Buying
How Do I Know If I'm Overpaying For A Condo?
You compare against what similar units have actually transacted for, adjust for the differences that matter, and separate 'expensive' from 'overpriced'. They are not the same thing.
4 min read
Buying
Buying — how to assess what you're about to commit to
Before the viewings, before the showflat, and definitely before the option fee.
Most buying advice starts at the property. This section starts one step earlier: with what you can actually support, and what you should be checking once you are standing in a unit.
The aim is that you walk into a viewing already knowing what would make you say no.
What this covers
The questions worth settling first
01
What you can realistically afford
The three ceilings — loan, upfront cash, monthly commitment — and which one binds first for you.
02
Whether the price stacks up
Comparable transactions, the adjustments that justify a gap, and the difference between expensive and overpriced.
03
New launch or resale
Two different products with different risks. Which risk you are better placed to carry.
04
What the exit looks like
A property that is easy to buy and hard to sell is a problem bought on a delay.
Start here
Buying
How to assess a property before you commit: pricing, layout, tenure, holding costs and the questions worth asking.
Common questions
What should I do before I start viewing?
Establish your affordability ceiling and your upfront cash requirement. Viewing before you know these two numbers means you are shopping without a budget, and it is how people end up emotionally committed to something that does not work.
How many properties should I view before deciding?
There is no correct number, but there is a useful test: can you describe, specifically, what the unit you are considering does better than the others you saw? If not, you have not seen enough — or you have not defined what you are optimising for.
New insights, when they're worth sending
Occasional emails when I publish something useful. No listings, no blasts.