Buying Guide
Buying from a developer is not like buying a finished house. You pay in stages while it is built, and the contract is fixed by law to protect you. Here is the whole path from booking to keys, checked against the statutory contract.
Quick answer. Book the unit, get the loan approved, sign the SPA, pay in stages as it is built, collect the keys at vacant possession, then get defects fixed within the 24-month defect liability period. A landed house must be handed over within 24 months of the SPA (36 for a condo), or the developer pays you 10% a year in compensation.
Every landed SPA uses the same statutory schedule, so you can see exactly how much is due at each stage. Each payment is due within 30 days of the developer’s notice; paying late costs 10% a year on the amount overdue.
| Stage | % of price |
|---|---|
| On signing the SPA | 10% |
| Foundation | 10% |
| Structural framework | 15% |
| Walls, with door and window frames | 10% |
| Roofing, electrical wiring, plumbing | 10% |
| Internal and external finishes | 10% |
| Sewerage | 5% |
| Drains | 2.5% |
| Roads | 2.5% |
| Vacant possession, with water and electricity | 17.5% |
| Transfer of the individual title | 2.5% |
| Held by the developer’s lawyer 2.5% released 8 months and 2.5% 24 months after vacant possession | 5% |
The housing regulations say no one may collect any payment except as provided by the sale contract — yet a booking fee before the SPA is standard practice. A proposal to formalise it as an option-to-purchase was still only a proposal in May 2026. Until that changes, protect yourself: pay the developer, never an individual; keep the official receipt; and ask in writing whether it counts towards the 10% and when it is refunded.
Of the 41 Ipoh projects on my list, 12 are completed, so there is no construction wait, and 29 are still being built or launching, where the schedule above applies. Filter them on the projects page.
Sources: Housing Development (Control and Licensing) Regulations 1989, Schedule G (landed) and Schedule H (strata), and Regulation 11; EdgeProp (14 May 2026) on the option-to-purchase proposal. This is a summary of the standard contract, not legal advice — your lawyer will explain your own SPA.
Compiled and reviewed by MaSk Chan, REN 49335 · IQI Global.
Choose the unit and pay the booking fee; get your loan approved; sign the Sale and Purchase Agreement (SPA) and the loan agreement; pay by progress stages as the house is built; collect the keys at vacant possession; then use the 24-month defect liability period to get defects fixed.
24 months from the date of the SPA under the statutory Schedule G contract, and 36 months for a strata home (condo or apartment) under Schedule H. If the developer is late, it must pay liquidated damages at 10% a year of the purchase price, calculated day by day.
Under Schedule G: 10% on signing, then by construction stage — foundation 10%, structure 15%, walls 10%, roof and wiring 10%, finishes 10%, sewerage 5%, drains 2.5%, roads 2.5% — 17.5% at vacant possession, 2.5% on transfer of title, and 5% held by the developer’s lawyer and released in two halves at 8 and 24 months after vacant possession.
If your loan is turned down because your income does not qualify, and you show the bank’s rejection, the statutory contract lets the developer keep no more than 1% of the price; the rest of what you paid must be refunded within 30 days. Apply for the loan within 30 days of the stamped SPA — better still, get approval before you sign.
Ask before you pay. The regulations say no payment may be collected except as provided by the sale contract, yet developers routinely take a booking fee before the SPA. Get an official receipt in the developer’s name, and ask in writing whether it counts towards the 10% and whether it is refunded if your loan is not approved.
24 months from vacant possession under Schedule G. Report defects in writing; the developer must repair them within 30 days of receiving your notice.