Shell, basic or fully fitted-out apartment handover: what differs and which to choose

Costs in this article are reference price ranges from contractors' quotations and advisory articles, not official statistics; actual prices depend on the project, materials and timing. Updated 24 October 2026.

When viewing new apartments you will meet three terms: shell handover, basic handover (basic finish) and fully fitted-out handover. The names are the same but the content differs between developers, so the most important figure is how much extra you must spend and how long it takes before you can move in.

1. Three common handover levels

Item	Shell handover	Basic finish	Full finish
Room partitions	Usually not built	Yes	Yes
Wall and ceiling paint	No	Yes	Yes
Flooring	Not tiled (or bare cement)	Tiles or wood	Tiles or wood
Sanitary fixtures	None / minimal	Yes	Yes
Kitchen	No	Usually a countertop, not fully equipped	Kitchen cabinets, appliances per package
Loose furniture (bed, wardrobe, sofa)	No	No	May come with a package

According to Homedy, a shell-handover unit is delivered empty, without partitions, paint, ceiling, floor tiling, sanitary fixtures or kitchen; the developer still completes the common areas and the concealed electrical, water supply and drainage, and fire prevention and fighting systems per the design. A fully fitted-out unit already has a kitchen, bathroom and room layout, and you only need to add loose furniture. The table above is a common way of dividing the levels; each project has its own appendix, and in some places a "shell" unit still has doors and minimal sanitary fixtures.

2. Price gap and self-fit-out costs

• Price gap: Homedy estimates that a shell unit is about 2–3 million VND/m² cheaper than a basic-finish unit. For a 70 m² unit the gap is about 140–210 million VND.
• Self-fit-out cost (furniture, construction): according to 2026 quotations from some contractors, a 2-bedroom unit of 60–75 m² at a standard level costs about 250–400 million VND, and a higher level about 400–650 million VND (Cộng Design); another contractor gives a 70 m² unit from about 120 million VND (basic level) to over 500 million VND (high-end) (BlackAmber).
• To remember: the two sources differ widely because of different scope (loose furniture only, or also floor, ceiling, electrical and plumbing) and different materials. The gap can exceed 2–3 million VND/m² if you choose better materials than the handover specification.

A fair way to compare: take the price of the fitted-out unit minus the price of the shell unit, then compare it with the construction quotation for the same items that you receive. For details by area, see Apartment interior fit-out costs.

3. Pros and cons

Shell-handover unit

• Pros: you decide the layout and materials; lower price and a smaller loan.
• Cons: time spent supervising construction; you must follow the developer's infrastructure design and the building's construction hours; real costs easily exceed estimates.

Fully fitted-out unit

• Pros: move in sooner, lower risk of extra costs.
• Cons: higher price; the layout and materials may not suit your taste; if you have to demolish and redo work, it costs money and also requires permission (see Renovating and repairing an apartment).

4. Which to choose by need

You are…	Consider	Reason
Buying to live in, short on time	Fully fitted-out	Move in quickly, clear budget
Buying to live in, want to design it yourself	Shell or basic	Choose your own materials, no need to tear out and redo
Buying to rent out	Basic or full finish	Furnished units are easier to rent than empty ones; see furnished or unfurnished rental
Buying to invest and resell	Depends on the project segment	Compare the price gap with the real fit-out cost

5. Checklist before signing

1. Ask for the handover materials schedule (contract appendix): type of tiles, paint, sanitary fixtures, doors, lights, kitchen appliances.
2. Ask clearly whether the bathroom floor and balcony are already waterproofed and the warranty period for each item.
3. Ask about the building's construction rules: working hours, construction deposit, material transport route.
4. Calculate the total cost: unit price + fit-out cost + fees outside the sale price (costs outside the apartment price).
5. When taking over the home, check each item against the appendix (taking over a home).

Note: this article only describes how to compare and does not claim that any level is more advantageous. Prices and handover packages of each project are set by the developer; ask your consultant for the latest price list and appendix.

• Homedy — Comparing the pros and cons of shell-handover and fully fitted-out apartments (page shows no publication date), accessed 24 October 2026.
• Cộng Design — Apartment interior construction costs 2026 (contractor's reference quotation), accessed 24 October 2026.
• BlackAmber Studio — Cost of furnishing a 70 m² apartment (contractor's reference quotation, no publication date), accessed 24 October 2026.
• The price ranges above are businesses' offered quotations, not official statistics.