Q1: What do I need to participate in a sales exercise?

All potential flat buyers must obtain a valid HDB Flat Eligibility (HFE) letter before you can apply for a new flat in our sales exercises.

The HFE letter provides buyers with a comprehensive assessment of your eligibility for a flat purchase, as well as for any housing grant and/ or HDB housing loan. Second-timers will also be informed on the resale levy/ premium payable for the purchase of a subsidised flat from HDB.

During the application period of a sales exercise, buyers with a valid HFE letter may apply for a flat online at the HDB Flat Portal. Read our procedures to buy a new flat for more information.

Q2: How do I apply for an HFE letter?

You may apply for an HFE letter online via the HDB Flat Portal. There are 2 steps to apply for an HFE letter:

• Step 1: Check Preliminary HDB Flat Eligibility (HFE). Get a quick overview of your eligibility to buy an HDB flat, receive CPF housing grants, and take up an HDB housing loan. This preliminary assessment guides your financial planning. To submit the HFE letter application, applicants must complete and submit Step 2.  

• Step 2: Apply for HDB Flat Eligibility (HFE) Letter. Complete and submit Step 2 within 30 calendar days of Step 1 and submit all required documents. The processing time is about a month, after we have received the full set of required documents.

You may view our step-by-step guide or videos on the HFE letter application.

Q3: When should I apply for an HFE letter if I wish to participate in a sales exercise?

You must have a valid HFE letter before you may participate in our sales exercises. We encourage all prospective flat applicants to apply for an HFE letter early as the HFE letter is valid for 9 months.

Processing time takes approximately one month after we receive all required documents, though it may take longer before and during the month of a sales exercise due to high application volumes.

To prioritise our resources, the ‘Apply for HDB Flat Eligibility (HFE) Letter’ e-Service will be suspended during the application period of a sales exercise.

Q4: Where can I find information on the upcoming sales exercises?

Visit the HDB Flat Portal for information on our upcoming Build-To-Order (BTO) sales exercise, such as the flat types, number of units and town map of the projects to be offered. The supply will be subject to review, as project details are firmed up closer to the sales exercise date. Prices of the flats and additional details including the projects’ classification categories will be posted during the sales exercise.

For flats offered during a Sale of Balance Flats (SBF) exercise, details on the flats for sale will only be made available via HDB Flat Portal during the sales exercise.

If you wish to receive email notifications on the launch of our sales exercises, subscribe to HDB e-Alerts.

Q5:  How do I work out a budget to finance the flat purchase?

The budget is based on your available funds to pay for the flat purchase, namely:

• Amount of housing loan from HDB or a financial institution;
• CPF savings in the Ordinary Account;
• CPF housing grants (if eligible); and
• Cash savings

Read about how you may budget for a flat purchase, and use our calculators to work out your budget before you commit to a flat purchase.

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This information is sourced from HDB.