How to Read a New Launch Price List, Balance Chart and Elevation Chart
Indicative price ranges, the unit-by-unit price list, the balance-units chart and the elevation chart explained, with a hypothetical worked table showing how floor and stack premiums reveal value.
At a Singapore new launch, you will be handed several documents that look like accounting printouts: indicative price ranges, a price list, an elevation chart and, on the day, a balance-units chart (often just called the balance chart). Read together, they tell you far more than the average psf quoted in the news. This guide explains each document and shows, with a clearly hypothetical example, how to use them to spot relative value at a project like LinkTown Residences (Hougang Central Residences), the upcoming private condo at the Hougang Central GLS site.
The four documents, in the order you usually see them
- 1Indicative price rangesShared at preview, usually by unit type, as a band or a “from” price.
- 2Elevation chartA grid of every unit in each block by stack and floor, showing unit types and sizes.
- 3Price listA price for each available unit, released closer to booking day.
- 4Balance-units chartThe elevation chart marked to show what is still unsold, updated as units are booked.
Indicative price ranges: useful, but read the small print
Indicative ranges help you decide which unit type you can afford before you commit time to shortlisting. They have limits:
- “From” prices are the floor, not the typical price. They are often the lowest-floor unit in the least-favoured stack.
- Ranges blend layouts. A 3-bedroom band may cover different sizes or a premium variant.
- They can change. The final price list may differ from earlier indications, depending on response.
For a sense of likely ranges, our price estimate guide works through illustrative quantums by unit type using indicative sizes from Parktown Residence.
The elevation chart: the map of the project
The elevation chart is the document to study most carefully. Columns are stacks (units sharing the same position and usually the same layout on every floor), rows are floors. Each cell usually shows the unit number, type and strata area.
What to look for:
- Which stacks share your preferred layout. The same unit type may appear in several stacks with different facings.
- Size differences within a type. Two “3-bedroom” stacks can differ in area; check the square footage.
- Floor numbering. Some developments skip certain floor numbers, and podium levels may mean residential floors start higher.
- Special units. Penthouses, ground-floor units with private enclosed spaces, or units next to lift cores and refuse chutes.
Pair the elevation chart with the site plan, once released, so you know which way each stack faces, and what it looks onto. At an integrated development with a mall, bus interchange and town plaza, this matters.
The price list: where value becomes visible
The price list assigns a figure to each unit. Developers typically price using two gradients:
- Floor premium: prices usually rise floor by floor, sometimes with larger jumps where views open up.
- Stack premium: on the same floor, a better-facing or better-located stack costs more than a less favoured one.
Laying these side by side is how you find units where the price does not fully reflect the difference in quality.
A hypothetical worked example
Below is an entirely hypothetical extract for two stacks of a 678 sq ft 2-bedroom unit. Stack A has the preferred facing; Stack B is less favoured. The developer in this example charges S$6,000 per floor and a S$40,000 stack premium.
| Floor | Stack A price | Stack A psf | Stack B price | Stack B psf |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | S$1,650,000 | S$2,434 | S$1,610,000 | S$2,375 |
| 8 | S$1,680,000 | S$2,478 | S$1,640,000 | S$2,419 |
| 13 | S$1,710,000 | S$2,522 | S$1,670,000 | S$2,463 |
| 18 | S$1,740,000 | S$2,566 | S$1,700,000 | S$2,507 |
Hypothetical figures for illustration only. Not LinkTown Residences prices, stacks or unit sizes. psf rounded to the nearest dollar.
What this table shows:
- Each floor adds about S$9 psf (S$6,000 ÷ 678 sq ft). Over 15 floors, that is S$90,000.
- The stack premium is about 2.4% (S$40,000 on S$1.65 million), or roughly S$59 psf.
- Stack A floor 8 (S$1,680,000) costs less than Stack B floor 18 (S$1,700,000). If you value the better facing more than the extra height, the mid-floor unit on the stronger stack may be the better buy.
Real price lists are rarely this tidy. Look out for sudden jumps between floors, which often signal where the developer believes views clear surrounding buildings, and for stacks priced unusually close together, which may suggest the developer sees less difference than you do.
The balance-units chart: reading demand on the day
On booking day, the elevation chart becomes a live scoreboard. Sold units are marked off, and it is updated as buyers choose. It tells you:
- Which of your shortlisted units remain. Check this first when your number is called.
- Where demand is concentrated. Stacks selling out quickly reveal what buyers value.
- What later phases may look like. Developers may release more units, or adjust prices, depending on take-up.
Treat the chart as information, not pressure. A stack selling fast does not make its remaining units good value. Our booking day guide covers how to use tiered shortlists so a fast-moving chart does not derail you.
A simple routine once the price list is out
- Highlight every unit of your preferred type on the elevation chart.
- Cross off stacks you would not accept (facing, noise, privacy). Our stack selection guide helps here.
- Write the price and psf beside each remaining unit.
- Calculate the floor premium and stack premium, as in the table above.
- Rank units by what you get for the money, not by floor alone.
- Add stamp duty and check each total against your budget with the stamp duty calculator.
Common mistakes when reading the charts
- Comparing psf across unit types. A 1-bedroom will almost always show a higher psf than a 4-bedroom. Compare within a type.
- Ignoring strata area. Two units at the same price can differ in size; check whether the extra area is usable space or items such as air-con ledges. Our floor plan guide explains what counts.
- Working from an old version. Price lists can be revised between phases. Make sure your shortlist uses the latest one.
A note on averages
The average psf reported after a launch blends every unit type, floor and stack. Smaller units usually carry a higher psf than larger ones, so a project’s average says little about the unit you want. Always compare like with like: same type, similar floor band, similar facing. See our LinkTown Residences price page for the latest on what has been announced.
To receive the indicative prices, elevation chart and price list when they are released, register your interest.
All prices and premiums in this guide are hypothetical or analyst estimates, not official prices. LinkTown Residences’ unit mix, stacks and prices have not been announced. This is general information, not financial advice.
