Buying off-plan or completed is a key fork for a Phuket investor. Off-plan gives a lower price, instalments and capital growth toward handover; completed gives income here and now plus the chance to see the unit. Here’s what’s smarter in 2026 for your goal.
Contents
1. Off-plan: pros
- Lower entry price — launch is cheaper than completed.
- Milestone instalments — e.g. 35% start + 5×13% every 6 months in Layan Verde.
- Capital growth toward handover — the main driver of total ROI on an early entry.
- Pick the best units — at launch the best views and floors (and freehold quota) are available.
2. Completed: pros
- Income now — rental works without waiting (example: phase 1 of Layan Green Park, completed 2024).
- You see the unit — real quality, views, occupancy.
- No timing risk — construction is already done.
- Easier to assess yield — there’s real rental data.
3. Comparison
| Parameter | Off-plan | Completed |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Lower | Higher |
| Payment | Milestone instalments | More often full sum |
| Income | At handover | Now |
| Capital growth | High | Limited |
| Timing risk | Yes | No |
| Unit choice | Wide | From remainders |
4. Price, instalments, growth
The developer sells lower at launch and raises the price as it nears completion. Instalments cut the start payment: in Layan Verde a 35% plan starts at around $86,000, the rest by milestones to the 2028 handover. Thanks to instalments, return on actually invested capital is higher, and capital growth toward handover adds the bulk of ROI.
🔗 How to calculate ROI: Investment guide → · Calculator
5. Construction risk and how to reduce it
- Schedule. Choose a developer with a delivery track record; check the construction stage.
- Documents. Verify land title, permits, the contract and late-handover penalties.
- Payment. Pay by milestones tied to construction, not the whole sum upfront.
- Design. Fix the unit’s specs in the contract.
VillaCarte Group is a developer with a Phuket portfolio (Layan Green Park phase 1 completed 2024), which lowers timing risk.
6. Yield: now or at handover
Completed gives cash flow immediately — an owner net yield benchmark of ~8–10% via the rental pool. Off-plan gives capital growth toward handover plus rental afterward. Over a 3–5 year horizon, “early entry + growth + later rental” often delivers a higher total ROI; for income “now,” completed is more practical.
7. Pitfalls
- Ignoring the developer. The main off-plan risk is developer reliability.
- Full payment upfront. Use milestone payments tied to construction.
- Treating growth as a guarantee. Capital growth is an expectation, not a promise.
- Completed “blind.” Even for completed, check real occupancy and costs.
8. Case: by goal
Consider two investors. The first wants capital growth and is happy to wait — entering Layan Verde at the construction stage on a 35% plan, counting on appreciation toward the 2028 handover. The second wants income now — a completed unit in Layan Green Park phase 1, where rental already works and occupancy is visible.
Takeaway: off-plan is about capital growth and instalments; completed about immediate flow and predictability. Both work — it’s a question of goal and horizon.
I’ll select both off-plan and completed units for your strategy, with a yield calculation.
[ Enquiry form: find off-plan or completed ]
Informational only; yield and timelines depend on the project and market.