6,800 BTO flats across 8 projects for sale in October 2023 exercise

A total of 6,800 flats were launched for sale on Wednesday (Oct 4) under the October 2023 Build-to-Order (BTO) exercise. 

The BTO exercise sees eight projects in both mature and non-mature estates, namely Choa Chu Kang, Tengah, Kallang Whampoa and Queenstown. 

The types of flats offered range from two-room Flexis to 3Gen flats, to account for diverse housing needs.

According to the Housing & Development Board (HDB), 75 per cent of the flats will have a waiting time of four years or less.

The new flats will also be priced with market discounts to ensure affordability, said HDB.

READ: How BTO flats are priced and kept affordable according to HDB

Eligible first-timer families can benefit from the Enhanced CPF Housing Grant (EHG) of up to $80,000.

With the EHG, flat buyers can expect to pay about $141,000 for a three-room flat and $259,000 for a four-room flat in the non-mature estate of Choa Chu Kang.

For mature estates such as Kallang Whampoa, prices after the grant may start from $279,000 for a three-room flat and $435,000 for a four-room flat.

A total of two projects – Verandah @ Kallang and Tanglin Halt Cascadia – fall under the Prime Location Housing Model (PLH). 

Estates under the PLH are often located in Singapore’s central area, and are priced to be both affordable and accessible.

At the Verandah @ Kallang project located in Kallang Whampoa, 28 two-room Type 1 Flexis (35-38sqm), 112 two room Type 2 Flexis (45-47sqm), 110 three-room units and 893 four-room units are offered.

Prices for each type of flat start from $193,000 for a two-room Flexi, $368,000 for a three-room unit and $535,000 for a four-room unit before grants.

The project is bounded by Geylang Road, Sims Way, Kallang Airport Way and Kallang Airport Drive. It will offer a two-storey commercial block with amenities like an eating house, shops, a minimart, a residents’ network centre and preschool.

Residents will have convenient access to places like Kallang Wave Mall, Singapore Sports Hub and Kallang Riverside Park. Bendemeer Primary and Secondary School, Hong Wen School and Dunman High School are also nearby for families with school-age children.

The estimated waiting time for the project’s completion is 3.5 years.

Kallang Whampoa also offers two more BTO projects – Rajah Residences and Tenteram Vantage. 

Rajah Residences comprises two residential blocks ranging from 32 to 40 storeys, where 739 units of two-room Flexi and four-room flats are offered. These flat types are priced at $176,000 and $480,000 respectively before grants.

Located at Jalan Tenteram and along the Kallang River, Tenteram Vantage has four residential blocks ranging from 30 to 32 storeys, where 1,040 units of three- and four-room flats are offered. These flat types are priced at $339,000 and $480,000 respectively before grants.

Residents for both projects will have easy access to the nearby Park Connector and Sungei Whampoa.

Located in Queenstown, Tanglin Halt Cascadia will have 155 three-room flats priced at $364,000 before grants, and 818 four-room flats priced at $537,000 before grants.

It is bounded by Commonwealth Drive and the Rail Corridor, a 24km long recreational corridor that connects the north and south of Singapore.

Residents can enjoy a range of food and shopping spots within the town, such as the Tanglin Halt Market and Food Centre, Anchorpoint Shopping Centre and The Star Vista.

For families with young children, a preschool will be located within Tanglin Halt Cascadia. Other schools around the area include New Town Primary School, Fairfield Methodist School (Primary and Secondary), Anglo-Chinese Junior College and Singapore Polytechnic.

The project comprises four residential blocks – two taller blocks that range from 34 to 47 storeys tall  and two shorter blocks ranging from 10 to 25 storeys tall. 

It is expected to reach completion in about 4.5 years.

A total of two BTO projects –  Rail Green I and Rail Green II – located in the non-mature estate of Choa Chu Kang, are bounded by Woodlands Road and Sungei Pang Sua.

It comprises 12 residential blocks ranging from 13 to 31 storeys. This project will offer two-room Flexis, three-, four-, five-room and 3Gen flats, making up a total of 1,895 flats.

A two-room Flexi will cost from $106,000, a three-room from $216,000, a four-room from $319,000, a five-room from $463,000 and a 3Gen from $471,000 before grants.

Residents may cycle, trek, or jog along the Rail Corridor, which runs through the estate.

 In line with the area’s distinctive railway heritage, Rail Green I & II will also feature a train-themed playground, a precinct pavilion inspired by the design of old train platforms, and walkways with floor designs that resemble railway tracks.

Rail Green I’s completion is expected to take about three years and three months, whereas Rail Green II’s is expected to take four years.

Located at the edge of Tengah’s Plantation District, the final two BTO projects offered in this exercise are Plantation Edge I and II. Residents can choose from 1,010 units of two-room Flexi, three-, four-, and five-room flats.

A two-room Flexi will cost from $114,000, a three-room from $232,000, a four-room from $353,000 and a five-room from $460,000 before grants.

The eight residential blocks offered are 14 to 15 storeys high. Two of the blocks will house several rental flats as well.

A three-storey preschool, a supermarket, eating house, playgrounds, fitness stations and a hard court are some of the amenities included within the estate.

The Forest Fringe, a 15 to 20 metre wide linear greenscape, will serve as an additional venue for recreational activities and allow residents to enjoy flora and fauna.

Plantation Edge I and II are expected to be complete in about three and a half years. They will be adjacent to the upcoming Tengah Park MRT Station, targeted for completion and opening in Year 2028.

Families under the First-Timer (Parents & Married Couples) who are applying for four-room and smaller BTO flats in non-mature estates will receive an additional ballot chance.

Those considered as part of the category are: Families with at least one Singaporean child aged 18 years or below; married couples aged 40 years and below who never owned or sold a residential property before; and families who did not have a chance to book a BTO or Sale of Balance (SBF) flat in the past five years before their flat application. 

They will also be given first priority under the Family and Parenthood Priority Scheme (FPPS). 

This means that they will be shortlisted ahead of all other FPPS-eligible applicants, and stand a higher chance of being invited to select a flat. Up to 40 per cent of the public flat supply in each BTO exercise is set aside for the FPPS. 

HDB will implement new tightened rules to ensure more efficient flat allocation, so that those who have urgent housing needs can secure their flats more quickly with effect from this BTO exercise. 

Applicants of BTO and SBF who have received a queue number within the flat supply will be ineligible to apply for subsequent exercises.

This means that those who receive a queue position falling within the flat supply in this month’s exercise will not be able to apply again in the upcoming December exercise.

“This will ensure that we do not crowd out other BTO applicants who have not secured a queue position and improve their chances in securing a flat,” said HDB in a statement.

READ MORE: New HDB classification system will prevent social stratification: Minister Desmond Lee

Furthermore, those who reject a flat booking opportunity will have their existing applications for the subsequent exercise cancelled. 

They may still apply for future BTO or SBF exercises but will be under stricter restrictions. For instance, a first-timer family that fails to select a flat will be considered second-timers, and have fewer ballot chances for one year.

To improve their chances of securing a flat, applicants can opt for a flat in non-mature towns such as Choa Chu Kang and Tengah – where at least 95 per cent of the bigger flats are set aside for first-timer families.

Applicants may also apply for BTO projects with lower application rates. Information on the application rates of each project is available on the HDB Flat Portal, which is updated several times a day throughout the application window.

A valid HDB Flat Eligibility (HFE) letter is required for every applicant who wishes to participate in the BTO exercise. 

The HFE letter takes about a month to be processed after HDB receives all the required documents. More information on the HFE letter can be found on the HDB InfoWEB.

Flat applications can be made online at the HDB Flat Portal from now till Oct 10. Applicants may apply for only one flat type in one town under the exercise. 

With this, HDB remains on track to launch a total of 100,000 flats by 2025.