Map the first payments
A common example is 5% at booking, then a further 15% toward the initial 20%. Confirm the actual amount and due date in your documents.
New launch advisory
Buy a new launch with a plan.
From the first floor plan to the first set of keys. I help you validate the unit, compare your choices and organise the purchase timeline before booking pressure takes over.
Plan my launch shortlistSee the purchase timeline >
Check the layout, stack and total price.
Bring your furniture measurements and daily routine to the actual unit plan.
Concept illustration, not an actual unit plan.
Will your furniture and routine fit?
Mark actual furniture sizes on the scaled plan. Can dining chairs pull out? Does the bedroom door clear the bed? Where will the fridge, laundry and work desk go? Separate circulation, storage and outdoor space from the area you need to live in.
What will this stack face?
Read the site plan with the exact stack and floor marked. Check nearby blocks, vehicle access and service areas. Visit the neighbourhood at a useful time for traffic or noise. A model view or an unbuilt neighbouring site is not a guaranteed outlook.
What differs from the showflat?
Ask which partitions, mirrors, ceiling treatments, finishes and appliances are display features. Save the actual specification and floor plan. Turn an unanswered question into a follow-up item rather than an assumption.
Does the price work against alternatives?
Compare matched layouts, floor levels and total prices. Include a relevant resale alternative and the cost of waiting for completion. Rank your preferred units with a price ceiling for each; keep a walk-away choice.
Your purchase, stage by stage.
Choose a stage for the checks, documents and decisions to work through.
Budget → Shortlist
Before the preview
Set your limits before you see the showflat.
Write down the total price you can sustain, the space you need and when you need to move. Treat the bank’s indicative assessment as a starting point; ask what still needs checking before an offer.
- Separate available cash, usable CPF and expected sale proceeds. Note when each can actually be used.
- Choose three essentials and three compromises. Rank relevant resale homes alongside the launch.
- Agree a maximum total price and a walk-away point before a queue number or sales conversation adds pressure.
Bring
indicative financing, CPF balance, any sale timeline and a short household brief.
Ready to move on? You can explain why this project fits—and which alternatives still deserve a look.
Plan → Test → Compare
At the preview
Check whether the layout works in real life.
Ask for the scaled plan for your actual unit type. The dressed showflat can help you imagine a home; the drawings and specification establish what you are considering.
- Mark your bed, sofa, dining chairs and work desk on the plan. Check door swings, walking routes and storage.
- Ask which walls, mirrors, finishes, appliances or built-ins differ from the display. Keep the answers with the plan.
- Read the site plan for lift lobbies, vehicle access, service areas and neighbouring blocks; visit the actual surroundings too.
Save
the dated floor plan, unit/stack reference, specification and questions still awaiting answers.
Ready to move on? The shortlist works on the plan, beyond the showflat styling.
Choice A · Choice B · Walk away
Before paying the booking fee
Know your first choice and your backup choices.
For launches using a ballot or queue, the process is project-specific. Confirm the booking arrangements, payment method and buyer particulars in advance. A queue position does not guarantee a unit or a price.
- Rank specific units with a maximum price for each; do not turn a backup into a higher budget by accident.
- Before payment, review the unit particulars, total price, developer information and the actual option terms.
- Ask who the payee is and what payment method is accepted. Keep the receipt and a complete copy of the OTP.
Common example
a 5% booking fee. Check the actual project documents and refund / forfeiture terms before payment.
Ready to move on? The exact unit, price, funding and option terms are understood before you commit.
Dates → Funds → Sign
After the OTP is issued
Put the real deadlines into one calendar.
Ask your conveyancing lawyer for a dated action list. Link the contract deadlines to the bank offer, CPF arrangements and the money you need to transfer.
- Standard guide: S&P documents are delivered within two weeks of the OTP; the exercise period is usually three weeks from delivery. Check your documents.
- The balance of the initial payment may be allowed within eight weeks of the OTP. Use the actual due date in your option, not a generic week count.
- Confirm the stamp-duty amounts and payment deadlines with your lawyer. Ask what happens if financing is lower than expected.
Track
OTP date, document-delivery date, exercise deadline, payment dates, lawyer and lender contacts.
Ready to move on? Every deadline has an owner and the funds will be available before they are due.
Stage bill → Funds → Loan drawdown
During construction
Expect stage bills, not one unchanging repayment.
For a progressive-payment purchase, bills follow contractual construction milestones. As more of the bank loan is drawn, the repayment can increase. An early low instalment is not the full-loan housing cost.
- Keep your contact details current and forward payment notices promptly to the lawyer / lender handling disbursement.
- Maintain a cash-flow sheet for amounts due, cash/CPF contributions and bank drawdowns. Recheck it when income or plans change.
- Keep interim accommodation and renovation reserves separate. Treat expected completion dates as planning inputs, not a guaranteed moving date.
Keep
each stage notice, payment record, loan statement and updated completion information.
Ready to move on? You can fund the next milestone and understand the eventual repayment.
Inspect → Log → Follow up
TOP, handover and defects
Inspect, record and follow through.
Confirm the key-collection steps, payments and applicable defects period in your own S&P agreement. Book time to inspect and record the home before renovation changes make issues harder to identify.
- Photograph issues with a location and description. Keep a dated defect list and report through the developer’s stated channel.
- Ask for the rectification arrangement and retain the record until the item is resolved; follow up on incomplete work.
- Check renovation procedures and restrictions, deposits, utility activation, access and the start of maintenance charges before scheduling trades.
Prepare
a room-by-room defect record, key/remote inventory and a realistic move-in sequence.
Ready to move on? Issues are documented and renovation / moving arrangements are confirmed.
Stage 1 of 6
A planning guide for an uncompleted private condo. Your project’s OTP, S&P and lawyer’s dated instructions set the actual deadlines; ECs and other arrangements can differ.
Initial payments and your full contribution are different.
Put dates beside the funds—not just percentages beside the price.
Plan the rest of your equity
At 75% bank financing, your own contribution is 25% before buying costs. Ask when the part beyond the initial 20% is needed and when the bank starts disbursing.
Keep a separate reserve
Allow for duties, legal fees, ongoing housing costs, moving and renovation. If you are selling, check when cash and CPF proceeds become available.
Timing, contracts and sources
Checked 1 November 2026. The examples above describe common arrangements, not personalised deadlines. Ask your lawyer to confirm the contract used for your project.
URA’s changes announced on 30 October 2026 take effect from 31 December 2026, with different treatment for projects where OTPs were already issued. Do not assume a future safeguard or defects-period rule applies to an earlier contract.
Bring me the unit you are considering.
A project name, a floor plan or a rough budget is enough to start. We can build the shortlist and identify what needs checking next.
Save the preview checklist >