Sengkang four-room median hits S$641,000 in 2Q2026: selling, buying in District 19 or renting out
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.
The example takes a couple who bought a four-room flat in Sengkang in 2Q2020. They paid that quarter's median of S$420,000 with a 75% HDB loan. At 2Q2026's median of S$641,000, the flat's price has moved 52.6% since purchase.
The question posed is a move to a 60 to 99 sqm private unit in District 19, at its 2Q2026 median of S$1,448,000.
The flat medians come from HDB resale records on data.gov.sg, with 130 sales in 2Q2020 and 194 in 2Q2026. The District 19 median covers 139 sales, based on caveats lodged with URA.
What the sale nets after the loan and costs
The flat's median has risen S$221,000 since the 2Q2020 purchase. The 75% HDB loan of S$315,000 leaves a balance of about S$256,896 after six years.
Selling costs run to about S$17,244, and seller's stamp duty is S$0 at this holding period. The table below sets out the net proceeds of about S$366,860.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Median price when bought (Q2 2020, 130 sales) | S$420,000 |
| Median price now (Q2 2026, 194 sales) | S$641,000 |
| Change | S$221,000 |
| HDB loan taken (75%) | S$315,000 |
| Loan balance after 6 years | S$256,896 |
| Selling costs (agent, legal) | S$17,244 |
| Seller's stamp duty | S$0 |
| Net proceeds | S$366,860 |
What the condo needs before the loan
Buyer's stamp duty on the District 19 median is S$42,520. The maximum loan is S$1,086,000, set by the 75% LTV limit.
That leaves S$72,400 in minimum cash and S$289,600 in CPF or cash. The sum needed before the loan is S$404,520, against net proceeds of S$366,860 from the flat, a shortfall of S$37,660.
If the condo is bought before the flat is sold, ABSD applies at 20%, or S$289,600, under the rules as recorded. Remissions are not modelled here.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Median price (139 sales, median 915 sqft) | S$1,448,000 |
| Buyer's stamp duty | S$42,520 |
| ABSD if bought after selling the flat | S$0 |
| ABSD if bought before selling (20%) | S$289,600 |
| Maximum loan (75%) | S$1,086,000 |
| Minimum cash | S$72,400 |
| CPF or cash | S$289,600 |
| Needed before the loan | S$404,520 |
| Net proceeds from the flat | S$366,860 |
| Surplus (or shortfall, shown negative) | S$-37,660 |
The instalment moves from S$1,429 to S$4,895 a month
The flat instalment is about S$1,429 a month. The condo instalment is about S$4,895 at 3% over 27 years, a difference of S$3,466 a month.
The table below also shows both at the 4% test rate: S$1,610 on the flat and S$5,487 on the condo.
| Item | Keep the flat | Buy the condo |
|---|---|---|
| Instalment at the loan rate | S$1,429 | S$4,895 |
| Instalment at the stress rate | S$1,610 | S$5,487 |
Keeping the flat and renting it out
The third side keeps the flat and lets it. Estimated rent is S$3,500 a month, drawn from 91 recorded rental approvals on data.gov.sg, for a gross yield of 6.5%.
Property tax at the non-owner-occupied rate is S$1,764 a year and maintenance S$900. The table below shows net rent of S$35,850 a year, interest of S$6,679, and a net carry of S$29,171 a year, or 4.5%.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Estimated monthly rent | S$3,500 |
| Property tax a year (non-owner-occupied) | S$1,764 |
| Maintenance a year | S$900 |
| Net rent a year after vacancy, tax and maintenance | S$35,850 |
| Interest a year on the remaining loan | S$6,679 |
| Net carry a year | S$29,171 |
Holding the condo for five years would cost S$258,538 in all, of which S$152,772 is interest. On the engine's assumptions, the price would need to rise 18.2% to cover that.
The stamp duty, LTV and property tax rates applied are versioned data, checked against IRAS and MAS publications. The newest version used here took effect on 2025-07-04.
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. Loan of S$1,086,000 (75% of the price), the maximum available. Property tax on an assumed annual value of S$35,700 (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.