Quick answer
Choose resale if you need to move within months, want to see exactly what you're buying, and value more space per dollar. Choose a new launch if you can wait three to five years for completion, want staged payments, and prefer a new product with a fresh 99-year lease. The wrong answer is choosing by showflat impression.
Key takeaways
- Timing is the biggest divider: resale gets you keys in ~3 months; new launches typically complete in 3–5 years.
- New launches usually cost more per square foot; resale often gives more total space for the same budget.
- Both are financed under the same caps — LTV 75%, TDSR 55% — but new launches use progressive payments.
- Selling within 4 years of purchase now attracts Seller's Stamp Duty (up to 16%) — new launches are not a quick-flip product.
- With resale you inspect the actual unit; with new launch you underwrite the developer's promise — both carry risk, just different kinds.
The comparison that matters
| Factor | Resale condo | New launch |
|---|---|---|
| Move-in | ~10–12 weeks after exercising OTP | At TOP — commonly 3–5 years after launch |
| What you inspect | The actual unit, actual view, actual neighbours | Showflat, floor plans, site model |
| Price per sq ft | Generally lower for comparable location | Premium for new product and fresh lease |
| Space for budget | Older projects often larger layouts | Newer layouts more efficient but smaller |
| Payment | Full price at completion (loan + downpayment) | Progressive payments as construction proceeds |
| Lease | Partially run down (or freehold) | Fresh 99-year (typically) |
| Renovation | Usually needed — budget money and weeks | New finishings; defects period covers faults |
| Key risks | Hidden defects, ageing facilities, sinking-fund health | Completion timing, finished product vs showflat, market shifts before TOP |
A worked scenario
A couple I worked with (composite, details changed) had $1.5 million to deploy and two children in family primary schools. The new launch they loved priced 3-bedders from about $1.6 million at roughly $2,100 psf — beyond budget and three years from completion, with the family paying rent alongside progressive instalments in the meantime. A 15-year-old resale condo one MRT stop away offered a 1,250 sq ft 3-bedder at about $1.45 million (~$1,160 psf). They chose the resale: more space, immediate move-in, school routine intact — and budgeted $80,000 for renovation. Another family with no urgency and stronger cashflow might reasonably have made the opposite call. That's the point: the "better" product depends on your constraints, not the marketing.
A decision framework
Answer these five questions honestly, in order:
- When must you move? Within a year → resale, full stop.
- Can you carry rent plus progressive payments for years? If no → resale.
- Is total space or newness more important to your family? Space → resale. New product, fresh lease → new launch.
- How long will you hold? Under four years is now SSD territory (up to 16% for purchases on/after 4 July 2025) — if your horizon is short, reconsider buying at all.
- Are you buying the project or the showflat? If you can't articulate the project's weaknesses, you haven't finished researching.
Common mistakes
- Comparing psf across different unit sizes — compare total price for the space your family needs.
- Forgetting the rent-plus-instalments years in new-launch budgeting.
- Ignoring lease decay on older resale — financing and CPF usage tighten as leases shorten; check before falling in love.
- Skipping the sinking fund check on resale — an underfunded management corporation becomes your special levy later.
- Treating a new launch as a short-term trade — the 4-year SSD window has closed that game.
Frequently asked questions
Per square foot, usually yes. But resale units are often larger, so total prices converge. Always compare the total cost of the space you actually need — including renovation on the resale side.
Sub-sales exist, but Seller's Stamp Duty applies within four years of purchase at rates up to 16% (for purchases on or after 4 July 2025, per IRAS). New launches reward holding power, not flipping.
You pay in stages as construction milestones are certified — foundation, framework, and so on — rather than everything at once. Early outlays are gentle; the trade-off is paying instalments while living (and possibly renting) elsewhere until TOP.
See the new launch directory for project summaries with verified facts and sources — or tell me your budget and I'll shortlist against resale alternatives.
Sources
- IRAS — Seller's Stamp Duty: 4-year holding period and rates for purchases on/after 4 July 2025 (iras.gov.sg). Accessed 13 July 2026. Confirmed
- MAS — LTV 75%, TDSR 55% (mas.gov.sg). Accessed 13 July 2026. Confirmed
- Progressive payment structure — URA/standard sale & purchase framework. Accessed 13 July 2026. Confirmed
- Scenario prices and psf figures. Illustrative composite, details changed
Related reading: Upgrading from HDB to condo · Selling your HDB flat
Weighing resale against a launch?
Tell me your budget and timeline — I'll show you both options side by side with real numbers.
Discuss on WhatsApp