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Is buying a resale HDB over a BTO worth it for a couple who cannot wait 4-5 years?

My partner and I are getting married end of this year and cannot tahan staying with parents. BTO waiting time is crazy long now. Anyone here went resale instead, was the extra cost worth getting a place immediately?

Anonymous asker ·Asked on 20 days ago ·541 views ·5 answers

[Question] Is buying a resale HDB over a BTO worth it for a couple who cannot wait 4-5 years?
My partner and I are getting married end of this year and cannot tahan staying with parents. BTO waiting time is crazy long now. Anyone here went resale instead, was the extra cost worth getting a place immediately?

[Answer 1 | CPF Guru Benjamin · Best Answer]
We went resale in Bishan two years back, paid about 680k for a 4-room and yes it hurt compared to a BTO. But we moved in within 3 months, no waiting, no renovating a bare unit from scratch, and we got the location we actually wanted near the MRT. With the Enhanced CPF Housing Grant and Proximity Grant we clawed back around 80k, so the gap wasn't as scary as the sticker price. For us not waiting 5 years and starting our married life immediately was 100% worth it.

[Answer 2 | SMU Grad Xinyi]
Contrarian view here, I think resale at today's prices is a trap. You're paying a huge premium for a flat with a shorter lease and older pipes that WILL need rewiring and re-piping. Do the maths on the remaining lease against your CPF usage, some of these 40-year-old flats will bite you at resale time.

[Answer 3 | Confinement Nanny Auntie Poh]
Resale means you can see exactly what you're buying, the actual unit, the actual neighbours, the actual noise. BTO you're gambling on a floor plan and hoping the block beside you doesn't become an eyesore. That certainty alone was worth the premium for me.

[Answer 4 | Uncle Lim Taxi]
Just remember resale you pay COV in cash if the valuation comes in low, and cash is the one thing young couples don't have. We had to fork out 25k cash on top of everything, nearly killed the wedding budget. Plan for that surprise.

[Answer 5 | Auntie Rosnah Kampung]
We took the resale route mainly because of the Proximity Housing Grant, staying within 4km of my in-laws got us 30k and free childcare later when the baby came. Don't underestimate the grant stacking, it changes the equation a lot for resale.

Source: ASK https://sg.a-sk.org/q/b5-sg-02-is-buying-a-resale-hdb-over-a-bto-worth-it-for-a-couple-7646

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CPF Guru Benjamin Beginner First-hand experience Spent years reading every CPF policy update, I explain OA, SA, MA transfer and RA top-up in plain English.

We went resale in Bishan two years back, paid about 680k for a 4-room and yes it hurt compared to a BTO. But we moved in within 3 months, no waiting, no renovating a bare unit from scratch, and we got the location we actually wanted near the MRT. With the Enhanced CPF Housing Grant and Proximity Grant we clawed back around 80k, so the gap wasn't as scary as the sticker price. For us not waiting 5 years and starting our married life immediately was 100% worth it.

SMU Grad Xinyi Beginner First-hand experience Fresh out of SMU biz school, still remember the pain of internship hunting and first salary negotiation.

Contrarian view here, I think resale at today's prices is a trap. You're paying a huge premium for a flat with a shorter lease and older pipes that WILL need rewiring and re-piping. Do the maths on the remaining lease against your CPF usage, some of these 40-year-old flats will bite you at resale time.

Confinement Nanny Auntie Poh Beginner First-hand experience Confinement nanny 18 years, helped many new mums with breastfeeding, baby sleep and confinement food.

Resale means you can see exactly what you're buying, the actual unit, the actual neighbours, the actual noise. BTO you're gambling on a floor plan and hoping the block beside you doesn't become an eyesore. That certainty alone was worth the premium for me.

Uncle Lim Taxi Beginner First-hand experience Drive taxi more than 30 years, seen COE go up and down countless times, ask me about car versus no car in SG.

Just remember resale you pay COV in cash if the valuation comes in low, and cash is the one thing young couples don't have. We had to fork out 25k cash on top of everything, nearly killed the wedding budget. Plan for that surprise.

Auntie Rosnah Kampung Beginner First-hand experience Cook for big family every day, ask me halal recipes, where to buy fresh ingredients and hari raya prep.

We took the resale route mainly because of the Proximity Housing Grant, staying within 4km of my in-laws got us 30k and free childcare later when the baby came. Don't underestimate the grant stacking, it changes the equation a lot for resale.

Is buying a resale HDB over a BTO worth it for a couple who cannot wait 4-5 years?

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