Client experience · C&K
Why C&K chose the lower-priced unit over a better facing
They wanted room to live and a home they could sell later. In a development over 20 years old, paying $150,000 more for facing was hard to justify.
C&K wanted more space, but their budget limited the homes we could consider. They owned a million-dollar four-room HDB flat, which they’d bought resale. For their next home, they wanted enough room to live comfortably and a sensible chance of selling well later.
Most condos that offered the space within their budget were older developments. We eventually chose a home of over 1,200 sq ft in Tampines, District 18. The development was more than 20 years old, so their entry price needed to account for its age.
A layout and price that another family could consider
The resale assessment considered Tampines’ active market for family homes. This unit had a family-friendly layout and a total price that buyers seeking space could consider. Those features gave C&K a potential family buyer pool when they wanted to sell.
The development’s age still needed to be taken seriously. By the time they sold, the remaining lease would be shorter. A lower entry price would give them more room to compete with other sellers later.
The better facing came with a $150,000 premium
We found a unit at the lowest price per square foot, while other units were asking around $150,000 more. Its facing was less attractive. The recommendation was to consider the cheaper unit: the better facing offered too little benefit to justify another $150,000 for their plans.
With a development already over 20 years old, their purchase price would affect what they needed to recover when selling. Paying another $150,000 meant needing a future buyer to pay enough extra for that facing. The cheaper unit retained the family-friendly layout and size while reducing that amount.
They accepted the less favourable facing and bought the cheaper unit. They still got the space they wanted, with a purchase price that gave them more room when pricing a future sale. They accepted the facing compromise to keep their purchase price lower.
Getting their HDB sale ready for the purchase
Their existing flat was an older four-room HDB, and they were its second owners. I sold it for more than a higher-floor unit in the same block. We also secured the sale within the timeline they needed for their next purchase.
Securing that sale helped them make an offer confidently when they found the home they wanted. They needed someone watching both transactions and responding quickly when decisions were time-sensitive. They described the experience in their own words:
“Vanessa managed to get our HDB sold quickly and, more importantly, within the timeline we needed.”
C&K
What the lower entry price did for them
C&K bought the space they needed within a tight budget. The development’s layout and total price supported the assessment that it could appeal to future family buyers. Within that development, we chose the unit whose lower price better accounted for its age.
A low entry price gives them more room to set a competitive resale price later. For C&K’s budget and resale plans, that was a stronger reason to buy than paying more for a better facing. Their testimonial describes the purchase result:
“In the end, she managed to secure our unit at a record-low PSF for the development, which we were obviously very happy with, especially since it was already a development we had our hearts set on.”
C&K
The approximately $150,000 comparison refers to other units’ asking prices at the time. It describes the alternatives we considered, rather than a discount negotiated from this unit’s asking price.