Flexibility Extended to Home Buyers Affected by Earlier-than-expected BTO Completion

Ms Poh Li San asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether HDB will exercise flexibility towards home buyers affected by earlier than expected BTO completion; and (b) whether HDB will consider (i) flexibility for the second downpayment timeline (ii) transitional support for young working adults or (iii) any other practical arrangements for buyers who face genuine difficulty because their flats are completed significantly earlier than projected.

In 2025, about 30% of Build-To-Order (BTO) blocks were completed earlier than their estimated completion dates at the point of flat booking. On average, these blocks were completed about two months earlier.

To assist the buyers with their planning and housing arrangements, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) notifies them at three junctures: one year before, six months before and three months before the expected completion of their flat. These include any updates to their flat’s probable completion date and the latest probable completion date is also available to buyers when they log into their accounts on the MyHDB Page.

When their flats are ready, buyers are required to collect their keys and pay the balance flat price within a month. Those who face difficulties due to early completions can approach HDB for assistance. HDB may provide key collection deferrals to buyers who need additional time to sell their existing flat or work out their financing arrangements.

Thank you, Speaker, and I thank the Senior Minister of State for her reply. I have a supplementary question on such an arrangement for existing flat owners who require back-to-back sale of their existing homes to finance their BTO flats. So, if there is an earlier-than-expected BTO readiness, they do not have sufficient time to sell the flat, especially in a down cycle market. Will HDB further extend beyond the usual six months period, to allow them a bit more time to do so?

I thank the Member for her question. Earlier, I mentioned in my reply that the HDB notifies buyers at three junctures. This is to give buyers adequate time to plan. And that is why it is at the one year before, six months before and three months before. So, this is to give them adequate time to plan for what they should do with their previous flat, their existing flat, as the Member mentioned.

But in situations where they are already in financial difficulty and are not able to match the back-to-back arrangements, HDB will step in to see how they can facilitate the arrangements so that both the buyers and the sellers, in this instance, can find an acceptable arrangement that works for the both of them.