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The total price is only one view
Knowing the purchase price does not tell you when your money will be needed. For an uncompleted home, build a payment calendar alongside the overall budget. Your lawyer and lender should explain the actual contractual milestones and financing arrangement; a generic online illustration should not replace the documents for your transaction.
Use a simple four-column worksheet
For each expected payment, record the trigger or due date, the amount, the proposed funding source, and whether that funding is confirmed. Put unresolved items in a separate list. This turns a broad assumption such as ‘the sale will cover it’ into a specific question about which funds must be accessible by which stage.
Compare the early and later loan positions
Ask the lender how repayments are calculated during construction and what the commitment could look like after further disbursements. The earliest quoted instalment is not a complete ownership budget. Use the mortgage calculator to compare a fully drawn loan under several hypothetical rates, while recognising that it does not model a project’s construction schedule.
Include the home you live in meanwhile
Keep current rent or mortgage costs, storage, moving, and any temporary accommodation in the plan. An expected future home does not remove today’s housing expenses. Test what happens if your moving date changes or if an existing home sale completes later than you would prefer.
Keep a usable reserve
Set aside the buffer you want to retain after the purchase commitments, not just the amount you can put towards the price. Review the calendar when project or financing information changes. A Health Check can help organise the dependencies before you ask your professionals to confirm the final transaction-specific figures.
Go to the source
URA · Home Buyers’ Guide for uncompleted private property ↗MoneySense · How home loans work ↗General planning information, prepared on 30 October 2026. Rules and individual circumstances can change. Verify current requirements with the relevant authority and your lender before making commitments.