Before You Buy, Picture the Person Who Might Buy From You
By Geraldine Inoue
When you're looking for a home, it's natural to picture yourself living there. Where would you have your morning coffee? How would you get to work? Would your family feel comfortable in the neighbourhood?
If selling again is part of your longer-term plan, I'd add one more person to that picture: your future buyer.
Who might they be? What would they like about the home? And what would make them choose it from the other properties available when you're ready to sell?
You don't need to predict exactly who will turn up at a future viewing. The exercise simply helps you look at today's purchase from another person's point of view.
Start with the nearby upgrader story
You may hear that a development could appeal to HDB owners in the surrounding area. It makes sense to explore that possibility. Someone who likes their neighbourhood might want to stay nearby when considering a condominium.
But there's a little more to work through. Would that household be ready to move? Could the purchase fit its finances? And would this particular unit offer enough to make the move worthwhile?
I would look at those questions separately. A map showing nearby flats can start the conversation; the answers need more than the map.
Would the timing work for them?
First, think about when you might want to sell. You're not committing yourself to a date, but a rough intended holding period gives the discussion some shape.
Then look at what we can establish about potential buyers. HDB requires flat owners and their spouses to fulfil the applicable Minimum Occupation Period before acquiring private residential property. The computation depends on the flat's circumstances, including periods that may be excluded. HDB guidance
An estate's age alone won't tell us whether a particular household is eligible. And being eligible doesn't necessarily mean someone wants to move. They may be very happy where they are.
That is why I'd keep eligibility, readiness and intention as separate questions when discussing possible upgrader demand.
What would the move involve financially?
A headline HDB resale price can catch your eye. To understand what it might mean for an upgrade, we'd need to look more closely.
The sale price isn't the same as the amount a household has available for its next purchase. Its outstanding obligations, other resources, purchase costs and financing eligibility all matter. For an actual household, those details need to be worked out using its own circumstances.
When looking at the wider market, I would also want more than one standout transaction. Which homes are reasonably comparable? When did they sell? How do they differ from the flats we're discussing?
These questions help us build a more useful picture without assuming every nearby owner is in the same financial position.
Why would they choose your home?
Now imagine the viewing. This is a hypothetical situation, so let's use it to ask questions rather than assume a buyer is already waiting.
The visitor likes the area. They can see themselves staying close to family or keeping familiar routines. What would make your unit feel like a worthwhile next step?
Perhaps the location works particularly well for their journeys. Perhaps the total price and move-in timing fit their plans. Whatever the reason, it needs to be considered alongside the other homes they could choose at that time.
They could compare your unit with another resale condominium, look at a new launch, or decide to remain in their HDB flat. Thinking about those alternatives helps you see both the appeal of your purchase and the points a future buyer may question.
Keep a little space for what we don't know yet
A useful way to organise the discussion is to divide your notes into three parts:
- What we know: information we've checked, such as a relevant completed transaction.
- What we're assuming: ideas about who might buy and what they might value.
- What could change the picture: different competing homes, prices or buyer needs.
You don't have to solve every uncertainty. The aim is to recognise which parts of the story are supported and which need more work.
For example, “there are HDB flats nearby” and “those owners will buy my unit” are very different statements. The questions in between are where the useful research happens.
Your own needs still matter
Thinking about a future buyer doesn't mean setting aside the reasons you're buying today.
The home still needs to suit your budget, your household and the period you expect to own it. A resale argument is one part of the decision. It shouldn't leave you stretching beyond what you're comfortable with or choosing somewhere you wouldn't enjoy living.
For Thomson Reserve or another launch, I'd want the discussion to bring both sides together: why it works for you now, and what evidence supports its possible appeal later.
A few questions you may have
Does having HDB estates nearby mean resale demand will be strong?
It gives us a potential buyer group to investigate. We'd still need to consider timing, affordability, competing homes and whether those households actually want to move. Nearby flats don't guarantee future buyers or gains.
What should I ask when someone says a development is good for upgraders?
Try: “Which households do you have in mind, and what information supports that view?” Then ask how the property's likely price and alternatives fit the explanation. A specific answer is much easier to assess.
Can a great location make any purchase price worthwhile?
I'd look at the location and price together. The actual unit, your circumstances and the alternatives matter. This article offers a way to think through the questions; it doesn't provide a valuation or return forecast.
Let's look at your shortlist from both sides
Send the project name and how long you expect to own it to my Telegram assistant, and ask to discuss the future-buyer questions with me.
Whether you're considering Thomson Reserve or another launch, that's a useful starting point for talking through the resale story and the evidence you'd want behind it.