To buy landed property in Singapore you almost certainly have to be a citizen. Mainland terraces, semi-detached homes and bungalows sit under the Residential Property Act, so Permanent Residents need Land Dealings Approval Unit (LDAU) consent and most foreigners are shut out entirely. The money is the other gate. In Q1 2026 a terrace cost a median of about $4.44 million and a semi-detached about $5.75 million (URA caveats, via ERA). On a $4.44M terrace your Buyer's Stamp Duty alone is roughly $217,000, and as a citizen buying with an existing home you would add 20% ABSD on top. This guide walks the eligibility rules, the stamp duty maths, the loan cap and the full cash you need before you sign the Option.
Landed homes are the one slice of the private market the government still fences off by citizenship. Under the Residential Property Act, mainland landed property is "restricted" property. A Singapore citizen can buy it freely. A PR or foreigner cannot, unless the Land Dealings Approval Unit (LDAU) at the Singapore Land Authority grants written approval first.
PRs can apply, but the bar is high. LDAU assesses each case and the published baseline is at least five years of PR status plus an "exceptional economic contribution" to Singapore, judged partly on the income you pay tax on here. Approval typically takes around one to a few months, the application fee is $1,220 per property, and an approved PR must live in the home rather than rent it out. The home also cannot exceed 15,000 sq ft or sit inside a Good Class Bungalow area.
Foreigners are effectively locked out of mainland landed. The one exception is Sentosa Cove, where a non-PR foreigner can buy a landed home with LDAU approval for owner-occupation. If you hold a passport covered by a relevant Free Trade Agreement (United States, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein), you may be treated like a citizen for stamp-duty purposes, but that is an ABSD remission, not a green light to skip LDAU on a restricted landed home.
URA splits landed homes into terrace, semi-detached, detached (bungalow) and the rarefied Good Class Bungalow. A terrace shares both side walls and sits in a row of at least three; a semi-detached shares one wall; a detached house stands alone on its own plot. A GCB is a detached house in one of 39 gazetted areas, on at least 1,400 sq m (about 15,069 sq ft), capped at two storeys.
Prices below are Q1 2026 medians from URA caveats as reported by ERA Singapore. Treat them as 'from' reference points: the same label can swing wildly by district, land size, tenure and condition. Landed prices dipped 0.40% quarter-on-quarter in Q1 2026 after a 3.4% rise in Q4 2025, yet were still 6.73% higher year-on-year, on just 428 caveats. If you want the wider private-market backdrop, see our URA private property price breakdown.
| Type | Walls / plot | Indicative price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terrace | Shares both side walls, row of 3+ | Median ~$4.44M (OCR, Q1 2026) | Most common entry point to landed |
| Semi-detached | Shares one wall | Median ~$5.75M (OCR, Q1 2026) | Bigger plot, more flexibility to rebuild |
| Detached / bungalow | Stands alone | Median ~$10.9M (RCR, Q1 2026) | Down from ~$14.2M in Q4 2025; thin sample |
| Good Class Bungalow | Detached, 39 gazetted areas, 1,400 sq m+ | From ~$25M (2026 transactions) | Tightest ownership and rebuild rules |
Tenure changes both price and financing. Freehold and 999-year leasehold landed are owned more or less in perpetuity and command a premium. A 99-year leasehold landed home (common in some estates) is cheaper up front, but the lease runs down, which matters for resale value and for how much CPF and loan you can use against it.
For CPF, the Ordinary Account can usually be tapped only if the remaining lease covers the youngest owner to age 95; shorter leases trigger pro-rated limits or no CPF at all. Banks also lend less, and for fewer years, as the lease shortens. None of this kills a 99-year landed purchase, but you should price the lease decay in before you fall for the address.
Every buyer pays Buyer's Stamp Duty (BSD), on the higher of price or valuation. The residential rates below have applied since 15 February 2023 (IRAS). On top of that, second and subsequent homes attract Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty, and the foreigner rate of 60% (in force since 27 April 2023) is what makes mainland landed a citizen's game in practice. You can run the exact figure on our stamp duty calculator.
On a $4.44M terrace, BSD works out to roughly $217,400. A citizen buying a first and only home pays no ABSD on top. A citizen who already owns one property adds 20% ABSD, about $888,000 more. That single line is why landed is a once-in-a-lifetime move for most households, and why decoupling exists; we cover the mechanics in decoupling a second property.
Banks cap the loan-to-value at 75% of price or valuation for a first housing loan with no other outstanding home loans, and tighten it to 45% for a second loan and 35% for a third. Of the 25% balance on a first loan, at least 5% must be paid in cash; the rest can come from CPF Ordinary Account or cash. Repayments also have to fit inside the Total Debt Servicing Ratio cap of 55% of gross monthly income across all your debt.
The trap with landed is absolute size. 25% of a $4.44M terrace is $1.11M before you even reach stamp duty, legal fees and a valuation gap. If the bank values the home below your offer, the shortfall comes out of cash, not loan. Stress-test the monthly figure on our mortgage calculator, and weigh whether you would be better off renting at this price point with the rent vs buy calculator.
| Item | Amount | Can CPF cover it? |
|---|---|---|
| Downpayment (25%) | ~$1,110,000 | 20% CPF/cash, min 5% cash |
| Buyer's Stamp Duty | ~$217,400 | Cash first, CPF reimbursable |
| ABSD (first home) | $0 | n/a |
| Legal / conveyancing | ~$3,000-$5,000 | CPF reimbursable |
| Valuation + misc fees | ~$1,000-$2,000 | Cash |
| Indicative upfront total | ~$1.33M | About $222k cash if max CPF on downpayment |
The mechanics differ from a condo in a few ways that bite if you skip them. Boundaries, party walls, easements and rebuilding potential are all live issues on landed, so the title search and a survey matter more than the marketing floorplan.
At $4M-$6M you are choosing between a leasehold or freehold landed home and a large freehold condo or two condos. Landed buys you land, privacy and rebuild upside, but carries the full maintenance bill and a thinner, slower resale market. A condo buys facilities, easier financing and liquidity, but you own air space, not ground. If you are still deciding the format, our HDB versus condo comparison frames the trade-offs, and the full cost of a condo sets the alternative budget.
Only with Land Dealings Approval Unit (LDAU) approval. The baseline is at least five years of PR status plus a strong economic contribution judged on your Singapore-taxable income, the home must be owner-occupied, and the application fee is $1,220 per property.
Not on the mainland in practice. The only route is a landed home in Sentosa Cove with LDAU approval for owner-occupation. Foreigners can also buy strata landed inside an approved condo development without LDAU consent, but that is not a standalone landed house.
Buyer's Stamp Duty runs up to 6% on the portion above $3 million, so a $4.44M terrace costs about $217,400 in BSD. A citizen buying a first home adds no ABSD; a second home adds 20% ABSD, and foreigners pay 60% on any residential purchase.
On a $4.44M terrace with a first 75% loan you face roughly $1.11M downpayment plus about $217,400 BSD. At least 5% of price must be cash, and BSD is paid in cash first, so plan for over $200,000 in actual cash even before any valuation shortfall.
Landed prices were 6.73% higher year-on-year in Q1 2026 despite a small quarterly dip, and supply is genuinely scarce. But entry costs, ABSD on second homes, maintenance and a thin resale market make landed a long-hold, owner-occupier play rather than a quick trade.
This is general financial information for Singapore, not personal financial advice. Figures change — verify current rates against the official sources above before acting. See our full disclaimer.