What can we comfortably afford?
Three questions, in the order that protects you. Enter round estimates; precision comes later. Everything stays in your browser.
1 What does selling actually free up?
- Selling costs (agent 2.18% + legal)
- CPF returned to your OA
- Cash proceeds
- Total funds for the next home
At these numbers the sale cannot make the full CPF refund. Sold at market value, the shortfall generally does not need topping up in cash, but your cash proceeds are zero. Worth reading: negative sale proceeds.
2 What can we responsibly borrow?
- Loan tenure the rules allow
- Maximum loan (stress-tested at 4%)
This is the regulatory ceiling, not our recommendation.
3 So what is our comfortable budget?
- Comfortable budget (keeps your buffer)
- Absolute ceiling (buffer of zero)
- Loan drawn at the comfortable budget
- Planning instalment (at a 2% planning rate)
- What limits you
What this means
We read every message personally. Fill in the numbers above and this message will carry them for you. Or keep reading: should we upgrade at all?
How we calculate this
The same method we use across 3,000+ financing cases assessed, reduced to its essentials. Constants, at the time of writing: TDSR 55% of recognised income minus existing debts, variable income recognised at 70%, maximum loan computed at the 4% MAS stress rate, tenure capped at 30 years and by the age-65 line using the income-weighted average age, first-loan LTV 75%, agent fee 2.18%, legal fees $3,000, Buyer's Stamp Duty at the IRAS tiers, ABSD at the schedule effective 27 Apr 2023. The monthly instalment shown is a planning figure at 2%, reflecting rates at the time of writing; the loan ceiling itself is always sized at the regulatory 4%.
The budget solves the largest price where price plus stamp duties minus the loan you can actually draw still fits inside your funds, first preserving your chosen buffer, then at zero buffer for the ceiling.
Deliberately excluded from this public version: pledged and show funds, rental income, 3 or more buyers, progressive-payment schedules for new launches, HDB concessionary loans, bridging approval, and multi-residency stamp-duty matrices. Those belong in a conversation, where the full method runs.
Indicative planning estimates only, not a loan offer and not financial advice. Verify against bank approval and prevailing MAS, HDB and IRAS rules. Reset saved inputs.