To buy an HDB resale flat you need a valid HDB Flat Eligibility (HFE) letter, which is free and lasts nine months. First-time buyers can get up to S$230,000 in grants as a family, or S$115,000 as a single, depending on income, flat size and where they live. You can borrow up to 75% of the price or value, whichever is lower, from HDB or a bank. Any price above the valuation is paid in cash. From the Option to Purchase to completion usually takes about three to four months.
Figures as at 10 October 2026. Check the official source before acting.
Who can buy
The main eligibility rules depend on who you are buying with:
- Families and couples. At least one buyer must be a Singapore Citizen or a Singapore Permanent Resident. Rules for households made up only of permanent residents are stricter, so check HDB.
- Singles. A single must be a Singapore Citizen aged 35 or above.
- Private property owners. Since 28 July 2026, owners and former owners of private homes no longer wait 15 months before buying a resale flat, as long as they buy without an HDB loan and without a CPF housing grant. With an HDB loan or a grant, a 30-month wait-out still applies.
- No income ceiling to buy. There is no income ceiling for buying a resale flat on its own. Ceilings apply only to the HDB loan and the grants (see below). The exception will be Plus and Prime flats, whose resale buyers face an income ceiling; none has reached the end of its 10-year MOP yet.
Your HFE letter tells you which of these apply to you, and confirms the grants and HDB loan you can get.
The HFE letter
- What it covers. In one application, HDB assesses your eligibility to buy, your CPF housing grants and your HDB loan.
- How long it lasts. It is valid for nine months from issue. HDB extended this from six months in November 2023. If it lapses, you apply for a fresh letter.
- When it must be valid. It must be valid when you get an Option to Purchase (OTP) from the seller, and when you submit the resale application.
Apply early. The letter is free, and having it in hand before you start viewing flats means you know your budget.
Grants for first-time buyers
All grants below are for first-time buyers of resale flats. They are paid into your CPF Ordinary Account and used for the purchase. Check every amount and condition on HDB and CPF Board's pages before you rely on it.
| Grant | Families | Singles | Main conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enhanced CPF Housing Grant (EHG) | Up to S$120,000 | Up to S$60,000 | Household income up to S$9,000 (S$4,500 for singles); the amount falls as income rises; at least one buyer must have worked continuously for the 12 months before applying |
| CPF Housing Grant (resale) | S$80,000 for a 4-room or smaller flat; S$50,000 for 5-room or larger | S$40,000 or S$25,000 | Household income ceiling S$16,000 for families, S$8,000 for singles, for HFE applications from 24 August 2026 |
| Proximity Housing Grant | S$30,000 to live with parents or a child; S$20,000 to live within 4 km | S$15,000 or S$10,000 | No income ceiling; the parent or child must live with or near you throughout the MOP |
The most a family can receive in total is S$230,000, and a single S$115,000. The EHG is pro-rated for buyers aged 55 and above if the remaining lease does not cover the youngest buyer to age 95.
HDB loan or bank loan
| HDB loan | Bank loan | |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum loan | 75% of the price or value, whichever is lower | 75% for a first loan, or 55% if the tenure is over 25 years or runs past age 65 |
| Interest | 2.6% a year | Set by the bank |
| Downpayment | 25%, from CPF, cash or both | 25%, with at least 5% in cash (45% with at least 10% cash at the 55% limit) |
| Who qualifies | At least one Singapore Citizen; income up to S$16,000 for families or S$8,000 for singles; at most two HDB loans | Set by the bank, within MAS limits |
With an HDB loan you must use your CPF savings for the purchase first, keeping up to S$20,000 each. The affordability calculator shows how your income, cash and CPF limit the price you can pay under either loan.
Cash over valuation
If you use a loan or CPF, you submit a Request for Value to HDB by the next working day after the seller grants you the OTP. HDB's value is then valid for three months.
Your loan and your CPF are both capped at the lower of the price and the value. If you agree to pay more than the value, the difference is called cash over valuation (COV), and it must be paid in cash. Know the value before you exercise the OTP. If it comes in below the price, you can still decide not to go ahead and lose only the option fee.
The resale process, step by step
| Step | What happens | Typical time |
|---|---|---|
| 1. HFE letter | Apply on the HDB Flat Portal | Allow several weeks; valid 9 months |
| 2. Search and agree a price | Compare recent transacted prices | Your own pace |
| 3. Option to Purchase | Seller grants the OTP; you pay an option fee of S$1 to S$1,000 | The option lasts 21 calendar days |
| 4. Request for Value | Submit by the next working day after the OTP is granted | Value valid 3 months |
| 5. Exercise the OTP | Pay the exercise fee (option fee plus exercise fee capped at S$5,000); pay Buyer's Stamp Duty within 14 days | Within the 21 days |
| 6. Resale application | Buyer and seller each submit their part, within 7 days of the other | |
| 7. Acceptance | HDB accepts the complete application | Within 28 working days |
| 8. Endorsement and payment | Endorse the documents; make the initial payment from CPF or cash | About 3 weeks after acceptance |
| 9. Approval | HDB approves the resale | About 2 weeks after endorsement |
| 10. Completion | Pay the balance, collect the keys | About 8 weeks after acceptance |
If you take an HDB loan, buy HDB fire insurance before completion.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the HFE letter valid?
Nine months from the date it is issued. It must still be valid when you get the OTP and when you submit the resale application.
Can I use CPF or a loan for cash over valuation?
No. CPF use and loans are both capped at the lower of the price and HDB's value, so any amount above the value is paid in cash.
Can I get both the EHG and the CPF Housing Grant?
Yes. First-time buyers who meet each grant's conditions can receive both, plus the Proximity Housing Grant, up to S$230,000 for a family.
I own a private property. Can I buy a resale flat?
Since 28 July 2026 you can, without a wait-out, if you buy without an HDB loan or a CPF grant. With either of those, the 30-month wait-out still applies.
How long does the purchase take?
Completion is usually about eight weeks after HDB accepts the resale application. Add the option period and the time to get your HFE letter.
Sources
- HDB: HFE letter validity extended from 6 to 9 months: the nine-month validity.
- MyNiceHome (HDB): How to buy a resale HDB flat: the HFE letter, the OTP, fees, the Request for Value, the resale timeline, the downpayment table and the S$230,000 grant ceiling.
- MyNiceHome (HDB): Housing loans for HDB flat buyers: HDB loan limit, rate, eligibility, income ceilings and the S$20,000 CPF retention.
- CPF Board: Guide to the Enhanced CPF Housing Grant and Proximity Housing Grant: EHG and PHG amounts, income ceilings and conditions.
- SupportGoWhere: CPF Housing Grant: CPF Housing Grant amounts for resale flats.
- HDB: Increase in income ceilings (August 2026): the S$16,000 and S$8,000 ceilings from 24 August 2026.
- HDB: Removal of the 15-month wait-out period for private property owners: the July 2026 change.
- HDB resale application terms and conditions: the HFE letter must be valid at the OTP and at the resale application (clause 1.3), the Request for Value deadline (clause 4.3) and the three-month validity of HDB's value (clause 4.11).
- MyNiceHome (HDB): CPF housing grants for HDB flat buyers: CPF Housing Grant amounts, the S$16,000 and S$8,000 ceilings, EHG and PHG amounts, and the S$230,000 and S$115,000 totals.