Sell first. You know your real budget, and the loan limit stays at 75% once your HDB loan is cleared. Selling your existing home before purchasing a condo may help you avoid ABSD on the new purchase, depending on your ownership situation and the applicable rules. The trade-off is that you may need somewhere to stay in between.
Professional Residential Property Agent in Singapore
Sell, buy, or upgrade your home with a clear plan. Know your numbers before choosing your next property.
Selling your home and buying the next one are not two separate decisions. Your sale price, loan limit, CPF refund, and stamp duty are all interdependent, and getting the order wrong can cost you tens of thousands of dollars.
I'm Fendy Lee, Senior Chief District Director at Huttons Asia, and I've worked in the Singapore property market since 2007. As a residential property agent in Singapore, I help homeowners buy, sell, and upgrade across HDB, condo, EC, and landed properties. I work out your numbers before we look at a single listing.
Track Record and Experience
My team of 340 agents closed 16,965 transactions between 2021 and 2025, about 3,393 a year, and clients rate us 5.0 on Google. You work with me directly, and the team handles the execution.
Where Are You in Your Property Journey?
Selling your current home. Price it against recent sales, then work out what the sale really leaves you with after your loan and CPF refund. A realistic price and a clear plan come before any marketing.
Upgrading to a condo. The order of steps decides how much you pay. As a property upgrading consultant in Singapore, I check your MOP, sale proceeds, loan, and ABSD before you shortlist anything.
Exploring landed property. Landed is slower, stricter, and priced plot by plot, so eligibility and title come first.
Moving to a smaller or better-fitting home. If your home no longer suits your life, I plan the move the way a rightsizing property agent in Singapore should: what the sale frees up, what you need next, and how both deals line up.
Buying your first home or investing. You see the full cost before you commit, including stamp duty, loan limits, and what the property can realistically earn.
Know Your Numbers Before Choosing Your Next Home
Three questions come before any viewing:
- How much will I have left after selling my current home?
- How much can I borrow for the next one?
- How much cash do I need upfront?
Here is an illustrative example. Your HDB sells for $900,000. You owe $150,000 on the loan, your CPF refund is $290,000, and selling costs are $20,000. After deducting the outstanding loan, CPF refund, and selling costs, the estimated remaining proceeds would be $440,000 under these assumptions. However, the CPF refund goes back to your CPF account, so the total is not all cash available for your next purchase.
Now, say you buy a $1.2 million condo after the HDB sale is complete and no other housing loan is running. A bank can lend up to 75%, or $900,000, and you need at least $60,000 in cash. If your HDB loan is still running, the limit drops to 45%, or $540,000, and you need at least $300,000 in cash. Stamp duty and legal fees come on top. Loan tenure and age can lower these limits.
These figures are examples, not a loan approval. My free Sell 1 Buy 2 Planner lets you try your own numbers.
No other housing loan running:
75% loan / $900,000 / min $60,000 cash
HDB loan still running:
45% loan / $540,000 / min $300,000 cash
Types of Residential Properties in Singapore
HDB Flats
HDB flats are public housing for citizens and eligible PRs. If you plan to buy private property later, check your minimum occupation period first: five years for Standard flats and ten for Plus and Prime. Resale prices follow recent sales on your block, plus floor, condition, and remaining lease.
Private Condominiums
Condos are open to a wider pool of buyers, including PRs and foreigners, and come with shared facilities and monthly maintenance fees. Your loan limit depends on whether you still have a housing loan running. New launches are paid in stages while the project is built, and resale condos let you move in sooner.
Executive Condominiums (ECs)
An EC sits between HDB and private housing. Buyers must be citizens or eligible PRs within an income ceiling, and a new EC has its own five-year minimum occupation period. Resale ECs follow different eligibility rules, so check which applies before you shortlist.
Landed Properties
Landed homes are priced plot by plot, and not everyone can buy them. Citizens can, while PRs and foreigners need approval from the Singapore Land Authority. That's why my Landed Property Agent in Singapore service starts with eligibility and title, before we talk price. It covers terraced, semi-detached, and detached houses. Cluster houses inside an approved condominium development are the exception, and PRs and foreigners can buy those without SLA approval.
Should You Sell First or Buy First?
There's no single right answer. It depends on your cash, your loan room, and how much risk you can handle.
Buy first. You move once. But the condo counts as a second home, so a citizen pays 20% ABSD upfront, which is $240,000 on a $1.2 million condo. A married couple with at least one citizen can get it back by selling the HDB within 6 months of buying a completed condo and applying for the refund within 6 months of the sale. IRAS doesn't extend these deadlines.
How I Work With You
We talk about your goals. Why you're moving, your timeline, and what matters most.
We work out your numbers. Sale proceeds, CPF, borrowing range, and cash needed.
We compare your options. HDB, condo, EC, or landed, matched to your budget and eligibility.
We carry out the plan. I coordinate the sale, the purchase, or both, through to completion.
No pressure at any point. You move at your own pace.
Client Reviews and Professional Credentials
Choosing a property agent is an important decision. Read what clients have shared about working with me, and verify my professional registration through the CEA public register.
"Highly recommend working with Fendy! He made the entire process smooth, clear, and completely stress-free."
"Fendy is extremely patient, helpful, and professional, which has made the resale transaction of my private property a smooth sailing and wonderful experience."
"Fendy is always ready to give us his professional advice. He made our transaction a fuss-free and pleasant one. Always friendly and responsive, excellent customer service!"
Professional Credentials: CEA Registration R018080J, Huttons Asia Pte Ltd., EdgeProp Mentor Realtor 2024 and 2026. Featured on CNA Money Mind. CPD-accredited trainer.
Talk to a Residential Property Agent in Singapore
Tell me what you're planning: selling, buying, upgrading, or moving to a better-fit home. Share your property type, rough budget, and timeline, and I'll show you what to look at first and how to order the steps. If the sale of your current home will pay for the next one, mention that too, so we can plan both deals together. We'll work through the numbers before you decide, with no pressure and no obligation.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What does a residential property agent in Singapore do?
A residential property agent helps you sell, buy, rent, or plan a move across HDB, condo, EC, and landed homes. That covers pricing, marketing, viewings, negotiation, and paperwork. A good one also checks your eligibility and numbers first, so the plan works before you commit.
2. Can one agent help me sell my current home and buy another?
Yes. It often works better that way because the sale and purchase run on one timeline. That matters for ABSD deadlines, loan limits, and where you live between the two deals.
3. Can I buy a condominium while I still own an HDB flat?
Whether you can retain your HDB flat when buying private residential property depends on your citizenship, ownership, and applicable HDB rules. Check your eligibility and any disposal requirements before committing to a purchase. ABSD and financing requirements should also be assessed for your circumstances.
4. What is rightsizing, and how is it different from downsizing?
Rightsizing means moving to a home that fits your life now. That could mean a smaller home, a cheaper one to run, or simply a better location. Downsizing is one type of rightsizing, but a rightsizing move isn't always smaller.
5. How much cash might I need to move to my next home?
For a condo with no other housing loan running, at least 5% of the price must be cash. With an HDB loan still running, it's 25%. Stamp duty, legal fees, renovation, and temporary housing add to that. A $1.2 million condo needs at least $60,000 in cash in the first case.
6. How long does it usually take to sell a residential property?
It varies. Once HDB accepts a resale application, completion normally takes about eight weeks. Landed homes often take longer because fewer buyers qualify and every plot is different, so plan for months rather than weeks.