Buying in Sentosa Cove.

Before the first viewing, settle three points: whether you want a house or a condominium, which type of house, and who the buyer will be. This guide covers landed houses, and condominiums follow different rules for foreign buyers.

Golf-course and waterfront houses are not interchangeable, as explained in Sentosa Cove bungalows. Whether the buyer is a Singapore citizen, a permanent resident (PR) or a foreigner decides which approvals and stamp duty rates apply.

Viewings are arranged in advance with Edwin Goh by WeChat, WhatsApp, email or phone, because the Cove gates admit only visitors whose names have been registered.

It helps to state at the enquiry the type of house you want, whether you prefer a golf-course or waterfront plot, and whether the buyer is a citizen, a PR or a foreigner. A foreign or PR buyer should also confirm that the house will be owner-occupied, since LDAU approval depends on it. With those answers, the viewing can concentrate on houses that fit.

The house marketed by this site is on the Cove Drive bungalow page, and other Cove houses advertised on property portals are gathered on the market board.

An offer is made in writing, and once the price is agreed the seller grants an option to purchase (OTP), a document that gives the buyer the exclusive right to buy the house within a set period. The seller’s solicitor usually prepares it.

In Singapore’s private resale market, the option fee is commonly about 1% of the price and the option period about 14 days. When the buyer exercises the option, a further payment usually brings the total deposit to about 5%. These are market conventions rather than legal requirements, and the figures can be negotiated.

Before the option is exercised, the buyer’s solicitor checks the title, the lease and its remaining term, and any conditions that apply to the buyer.

A Singapore citizen buying a Cove house goes through viewing, offer, option and completion without LDAU approval, and is not bound by the LDAU owner-occupation condition.

A foreigner or PR buying a landed house must obtain LDAU approval and live in the house. The Singapore Land Authority (SLA) encourages buyers to obtain approval in-principle before signing, so that the deposit is not at risk if approval is refused, and your solicitor handles the application. Processing times and conditions, including the land-area limit, are set out in Singapore landed for foreigners.

Buyer’s stamp duty (BSD), which applies to every purchase, and additional buyer’s stamp duty (ABSD), which depends on who is buying, fall due once the option is exercised. IRAS requires payment within 14 days of the document being signed in Singapore. The rates for each type of buyer are on the Cove Drive listing.

Completion, when the balance is paid and the keys are handed over, is set in the option. In private resale it is often about 8 to 12 weeks after the option is exercised.

Your solicitor will confirm the duty amounts, deadlines and completion date for your purchase, and nothing in this guide is legal or tax advice. What to expect after moving in is covered in Living in Sentosa Cove.