HDB offers 4,428 flats in 5 projects for February BTO exercise

Over 4,420 flats were launched for sale under the February 2023 Build-To-Order (BTO) exercise by the Housing & Development Board (HDB) on Tuesday (Feb 28).

The flats will be located in five projects at Kallang Whampoa, Queenstown, Jurong West and Tengah. The median waiting time is about 4.4 years for projects in the sale exercise.

Applications for the flats can be made online on HDB InfoWEB from now till Mar 6. Applicants can only apply for one flat type/category in one town under the BTO exercise.

Two of these projects in Queenstown and Kallang Whampoa fall under the Prime Location Housing Model (PLH).

At the Farrer Park Fields project in Kallang Whampoa, 46 two-room flexi units with an estimated floor area of 38sqm and 132 two-room flexi units with an estimated floor area of 48sqm are offered. The smaller units are priced between $185,000 and $229,000, while the bigger units are priced between $233,000 and $297,000.

There are also 91 three-room flats ($356,000 – $449,000) and 1,005 four-room flats ($484,000 – $631,000) for sale.

The project is bounded by Race Course Road, Hampshire Road and Farrer Park Road. Its name relates to the sporting heritage of the site, with the design concept of a central playfield located within the project. Up to 20 per cent of the estate will be set aside as open spaces for sports and recreational uses, authorities announced last year.

At the Ulu Pandan Glades project in Queenstown, 160 three-room flats ($372,000 – $498,000) and 572 four-room flats ($541,000 – $711,000) are offered.

A total of 160 three-bedroom units and 572 four-bedroom units are also launched for sale in Ulu Pandan Glades, another PLH flat in Queenstown. A three-bedroom unit will be offered from $372,000 while a four-bedroom unit will be offered from $541,000.

The project is located near Dover MRT station, and bounded by Ghim Moh Link and Commonwealth Avenue.

The Rajah Summit, the only project offered in a mature town, is located in Kallang Whampoa. However, as it is located away from train stations, it is not categorised under the PLH model.

There are 93 three-bedroom units ($326,000 – $443,000) and 417 four-bedroom units ($459,000 – $631,000) launched in this project. It is bounded by Jalan Rajah, and the project will be the tallest in the area at 40 storeys when it is completed.

The two projects offered in non-mature estates are located in Tengah and Jurong West.

At Tengah’s Brickland Weave project, 102 two-room flexi units spanning 38sqm ($97,000 – $118,000), 321 two-room flexi units spanning 48sqm ($122,000 – $158,000) , 95 three-bedroom units ($190,000 – $248,000), 597 four-bedroom units ($291,000 – $375,000) and 526 five-bedroom units ($401,000 – $503,000) are on offer.

The Brickland Weave is the biggest project in the February sales exercise, and the estimated waiting time is about four years. It is located in the Brickland District of Tengah town, and the 12 residential blocks will range from 11 to 17 storeys.

The Jurong West Crystal project offers the shortest waiting time among the February sales exercise at 47 months. The project is located next to Yunan Park and the Jurong West Park connector.

There are 85 three-room units ($187,000 – $249,000) and 186 four-room units ($288,000 – $372,000) on offer.

The project is located along Jurong West Street 93, and the blocks will feature crisp vertical lines that resemble the edges of elegant crystals. An eating house, minimart and shops will also be sited within the project.

“In this sales exercise, after including the Enhanced CPF Housing Grant (EHG) of up to $80,000, eligible first-timer families can purchase a 3-room flat from $112,000, or a 4-room flat from $228,000, in the non-mature estate of Jurong West,” said HDB in its press release.

HDB said that the vast majority of BTO flats in non-mature estates are set aside for first-timers. The board also advised first-timer applicants to apply for a flat in non-mature towns to stand a higher chance of securing a flat.

“Virtually all first-timer households who applied for a flat in non-mature estates have been invited to book their flat within three tries, and 90 per cent of them were in fact successful within two tries,” said HDB.

HDB added that it will offer about 5,400 BTO flats in Tengah, Bedok, Kallang Whampoa and Serangoon in May’s sale exercise. Between 5,200 and 6,200 flats will also be offered in Choa Chu Kang, Tengah, Bukit Merah, Kallang Whampoa and Queenstown in August.

The August sale exercise will also see measures, announced during Budget 2023, introduced to help first-timer applicants to own their first home come into effect, said Minister for National Development Desmond Lee wrote in a Facebook post on Monday (Feb 27).

He added that the Government is also looking into measures to reduce the non-selection rate for BTO applications and to prioritise BTO flats for those with “genuine and urgent housing needs”.

“I will share more about these initiatives at the upcoming debate on MND’s (Ministry of National Development) Committee of Supply,” he added.