, MSR, LTV) use the Affordability Assessment, and for the detailed sale side use the Sale Proceeds tool.

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Next step

Indicative timings on your inputs — not advice, not an offer. Conveyancing schedules and IRAS/CPF rules change and vary by transaction; verify before relying on them.

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.