HDB BTO Feb 2023 Launch: Locations, Prices, Expected Completion Dates & Application Rates, and More

HDB BTO Feb 2023 Launch: Locations, Prices, Expected Completion Dates & Application Rates, and More
Images: HDB

Planning on applying for a Built-to-Order (BTO) flat in 2023? Your first chance is here!

In the first BTO of 2023, HDB has launched over 4,400 units across projects in Jurong West, Kallang/Whampoa, Queenstown, and Tengah.

Wondering if a BTO in Queenstown is going to cost you an arm and a leg? Is the Tengah BTO location too ulu? We take a look at the Feb 2023 BTO’s locations, prices, expected completion time, expected application rates, and more.

A guide to HDB BTO Feb 2023 Launch

        1. Overview of BTOs in Feb 2023 launch
        2. What are the Feb 2023 BTO prices?
        3. What is the application period for the Feb 2023 BTO?
        4. What are the Feb 2023 BTO application rates?
        5. What are the Feb 2023 BTO flats’ resale values?
        6. Which Feb 2023 BTO projects will be Prime Location Public Housing (PLH)?
        7. There are 2 projects in Kallang/Whampoa. Can I apply for just one?
        8. Can I choose not to book a flat if I don’t like the units? 
        9. Which Feb 2023 BTO flats are the largest?
        10. Advice to first-time buyers, according to HDB
        11. Final thoughts on choosing the best Feb 2023 BTO for you
        12. When’s the next BTO launch in 2023?

 

1. Overview of HDB BTO Feb 2023 launch 

There are 5 projects in the Feb 2023 BTO launch, and these will span mainly West and Central Singapore (tough luck this round, Easties).

Feb 2023 BTOs in the West

Here’s a quick look at the Jurong West and Tengah projects, including flat types, nearby amenities and MRT/LRT stations.

Town Jurong West Tengah
Mature estate? Non-mature estate Non-mature estate
Flat types 3-room, 4-room 2-room Flexi, 3-room, 4-room, 5-room
Number of units 270 1640
Address Jurong West Street 93 Tengah Boulevard / Brickland Crescent / Brickland Rise
Nearest MRT/LRT Pioneer MRT (750 m/10 min walk) Choa Chu Kang West (u/c; 1.1 km/14 min walk) / Keat Hong LRT (1.7 km/23 min walk)
Nearest mall Pioneer Mall (1.2 km/15 min walk) Keat Hong Shopping Centre (1.2 km/15 min walk) 
Nearest hawker centre / market Jurong West Hawker Centre (1.2 km/15 min walk) Blk 253 Choa Chu Kang Market & Food Centre (1.1 km/13 min walk)
Nearest clinic/hospital Pioneer Medical Centre (700 m/10 min walk), Pioneer Polyclinic (950 m/12 min walk), Soon Lee Medical Clinic (1.2 km/15 min walk) Island Family Clinic Keat Hong (800 m / 10 min walk), OneCare Clinic Choa Chu Kang (1.5 km/19 min walk) Healthway Medical Sunshine Place (1.1 km/13 min walk), My Family Clinic Choa Chu Kang (1.1 km/13 min walk)
Nearest school(s) Frontier Primary School (950 m), Jurong West Primary School (1 km), Pioneer Primary* (1.1 km), Jurong West Secondary School (1.1 km), Xingnan Primary School (1.6 km), West Grove Primary School (1.8 km), Boon Lay Secondary School (2 km), Nanyang Technological University (2.1 km), River Valley High School (2.5 km) (*Note: Pioneer Primary and Juying Primary merged in 2022 at the site of Juying Primary. The merged school will relocate to Tengah in ~2025) Choa Chu Kang Primary School (1.2 km), Concord Primary School (1.6 km), St Anthony’s Primary School (1.6 km), Dunearn Secondary School (2 km)
Nearest sports facility Jurong West Sport Centre (450 m/5 min walk) Bukit Batok Sports Hub (6.3 km/13 min by car)

Map of Jurong West Feb 2023 BTO

Feb 2023 BTO Jurong West map

Source: HDB

Map of Tengah Feb 2023 BTO

Feb 2023 BTO Tengah map

Source: HDB

 

Feb 2023 BTOs in Central Singapore

Here’s a quick look at the Kallang/Whampoa and Queenstown projects, including flat types, nearby amenities and MRT/LRT stations.

Town Kallang/Whampoa Kallang/Whampoa Queenstown
Mature estate? Mature estate Mature estate Mature estate
Flat types 3-room, 4-room 2-room Flexi, 3-room, 4-room 3-room, 4-room
Number of units 500 1,270 730
Address Jalan Rajah Farrer Park Road / Hampshire Road / Race Course Road Commonwealth Avenue West, Ghim Moh Link
Nearest MRT Toa Payoh MRT (1.3 km / 18 min walk) Little India MRT (400 m, 5 min walk), Farrer Park MRT (700 m/9 min walk), Rochor MRT (1 km/13 min walk) Dover MRT (700 m/9 min walk), Buona Vista MRT (1.2 km /16 min walk)
Nearest mall Balestier Plaza (550 m/7 min walk), Shaw Plaza (750 m/9 min walk), Zhongshan Mall (900 m/11 min walk), Toa Payoh Mall (1.4 km/18 min walk) Mustafa Centre (750 m/10 min walk), Centrium Square (800 m/11 min walk), City Square Mall (1.1 km/15 min walk) The Star Vista (700 m/9 min walk), Rochester Mal (1 km/13 min walk)l
Nearest hawker centre / market Wong Poh Kopitiam (450 m/6 min walk), Balestier Market (600 m/7 min walk), Whampoa Food Centre (1 km/12 min walk)  Tekka Food Centre (600 m/8 min walk), Pek Kio Market & Food Centre (1.1 km/13 min walk), Berseh Food Centre (1.3 km/16 min walk) 20 Ghim Moh Road Market & Food Centre (900 m/11 min walk)
Nearest clinic/hospital Carelink Family Clinic (650 m/8 min walk), SP Teo Clinic for Women (650 m/8 min walk), Parkway Health Primary Care (800 m/10 min walk), Unihealth 24-Hr Clinic (1.3 km/17 min walk), Chng Clinic & Surgery (1.3 km/17 min walk), Dr Joyce & Partners Family Clinic (1.4 km/19 min walk) Caring Community Clinic (350 m), Apollo Medical Centre (450 m), Tekka Clinic-Surgery (600 m), Medstar Medical Clinic & Surgery (650 m), Shifa Clinic & Surgery (500 m), Karunya Community Clinic (550 m), Waheeda’s Clinic & Surgery (600 m), Care Family Clinic (900 m), Express Medical Clinic (1.1 km) Cornerstone Medical (400 m/5 min walk), Trinity Medical Clinic (300 m/4 min walk), Northeast Medical Group (450 m/5min walk), Dover Clinic & Surgery (650 m/8 min walk), Healthcare Family Clinic (650 m/8 min walk)
Nearest school(s) Bendemeer Secondary School (1.6 km/20 min walk), Hong Wen School (1.4 km/18 min walk), Northlight School (1.5 km/19 min walk) Farrer Park Primary School (650 m/8 min walk) Singapore Polytechnic (300 m), New Town Secondary School (1.6 km), School of Science and Technology (1.2 km), Dover Court International School (950 m), NUS University Town (2 km), United World College (850 m), Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) (850 m), Anglo-Chinese Junior College (950 m), Fairfield Methodist School (Secondary and Primary) (1.3 km)
Nearest sports facilities Toa Payoh Stadium, Toa Payoh Swimming Complex, Toa Payoh Sports Hall (800-900 m / 10-12 min walk)
Other notable features Next to the Kallang River.  Likely to be under the Prime Location Public Housing (PLH)  model. Likely to be under the Prime Location Public Housing (PLH)  model.

 

Map of Kallang/Whampoa (Jalan Rajah) Feb 2023 BTO

Feb 2023 BTO Kallang/Whampoa Jalan Rajah map

Source: HDB

 

Map of Kallang/Whampoa (Race Course Road) Feb 2023 BTO

Feb 2023 BTO Kallang/Whampoa Race Course Road

Source: HDB

 

Map of Queenstown Feb 2023 BTO

Feb 2023 BTO Queenstown map

Source: HDB

 

2. What are the Feb 2023 BTO prices?

There are two main factors that influence the price of a BTO flat: location and unit size. Here’s a rundown of the Feb 2023 BTO prices as well as a peek at past sale prices for flats of the same size in approximately the same area. Just so you can see how prices are changing. 

Jurong West

Here are the prices for the Jurong West project in the Feb 2023 BTO launch:

Jurong West Crystal (Jurong West)
Flat type Selling price (excl. grants) Selling price (incl. grants) Transacted prices of resale flats nearby
3-room From $187,000 From $112,000 $348,000 – $363,000
4-room From $288,000 From $228,000 $460,000 – $520,000

Comparatively, Lakeside View (May 2022) BTO flats sold for:

Lakeside View (May 2022) BTO prices
Flat type Price range
3-room $215,000 to $265,000
4-room $320,000 to $393,000

As Jurong West is a non-mature estate, these prices are friendlier than those for mature towns like Kallang/Whampoa and Queenstown. Jurong West is going to be a relatively affordable option if you don’t mind its far west location and slightly less developed area.

 

Tengah

Here are the prices for the Tengah project in the Feb 2023 BTO launch:

Brickland Weave (Tengah)
Flat type Selling price (excl. grants) Selling price (incl. grants) Transacted prices of resale flats nearby
2-room flexi From $97,000 From $17,000
3-room From $190,000 From $115,000 $391,000 – $450,000
4-room From $291,000 From $231,000 $480,000 – $566,800
5-room From $401,000 From $356,000 $580, 000 – $680,000

There were two BTO projects in Tengah over the past year:

Flat type Parc Flora @ Tengah (Feb 2022) price range Garden Waterfront I (Nov 2022) price range
2-room Flexi $132,000 to $182,000 $111,000 to $174,000
3-room $231,000 to $273,000 $214,000 to $262,000
4-room $322,000 to $403,000 $307,000 to $397,000
5-room $428,000 to $525,000 $428,000 to $536,000

Like Jurong West, Tengah is a non-mature estate. This makes Tengah another relatively affordable option in the West of Singapore. Based on past sales, prices are comparable to those at Jurong West. 

 

Kallang/Whampoa

Here are the prices for the Kallang/Whampoa projects in the Feb 2023 BTO launch:

Rajah Summit (Kallang/Whampoa)
Flat type Selling price (excl. grants) Selling price (incl. grants) Transacted prices of resale flats nearby
3-room From $326,000 From $266,000 $490,000 – $580,000
4-room From $459,000 From $414,,000 $690,000 – $795,000

 

Farrer Park Fields (Kallang/Whampoa)
Flat type Selling price (excl. grants) Selling price (incl. grants) Transacted prices of resale flats nearby
2-room flexi  From $185,000 From $105,000
3-room From $356,,000 From $296,000 $533,888 – $568,000
4-room From $484,000 From $439,000 $660,000 – $790,888

Like Tengah, Kallang/Whampoa saw 2 BTO projects over the past year:

Flat type Kallang Horizon (Nov 2022) price range King George’s Heights (Feb 2022) price range
3-room $335,000 to $447,000 $353,000 to $462,000
4-room $509,000 to $690,000 $488,000 to $675,000

Kallang/Whampoa is a popular town and a mature estate. Unfortunately, that means it is a more expensive option in the Feb 2023 round of BTO. 

You’d notice that the Farrer Park Fields prices are generally higher than the Rajah Summit one. That’s because Rajah Summit is listed under the Mature Town while Farrer Park Fields is listed under the Prime Location Public Housing (PLH) Model.

To refresh, PLH flats are built in central, prime locations. You must occupy the new/resale PLH flat for at least 10 years before you may sell it on the open market or invest in a private residential property.

Queenstown

Here are the prices for the Queenstown project in the Feb 2023 BTO launch:

Ulu Pandan Glades (Queenstown)
Flat type Selling price (excl. grants) Selling price (incl. grants) Transacted prices of resale flats nearby
3-room From $372,000 From $312,000 $602,000 – $730,000
4-room From $541,000 From $496,000 $860,000 – $996,000

Over the past year, there were a whopping 4 BTO projects in Queenstown:

Price range Flat type
3-room 4-room
Ghim Moh Natura (Nov 2022) $364,000 to $487,000 $516,000 to $696,000
Queensway Canopy (Nov 2022) $392,000 to $488,000 $551,000 to $695,000
Ulu Pandan Banks (Nov 2022) $362,000 to $504,000 $546,000 to $725,000
Ghim Moh Ascent (May 2022) $369,000 to $481,000 $511,000 to $691,000

As expected, the flats in Queenstown are the priciest in the Feb 2023 BTO launch.

In fact, the past BTO closest to the upcoming Queenstown BTO in Feb 2023 is the Ulu Pandan Banks one, which also sits along Commonwealth Avenue West. Prior to this launch, Ulu Pandan Banks was the most expensive BTO in the estate in the past year, with 4-room flats starting at over half a million. The new Ulu Pandan Glades cuts close this time. 

3. What is the application period for the Feb 2023 BTO?

Applications for the flats can be made online on HDB InfoWEB from now to 6 March 2023 (Monday). 

And nope, you don’t have to be kiasu. There is no need to visit HDB Hub to get the information or make an application.

For more details on how to apply, visit this page.

 

4. What are the Feb 2023 BTO application rates?

Been applying for BTO for a while now and starting to think you’ll strike Toto before BTO? You might want to consider which projects will give you the best chances of securing a flat. That all boils down to 2 words: application rate.

Application rate = Number of applications received / number of units for sale. The smaller the number, the better:

  • If there are 80 applications for 100 units, the application rate is 0.8. Everyone gets a unit, and there are 20 extra units unsold.
  • If there are 100 applications for 100 units, the application rate is 1. Everyone gets a unit with no surplus.
  • If there are 300 applications for 100 units, the application rate is 3. That means for every 1 unit, 3 people applied. Only ⅓ applicants will get a unit.

How do you know the application rates if no one’s applied yet? Well, you can’t know for sure. But you can make a good guess based on the application rates of past BTO projects in the same area. Here’s a range of application rates you can expect for the Feb 2023 BTO:

Jurong West

Lakeside View was a BTO project launched in May 2022 with 101 3-room units and 246 4-room units.

Application rates of past BTO project in Jurong West: Lakeside View (May 2022)
Flat type Overall First-timers Second-timers*
3-room 4.4 2.4 9.3
4-room 7.4 5.3 19.6

*Second-timers are those who have utilised their housing subsidies before and are now looking to apply for a new flat.

Tengah

There are two Tengah BTO Projects we can reference: Garden Waterfront I @ Tengah (Nov 2022) and  Parc Flora @ Tengah (Feb 2022):

Application rates of past BTO project in Tengah:

Garden Waterfront I @ Tengah (Nov 2022) / Parc Flora @ Tengah (Feb 2022)

Flat type Overall First-timers Second-timers
2-room Flexi 1.9* / 8.4* 0.1 / 12 0.5 / NA
3-room 3.7 / 4.3 1.5 / 2.5 16.2 / 8.5
4-room 2.6 / 3.2 1.9 / 2.7 16.2 / 5.8
5-room 4.3 / 4.7 2.6 / 3.7 35.2 / 10.1

* The overall 2-room Flexi application rates are inclusive of rates for the elderly and singles. The application rates for the elderly were 1.2 (Garden Waterfront I @ Tengah) and 3.1 (Parc Flora @ Tengah). The application rates for singles were 3.4 for Garden Waterfront I @ Tengah and not applicable for Parc Flora @ Tengah.

Tengah has (so far) not been a very popular location. It’s new, not developed yet, and feels far from most other places. But once upon a time, we thought the same way about Punggol. Well, look at Punggol now—packed with amenities and thriving. So if you’re sold on Tengah’s green living concept, we’d say go for it—first-timers might have a good chance of securing a unit in the Feb 2023 BTO launch.

Judging from past applicant data, everyone’s clamouring for a larger flat. So your chances are also better if you apply for a smaller unit. Having said that, the 4-room application rates at Tengah are probably going to be more friendly than the 4-room rates at Jurong West. 

Kallang/Whampoa

Over the past year, the last BTOs in Kallang/Whampoa were Kallang Horizon (Nov 2022) and King George’s Heights (Feb 2022). Neither of these had 2-room Flexi units, so we can’t use that data to predict the 2-room Flexi application rates for the Feb 2023 Kallang/Whampoa BTO. However, it’s generally safe to assume that 2-room Flexi application rates are lower than 3-room ones.    

Application rates of past BTO project in Kallang/Whampoa:

Kallang Horizon (Nov 2022) / King George’s Heights (Feb 2022)

Flat type Overall First-timers Second-timers
3-room 7.6 / 6.4 3.1 / 2.8 111.3 / 76
4-room 11.3 / 17.5 7.1 / 10.9 92.3 / 149.3

The rates above might be a better reflection of the rates for the Race Course Road BTO than the Jalan Rajah one. Both the Kallang Horizon BTO and King George’s Heights BTO were PLH models sitting in prime locations—the former right next to Kallang MRT, and the latter situated along King George’s Avenue. For the Feb 2023 BTO launch, we suspect the Race Course Road BTO will also be a PLH model due to its location in Little India.

Unfortunately, that means the Race Course Road BTO in Feb 2023 is probably going to be a tough one to land. Your best chances are if you’re a first-timer applying for a 3-room flat. If past data is anything to go by, your chances are going to be super slim if you’re a second-timer. With past application rates of over 100, that means you’re fighting with over 100 other people for one flat!

What about the Jalan Rajah BTO? While this one may not be a PLH model, we suspect application rates might be just as high as the Race Course Road BTO—if not even higher. This BTO is decently close to the heart of the Toa Payoh heartlands (always a popular spot!) and will likely be more affordable.

 Queenstown 

The 2 most recent BTO launches at Queenstown were Ghim Moh Natura/ Queensway Canopy/ Ulu Pandan Banks (Nov 2022) and Ghim Moh Ascent (May 2022). 

Application rates of past BTO project in Queenstown: Ghim Moh Natura/Queensway Canopy/Ulu Pandan Banks (Nov 2022) / Ghim Moh Ascent (May 2022)
Flat type Overall First-timers Second-timers
3-room 0.9 / 1.5 0.3 / 0.5 13.2 / 21.9
4-room 2.3 / 4.4 1.4 / 3 18.8 / 31.3

Of these past Queenstown BTOs, all but Queensway Canopy were PLH models, which might turn some people off. We anticipate the Feb 2023 Queenstown BTO is also going to be a PLH model.

If you’re a first-time applicant, your odds of getting the Queenstown BTO in Feb 2023 are likely going to be pretty good—especially if you’re aiming for a 3-room flat. However, chances are probably slim if you’re a second-time applicant.

 

5. What are the Feb 2023 BTO flats’ resale values?

See yourself selling your flat in a few years’ time? If you don’t think any of the Feb 2023 BTO flats will be your forever home, it’s worthwhile to consider their resale value.

As a rule of thumb, the resale value of a flat will be affected primarily by its location and size. Flats near the city centre or very close to an MRT station will sell for more. A larger, 5-room flat will have a higher resale value than a 4-room one in the exact same block. (Of course, there are other important factors such as lease and floor number, but that’s for you to decide.) 

With that in mind, let’s look at past resale statistics based on town and flat size to get an idea of the resale value of the Feb 2023 BTO projects.

Median resale price (Q4 2022)
Town 3-room 4-room
Jurong West $358,000 $481,500
Kallang/Whampoa $380,000 $788,000
Queenstown $390,000 $870,000

Source: HDB resale statistics for Q4 2022

 

Here’s a recap of how much you can expect to pay for the Feb 2023 flats, based on past BTOs in the area.

BTO sale prices (Feb, May and Nov 2022)
Town 3-room 4-room
Jurong West $215,000 to $265,000 $320,000 to $393,000
Kallang/Whampoa $335,000 to $462,000 $488,000 to $690,000
Queenstown $362,000 to $504,000 $511,000 to $725,000

So how much can you profit from selling your HDB flat? Based on the 2022 Q4 resale statistics and BTO prices in 2022, this could be anywhere from -20% to 60% profit. Here are the sales proceeds in percentage (%), or in other words, how much you would gain from selling your Feb 2023 BTO in a few years’ time. 

Estimated sales proceeds (%) from 2022 Q4 resale statistics and BTO prices in 2022 
Town 3-room 4-room
Jurong West 35.09% to 66.51% 22.52% to 50.47%
Kallang/Whampoa -17.75% to 13.43% 14.20% to 61.48%
Queenstown -22.62% to 7.73% 20.00% to 70.25%

Don’t let those negative numbers fool you. This is a crude way of estimating sales proceeds, and you should be on the upper part of these ranges if you choose the right time to sell your flat.

Having said that, it does appear that Jurong West, a non-mature estate, might yield relatively higher profits from resale than the other two towns. Additionally, the value of 4-room flats seems to appreciate relatively more than 3-room flats across the board.

 

6. Which Feb 2023 BTO projects will be Prime Location Public Housing (PLH)?

For the BTO launch in Feb 2023, we suspect the Queenstown and the Kallang/Whampoa project along Race Course Road are going to be under the Prime Location Public Housing (PLH) model. Why? As the name suggests, they are in prime, central locations in or next to the heart of Singapore.

But can we be sure the Queenstown and Kallang/Whampoa project along Race Course Road will be PLH models? Further supporting this is the fact that these locations have a track record of being PLH projects over the past year:

  • Kallang/Whampoa: Kallang Horizon (Nov 2022) and King George’s Heights (Feb 2022) were both PLH models.
  • Queenstown: Among Ghim Moh Natura, Queensway Canopy, Ulu Pandan Banks (Nov 2022), and Ghim Moh Ascent (May 2022), all were PLH models except for Queensway Canopy. Queensway Canopy will have Community Care apartments for assisted living.

What does this mean for you? While the eligibility conditions and buying process for a PLH flat are the same as for other flats, PLH flats will cost more and come with some key limitations:

  • Minimum occupancy period (MOP): You must occupy the PLH flat for at least 10 years before you can sell it or invest in a private residential property.
  • Resale: Upon selling the flat, you must return a percentage of the flat’s resale price to HDB.
  • Renting out: You can rent out spare bedrooms, but cannot rent out the whole flat.

Do consider these carefully before you apply for Kallang/Whampoa or Queenstown in the upcoming Feb 2023 BTO.

 

7. There are 2 projects under Kallang/Whampoa. Can I apply for the specific project I’m interested in?

No. We’re gonna quote HDB here for an important reminder: “You can only submit 1 application for 1 town and 1 flat type during the sales launch.” (Q6 in their Sales Launch FAQs)

Let us emphasise: You can only apply for 1 town. What does this mean for you? Let’s say you apply for the town Kallang/Whampoa because you’re interested in the Jalan Rajah project. At the same time, you definitely don’t want the Race Course Road project in the same town because it might be under the PLH model.

The day of reckoning comes, and you get a queue number! However, you’re pretty far back in the queue. By the time you go down to HDB, like-minded folks with queue numbers ahead of you have snapped up all the units in the Jalan Rajah project. You’re left with the Race Course Road project that you didn’t want.

 

8. Can I choose not to book a flat if I don’t like the units? 

Sure you can! But here’s the problem: this counts as rejecting a BTO, and HDB doesn’t take too kindly to that. You’ll lose any additional ballot chances accumulated from previous unsuccessful applications (i.e. when you never even got a chance to book a flat, not when you got a chance but rejected it).

If you reject 2 chances to book a flat, you’ll lose all your first-timer privileges for a year—including the basic 2x chance that all first-timers get. So if you thought getting a queue number the first time was hard, think about how much harder it’d be without the 2x chance power-up!

 

9. Which Feb 2023 BTO flats are the largest?

From McDonald’s burgers to our homes, everything except our bills is getting smaller. So, which are the biggest flats you can get in the Feb 2023 BTO exercise?

In the Feb 2023 BTO launch, your options for a big unit are pretty limited. Only Tengah has 5-room units this upcoming round. That’ll get you about 107-113 sqm of space—20 to 22 sqm more than a 4-room flat.

 

10. Advice to first-time buyers, according to HDB

Tip #1: Aim for non-mature estates, if you can.

According to HDB, first-timer households who applied for a flat in non-mature estates have been invited to book their flat within 3 tries, within which, 90% of them were successful within 2 tries. With additional ballot chances for first-time applicants, chances of success are high.

Tip #2: Look out for projects with application rates of around 1.7 and lower.

Of the projects launched in 2021 and 2022, about 40% of the projects with 3-room or bigger flats had one or more flat types with first-timer application rates of 1.7 and lower.

Information on application rates of each BTO project can be found on the HDB Flat Portal and is updated several times a day over the course of the 7-day application window.

 

11. Final thoughts on choosing the best Feb 2023 BTO for you

It’s important to not just consider factors such as nearby amenities, MRT/LRT accessibility, and proximity to the city centre, but also what they mean for you.

For example, take proximity to the city centre. This is a double edged sword—on one hand, it’ll be easier to commute anywhere if you’re coming from a home in or near central Singapore. Plus, you’re closer to Singapore’s nightlife and other attractions. If this sounds like a dream to you, you’ll probably like the Queenstown project the most. 

On the other hand, projects near the city centre are likely to be under the PLH model. Read: Heftier prices and a longer minimum occupancy period of 10 years. Additionally, what if you hate nightlife? Maybe your dream is to nest in a quiet space in the thick of a thriving forest. Well, HDB can’t give you rustic, but they can give you Tengah (and you’re likely to get it if you apply!).

Also, consider your timeline—how soon do you wish to move into your new home? For BTO projects launched in Feb 2023, the median waiting time is about 4.4 years. If you’re looking to move into their flats sooner, consider applying for the flats at Jurong West Crystal, and Brickland Weave in Tengah. Both projects are in non-mature estates and come with shorter waiting times, at about 3.9 years (or 47 months) and 4 years (or 48 months) respectively.

We can’t stress enough that the “best” location is only the best for you. A couple planning to have kids might want a nearby primary school, while a couple dead against little human spawns might find the noise from schools a nuisance. Consider your life/family plans, commute to work, and lifestyle when you’re choosing your BTO project. 

 

12. I don’t like anything I see in the Feb 2023 BTO. When’s the next BTO launch?

The second BTO launch of the year will be in May 2023. Watch this space—we’ll cover prices, application rates and more.

In May 2023, you can expect about 3,800 to 4,800 BTO units in the following towns:

  • Bedok (2-room Flexi/ 3-/ 4-/ 5-room/ 3Gen)
  • Kallang Whampoa (3-/ 4-room)
  • Queenstown (3-/ 4-room), Serangoon (4-/ 5-room)
  • Tengah (2-room Flexi/ 3-/ 4-/ 5-room)

 

Know someone considering a Feb 2023 BTO? Share this article with them to help them prepare!