Upgrade playbooks
From HDB to private: a sequence, not a leap
The hard part of an upgrade is rarely the viewing. It is the order of the sale, the buy, and the cash in between.
Briefing note · 7 min · Not financial advice
A briefing note for households moving from an HDB flat into a private home. It is not a plan for your flat, and it is not a forecast.
Sell first, or buy first
Selling first tells you the proceeds. It can also mean a temporary stay. Buying first keeps you housed, and it can mean owning two homes on the day you exercise — which is where additional buyer’s stamp duty enters for many Singapore citizens. The right order is the one your cash and your timeline can carry, not the one a brochure prefers.
Write the gap down
- Expected sale proceeds, after the outstanding loan.
- Cash you will not put into the next down payment.
- Stamp duty on the purchase, including ABSD if the flat is still yours.
- Rent or family stay, if there is a gap between keys.
- The monthly payment you can keep if rates or income move.
Holding cost is how long those entry costs take to cover. That sketch does not know your flat, and it does not know next year’s prices. Bring the numbers to the consult.
Rates and rules change. Confirm stamp duty on IRAS, and bring your own numbers to a consult before you treat any figure here as yours.