Tool
Purchase Cost & Payment Schedule
What you pay upfront to buy — downpayment split into cash and CPF, Buyer's and Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty, legal and valuation fees — and when each payment falls due: a short timeline for a resale, or the full progressive payment plan for a new launch.
How are you buying?
Property type
If price is above valuation, the difference is cash only — no loan, no CPF.
Buyers
Buyer 1 profile
Buyer 1 — after this, owns
This is your…
Floating packages are around 1.4%–2.0% now. Not sure? Use the default and go with your banker's quote.
HDB grants & fees
CPF & funding
Choose cash or CPF for each — CPF is used in order and falls back to cash if it runs out.
Upfront cost
Cash needed
$65,900
everything that must be paid in cash, after CPF and grants
- CPF + grants available
- $150,000
- CPF drawn for this purchase
- $120,000
- CPF left afterwards
- $30,000
Full breakdown
- Minimum cash downpayment(cash)
- $30,000
- Cash above valuation(cash)
- $20,000
- Rest of downpayment(CPF)
- $120,000
- Buyer's Stamp Duty(cash)
- $13,200
- Legal fee(cash)
- $2,500
- Valuation fee(cash)
- $120
- HDB resale application fee(cash)
- $80
- Total before the loan
- $185,900
- Bank loan(loan)
- $450,000
Payment schedule
before OTP
Get your HDB Flat Eligibility (HFE) letter — needed before you can be granted an Option to Purchase.
Day 0
Accept the Option to Purchase — pay the option fee (up to S$1,000).
within 21 days
Exercise the OTP — pay the balance of the deposit (option + exercise fee ≤ S$5,000). Request valuation.
~1 week
Submit the resale application with the seller — pay the HDB resale application fee.
~3–8 weeks
HDB processes; both parties endorse. Stamp duty, legal fees, HPS premium fall due.
completion
Pay the rest from cash / CPF, the loan is disbursed, keys handed over.
Planning estimate only, not tax or financial advice. Based on published rates as of IRAS stamp duty, HDB resale fees and the Housing Developers Rules progressive payment schedule, as published. Rates and rules can change by government notice -- confirm your exact figures with IRAS/HDB or your solicitor before relying on this for a purchase decision.
Understanding the numbers
What goes into the upfront cost
| Item | How much | Cash or CPF |
|---|---|---|
| Downpayment | 25% at 75% LTV (more for later loans) | 5% cash minimum, rest cash/CPF |
| Buyer's Stamp Duty | 1%–6%, tiered on price or valuation | Cash, reimbursable from CPF |
| Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty | 0%–65% by profile and property count | Cash, reimbursable from CPF |
| Conveyancing fee | ≈ S$2,500–3,000 | Cash or CPF |
| Valuation fee | A few hundred dollars | Cash |
HDB resale extras
- CPF Housing Grant and Proximity Housing Grant are paid into your CPF and offset the purchase — they lower the cash and CPF you provide yourself.
- HDB resale application fee (S$40–80), HPS premium if you use CPF and are not exempt, and a buyer's agent fee of ~1% + GST if you engage one.
- Choose cash or CPF per item; CPF is drawn in order and falls back to cash when it runs out, and the tool shows the CPF balance you keep.
Progressive payment — new launch
Standard schedule under the Housing Developers Rules. Timings are typical, not contractual.
| Stage | Share | From |
|---|---|---|
| OTP booking | 5% | Cash |
| Sign S&P + stamp duty | 15% | Cash / CPF |
| Foundation | 10% | Loan |
| Concrete framework | 10% | Loan |
| Walls, roof, doors, car park | 20% | Loan |
| TOP — collect keys | 25% | Loan |
| CSC — legal completion | 15% | Loan |
Your monthly instalment rises as each stage draws down more of the loan.
Resale timeline
- 1Option to PurchasePay the option fee — 1% for private, up to S$1,000 for HDB.
- 2Exercise (14–21 days)Pay the balance of the 5% deposit; stamp duty is due within 14 days.
- 3Completion (8–12 weeks)Pay the rest from cash / CPF, the loan is disbursed, keys handed over.
Frequently asked questions
How much cash do I need upfront to buy a property in Singapore?
For a first home loan at 75% LTV: 5% of the price in cash for the minimum downpayment, plus Buyer's Stamp Duty, legal and valuation fees in cash, plus any amount paid above the property's valuation. The remaining 20% of the downpayment can be paid from CPF. A second or third loan needs 25% of the price in cash.
What is Cash Over Valuation (COV)?
If you agree to pay more than the bank's or HDB's valuation, the difference is Cash Over Valuation and must be paid entirely in cash — the loan and CPF are both capped at the valuation. On a S$620,000 price with a S$600,000 valuation, the S$20,000 gap is cash on top of everything else.
How does the progressive payment scheme work for a new launch?
You pay 5% in cash at booking and 15% plus stamp duty when you sign the S&P. The bank then disburses the loan in stages as construction reaches each milestone: 10% at foundation, 10% at the concrete framework, 5% each for walls, roofing, doors/plastering and car park/roads, 25% at Temporary Occupation Permit, and 15% at the Certificate of Statutory Completion. Your instalment grows as more of the loan is drawn.
What are the buying costs on top of the price?
Buyer's Stamp Duty (1%–6%, tiered), Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty where it applies, conveyancing fees of about S$2,500–3,000, a valuation fee of a few hundred dollars, and for HDB flats the resale application fee and any HPS premium. A buyer's agent fee of 1% + GST applies only if you engage one.
Can HDB grants be used for the downpayment?
CPF Housing Grants and the Proximity Housing Grant are credited to your CPF Ordinary Account and count towards the purchase, so they reduce the cash and CPF you need to provide yourself. They cannot be taken as cash.
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