Why We Chose A $2.7M 4-Bedder At Lentor Mansion Over A Resale Condo

In 2025, high prices for new launch condos have resulted in more families choosing resale projects. This was not the case for NM, however, who settled for a Lentor area condo after much consideration. Their process was quite analytical and well-informed, so here are some of the reasons for their choice. It may be informative if you’re looking for a condo today, be it a resale or a new launch:

Balancing analytical and emotional elements

When NM began looking for a home, he was clear on his needs: his family includes his spouse and three children, as well as a domestic helper. There had to be sufficient room for everyone, whilst the financials also had to be right. 

NM knew early on the family wanted a new launch, as they wanted to enjoy a new environment – but it also had to be one close to parks for outdoor recreation, and close enough to the MRT and a supermarket (or related amenities) for convenience. 

NM says his approach was “a balance of both analytical and emotional. We went with the new sales too as there are unit choices, to pick a certain level and facing. And we studied the premium pricing of different units, to identify the price gap between bedroom types and layouts.”

This is a notably significant advantage in the current market: because the supply of resale condos is tight in 2025, it’s harder to find an ideal unit. New launches, if you’re early enough, give a much wider range of layouts, facings, and floor height.

Another reason for picking the new launch was a desire for newer and more up-to-date facilities. Older resale condos, even if well maintained, sometimes have facilities that are less popular today (e.g., squash courts if you don’t play squash). 

Key elements in choosing the property

NM says that Lentor Central was one of several considerations. The family spent around two months looking for their ideal home. The first half of the search was spent just exploring different districts and the various conditions, during which time they hadn’t yet excluded resale units. 

Some of the other close considerations were Lentor Central, Bartley Ridge, and Bartley Residences. Bartley Residences is a resale unit built in 2015, so it’s quite different from the new Lentor Mansion – but NM says there was only one unit available that met their criteria. The seller was also “sticky” on the price, leading the family to eventually move on.

Lentor Mansion became the eventual choice: not only was it a floor height NM liked, the master bedroom of their unit is able to fit both a king-sized bed, plus another single bed. This is for their youngest child, who wants to be in the same room as the couple. NM noted that most bedrooms of newer condos aren’t big enough to do this comfortably. He says that:

“For those that were big enough, they would have pushed beyond our budget of $2.7 million, which was already up from the initial intent of working within $2.5 million.”

As for the few resale options that could fit the size requirements, NM found they were too old, despite being at close to the same prices; and this was before even factoring in the additional time and renovations for older units. 

One other key factor was the cost of resale units, versus the new launch

While he didn’t go into the exact price, NM said that the gap between the new launch (Lentor Mansion) and the resale units they viewed was smaller than expected. In fact, “After factoring in the renovations, the price was almost the same. But the resale options came with the added drawback of being older and more limited, in terms of availability.”

(Do bear in mind that resale units tend to come with higher renovation costs, not just because of age, but because you also need to hack away the previous renovations. New launches, by comparison, are usually “ready to move in.”) 

NM also liked that the unit’s other bedrooms could comfortably fit both a single bed and a proper-sized study desk, without feeling squeezed. What the Lentor Mansion unit lacked, however, was a long-ish (landscape style) living and dining area, which the couple initially wanted. They compromised on this and let it go, however, since the unit met so many of their other criteria. 

As for the wider project, NM liked that there was an instant “wow” effect from the landscaping and site layout. This works for Lentor Mansion because it was built on the largest of the six Government Land Sales (GLS) sites in Lentor (over 235,000 sq. ft.), and around 73 per cent of the space is given over to landscaping and amenities. NM feels that this is important from a resale perspective, as strong initial impressions are important to interest future buyers.

Price-wise, NM first gathered the prices of what was actually available; then he compared these prices within a one-kilometre radius. In particular, he looked for projects that had similar attributes, but which were selling very close in terms of price. This led to the conclusion that Lentor Mansion was fairly priced, even with its new launch premium.

Concerns about the number of nearby condos

One of the issues that stood out about the Lentor area was the number of new condos coming up there, from Lentor Modern to Lentor Hills. This is a worry to some buyers, as it suggests there’s a lot of competition for rental, or at the point of resale.

To cover this concern, NM did his homework and researched multiple surrounding areas which had potential for growth. He knew that with the right choice (e.g., the project with the right balance of layout, size, facilities, and so forth) – and at the right price – a project would stand out despite having more neighbours. 

This did take quite a lot of work though, so most homebuyers will probably need a property agent to do this level of analysis.

Long-term plans for the property

NM says Lentor Mansion wasn’t bought with the intention to be a forever home, as he is only in his mid-thirties and things may change. With a lot of time left in his career (and Lentor Mansion still only being built), plans remain flexible: if things work out and there are good capital gains, with sufficient savings, the family might consider a larger four or five-bedder in future; although they’re not keen on anything landed.

What helped NM to get a good unit, on time, was a clearly defined budget and being ready with In Principle Approval (IPA) for the home loan. 

(IPA, which is issued by banks, provides clarity on how much the bank is theoretically willing to lend you. This avoids situations where you’ve already put down a deposit, but then find you cannot secure an appropriate loan – thus possibly causing you to forfeit the deposit.)

His advice to other homebuyers, to make their journey smoother, is to be realistic and remember there’s no hurry to purchase, so don’t try to time the market. 

But when you have the means and are ready, don’t be hesitant and wait too long either: “Prices will always seem high,” he says, “And good units will get taken up fast.”