i) With all that new supplys being pump out by HDB since 2010,
chances are COVs and Resale prices to drop, esp when all those being newbuilds start to TOPs from 2013 onwards....
it's your judgement call - if can, maybe you want to wait...
ii) Always buy direct from HDB & take up HDB concessionary loans - if you can qualify,
for old folks (age 55+), there is now a new category call "Studio Apt" that can be consider - pls study the details first, coz there are other limitation (eg. only 30yrs lease, cannot sublet, meant for 2 persons, but its brandnew, and come with lots of oldfolk friendly stuffs eg. non-slip floorings, handgrabs in toilet/bathroom, special alarm etc.)
so pls study the details first,
over here
iii) if still must consider old resale flat, you may want to "consider only" those that had already undergone MUP (main upgrading program),
reasons :
a 35-yrs old flat - means constructed around 1970 - TOP around 1976.
your major concerns is not just spalling concrete... but leakages from sewage/water pipes from upstair.... worse are those not physically visible, but old pipe already cracks within the concerete flooring separating you from your upstair units... and no amount of repair (re-plaster, re-cement, inject chemicals) can make the problem go away... becoz fluid will always find a way downwards....
and if after buying, your block lucky enough to get selected for MUP !!
though the actual work inside your unit will only be for around 2-4 weeks, for the entire block, it's around 3 years of noise/dusts, and gondolas hanging outside your windows all the time, ofcourse a fair share of power/internet disruption too !!
if got space-adding items, means they blow a hole in your kitchen wall, you may end have flooding whenever it rains
for a couple of months only lah....
to me the only beneficial aspect of MUP - was the fresh column of pipes - under MUP, they will "blow" a hole thru the entire column (from groundfloor unit to rooftop) and replace entire sewage/drainage pipes with new ones, they also redo waterproofing for all toilet/bathrooms... but not the kitchen flooring - so spailling concretre from kitchen's ceiling wun go away....
ofcoz those freshly MUP flats - will cost more
actually, alot also depend on whether you intend for own stay only, intend to sublet room for some income, some baby boomers are selling their 3-5 rooms, to downgrade to Studio - unlock cash & also brandnew=less problem, small=easier to clean/maintain than a larger flat.
ofcourse unlock cash just purely to spend the $$ is bad idea !
p/s: years back,
i blow away over $4k, first to do various chemical injections, finally redo both toilets floorings for upstair units - problem still dun go away !!!, finally HDB engineer go to insert a "T- joint" from upstair unit all the way down to mine - finally problem solved.... but not after $4k poorer and around 4 rounds of re-plastering+repainting my toilets/kitchen ceilings over a one year period !!.... and then barely a year later - they wreck MUP !!.... another 3 yrs of nighmare !!
today, i'm no longer staying in that once, torturous unit !!!