The Housing and Development Board launched a total of 9,012 flats on Wednesday, Feb 4, under its February BTO and Sale of Balance Flats sales exercise. The launch includes new Build-To-Order projects in Sembawang and Bukit Merah, together with previously announced projects in Tampines, Toa Payoh and Sembawang.
With the addition of Sembawang Voyage and Redhill Peaks, the total number of BTO projects offered this month comes to six, making up close to 4,700 flats. Among these, Redhill Peaks stands out as the only project classified under the Prime category in this exercise. Tampines Nova and Kim Keat Crest in Toa Payoh are classified as Plus projects.
HDB said the subsidy clawback rate for Redhill Peaks is 12 per cent. The first 1,021 units at Redhill Peaks were launched earlier during the October 2025 BTO exercise. For the two Plus projects, the subsidy clawback rate is 6 per cent. Plus and Prime flats are located in more central or desirable areas, which means they come with higher subsidies but stricter resale conditions. These flats also have a longer minimum occupation period of 10 years to keep public housing fair and inclusive.
The remaining three projects in this exercise, Sembawang Voyage, Sembawang Deck and Tampines Bliss, fall under the Standard category. Standard flats come with regular subsidies and a minimum occupation period of five years. HDB said about eight in 10 BTO flats offered in this exercise have waiting times of under four years.
Alongside the BTO launch, another 4,320 Sale of Balance Flats units are being offered. According to HDB, about one in five of these flats has already been completed.
Minister for National Development Chee Hong Tat said in a Facebook post that this is the first BTO sales exercise of 2026 and noted that the flats on offer will allow buyers to get their homes faster.
Eligible first-timer families can receive up to S$120,000 under the Enhanced CPF Housing Grant. With this grant, buyers can purchase a three-room Standard flat from S$156,000 or a four-room equivalent from S$224,000. The grant also applies to eligible first-timer singles buying two-room Flexi flats.
From this February exercise, the Fresh Start Housing Scheme will be extended to eligible first-timer families with children who are staying in public rental flats. These families can buy two-room Flexi or three-room Standard flats on shorter leases, which are more affordable than 99-year leases, and still receive grants of up to S$120,000. This extension was earlier announced by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong during his Budget 2025 speech.
Applications for both the February BTO and Sale of Balance Flats exercises are open until Feb 11 through the HDB Flat Portal. HDB advised applicants to plan their finances carefully and reminded buyers of the current loan-to-value limit of 75 per cent.
HDB also said: “Applicants who wish to improve their chances of securing a flat should monitor the application rates of the different HDB projects throughout the sales exercise and consider applying to projects with lower application rates, such as those with an application rate of one or below.”
Looking ahead, HDB plans to offer about 6,900 flats across Ang Mo Kio, Bishan, Bukit Merah, Sembawang, and Woodlands in the next BTO exercise in June. In total, around 19,600 BTO flats will be launched this year, including more than 4,000 units with waiting times of under three years.
Property analysts also shared their views on the exercise. Ms Christine Sun from Realion said participation is expected to be “relatively healthy”, noting that “the locations are not only convenient but also boast a variety of amenities”. Mr Eugene Lim from ERA Singapore said the shorter waiting times help meet more immediate housing needs, especially for first-time buyers and young families.
