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Sold for S$300k more than you paid? Here's what you actually keep
I put a S$1.5M condo, sold for S$1.8M after five years, through my profit calculator. On paper that's S$300k up. After every cost, it's S$13k. Let me show you where the rest went.
By Titus Lim · 4 min read · Updated 21 Oct 2026
01
The quick sum we all do
Bought at S$1.5M, sold at S$1.8M. That's S$300k up, right? It's how most of us count it. But the stamp duty, the reno, five years of loan interest, property tax, MCST and the agent fee all come out of that S$300k before any of it reaches your pocket.
02
Where your gain quietly goes
Say you're a Singapore Citizen buying your first home: a S$1.5M resale condo with a 75% loan at 2.5% over 25 years. You live in it, spend S$30k on renovation and sell after five years for S$1.8M.
Where the S$300k gain goes
| Item | Amount | Share of gain |
|---|---|---|
| Loan interest | S$130,243 | 43% |
| Buying costs (BSD S$44,600, reno, legal) | S$78,000 | 26% |
| Selling costs (agent fee + GST, legal) | S$42,240 | 14% |
| Property tax, MCST, insurance, repairs | S$36,100 | 12% |
| Real profit | S$13,417 | 4% |
Costs over 5 years
Your breakeven price, the lowest you can sell at and still get every dollar back, is S$1,786,284. Selling at S$1.8M leaves just a S$14k cushion.
03
How I work it out
Real profit = selling price − purchase price − buying costs − loan interest − running costs − selling costs
04
Selling early hurts the most
Homes bought on or after 4 July 2025 pay Seller's Stamp Duty if sold within four years. Here's the same condo sold earlier, with the price rising evenly to S$1.8M by year 5.
Selling in years 1 to 5
| Sell at end of | Price | SSD | Real profit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | S$1,556,000 | 16% · S$248,960 | −S$342,852 |
| Year 2 | S$1,613,000 | 12% · S$193,560 | −S$265,835 |
| Year 3 | S$1,673,000 | 8% · S$133,840 | −S$180,713 |
| Year 4 | S$1,736,000 | 4% · S$69,440 | −S$87,105 |
| Year 5 | S$1,800,000 | None | S$13,417 |
Even a sale in year 4 still pays 4%, S$69,440. If there's any chance you'll need to sell early, plan for it before you buy.
05
When your loan rate goes up
We all hope rates stay low. But each extra point adds about S$600 a month to the instalment on a S$1.125M loan, and over five years it's enough to turn a small profit into a loss.
The selling price matters just as much. Sell for S$1.75M instead of S$1.8M and the same condo loses S$35,493; sell for S$1.85M and it makes S$62,327.
06
How I checked the numbers
I checked each rule against IRAS in October 2026: Buyer's Stamp Duty bands, ABSD rates, the Seller's Stamp Duty schedules for homes bought before and after 4 July 2025, and property tax rates for owner-occupied and rented homes. Every figure on this page comes from the calculator itself, using the sample figures it opens with.
This version also fixed how Seller's Stamp Duty is counted: it now uses how long you've held the home when you sell, not today's date.
Key takeaways
- Costs took back 96% of the gain. The paper gain was S$300,000; the real profit was S$13,417.
- Loan interest was the biggest cost, at S$130,243 over five years.
- Selling in year 1 meant S$248,960 in Seller's Stamp Duty. Even year 4 still cost S$69,440.
- One extra rate point turned a S$13k profit into a S$40k loss.
What the tool does not do
- Rates, rent and costs stay flat for the whole period. Real life is bumpier.
- It doesn't add back CPF accrued interest, so your cash proceeds will be lower if you used CPF.
- It doesn't check your loan limits (TDSR / MSR) or what similar units nearby sold for. That's where I come in.
FAQs
Is mortgage principal counted as a cost?
No. The principal you repay lowers the loan you pay off when you sell, so you get it back. Only the interest is a cost.
What Seller's Stamp Duty rates does it use?
For homes bought on or after 4 July 2025: 16% if sold within 1 year, 12% within 2, 8% within 3 and 4% within 4 years. For homes bought from 11 March 2017 to 3 July 2025: 12%, 8% and 4% within 3 years. HDB flats pay none.
Does it count CPF accrued interest?
Not yet. If you used CPF, you must refund it with accrued interest when you sell, so your cash proceeds will be lower than the calculator shows. I can work this out with you.
Can I use it for an HDB flat?
Yes. Choose HDB flat. It sets the loan tenure to 25 years, charges no Seller's Stamp Duty and warns you if you sell before the 5-year minimum occupation period.
Sources (4)
For education and illustration only. Figures depend on the inputs and the rules in force at the time of writing, and property values can fall as well as rise. This is not financial advice.
Got a result you're not sure about?
A calculator is a good start, but it can't see your loan limits, your timeline or what similar units in the same project have sold for. Send me your numbers and I'll take a look.