Buying Basics
I market new launches, so take the obvious bias into account — and then read the part where subsale wins, because for a good number of buyers it does.
Quick answer. A new launch usually costs less on day one, comes with a 24-month defect liability period, and makes you wait. A subsale lets you see exactly what you are buying and move in sooner, but you carry the full transaction costs and take the house as it stands. The deciding factor is usually your timeline, not the property.
| New launch | Subsale | |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cash | Often lower — stamp duty and legal fees are commonly absorbed | Full costs, paid by you |
| Move in | After completion, which can be years away | Soon after the transaction completes |
| What you see | Show unit, floor plan and brochure | The actual house, in its actual condition |
| Defect cover | 24 months from vacant possession, under the HDA | None — bought as it stands |
| Loan drawdown | Staged with construction; instalments start small and step up | Full release, full instalments from the start |
| Condition | New throughout | Varies — may need significant work |
| Negotiating room | In the package: rebates, absorbed fees, unit choice | In the price itself |
| Neighbourhood | May still be filling in | Already established and visible |
On a new launch, it is furnishing. A new house handed over bare needs everything, and that bill arrives right after you have spent your savings on the down payment.
On a subsale, it is renovation. Older units frequently need rewiring, waterproofing, kitchen work or a full repaint, and there is no defect liability period to fall back on. Get a proper look at the condition before you settle on a price, and treat that work as part of what the house costs you, not as an afterthought.
A new launch tends to suit buyers who can wait, who are trying to keep day-one cash down, who want to choose their unit, and who value a brand-new house with a warranty period.
Subsale tends to suit buyers who need a home now, who want certainty about the exact unit and the surrounding area, or who are buying into an established neighbourhood where nothing new is being built.
I handle both. If your timeline points at subsale, I would rather tell you that than sell you a wait you cannot afford.
General information only. Defect liability applies to properties under the Housing Development Act; package terms vary by project and change over time, so confirm the current position in writing before booking.
Compiled and reviewed by MaSk Chan, REN 49335 · IQI Global.
Neither is better in the abstract — they solve different problems. A new launch usually means a lower entry cost because the developer absorbs some fees, a brand-new house with a two-year defect liability period, and a wait before you can move in. A subsale means you see the actual house and neighbourhood before buying and can move in soon after, but you pay the full transaction costs yourself and take the property as it is.
Under the Housing Development Act it is 24 months from the date you take vacant possession. During that window the developer has to repair defects in your unit and in the common property at no cost to you. It is one of the genuine advantages of buying new, and it is worth using properly — inspect thoroughly at handover and report in writing.
Often, yes. Absorbing stamp duty and legal fees is one of the most common new launch incentives, which can cut the day-one cash substantially. What is covered varies by project and by phase and it changes over time, so confirm the current package in writing rather than assuming. On a subsale you generally pay all of it yourself.
On a project still under construction, the loan is released to the developer in stages as construction reaches defined milestones, and you service interest only on what has been released so far. Your instalment therefore starts small and steps up as the build progresses, reaching the full amount around completion. On a completed property the full loan is released at once and full instalments start immediately.
The list price is usually fixed, but the package around it is where movement happens — rebates, absorbed fees, furnishing, and which unit and floor you get. On a subsale the headline price itself is negotiable. Different levers, but there is room in both.
The main ones are timing and delivery: completion dates can shift, and the finished product may differ in detail from the show unit and the brochure. Buying from an established developer with projects you can go and look at reduces that risk considerably, as does buying into a phase that is already visibly under way rather than one that has not broken ground.
It is ready in the sense that it exists and you can inspect it, but rarely in the sense that it needs nothing. Older units often need rewiring, waterproofing, kitchen work or a full repaint, and there is no defect liability period to fall back on — you buy it as it stands. Budget for that work as part of the purchase price rather than as a surprise afterwards.
If you need somewhere to live now, or you want to be certain about the neighbourhood and the actual unit, subsale answers that. If you can wait and you would rather have a new house with a warranty period and a lower upfront cash requirement, a new launch usually wins. I handle both, so the honest answer depends on your timeline more than on which one I happen to be marketing.