Selling a Woodlands 4-room at S$550,000 to buy a District 25 condo at S$1,247,500: the 2Q2026 figures
Published 28 Oct 2026
This is an illustrative example on the quarter's median prices and a stated household, not a real family and not advice on whether to sell, buy, keep or rent out. It lays out the figures the position engine computes for each side of the question; the decision is the reader's.
A Woodlands 4-room flat at 2Q2026's median of S$550,000 nets about S$329,835 after loan and costs. A 60 to 99 sqm unit in District 25 at its median of S$1,247,500 needs S$391,278 before the loan — a shortfall of S$61,443.
The flat was bought in 2Q2020 at that quarter's median of S$335,000, with a 75% HDB loan. The medians come from data.gov.sg HDB resale records and from URA Data Service caveats for private homes. Woodlands recorded 212 such flat resales in 2Q2026; the District 25 size band recorded 24 sales.
The flat's median is up 64.2% since 2Q2020
The flat's median has moved 64.2% higher since the 2Q2020 purchase, from S$335,000 to S$550,000. The gain on the median is S$215,000.
The loan balance after six years is about S$204,905. Selling costs are about S$15,260, and seller's stamp duty is nil. The flat side is set out in the table below.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Median price when bought (Q2 2020, 82 sales) | S$335,000 |
| Median price now (Q2 2026, 212 sales) | S$550,000 |
| Change | S$215,000 |
| HDB loan taken (75%) | S$251,250 |
| Loan balance after 6 years | S$204,905 |
| Selling costs (agent, legal) | S$15,260 |
| Seller's stamp duty | S$0 |
| Net proceeds | S$329,835 |
A shortfall of S$61,443 before the loan
Buyer's stamp duty on the private unit is S$34,500. The maximum loan is S$890,722 at 75% LTV, set here by the mortgage servicing ratio.
Minimum cash is S$62,375. A further S$294,403 is needed in CPF or cash. That makes S$391,278 before the loan, against S$329,835 from the sale.
Buying before the flat is sold would add additional buyer's stamp duty at 20%, or S$249,500, under the rules as recorded. Remissions are not modelled. The condo side is below.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Median price (24 sales, median 980 sqft) | S$1,247,500 |
| Buyer's stamp duty | S$34,500 |
| ABSD if bought after selling the flat | S$0 |
| ABSD if bought before selling (20%) | S$249,500 |
| Maximum loan (75%) | S$890,722 |
| Minimum cash | S$62,375 |
| CPF or cash | S$294,403 |
| Needed before the loan | S$391,278 |
| Net proceeds from the flat | S$329,835 |
| Surplus (or shortfall, shown negative) | S$-61,443 |
The instalment moves from S$1,140 to S$4,014 a month
The flat instalment is about S$1,140 a month. The condo instalment is S$4,014 at 3% over 27 years. The difference is S$2,875 a month.
At the 4% test rate, the condo instalment is S$4,500 and the flat instalment is S$1,284. Both are shown in the table below.
| Item | Keep the flat | Buy the condo |
|---|---|---|
| Instalment at the loan rate | S$1,140 | S$4,014 |
| Instalment at the stress rate | S$1,284 | S$4,500 |
Renting the flat out: S$3,100 a month, 6.8% gross
Keeping the flat and renting it out gives an estimated rent of S$3,100 a month. The estimate is drawn from 58 recorded rental approvals. The gross yield is 6.8%.
Net rent after vacancy, property tax and maintenance is S$31,650 a year. Interest on the remaining loan is S$5,328 a year. Net carry is S$26,322 a year, or 4.8%.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Estimated monthly rent | S$3,100 |
| Property tax a year (non-owner-occupied) | S$1,562 |
| Maintenance a year | S$900 |
| Net rent a year after vacancy, tax and maintenance | S$31,650 |
| Interest a year on the remaining loan | S$5,328 |
| Net carry a year | S$26,322 |
Holding the condo for five years would cost S$221,829 in all, of which S$125,301 is interest. On those figures, the price would need to rise 18.2% to cover that cost.
The three sides rest on 212 flat resales, 24 private sales in the size band and 58 rental approvals. Every figure here is indicative and drawn from recorded transactions.
Method: the flat is a 4-room in the town, bought at the median of Q2 2020 with a 75% HDB loan at 2.6% over 25 years, of which 6 years have been paid. Its value today is Q2 2026's median. Selling costs, seller's stamp duty, equity, the rent estimate and the carry are the position engine's under the rules recorded as in force. The condo is a 60 to 99 sqm resale in the nearest district with enough sales within 2.5 km of the town. It is taken at Q2 2026's median. The buyer is a citizen aged 38 with a household income of S$15,000 a month and no other debt. sale at today's indicative mid value after 5 years. Seller pays 2% commission and S$3,000 legal fees, plus 9% GST. Mortgage interest from a standard amortisation schedule at the given rate. An executive condominium within its five-year minimum occupation period, so the 30% mortgage servicing ratio applies as well as TDSR. Loan of S$890,721 (71% of the price), the maximum available. Property tax on an assumed annual value of S$42,840 (85% of market rent). Maintenance at the configured norm. Rates are versioned data in config/rules.yaml, checked against IRAS and MAS publications on 2026-09-18. The newest version applied here took effect 2025-07-04. Rules change with each cooling-measure round. Private figures are from URA Data Service caveats, HDB figures from data.gov.sg resale records, both loaded weekly by this site's ingest. Medians are of the non-excluded transactions in the period named. Sales flagged by the hygiene rules (related-party transfers, bulk deals, outliers) are left out. Every figure is indicative and drawn from recorded transactions, not a formal valuation.