EastCondosThe Property by Design Quarterly
New Launch vs Resale · Real-Cost Planner

Is a new launch really more expensive?

A resale always looks cheaper on the sticker. Reset the lease, normalise the space, and count what you'd actually spend on each — then read the real gap.

Lease values use the official URA leasehold table
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These numbers are a guide, not a quote. They're illustrative — every home, loan and timeline is different. Use this as a starting point, then check the real figures with a consultant before you act on them.

Step 1

Compare the two homes

The same details, side by side. Type over any field.

New launch
Resale
Price
S$
S$
Size· sq ft
Tenure & age
Brand new · 99 yrs
Renovation
S$
S$
Maintenance· per month
None until you move in
S$
Property tax· per year
None until you move in
S$
Rent while you wait· per month · 0 if you keep your home
S$
You move in now — no rent
Step 2

Your scenario

Years until new launch is ready4 yrs
Years you'll live there after TOP1 yr
Mortgage rate1.7%
Loan-to-value75%
CPF toward the instalment — accrues 2.5%. 0 = pay cash.

We compare both homes over the 5 years you'll hold them — 4 years waiting for the new launch + 1 year living there after TOP.

Fill in your numbers above, then see the real difference.

The upside we didn't put in the numbers

Three intangibles worth another S$100K+

These don't show up in any spreadsheet — but they're real money, easily another ~5% on the new launch.

First-mover advantage

Everyone in a new launch bought near one price band. The collective floor holds — and when the project hands over to its second wave of buyers, you're the early one with the lower entry.

New always sells faster

Buyers pay a premium for fresh. New launches typically outperform resale by ~5–6% in the first 4–5 years — on your S$2.00M home, that's roughly S$100K of paper upside the calculator above ignores.

Far from the 40-yr wall

Banks tighten loans and CPF usage when a lease falls below ~60 years. A fresh 99 stays clear of that danger zone for decades; an 85-year resale is already on the clock.

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How to read this

This is the cost of getting in, not the return on getting out. The real gap usually buys a brand-new home, a fresh 99-year lease, no renovation, and a stronger floor on exit. (CPF accrued interest goes back to your own CPF — not lost.) Indicative only — your figures depend on the actual homes, financing and timing.

The advisory

You've seen the numbers.

Want an in-depth walk-through on your own two homes — or help choosing a new launch that fits your lifestyle and budget? That's the conversation.

Request a 7-min discovery call
Lease normalisation uses the official URA “Leasehold values as a percentage of freehold value” table (DC Circular dc22-08, Appendix 2). Progressive payment interest follows the Normal Payment Scheme; resale interest is the amortising interest on a fully-drawn loan over the same window. CPF accrued interest is the 2.5% that builds on CPF used for monthly instalments (the deposit is treated as comparable across both). Maintenance, property tax and rent are counted only for the years before the new launch is ready. Figures are indicative for planning only and are not financial advice or a valuation.