Buying an HDB resale flat, explained
Guides to the main questions that come up when buying an HDB resale flat, using figures from the official resale records. If you are not sure where to start, the seven-step overview on the home page puts them in order.
All guides
BuyingIs it worth paying more to live near an MRT?
Within the same town, flats near a station sell for about 5% more per square foot, not the 10% the raw figures suggest. In a few towns they sell for less.
How to tell if an asking price is fair
Comparable flats sell across a wide range. Five checks for working out where a particular flat should sit in it.
BuyingWhat a resale flat really costs to buy
The downpayment, stamp duty, option fee and grants on a $600,000 example, and which costs have to be paid in cash rather than CPF.
BuyingCash over valuation, explained
If you pay more than the valuation, the difference has to be cash. How COV works, and how large it has been.
BuyingBuying a resale flat, step by step
Each step from the HFE eligibility letter to collecting the keys, with costs and typical timings.
FinancingHDB loan or bank loan?
A fixed 2.6% rate with the downpayment payable from CPF, or a market rate that needs 5% in cash. Why you can switch from HDB to a bank but not back.
BuyingWho can buy, and when can you sell?
Who is eligible to buy a resale flat, and the 5-year Minimum Occupation Period that starts when you collect the keys.
ValueLease decay, explained
Within a town, price falls by about 1% a year of lease for most flats, and faster below about 60 years, mainly because of CPF and loan rules.
LocationMature vs non-mature estates: what you pay for
Four-room flats in mature estates sell for about 23% more, even though they are older. What the extra cost is for.
TimingIs now a good time to buy?
What ten years of prices say about timing a purchase, and why the choice of flat has mattered more.