SINGAPORE — The Housing and Development Board (HDB) announced on Tuesday (28 February) the launch of 4,428 flats for sale under the February 2023 Build-To-Order (BTO) exercise. The flats are spread across five projects located in Kallang Whampoa, Queenstown, Jurong West and Tengah.
Of the four locations, Kallang Whampoa and Queenstown are in the mature estate category while Jurong West and Tengah are non-mature estates.
Flat types in the new launch range from 2-room Flexi to 5-room units.
“With significant subsidies, the new flats will be priced considerably lower than the transacted prices of comparable resale flats. In particular, all the 4-room flats in the non-mature estates offered in this sales exercise are priced below S$400,000, before grants,” said HDB.
As another example, HDB added that eligible first-timer families could purchase a 3-room flat for S$112,000 or a 4-room flat for S$228,000 in the non-mature estate of Jurong West, after including the Enhanced CPF Housing Grant of up to S$80,000.
Completion time
Flat buyers of February 2023’s BTO projects can expect a median waiting time of about 4.4 years before keys are handed over.
“Those who are looking to move into their flats sooner can consider applying for the flats at Jurong West Crystal, and Brickland Weave in Tengah. Both projects are in non-mature estates where application rates tend to be lower,” said HDB, adding that waiting times for those projects are lower at about 3.9 years and 4 years respectively.
In addition, HDB also said that at least 95 per cent of the 4-room and bigger flats in those projects had been set aside for first-timer families, increasing the chances of securing flats for applicants who fit the criteria.
For projects with a large number of dwelling units or higher stories, HDB said that they would take a longer time to complete. In addition, projects located in more built-up areas may see infrastructure preparation and construction take a longer time to complete due to the more challenging site conditions, the need for demolition works to be carried out, and the extensive service diversion works involved at the sites.
Prime location HDB flats
Two projects, namely the Farrer Park Fields and Ulu Pandan Glades, are offered under the new Prime Location Public Housing (PLH) model. “The PLH model aims to ensure that new public housing in prime and central locations remains affordable and accessible for Singaporeans. As PLH flats are priced with additional subsidies on top of the substantial subsidies already provided for all BTO flats, owners of these flats will have to return six per cent of the resale price or valuation (whichever is higher), upon the sale of their flats,” said HDB.
Similarly, the six per cent subsidy will also apply to Farrer Park Field’s 2-room Flexi flats that are sold on 99-year leases. However, 2-room Flexi flats on short lease will not be subject to the subsidy recovery as they cannot be sold on the open market.
How to apply
Applications for the flats can be made online at the HDB Flat Portal during the one-week application period starting Tuesday until Monday (6 March).
Each household can make only one application for the BTO exercise and must indicate the town and flat type that they are applying for. An administrative fee of S$10 per application is payable.
Applicants without internet access may seek support from their family members, HDB said. Those who need further assistance, such as seniors without family support, may call the HDB Sales/Resale Customer Service Line at 1800-866 3066.
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