When parents tell me they want to move near Ai Tong School, I understand why. A shorter school run, a familiar neighbourhood and a school they feel good about can all matter.
But once we start comparing homes, the decision becomes less straightforward. An older condo may offer the space you need. A newer development may have a layout you prefer, but a higher price. A new launch could mean waiting, renting and moving twice.
Before we shortlist units, I would ask one question:
Would you still be happy owning this home if your child did not get into Ai Tong?
If the answer is no, we need to look more closely at how much of your decision depends on an outcome you cannot control.
What does living within 1km actually give you?
It can give your child priority when a registration phase is oversubscribed. It does not guarantee a place. Under the standard framework, Singapore Citizens are considered before Permanent Residents, with distance categories applied within each citizenship group. Balloting may still be needed within a priority group. MOE explains the priority order here.
This is also why dividing vacancies by total applicants does not give you your child's personal chance of admission. Those applicants may belong to different priority groups.
From the 2027 registration exercise, for children entering P1 in 2028, most schools will reserve 60 places for Phase 2C, up from 40. Schools with an intake below 180 are exceptions. Ai Tong is not on MOE's currently announced list of 12 schools adopting the new two-track Phase 2C arrangement. Do not assume that the rules for one school apply to another. See MOE's changes and school list.
Check the exact property address using the official school-distance service linked by MOE. A development name or an agent's approximate map radius is not enough.
Watch our full discussion
Queenie and I look at the trade-offs around Ai Tong, from resale condos to Thomson Reserve, and how we would approach the decision with a family.
Watch on YouTube. Project availability and prices discussed are a snapshot, not current offers.
Start with the life you need the home to support
A radius search is a starting point. It is not a shortlist.
Would your family benefit more from an extra bedroom, or newer facilities? Will grandparents stay with you? Do you need a helper's room, a separate study or enough space for two children to grow into?
In our discussion, we looked at projects such as Country Grandeur, Gardens at Bishan and AMO Residence to illustrate different choices around space, development scale and age. These are starting points for comparison, not interchangeable recommendations. Verify the specific unit, school-distance category and current availability before deciding.
A low price per square foot can be appealing, but a very large home may still require a much bigger total budget. Equally, a smaller home with a higher psf may fit your finances but leave you needing another move sooner than expected.
Use PACE to compare the options
This is how I would organise the decision, so the school address does not drown out everything else.
Four checks before you commit
Will the home suit your family's next stage? Assess the location without assuming future price gains.
What else can the same budget buy? Separate options inside the required school radius from those outside it.
Purchase price, taxes, renovation, financing, temporary housing and a cash buffer.
Who might buy from you later? Consider layout, age, tenure, total price and competing supply.
For example, a family buying mainly for own stay may accept an older development to gain space. Another family may prefer a newer, smaller home because they do not want a major renovation. Neither choice is automatically better. The question is whether the compromise works for your family and your finances.
New launch or resale? Compare more than the price tag
Thomson Reserve deserves comparison with resale options, but “newer” does not automatically mean “better for us”.
For a resale home, you can inspect the actual unit, its surroundings and condition. You still need to allow for the purchase timeline and any renovation. For a home under construction, you need to assess the layout from plans and be comfortable with the wait.
Here is a hypothetical example. These are not asking prices for any particular project.
The wait has a budget too
S$4,000 rent × 36 months = S$144,000
Shown: purchase price plus assumed temporary rent only. Not an all-in cost or like-for-like financial comparison. Taxes, financing, renovation, maintenance, moving costs and other differences are excluded.
The point is not that resale always costs less. A resale home could need substantial work, while a family able to remain in its current home may not need temporary rent at all. What matters is putting both options on the same financial worksheet before making a decision.
I would also be careful with comparisons that adjust older properties to a theoretical fresh lease or a different floor-area basis. They can help explore assumptions, but the adjusted figures are not actual transactions. They do not establish a guaranteed “safe” entry price.
Your school timeline needs its own check
Do not assume that an estimated completion year is enough to support your registration plan.
MOE allows certain purchased, uncompleted properties to be used for registration, subject to conditions. The relevant vacant or delivery possession date must fall within two years of the child's P1 entry; MOE does not accept the probable completion date for this purpose. Check the documents and the rules for your child's registration year before committing. Read MOE's home-address requirements.
There is also a minimum 30-month residence requirement when admission is obtained through distance-category priority. Its start date differs for the standard, new-property and resale-property routes. This is not simply an address to use for registration and leave afterwards. Check the applicable residence conditions.
Two families, two sensible decisions
A family that needs to move soon. Their registration timeline is close, they need more space and they do not want to manage temporary housing. A suitable resale unit may be the more practical starting point, provided its address and completion timeline meet the relevant requirements.
A family with time and flexibility. They can stay in their present home, prefer a newer development and would enjoy the neighbourhood regardless of the school outcome. A new launch may be worth considering, after checking the full budget and possession timeline.
These are hypothetical situations, not client outcomes. The same project can make sense for one family and be the wrong fit for another.
Buy a home you can stand behind either way
Being near a sought-after school can be part of a property's appeal. It should not be the only reason you are comfortable paying for it.
Before buying, I would want you to know what you are giving up, what the move will cost and how the home fits your plans after primary school. Your exit matters more than the unit you get today.
Planning a move around your child's school?
Let's work through your budget, timeline and the options that suit your family. In a free 45-minute Zoom consultation, we can look at where you are now and what a sensible next move could look like.
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