{"id":7832,"date":"2025-07-23T13:26:00","date_gmt":"2025-07-23T05:26:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.99.co\/blog\/singapore\/?p=7832"},"modified":"2026-02-04T17:04:59","modified_gmt":"2026-02-04T09:04:59","slug":"sale-of-balance-flats-hdb","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.99.co\/singapore\/insider\/sale-of-balance-flats-hdb\/","title":{"rendered":"Guide to Sale of Balance Flats (SBF)"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Chances are, you already know a fair bit about HDB’s Build-To-Order (BTO)<\/a> and resale flats<\/a>. But there\u2019s a third option available in the public housing market: Sale of Balance Flats (SBFs).\u00a0In this article, we explain what these flats are and what to take note of.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Latest Update (February 4th, 2026):<\/h2>\r\n\r\n

In February, HDB rolled out its first Sale of Balance Flats (SBF) exercise for 2026, putting 4,320 balance flats on the market across multiple locations. Around 20% of these flats are already completed, which gives buyers a quicker path to moving in. Importantly, SBF units from BTO projects launched before October 2024 are not affected by the Standard, Plus and Prime flat classification framework. This means the current SBF exercise still includes a limited selection of unclassified flats, available across a fairly broad mix of towns around the island.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

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Table of contents<\/h3>\r\n
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  • What is a Sale of Balance Flat (SBF)?<\/a><\/li>\r\n
  • How many available flats are there in each Sale of Balance flat launch?<\/a><\/li>\r\n
  • Flat supply for the February 2026 SBF launch<\/a><\/li>\r\n
  • What are the eligibility criteria to buy a Sale of Balance flat?<\/a><\/li>\r\n
  • How long do you need to wait if you purchase a Sale of Balance flat?<\/a><\/li>\r\n
  • How much does a Sale of Balance flat cost? Is it more expensive than a BTO?\u00a0<\/a><\/li>\r\n
  • How does HDB allocate SBF flat supply?<\/a><\/li>\r\n
  • How do you know if a Sale of Balance flat is suitable for you?<\/a><\/li>\r\n
  • When is the next Sale of Balance flat launch?<\/a><\/li>\r\n
  • Frequently Asked Questions<\/a><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    What is a Sale of Balance Flat (SBF)?<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    Sale of Balance Flats (SBF) is leftover flats from previous BTO launches, surplus<\/span> Selective En Bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS)<\/span><\/a> replacement, and repurchased flats. These include flats that previous owners chose to give up. Possible reasons for this include couples splitting up or the inability to finance their flats.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    This means that the SBF exercise may include older developments<\/a>. We once found a <\/span>Toa Payoh<\/span><\/a> flat nearly 47 years old when it was put up for SBF in November 2020.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    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\u2019ll need to take note of the <\/span>lease decay<\/span><\/a> if you purchase an SBF built several years ago.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

    A key advantage of SBFs is their significantly shorter waiting times compared to traditional BTO flats, which can take anywhere from a few months to three or four years for completion. SBFs are subsidised flats, generally making them more affordable than flats available on the open resale market.<\/p>\r\n

    Additionally, applicants may be eligible for housing grants, such as the Enhanced CPF Housing Grant (EHG)<\/span><\/a>\u00a0of up to S$120,000, similar to BTO applicants. The availability of a unit is also subject to the ethnic quota, depending on the existing racial profile of resident households in the block.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    Read more:<\/strong> Quick guide (with infographic) to BTO, SBF and resale HDB grants for singles<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n

    How many available flats are there in each Sale of Balance flat launch?<\/h2>\r\n

    The number of flats available in each Sale of Balance Flats (SBF) launch can vary quite significantly. For example, in 2025, HDB released more than 10,200 Sale of Balance Flats (SBF) in total, marking the highest annual supply since 2016. This supply came from two separate launches: February and July.<\/p>\r\n

    The first SBF exercise in February 2025 was the larger of the two, with a record 5,590 flats offered across various towns and estates. The second SBF exercise took place in July 2025 and added another 4,662 balance flats to the market.<\/p>\r\n

    By comparison, the SBF launch of 2026 in February offered 4,320 balance flats. While this is lower than the previous batch, it remains a sizeable release and shows that SBF launches continue to provide a meaningful number of options for buyers who want more flexibility and shorter waiting times.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

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    Do take note that the availability of a unit also depends on the ethnic quota<\/a>. 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.<\/div>\r\n
    \u00a0<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
    \"sale<\/a>\r\n
    The February 2025 SBF launch offers a record-high number of 5,590 flats across various towns and estates.\u00a0<\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    When is information about the Sale of Balance flats released?<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    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 <\/span>three months in advance<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    This leaves you with only one week to look through the flats available through SBF and submit the application.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    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\u2019ll be able to know which flats to avoid (such as <\/span>those west-facing flats<\/span><\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

    Another good thing about the Sale of Balance Flats scheme is that it doesn\u2019t 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.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n