How to Buy a HDB BTO Flat In Singapore [Guide]

Buying an HDB BTO flat in Singapore involves several key steps, from finding out the upcoming sales launch, eligibility checks, submitting an application, securing a ballot number, to choosing a unit and completing financial arrangements.

To begin, applicants must meet eligibility criteria such as citizenship, income ceiling, and family nucleus. This will be followed by applying for an HDB Flat Eligibility (HFE) letter before the BTO (Built-To-Order) launch. A balloting system will then determine your queue position to select your flat.

If your application is successful, you will need to pay a booking fee and secure financing through an HDB or bank loan.

 

Modes of Sale

The HDB offers three modes of sale. They are:

• Build-To-Order (BTO) exercise.
• Sale of Balance Flats (SBF) exercise.
• Open Booking of Flats.

BTO Flats: This provides applicants with flexibility in terms of location and timing of flat purchase. During each exercise, a range of flat types are offered across a few towns.

Sale of Balance Flats: This offers balance of flats from earlier BTO exercises, surplus Select En Bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS) replacement flats, repurchased flats, etc.

Open Booking of Flats: It offers unselected flats from earlier SBF exercises. Buyers can apply online and receive a queue number for booking on a first-come-first-serve basis.

 

Infographic on the Process of Booking a BTO Flat

To apply for an HDB BTO flat, the overview of the process is illustrated in the infographic below:

If you are interested in applying for a new flat check out HDB's latest BTO launches for February and July 2025.

 

Factors to Consider When Choosing an HDB BTO Flat

Before we delve into the process of applying for an HDB BTO flat, it is important to consider the following factors:

Type of BTO flat to apply for: With the new HDB BTO flat classifications, comprising of Prime, Plus, and Standard flats that were implemented from the October 2024 BTO flat launches, it is important to decide which type will suit your needs and investment criteria.

Consider the price of BTO flats: Prime and Plus flats will cost more than Standard BTO flats as they are closer to the city or near amenities such as shopping malls and transport nodes, such as an MRT station or bus interchange. You will need to weigh between convenience and cost.

Balloting of BTO flats: Applying for a BTO flat close to the city (Prime Location Flat) will not only cost more, but the chances of getting one are slimmer due to their high demand. Evaluate how urgent your family need a place to stay.

Apply under applicable HDB priority schemes: Check out the various HDB priority schemes to increase your chances of securing your BTO flat faster. Some of these priority schemes include Family and Parenthood Priority Scheme (FPPS), First-Timer (Parents & Married Couples) or FT(PMC) Scheme, and Family Care Scheme (FCS).

Consider proximity to your workplace and family support: This will reduce commute time and cost while providing a better work-life balance. Also, living close to family allows for easier access to childcare and eldercare. Family can be readily available to help with emergencies, errands, or simply spending quality time together.

Long-term investment value: Flats located in convenient locations with good access to amenities tend to hold their value better or even appreciate over time. However, with the new BTO flat classifications being introduced where Prime and Plus flats are slapped with a 10-year MOP (minimum occupation period) and susidy crawl back, applicants must carefully weigh their housing and investment needs.

Subsidy Clawback: It is calculated as a percentage of the resale price of your HDB flat when you sell it after fulfilling the 10-year MOP. This is a scheme by the Singapore government to recover the substantial discounts given for the initial purchase of Plus and Prime BTO flats. It is also to prevent speculation for BTO flats in highly sought-after locations. The subsidy clawbacks have ranged from 6% to 12%, with highest first witnessed in the Clementi Emerald BTO flats in the July 2025 BTO exercise.

 

Type of BTO Flats Available

In Singapore, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) offers different types of Build-To-Order (BTO) flats to cater to different household sizes and needs. The type of HDB BTO flats available for purchase include the following:

• 2-room Flexi Flats: Designed primarily for singles and elderly citizens. Buyers can choose a short lease between 15 to 45 years in 5-year increments,  or a standard 99-year lease, subject to eligibility conditions.
• 3-room Flats: Suitable for smaller families or couples with compact and efficient living space with two bedrooms.
• 4-room Flats: A popular choice for many families. With three bedrooms, they are ideal for those looking for a balance between space and affordability.
• 5-room Flats: Offers more spacious living with three bedrooms and a larger living/dining area, catering to larger families.
• 3Gen Flats: Designed to accommodate multi-generational families, these flats have four bedrooms, of which two have attached bathrooms. This allows extended families to live together while providing more privacy.
• Community Care Apartments: Tailored for seniors age 65 and above, combining housing with care services. These units come with a service package that supports seniors to live independently.

The different type of flats is designed to meet the specific needs of Singaporeans, from singles and elderly residents to large families.

 

Eligibility to Buy An HDB BTO Flat

Firstly, you must meet the eligibility conditions for buying an HDB BTO flat. Among them, you have to be a Singapore citizen applying with another Singapore citizen or Singapore permanent resident, age 21 or older. Your monthly household income cannot exceed $14,000, or $21,000 for extended families. You must also not bought a new HDB/ DBSS flat or executive condominium (EC) before.

Owners of private properties must observe a 30-month waiting period after the sale of their property before they are eligible to apply for a Build-To-Order (BTO) flat.

Singapore permanent residents are not allowed to buy HDB BTO flats. They can only buy HDB resale flats after gaining their permanent residency for 3 years. Foreigners are also not allowed to own public housing, whether BTO or resale HDB flats.

 

HDB BTO Flat Sale Launches

Look out for the HDB BTO flat sale launches. There are three each year since 2024 - February, June, and October.

At the same time, the Sale of Balance Flats (SBF) will only be offered once a year while the Open Booking of Flats (OBF) can happen year round.

To allow people to plan for their purchase, HDB will release the launch details 6 months in advance. These include the location, map, types of flats offered and the estimated number of units available. Alternatively, you can sign up for the HDB sales alert. The new HDB BTO sales launches are usually spread across several estates across the island.

 

HDB BTO Flat Application

For your HDB BTO flat application, you can only apply for one flat type at one location. Upon the official sale launch of the flats, you will have 7 days to submit your application.

If you have done your homework, you should have already decided after discussing which BTO project to apply for. You must bear in mind that BTO flats in prime locations, such as those near the city, will see higher demand despite being more expensive. To increase your chances of securing a good unit, consider applying for a flat in a less popular estate.

Before deciding, you may also want to consider applicable HDB priority schemes. This will help to increase your chances of getting a flat of your choice.

 

Change in Priority Schemes for BTO Flat Application

The Family Care Scheme (FCS), effective from the July 2025 HDB sales exercise, streamlines existing priority schemes and extends priority access to new flats for parents and their children, regardless of marital status. It includes two components:

• FCS (Proximity): Launching in July 2025, it offers priority for applicants living with or near each other.
• FCS (Joint Balloting): To be implemented end-2025, it allows parents and children to jointly apply for two units (2-room Flexi or 3-room) within the same BTO project.

These two schemes will replace the Married Child Priority, Senior Priority, and Multi-Generation Priority Schemes.

 

Deferred Income Assessment for Young Couples Applying BTO Flats

HDB has introduced new rules to defer the income assessment for young couples applying for Build-To-Order (BTO) flats.

Those who are full-time students or have recently completed their studies can now apply for a BTO flat and defer their income assessment by around three years or closer to the date of key collection for their flat. This means their future income, rather than their current income, will be considered when assessing eligibility for housing grants and loan amounts.

By deferring income assessment, couples may qualify for higher loans and grants due to increased income after graduation and employment, enabling them to afford larger, more costly and desirable flats, such as those in Plus and Prime categories.

Also, young couples can apply for a BTO flat earlier, even if their current income is low, as their income will likely be higher by the time the flat is ready.

The new scheme will benefit those still studying in university, polytechnic and Institute of Technical Education. The new rules will take effect from BTO launches in July 2025.

Under the current rules, both parties must be either full-time students or national servicemen, or have completed their studies or national service in the 12 months before they applied for an HDB eligibility letter. At least one of them must also be aged 30 or below.

 

Application for an HFE Letter

With effects from 9 May 2023, the HDB has introduced a more streamlined HDB flat application process. This process involves the issuance of a new document called the HDB Flat Eligibility (HFE) letter.

The HFE letter will replace the current HDB Loan Eligibility (HLE) letter. The document will inform prospective buyers about their eligibility for purchasing either a BTO or resale HDB flat, as well as their eligibility for CPF housing grants and a HDB housing loan.

The HFE will also indicate the amounts of any grants or loans that they may be eligible for. This will help flat buyers clearly understand their options to enable them to make informed decisions about their home purchases.

 

HDB BTO Flat Ballot Result

Two months after the HDB BTO flat application closes, you will be informed of your ballot result through one of the following channels - SMS, emails or hardcopy letters - when ready.

If your application is successful, you will be invited to book a flat from 4 weeks after the release of the ballot results.

Applicants will be invited to select their flat according to their queue number. The earlier your queue number, the more flats you can choose from. You will also have the opportunity to select a unit with good views, on a high floor, and close to amenities such as bus stops, an MRT station, schools, and a market. However, whether you have the chance to select a flat will depend on the number of flats available when it reaches your queue number. It is also important to note that there are consequences if you reject your BTO application.

For first-timers, rejecting 2 chances to book a BTO flat means your first-timer priority will be suspended for 1 year. However, that does not mean you cannot apply for a BTO flat during that 1 year. It is just that your first-timer priority status will be rescinded.

If you reject another 2 more chances to select a new flat within that year, your first-time status will be extended for another year.

 

Change In First-Timer And Second-Timer Privileges

From August 2023, First-Timers (Parents & Married Couples) will receive an additional ballot chance for their BTO/ SBF flat applications, bringing their total ballot chances to three. This will be one more than other first-timer applicants and two more than non-first-timer applicants.

They will also continue to receive an additional ballot chance in subsequent applications for a BTO flat in non-mature estates if they are unsuccessful in two or more attempts for a non-mature estate BTO flat.

However, to discourage non-selection of BTO flats, First-Timers, including FT(PMC), will lose their first-timer privileges and be deemed as second-timers for a year in the BTO ballot if they do not book a flat when invited to do so.

Currently, First-Timers will be moved to the second-timer category for a year when balloting for flats only if they do not book a BTO flat twice.

Second-Timers who do not pick a BTO flat when invited to do so will have to wait one year before they can apply for a flat again. Currently, this kicks in only after they fail to book a flat twice

 

Before Your First HDB Appointment

HDB will invite you to the HDB Hub at Toa Payoh to book your BTO flat in about 2 weeks, depending on your queue number. But, if your ballot number is too far back due to high over-subscription, you may not be invited for the flat selection as your chances of getting a unit are extremely low.

Meanwhile, before your first HDB appointment, shortlist several preferred units a few days before your selection date. There is no point in shortlisting too early, as your choices may have already been snapped up by the time it reaches your queue number.

You can also log into the HDB portal to keep track of the running balloting process. HDB will provide you with a date and time slot to visit their office to select your BTO flat.

 

Your First HDB Appointment

At your first HDB appointment at the Toa Payoh Hub, bring along your appointment letter and NRIC. The flat selection is based strictly on your queue number.

While you are there, you can keep track of the taken/available units via the various LED monitors in the main lobby. The units are displayed in either "blue" (units taken up) or "yellow" (units available) colours.

It will also show your queue number. When your queue number is flashed on the LED screen, proceed to the room and counter specified. An HDB officer will help you with your BTO flat selection and paperwork. The process can take approximately an hour or even longer.

If you are successful in booking a unit and decide to take up an HDB concessionary loan, you will need to apply for the HDB Eligibility Letter (HLE).

If you are taking a bank loan, you will need to produce a Letter of Offer (LO). You also need to pay an option-to-purchase fee - $500 for a 2-room flexi flat, $1,000 for a 3-room flat and $2,000 for a 4-room or bigger flat.

 

Optional Component Scheme (OCS)

Also, during your first HDB appointment, you may decide whether to opt for the OCS. The scheme offers flat buyers the option to choose the finishes and fittings for their units, such as floor tiles, doors, sanitary fittings, etc. When a flat buyer opts in for OCS, the cost of the optional components will be added to the flat price.

Information about the OCS components can b found in the HDB brochure for each BTO projects.

But do note that projects built using the Prefabricated Prefinished Volumetric Construction (PPVC) method will come with full floor finishes, internal doors, and sanitary fittings. Hence, the OCS does not apply to these projects.

You can choose to have the following items installed in the flat you have selected:

3-Room, 4-Room, 5-Room, and 3Gen Flats
OCS Optional Components	Specifications
Sanitary fittings and internal doors	Wash basin with tap mixer shower set with bath/shower mixer Doors for bedrooms and bathrooms
Floor finishes	Living / Dining Room Bedrooms
*Actual specifications are subject to change

 

Your Second HDB Appointment

Within 9 months, you will be informed of your second HDB appointment where you need to go down to sign your Agreement for Lease. At the same time, you will be required to pay the downpayment, stamp duty and legal fees. You are also required to submit your HDB Loan Eligibility Letter (HLE) or Letter of Offer (LO) depending on whether you are taking an HDB concessionary loan or bank loan.

The downpayment required depends on the type of loan you are taking:

• CPF Loan: 20% of purchase price, payable by CPF OA or cash.
• Bank Loan: 25% of pruchase price (for loans up to 75%), payable by CPF up to 20%, with the remaining 5% in cash.
• Bank Loan: 45% of purchase price (for loans up to 55%), payable by CPF up to 35%, with the remaining 10% in cash.

For more information on housing loans and CPF usage, please refer to Change in CPF Usage and Housing Loan Rules. In addition, you need to decide on the ownership status – Joint Tenancy or Tenancy-In-Common. In Joint Tenancy, you hold an equal share in the flat, while in Tenancy-In-Common, you can hold an unequal share.

 

Key Collection for Your HDB BTO Flat

The construction of your new flat will take about 3 to 4 years to complete. Once ready, you will be notified of your key collection. All in all, buying an HDB BTO flat will take about 4 years.

Before your key collection, you should have decided on your renovation and how much to spend. You may engage one of the approved HDB contractors in the Directory of Renovation Contractors.

We hope you have found this guide on how to buy an HDB BTO flat useful. Meanwhile, you may wish to find out more about the Singapores property market - government regulations, housing types, and investment potential.

For those looking for an HDB resale flat, the procedure is very different from buying an HDB BTO flat.  For buying an HDB resale flat, the HDB Resale Flat Listing (RFL) guide will offer you important information on navigating the process.

If you have any questions or require any assistance, please feel free to WhatsApp or Email me.

 

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