Kenny's Take
The fear of carrying two mortgages stops more upgraders than any tax. Both routes can work — the decision hinges on one detail many buyers miss: when the six-month ABSD remission clock starts. Buy a completed resale and it runs from the date of purchase; buy a new launch and it only starts at TOP or CSC. Map your sale timeline against that clock before you sign an Option to Purchase, not after.
🎬 What the video covers
- Sell first: your sale proceeds and CPF refund land before you buy — no extra stamp duty, but you may need somewhere to stay in between.
- Buy first: you pay the Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty upfront. A married couple can have it refunded — but only if the old home sells within six months.
- When that six-month window starts depends on what you bought: a completed resale starts it on the date of purchase; a new launch starts it at TOP or CSC.
- A bridging loan covers the downpayment gap, not the whole purchase — and your CPF refund only comes back after your sale completes.
- IRAS grants no extension to the six-month timeline, and remission requires at least one Singapore Citizen spouse with the property held in both names only. (Source: IRAS, Remission of ABSD for a Married Couple.)
📘 Watch and read more
- Watch Episode 7: kennyneoadvisory.com/guides/upgrading-without-double-mortgage
- Go deeper on the financing side: kennyneoadvisory.com/blog/bridging-loan-singapore-2026-property-upgrading-guide