We Had A S$3M Budget For A 3-Bedder In The East — Here’s Why We Chose A New Condo Over Resale

Most agents prefer it when their clients provide a clear and comprehensive list of their real estate requirements, compared to an undefined list. That's because it helps them narrow down the list of options amid a relatively diversified residential market.

A targeted approach also helps streamline the home-buying process, which can get messy and stressful quickly, says Daron Ang, Senior Associate Division Director at PropNex Realty, and one of the agents on the Stacked Consultancy team.

"The more specific buyers are in terms of their housing needs and requirements, the easier the process of working with them becomes since it enables us to really focus on finding the right properties for them," he says.

This couple first approached him last December for his help in finding them a new three-bedroom unit. The husband had just obtained his Permanent Residency, which meant that - since they were both Permanent Residents - their purchase would incur an additional buyers stamp duty (ABSD) of 5%, rather than the 60% ABSD that foreign buyers face.

At the time, they owned and lived in a two-bedroom condo in Bartley, which was held solely under the wife's name. They planned to retain it as a rental asset after they moved out.

The timing was also fortunate since their child was nearing primary school age, and they wanted to be near a primary school which offered Tamil as a second language.

In addition, they hoped to find a condo that would be completed before the end of 2027, in order to settle into the new place before their child started primary school in 2028.

According to Daron, the challenge was finding a unit which satisfied the rest of their requirements, including their budget of around $3 million and that the development had to be within walking distance of the school.

After the first Discovery Call

The couple identified two areas where they were most keen to find a home:

• In the East: The Bedok/Paya Lebar/East Coast area, or Districts 14/15/16
• In the West: The Commonwealth/Queenstown/Redhill area, or Districts 3/4/5

They were still exploring the various schools in these areas, which made it tough to shortlist suitable properties, says Ang. But eventually, he came up with a shortlist of developments in each of the two areas. The projects had available units to select, were close to MRT stations, and several of the listed primary schools.

He also had to ensure that the projects had units which satisfied their non-negotiables, namely a total floor area of at least 1,000 sq ft and a layout that included a household shelter.

"Sharing non-negotiables like this during your initial call with your property agent is strongly advised, because the more your agent knows what your needs are, the easier it is for them to find a suitable property," says Ang.

Eventually, the shortlist of properties included: The Trilinq, Alex Residences, and Parc Clematis in the West; and One Amber, The Continuum, and Liv@MB in the East.

During their second call, less than a week later, it became clear which neighbourhoods the couple's hearts were in

After various conversations and online consultations, the couple and Ang eventually picked the East as the area where they wanted their home to be.

The conversation kept coming back to the East (Easties in Singapore know the attachment), which prompted Ang to ask the couple: "Why don't we start looking at neighbourhoods in the East first? If there are really no options, we can start looking to some of the Western neighbourhoods".

Citing his own experience working with previous clients, Ang points out that being in touch with clients’ inclinations and emotions is just as important as satisfying their non-negotiables.

"Oftentimes, we might hear buyers express that they are open to consider certain areas or neighbourhoods, but they may actually feel strongly about one or two areas," he says, adding that prioritising is also key when faced with too many options under a tight time constraint.

He started to look at the usual East-Side developments which fit the couple's needs

There were the usual suspects like Dakota Residences, Waterbank at Dakota, and One Amber. These developments had units within their budget and were near an MRT station.

One Amber, a freehold development on Mountbatten Road near Tanjong Katong MRT (TEL), seemed like the right fit at the start. The project has been well-received by homeowners and investors.

Three-bedroom units there span approximately 1,300 sq ft and come in a three-bedroom + study configuration, with most units going for $3.1 million to $3.3 million in the last year. The freehold project launched in 2006 and was completed in 2010. The development was about 15 years old as of December 2025.

However, when Ang started to compare the price of new condos in the area, such as The Continuum, he found that the average transaction prices were nearly on par. The Continuum is also a freehold development, but launched for sale in 2023 and is expected to be completed before the end of 2027.

Located along Thiam Siew Avenue, between Haig Road and Tanjong Katong Road, The Continuum is also close to Paya Lebar Interchange on the East-West and Circle Lines, as well as Dakota station on the Circle Line.

It would have been reasonable to expect that a 15-year-old resale project, where average prices ranged from $3.1 to $3.2 million, a newer project like The Continuum should fetch higher prices, says Ang.

"To some buyers, Tanjong Katong may seem like the less prestigious choice compared to the Meyer Road and Amber Road neighbourhoods. But it is still a freehold development that is close to an MRT station and amenities. So I was surprised to find that the prices at The Continuum were closer to some resale alternatives in the same area," says Ang.

He also cites transaction data which indicates that resale prices in that part of the East have been steadily climbing over the last six years.

The resale prices of some older condos have been climbing at a much steeper rate since the start of this year, due to the fact that there have been relatively few new launch projects in the East in 2026. For example, resale $psf prices at Waterbank at Dakota have increased by about $300 psf over the last three years.

Initially, the average price of $3.1 million for a unit at The Continuum appeared to be a high price. But when compared against older nearby condos which commanded similar prices, the newer project looked like a better deal. But Ang did take note that the three-bedroom units at The Continuum were slightly smaller than the similar unit types at One Amber, at just over 1,000 sq ft.

The Continuum was also the only new launch project in District 15 that had remaining unsold three-bedroom units. Other projects like Tembusu Grand and Grand Dunman launched in 2023. Although they had a lower average $psf price when they first hit the market, they are 99-year leasehold developments.

The couple also considered a unit at Liv@MB, the 99-year leasehold condo on Arthur Road off Mountbatten Road, which was completed in 2024. But when they visited a 1,119 sq ft unit that was up for sale, they found that one of the bedrooms could only fit a single bed.

Ultimately, they decided to focus their efforts on units at The Continuum - convinced by the added benefits of owning a brand new freehold home for close to the price of a 15-year-old resale unit.

The project was also within 1km of Tanjong Katong Primary School, within walking distance of two MRT stations, and expected to be completed by the end of next year. Ang also reckoned that The Continuum would continue to see positive long-term appreciation given its freehold status, compared to some of the 99-year leasehold condos nearby.

Visiting the showflat

The couple visited the showflat and considered the list of remaining units, and there were about 17 three-bedroom units available. Prices ranged from $3.1 million to about $3.6 million.

Ang highlighted that certain units with higher floors and better views were priced at correspondingly higher prices. Moreover, the site design of the project also meant that some blocks, which were closer to the nearby MRT station, were also priced at a premium.

Ultimately, the couple selected a 1,087 sq ft unit on the 14th floor, and bought the unit from the developer for $3.257 million. It was in a block relatively close to the MRT station and had good spacing from the other blocks.

The couple paid their booking fee the day after viewing

It had only been 16 days since the couple had their first call with Ang, to the day they submitted the 5% booking fee to secure their unit at The Continuum.

"It's rare to come across such a quick sale like this. I think we were all in the right place and the timing worked out in our favour. Finding the right unit at The Continuum also checked all of their requirements," says Ang.

Eventually, the couple picked a 1,087 sq ft three-bedroom unit on the 14th floor, which had a price tag of $3.257 million ($2,996 psf). At that price, the booking fee came to $162,850.

The couple's final decision to purchase was due to an alignment of various factors. But Ang also shared that they were likely buying at a much higher price compared to other buyers at or around the time of the sales launch.

At the same time, he was convinced that prices in the resale market had grown significantly over the past three years, which makes it possible to find situations where the price of a new launch project could match some resale alternatives.

Key Takeaways

In general, this case illustrates that - in some situations - homebuyers shouldn't be too hung up on purchasing a unit at an already-launched project, especially if they have concrete homeowner requirements.

Although developers often increase their selling prices throughout the lifetime of a sales launch, later buyers benefit from the certainty of the development. The couple paid a $psf price that was 10% higher compared to buyers who secured a unit at the start of sales. But by then, they could see how the project was selling, what nearby resale units were going for, and roughly when it would be completed.

Meanwhile, the selling prices at one project shouldn't be viewed in isolation. On its own, $3.26 million for a three-bedder at the Continuum looked high, even to a veteran agent like Ang.

But his perspective changed after examining the prices of nearby resale alternatives, where prices had increased so significantly that a 15-year-old freehold unit nearly matched the price of a soon-to-be-completed freehold project.

For the couple, their quick house hunt stemmed from their clear list of non-negotiables as well as preferences about neighbourhood, school proximity, and access to amenities.