> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.mychoicehomez.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Booking a New Condo? Ask These 7 Things Before $125,000 Leaves Your Account. - URL: https://www.mychoicehomez.com/launch-weekend-booking-checklist/ - Published: 2026-11-05T01:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-11-05T01:00:00.000Z - Description: A queue and a pen are not a reason to skip the questions that decide whether a launch unit fits you. Seven checks to settle before the booking fee leaves your account, from funds gap to maintenance fee to exit. - Author: James Ong - Tags: Property Guides, For HDB Upgraders Primary: a launch weekend check before you pay ### Booking soon? Run the numbers first. Send me the unit type, your budget and your HDB or condo situation. I will map your funds gap and the questions to ask before the booking fee leaves your account. [Get your 48-hour review](https://www.mychoicehomez.com/#plan)[WhatsApp James](https://wa.me/6591111173?text=Hi%20James%2C%20I%20am%20about%20to%20book%20a%20new%20launch%20unit.%20Can%20you%20run%20my%20funds%20gap%20and%20check%20the%20unit%20before%20I%20pay%20the%20booking%20fee%3F%20My%20budget%20and%20bedrooms%3A%20&ref=mychoicehomez.com) Launch weekend moves fast. There is a queue, a balloted number, a salesperson with a pen and a booking fee due before you have asked the questions that matter. Seven of them are worth settling before the money moves. **Short answer:** Before you pay a booking fee, settle seven things: your funds gap, how the unit sits against the starting price for its type, its facing and floor, the likely maintenance fee, the deadlines in the Option to Purchase, whether your HDB sale timing works with ABSD rules, and who buys from you later. Any you cannot answer is a risk you are accepting, not a detail to fix after. ## Why the booking fee is the moment that matters The booking fee is your first real commitment. Developers usually take up to 5% of the price when you sign the Option to Purchase, and the exact terms sit in that document. At Thomson Reserve, a 947 sq ft three-bedroom started from $2.503 million, so 5% is about $125,000 on that unit alone (EdgeProp, 31 Oct 2026; the 5% is my illustration, not a quoted fee). The pressure is real. 1,143 of 1,268 units sold over the launch weekend (EdgeProp, 31 Oct 2026), and a queue feels like a reason to decide faster. A sold-out weekend is not a reason to skip these seven questions. | # | Question | What to check | | - | ------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | 1 | What is my funds gap? | Booking fee, balance of the downpayment, duties and legal costs against the cash and CPF you will really have | | 2 | Where does this unit sit against its type? | Starting price and psf for that bedroom type, and the reason for any premium | | 3 | What is the facing and floor? | Site plan, not the render, and what could be built opposite | | 4 | What will the maintenance fee be? | Planned fee by type, managing agent, upkeep of pools and clubhouses | | 5 | What does the Option to Purchase say? | Exercise deadline, next payment date, what happens if the loan fails | | 6 | Does my HDB sale timing work? | The ABSD window against completion date and how long your flat takes to sell | | 7 | Who buys from me later? | Nearby completed projects, holding period and seller stamp duty | ## Questions 1 and 2: the money Start with the funds gap. Add the booking fee, the balance of the downpayment, stamp duties and legal costs, then subtract the cash and CPF you will have on the day. Do it before the ballot, not after. MAS caps total debt servicing at 55% of gross monthly income (TDSR), so a loan that fits a calculator can still fail the bank. For financing itself, speak to a licensed financial adviser or your bank. Then price the unit against its type. Thomson Reserve starting prices were $1.544 million for a 592 sq ft two-bedroom ($2,608 psf), $2.503 million for a 947 sq ft three-bedroom ($2,643 psf) and $3.388 million for a 1,238 sq ft four-bedroom ($2,737 psf) (EdgeProp, 31 Oct 2026). A unit priced well above that starting point needs a reason you can name, such as a view or a floor. ## Questions 3 and 4: the unit and the building Check the facing on the site plan, not the brochure render. At Thomson Reserve, more than 45% of residential stacks face the Central Catchment Nature Reserve (EdgeProp). Ask what could be built opposite your stack, and whether the cheapest stack is cheap for a reason. Then ask for the planned maintenance fee by unit type and the managing agent. Fees quoted at launch are estimates, and the first AGMs are where the real number gets set. A project with many facilities also has a bigger upkeep bill to share, so read my [DLP checklist guide](https://www.mychoicehomez.com/defects-liability-period/) to see what ownership looks like after the keys. Secondary: your own funds gap ### Not sure your funds gap holds? Cash, CPF, duties and the next payment all land in a short window. Message me your figures and I will show you where the gap sits before you sign. [WhatsApp James](https://wa.me/6591111173?text=Hi%20James%2C%20I%20am%20about%20to%20book%20a%20new%20launch%20unit.%20Can%20you%20run%20my%20funds%20gap%20and%20check%20the%20unit%20before%20I%20pay%20the%20booking%20fee%3F%20My%20budget%20and%20bedrooms%3A%20&ref=mychoicehomez.com) ## Questions 5 to 7: the deadlines and the exit Read the Option to Purchase before you sign. Note the exercise deadline, the date the next payment falls due and what happens to your fee if the loan falls through. If a clause is unclear, ask for the answer in writing instead of relying on what is said at the table. HDB owners buying private face ABSD unless the flat is sold within the window IRAS sets. Check that window against the expected completion date and how long your flat will take to sell, and read the [HDB upgrader guide](https://www.mychoicehomez.com/upper-thomson-parcel-a-upgrader-guide/) before the ballot. Last, ask who buys from you in five or ten years and what they will compare you with. Nearby completed projects tell you more than launch brochures. Seller stamp duty applies if you sell within the IRAS holding period, so a short hold is a different calculation. ## Questions readers ask How much is the booking fee for a new launch condo?+ It is usually up to 5% of the purchase price, paid when you sign the Option to Purchase. The exact amount and deadlines are in the developer document, so read it before signing. On a $2.5 million unit, 5% is about $125,000. Can I get my booking fee back?+ It depends on the Option to Purchase terms, so do not assume it. Read the clauses on loan approval and the exercise period before paying. If a clause is unclear, ask for the answer in writing and consider independent legal advice. Should I decide on launch day?+ Decide when your funds gap, financing and unit checks are done, not when the queue moves. Launch weekends can sell quickly, as Thomson Reserve did, and units can remain afterwards. This is general information, not a recommendation to buy or wait. What is TDSR?+ TDSR is the Total Debt Servicing Ratio. MAS caps your total monthly debt payments at 55% of gross monthly income, so the bank counts all your loans, not just the new one. Your bank or a licensed financial adviser can run your own figure. What should HDB upgraders check first?+ Check the ABSD window against your HDB sale timeline and the project completion date. Then check the cash left after your sale and CPF refund. IRAS sets the ABSD rules, so confirm current terms with IRAS before you commit. ## Sources Show all 6 sources+ - EdgeProp, Thomson Reserve launch sales report, 31 October 2026 - EdgeProp, Thomson Reserve starting prices and stack facing, October 2026 - MAS, Total Debt Servicing Ratio framework - IRAS, Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty and Seller's Stamp Duty guidance - Housing Developers rules on the Option to Purchase (Ministry of National Development) - MyChoiceHomez, Thomson Reserve review, updated 2 November 2026 Disclaimer & licensing+ This article is for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Property investments involve risk. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Readers should seek independent advice from licensed professionals before making any property or financial decision. James Ong is a licensed real estate salesperson (CEA Reg No. R008385F) with PropNex Realty Pte Ltd and is not a licensed financial adviser. James Ong | CEA Reg No. R008385F | PropNex Realty Pte Ltd