Update as of 2 June 2023: The May 2023 HDB SBF application period has been extended to 8 June, 11.59pm. 1,500 units are available for balloting on the HDB portal.
Chances are, you already know a fair bit about HDB’s Build-To-Order (BTO) and resale flats. But there’s a third option available in the public housing market: Sale of Balance Flats (SBFs). You might also be wondering when the HDB Sale of Balance Flats exercise will be in 2023. In this article, we explain what these flats are and what to take note of.
What is a Sale of Balance Flat (SBF)?
Sale of Balance Flats (SBF) are leftover flats from previous BTO launches, surplus Selective En Bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS) replacement flats and repurchased flats. These include flats that previous owners chose to give up. Possible reasons for this include couples splitting up or inability to finance their flats.
This means that for the flats that have been built, they may even be as old as 40 years old. In fact, we found a Toa Payoh flat to be nearly 47 years old when it was put up for SBF in November 2020.
You can read more about old Sale of Balance Flats in this article.
What this also means is that not all flats under SBF come with a fresh lease of 99 years. So just like buying a resale flat, you’ll need to take note of the lease decay if you purchase an SBF built several years ago.
But here’s the good news if you’re keen on buying an old flat for its larger size. You’ll be able to buy it through SBF at a cheaper price than through the resale market. And similar to getting a BTO, you may be eligible for the Enhanced CPF Housing Grant (EHG) of up to S$80,000.
Read this: Quick guide (with infographic) to BTO, SBF and resale HDB grants for singles
What’s the eligibility criteria to buy a Sale of Balance flat?
The eligibility criteria is similar to getting a BTO flat. If you are buying a flat with your fiancé/fiancee or spouse, you’ll need to be at least 21 years of age. Alternatively, if you’re buying a flat as a single, you’ll need to be at least 35 years and above.
(You can find out more about HDB’s eligibility criteria on HDB’s website).
Note that for this May 2023 HDB SBF, you’ll need to do the following:
1. preliminary HDB Flat Eligibility (HFE) check before you submit your SBF application
2. apply for the HFE letter within 30 days of doing this preliminary check
You’ll need the HFE letter when you go for the flat booking appointment.
When is the next Sale of Balance flat launch?
SBF launches are held twice a year, coinciding with HDB BTO sales launches in May and November.
How long do you need to wait if you purchase a Sale of Balance flat?
It depends! If you’re purchasing a unit that has already been built, you’ll be invited to sign the Agreement for Lease and collect your keys six months after booking the flat from HDB. If not, you’ll need to wait for the flat to be completed. This can take anywhere from a few months to three or four years.
But the main advantage SBFs have over BTOs is that they have a much shorter waiting time.
In the case of the May 2023 HDB SBF exercise, you’ll be informed on your queue number in July 2023, with the flat booking exercise taking place starting from August 2023. You will need the HFE letter when you go for the appointment.
You’ll then be invited to sign the Agreement for Lease within nine months of booking the flat. Head over to this page for more info.
How many available flats are there in each Sale of Balance flat launch?
It depends. For instance, in the sales launch in May 2022, HDB launched 1,952 flats for sale via SBF. More recently in November 2022, 1,071 SBF units were launched for sale.
For the May 2023 SBF, 1,500 units have been launched for balloting.
Do take note that availability of a unit also depends on the ethnic quota. Depending on the existing racial profile of resident households in the block, a listed unit may only be made available to applicants of a certain race.
When is information about Sale of Balance flats released?
HDB only releases information about SBF during the launch itself. This is unlike BTO flats, in which we usually have the info on the exact locations, estimated number of units and flat types three months in advance.
This leaves you with only one week to look through the flats available through SBF and submit the application.
But the plus side is that you get more information about the flats available, right down to the block number and unit number. So you’ll be able to know which flats to avoid (such as those west-facing flats).
Another good thing about the Sale of Balance Flats scheme is that it doesn’t just comprise four to five locations like in a typical BTO launch. You can find flats of various types spread across the different estates in Singapore, as well as the race quota, put up for SBF.
In the SBF exercise in May 2023, popular estates like Bishan and Bukit Merah are included as well.
Here’s a breakdown of the flat supply for the May 2023 SBF.
Non-mature estates
|
Town/ Estate |
Flat Application Category |
Flat Supply |
Ethnic Quota |
Selling Price |
||
|
Malay |
Chinese |
Indian/ Other Races |
||||
|
Bukit Batok |
2-room Flexi (short lease) |
18 (10*) |
10 |
10 |
10 |
From S$63,000 |
|
2-room Flexi (99-year/ balance lease) |
8 |
8 |
8 |
From S$110,000 |
||
|
3-room (income ceiling $7,000) |
6 |
6 |
6 |
4 |
From S$199,000 |
|
|
4-room |
4 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
From S$328,000 |
|
|
Bukit Panjang |
2-room Flexi (short lease) |
8 (6*) |
6 |
6 |
6 |
From S$67,000 |
|
2-room Flexi (99-year/ balance lease) |
2 |
2 |
2 |
From S$110,000 |
||
|
3-room (income ceiling $7,000) |
4 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
From S$204,000 |
|
|
4-room |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
From S$288,000 |
|
|
5-room (2 units)/ Executive (1 unit) |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
From S$495,000 |
|
|
Choa Chu Kang |
2-room Flexi (short lease) |
13 (8*) |
7 |
8 |
8 |
From S$54,000 |
|
2-room Flexi (99-year/ balance lease) |
4 |
5 |
5 |
From S$130,000 |
||
|
3-room (income ceiling $7,000) |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
From S$199,000 |
|
|
4-room |
14 |
14 |
14 |
14 |
From S$233,000 |
|
|
5-room (4 units)/ Executive (1 unit) |
5 |
4 |
5 |
4 |
From S$375,000 |
|
|
Hougang |
2-room Flexi (short lease) |
30 (17*) |
17 |
15 |
17 |
From S$53,000 |
|
2-room Flexi (99-year/ balance lease) |
13 |
13 |
13 |
From S$103,000 |
||
|
3-room (income ceiling $7,000) |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
From S$219,000 |
|
|
4-room |
33 |
33 |
30 |
33 |
From S$318,000 |
|
|
5-room (12 units)/ Executive (2 units) |
14 |
14 |
14 |
12 |
From S$473,000 |
|
|
Jurong East |
2-room Flexi (short lease) |
18 (9*) |
9 |
9 |
1 |
From S$80,000 |
|
2-room Flexi (99-year/ balance lease) |
9 |
9 |
9 |
From S$140,000 |
||
|
3-room (income ceiling $7,000) |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
From S$219,000 |
|
|
4-room |
11 |
11 |
11 |
11 |
From S$401,000 |
|
|
5-room |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
S$440,000 |
|
|
Jurong West |
2-room Flexi (short lease) |
24 (12*) |
12 |
12 |
12 |
From S$57,000 |
|
2-room Flexi (99-year/ balance lease) |
7 |
12 |
12 |
From S$99,000 |
||
|
3-room (income ceiling $7,000) |
55 |
14 |
55 |
22 |
From S$119,000 |
|
|
4-room |
16 |
15 |
16 |
15 |
From S$243,000 |
|
|
5-room (2 units)/ Executive (3 units) |
5 |
4 |
5 |
4 |
From S$355,000 |
|
|
Punggol |
2-room Flexi (short lease) |
39 (2*) |
2 |
2 |
2 |
From S$72,000 |
|
2-room Flexi (99-year/ balance lease) |
36 |
37 |
36 |
From S$123,000 |
||
|
3-room (income ceiling $7,000) |
7 |
5 |
7 |
7 |
From S$249,000 |
|
|
3-room (income ceiling $14,000) |
6 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
From S$262,000 |
|
|
4-room |
68 |
58 |
68 |
57 |
From S$303,000 |
|
|
5-room |
7 |
7 |
7 |
7 |
From S$380,000 |
|
|
Sembawang |
2-room Flexi (short lease) |
6 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
From S$67,000 |
|
2-room Flexi (99-year/ balance lease) |
From S$115,000 |
|||||
|
3-room (income ceiling $7,000) |
4 |
4 |
4 |
3 |
From S$200,000 |
|
|
4-room |
27 |
27 |
27 |
26 |
From S$298,000 |
|
|
5-room (8 units)/ 3Gen (1 unit) |
9 |
9 |
9 |
9 |
From S$405,000 |
|
|
Sengkang |
2-room Flexi (short lease) |
37 (12*) |
12 |
12 |
9 |
From S$65,000 |
|
2-room Flexi (99-year/ balance lease) |
25 |
25 |
25 |
From S$111,000 |
||
|
3-room (income ceiling $7,000) |
7 |
7 |
7 |
7 |
From S$207,000 |
|
|
4-room |
36 |
36 |
36 |
36 |
From S$293,000 |
|
|
5-room |
10 |
10 |
10 |
10 |
From S$416,000 |
|
|
Tengah |
2-room Flexi (short lease) |
26 |
25 |
26 |
26 |
From S$77,000 |
|
2-room Flexi (99-year/ balance lease) |
From S$133,000 |
|||||
|
3-room (income ceiling $7,000) |
14 |
14 |
14 |
14 |
From S$210,000 |
|
|
4-room |
32 |
30 |
32 |
32 |
From S$330,000 |
|
|
5-room |
26 |
26 |
26 |
26 |
From S$461,000 |
|
|
Woodlands |
2-room Flexi (short lease) |
45 (18*) |
12 |
18 |
16 |
From S$57,000 |
|
2-room Flexi (99-year/ balance lease) |
15 |
27 |
27 |
From S$98,000 |
||
|
3-room (income ceiling $7,000) |
13 |
2 |
13 |
9 |
From S$144,000 |
|
|
4-room |
27 |
12 |
27 |
26 |
From S$223,000 |
|
|
5-room (23 units)/ 3Gen (3 units) |
26 |
18 |
26 |
25 |
From S$385,000 |
|
|
Yishun |
2-room Flexi (short lease) |
46 (16*) |
16 |
16 |
14 |
From S$57,000 |
|
2-room Flexi (99-year/ balance lease) |
30 |
30 |
30 |
From S$100,000 |
||
|
3-room (income ceiling $7,000) |
14 |
13 |
14 |
13 |
From S$204,000 |
|
|
4-room |
55 |
47 |
55 |
48 |
From S$238,000 |
|
|
5-room |
7 |
7 |
7 |
7 |
From S$414,000 |
|
5-room and Executive HDB flats for sale in non-mature estates
3
2
3
2
3
2
4
3
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
4
2
3
2
3
2
4
2
3
2
4
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
4
2
4
2
3
2
4
2
3
2
3
2
4
2
4
2
4
2
4
2
3
2
3
2
4
2
4
2
4
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
4
2
4
2
3
3
3
2
4
2
4
2
3
2
4
3
3
2
3
2
3
3
4
2
3
2
4
3
3
2
3
2
3
3
3
2
3
2
4
3
4
2
4
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
3
4
2
4
2
4
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
4
2
3
2
4
2
3
2
3
2
4
3
3
2
3
2
4
2
3
2
3
2
3
3
4
3
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
3
3
2
4
2
4
3
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
3
4
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
4
2
3
2
4
2
3
2
4
2
3
2
3
2
4
2
4
2
4
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
3
3
3
3
2
3
2
3
3
4
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
4
3
4
3
3
2
3
2
3
2
4
3
4
2
4
3
3
2
4
2
3
2
5
3
4
2
4
3
4
3
4
2
3
2
3
2
5
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
4
3
3
2
4
2
4
2
4
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
Mature estates
|
Town/ Estate |
Flat Application Category |
Flat Supply |
Ethnic Quota |
Selling Price |
||
|
Malay |
Chinese |
Indian/ Other Races |
||||
|
Ang Mo Kio |
2-room Flexi (short lease) |
15 (10*) |
10 |
8 |
9 |
From S$102,000 |
|
2-room Flexi (99-year/ balance lease) |
4 |
4 |
5 |
From S$177,000 |
||
|
3-room |
7 |
7 |
6 |
7 |
From S$229,000 |
|
|
4-room |
26 |
26 |
9 |
26 |
From S$298,000 |
|
|
5-room |
2 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
From S$754,000 |
|
|
Bedok |
2-room Flexi (short lease) |
14 (8*) |
7 |
8 |
8 |
From S$82,000 |
|
2-room Flexi (99-year/ balance lease) |
5 |
6 |
6 |
From S$142,000 |
||
|
3-room |
19 |
18 |
18 |
17 |
From S$189,000 |
|
|
4-room |
10 |
10 |
9 |
10 |
From S$293,000 |
|
|
5-room |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
S$475,000 |
|
|
Bishan |
2-room Flexi (short lease) |
5 (3*) |
3 |
3 |
3 |
From S$119,000 |
|
2-room Flexi (99-year/ balance lease) |
2 |
2 |
2 |
From S$263,000 |
||
|
4-room |
3 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
From S$523,000 |
|
|
Bukit Merah |
2-room Flexi (short lease) |
22 (17*) |
17 |
6 |
16 |
From S$105,000 |
|
2-room Flexi (99-year/ balance lease) |
5 |
2 |
5 |
From S$132,000 |
||
|
3-room |
9 |
9 |
4 |
9 |
From S$149,000 |
|
|
4-room |
4 |
4 |
0 |
4 |
From S$353,000 |
|
|
5-room |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
From S$665,000 |
|
|
Bukit Timah |
2-room Flexi (short lease) |
5* |
5 |
5 |
5 |
From S$120,000 |
|
Clementi |
2-room Flexi (short lease) |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
From S$153,000 |
|
2-room Flexi (99-year/ balance lease) |
From S$262,000 |
|||||
|
3-room |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
From S$184,000 |
|
|
4-room |
9 |
9 |
7 |
9 |
From S$303,000 |
|
|
5-room |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
From S$505,000 |
|
|
Central |
3-room |
2 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
From S$269,000 |
|
Geylang |
2-room Flexi (short lease) |
17 (6*) |
6 |
6 |
6 |
From S$117,000 |
|
2-room Flexi (99-year/ balance lease) |
11 |
10 |
11 |
From S$122,000 |
||
|
3-room |
19 |
19 |
11 |
19 |
From S$154,000 |
|
|
4-room |
44 |
44 |
31 |
43 |
From S$333,000 |
|
|
5-room |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
S$565,000 |
|
|
Kallang/ Whampoa |
2-room Flexi (short lease) |
18 (15*) |
15 |
7 |
15 |
From S$106,000 |
|
2-room Flexi (99-year/ balance lease) |
3 |
3 |
3 |
From S$142,000 |
||
|
3-room |
10 |
10 |
9 |
10 |
From S$119,000 |
|
|
4-room |
9 |
9 |
8 |
9 |
From S$378,000 |
|
|
Marine Parade |
3-room |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
S$244,000 |
|
Pasir Ris |
2-room Flexi (short lease) |
13 (10*) |
5 |
10 |
0 |
From S$53,000 |
|
2-room Flexi (99-year/ balance lease) |
2 |
3 |
3 |
From S$148,000 |
||
|
3-room |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
S$304,000 |
|
|
4-room |
6 |
4 |
6 |
5 |
From S$373,000 |
|
|
5-room (5 units)/ Executive (1 unit) |
6 |
5 |
6 |
5 |
From S$520,000 |
|
|
Queenstown |
2-room Flexi (short lease) |
18 (11*) |
11 |
4 |
9 |
From S$130,000 |
|
2-room Flexi (99-year/ balance lease) |
7 |
5 |
7 |
From S$312,000 |
||
|
3-room |
11 |
11 |
5 |
11 |
From S$199,000 |
|
|
4-room |
6 |
6 |
1 |
6 |
From S$363,000 |
|
|
5-room |
2 |
2 |
0 |
2 |
From S$625,000 |
|
|
Serangoon |
2-room Flexi (short lease) |
5* |
5 |
5 |
5 |
From S$68,000 |
|
3-room |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
From S$204,000 |
|
|
4-room |
2 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
From S$293,000 |
|
|
Tampines |
2-room Flexi (short lease) |
30 (17*) |
11 |
17 |
17 |
From S$67,000 |
|
2-room Flexi (99-year/ balance lease) |
1 |
13 |
13 |
From S$172,000 |
||
|
3-room |
16 |
4 |
15 |
16 |
From S$214,000 |
|
|
4-room |
64 |
25 |
64 |
64 |
From S$293,000 |
|
|
5-room (33 units)/ 3Gen (1 unit)/ Executive (1 unit) |
35 |
21 |
35 |
35 |
From S$435,000 |
|
|
Toa Payoh |
2-room Flexi (short lease) |
32 (24*) |
24 |
23 |
21 |
From S$97,000 |
|
2-room Flexi (99-year/ balance lease) |
8 |
8 |
8 |
From S$149,000 |
||
|
3-room |
19 |
19 |
16 |
19 |
From S$144,000 |
|
|
4-room |
45 |
45 |
39 |
44 |
From S$450,000 |
|
|
5-room (3 units)/ 3Gen (1 unit) |
4 |
4 |
3 |
4 |
From S$696,000 |
|
|
Total |
1,500 |
1,275 |
1,377 |
1,394 |
|
|
5-room and Executive HDB flats for sale in mature estates
3
2
3
2
4
4
3
2
5
4
4
3
3
2
4
4
3
2
4
2
4
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
4
2
3
2
4
2
3
2
3
2
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3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
3
2
2
2
2
3
2
4
3
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
4
2
3
2
3
2
4
2
3
2
3
2
3
3
4
2
2
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
2
2
3
2
4
2
3
2
4
3
3
2
3
3
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
3
3
2
3
2
3
2
4
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
4
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
4
2
4
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3