Buying a handed-over apartment on resale: what to check (Vista Verde)

1. How a handed-over unit differs from an off-plan unit

With an off-plan unit, you choose from drawings and a show flat and wait for construction. A handed-over unit is the opposite:

• You can see the actual unit: the right floor, orientation, view and the real condition of walls, floors and furniture — not a rendering.
• You take possession straight away after title transfer (or signing a lease), regardless of construction progress.
• You see the building actually operating: management board, amenities, parking, neighbours.

In return, the seller is an individual, not the developer — you have to check all the documents, fee obligations and the unit's condition yourself.

2. Document checklist

Ask to see the originals and check each line against the unit you are standing in:

• The pink book of the exact unit: unit number, floor, tower and area on the certificate match the actual unit. How to tell the types of certificate apart: how the red book and pink book differ.
• Registered owner: the name on the pink book matches the seller's ID card; a unit bought during marriage usually needs both spouses to sign — see spouses' signatures when selling a home.
• Mortgages, disputes: look at the changes page of the pink book and ask the land registration office to confirm. A unit with a bank loan can still be bought if the mortgage is released properly: buying a mortgaged apartment.
• The original sale and purchase agreement signed with the developer, with the handover record — to check the area, handover fittings and warranty period.
• The current management fee notice from the management board (in writing) and confirmation that the unit has no outstanding fees, electricity or water bills.

A unit without a pink book is a contract transfer, with a different procedure: buying an apartment without a pink book. A unit with a pink book: 6 things before paying a deposit.

3. Viewing checklist

Check	What to look at on site
View	Where windows and balcony face; whether the view could be blocked by a neighbouring building later
Floor	Lower floors are near the amenities; higher floors are airier but lifts take longer at peak times — try the lift at 7–8 am
Furniture	Which items stay and which the owner takes — list them with photos in the deposit agreement
Ventilation	Open all doors and windows to see whether air flows through; damp smells in kitchen cabinets, bathrooms, wall corners
Daylight	Visit twice: morning and afternoon — which rooms get direct afternoon sun
Damage	Ceiling leaks, wall cracks, tile grout, air conditioners, water heater, power sockets

Full list: viewing a ready home — 7 things to check · lighting and ventilation in an apartment.

4. Compare the amenities in operation with what was announced

Sales materials were written at launch; a few years after handover, some amenities may have changed use, started charging separately or closed temporarily. When viewing:

• Take the list of announced amenities, walk round and tick off which are open.
• Ask the management board: opening hours, which amenities charge fees, how to book (BBQ, community room).
• Ask about car parking: is a space included with the unit or rented, and are spaces available?
• Ask how access cards and lift cards are transferred to the new owner.

5. Buying to let — a few extra tasks

• Building rules on letting: ask the management board whether short-term letting is allowed and how tenants are registered. Letting by the night: what you need to know.
• Calculate net yield, not just gross yield: deduct the management fee, rental tax, repairs and vacant months — gross and net rental yield · holding costs of a rental apartment.
• The landlord's tax obligations: tax on renting out an apartment.
• Any existing lease: if the unit is currently let, ask to see the lease — term, deposit, and who holds the deposit after the transfer. See also selling an apartment that is currently let.

Rents differ by building and over time — HPR does not commit to any rent or price growth. To estimate, compare with units in the same building currently offered for rent.

6. Example: Vista Verde

Vista Verde is on Dong Van Cong Street (former Thanh My Loi Ward, now part of Ho Chi Minh City), developed by the CapitaLand – Thien Duc joint venture. Published milestones:

Milestone	Information
Scale	4 towers of 35 storeys, 1,152 apartments (Tower 1, Tower 2 — phase 1; Lotus, Orchid — phase 2)
Handover	Towers 1–2 handed over from 07/2017; Lotus and Orchid ready for handover in 12/2017, about 2 months early
Pink books	Certificates issued by the HCMC Department of Natural Resources and Environment and the District 2 People's Committee; first pink books issued from 26/02/2019
Amenities	More than 50 amenities announced; observation decks and picnic lawns at Lotus and Orchid; Faifo Lane retail row on the ground floor
Green certification	Green Mark Gold from the Building and Construction Authority of Singapore (BCA), overseas project category (06/2019) — focusing on natural light and ventilation

Applying the checklist to Vista Verde:

• Documents: the project has had pink books issued since 02/2019, but check the pink book of the unit you are buying — do not infer it from the project's general status.
• Viewing: within the same project, each tower, floor and orientation differs; most Lotus and Orchid units face the Saigon River (Tinnhanhchungkhoan). See the view of the exact unit in person.
• Amenities: the "more than 50 amenities" list was announced in 2017 — walk round and check which are open.
• Price, management fee: HPR does not yet have an authoritative source — being updated. Ask the management board for a written fee notice; for prices of units offered through HPR, leave your phone number at the end of the article.

Renting in this area? See also renting an apartment in Thu Duc and checking an apartment lease.

Want to view a Vista Verde unit?

Message HPR or call 07 88 04 04 88 to book a viewing of units offered for sale or rent; project information is on the Vista Verde page. If you are an owner wanting to resell or rent out: consign with HPR.

This article is for reference only and is not investment advice. The condition of amenities, prices and each unit's documents may differ from published information — check at the time of the transaction.

1. See the original pink book of the exact unit, and check the unit number, area and registered owner.
2. Confirm the unit is not mortgaged, not in dispute and has no outstanding management, electricity or water bills.
3. View the unit twice (morning, afternoon): view, floor, furniture left behind, ventilation, daylight.
4. Walk round the amenities and compare them with the announced list; ask the management board about fees, parking and access cards.
5. State clearly in the deposit agreement: the documents the seller must provide, the list of furniture left behind, the notarisation deadline and what happens if either party fails to perform.

Sources mostly in Vietnamese; titles kept in the original, with a short English translation in brackets.

• VnEconomy — Vista Verde mua để ở hay để đầu tư? (Vista Verde: buy to live in or to invest?), 15 December 2017 (4 towers, 1,152 units, over 50 amenities, Faifo Lane, phase 1 handed over from 07/2017).
• Vietnam Investment Review (republished on Vietstock) — Vista Verde hands over units ahead of schedule, 18 December 2017 (4 towers of 35 storeys, phase 2 handed over 2 months early, observation decks at Lotus and Orchid).
• Báo Đầu tư — Vista Verde hoàn thành vượt tiến độ, chào đón cư dân nhận căn hộ (Vista Verde completed ahead of schedule, welcoming residents), 19 December 2017.
• Tinnhanhchungkhoan — Chuẩn mực thiết kế Vista Verde (Vista Verde's design standards), 3 April 2018 (Lotus and Orchid ready for handover in 12/2017; most units face the river).
• Báo Đấu thầu — Dự án Vista Verde của Capitaland Việt Nam đã được cấp "sổ hồng" (CapitaLand Vietnam's Vista Verde receives pink books), 27 February 2019 (first pink books issued from 26/02/2019).
• Báo Đấu thầu — Dự án Seasons Avenue và Vista Verde của CapitaLand Việt Nam nhận chứng nhận Xanh của Bộ Xây dựng Singapore (CapitaLand Vietnam's Seasons Avenue and Vista Verde receive Singapore green certification), 4 June 2019 (Green Mark Gold, BCA).