New in 2026 for executive condominiums. Sites with tenders closing on or after 8 May 2026 carry a 10-year minimum occupation period and a 15-year privatisation period, with no Deferred Payment Scheme. From 24 August 2026 the income ceiling for a new EC site is $18,000 a month.
When the money leaves your account
| HDB resale | Private resale | New private launch | |
|---|---|---|---|
| First payment | Option fee $1 to $1,000, cash | 1% option fee | 5% at booking, cash only |
| Second payment | Exercise fee, up to $5,000 in all, cash | 4% on exercise | 15% on the sale and purchase agreement, cash or CPF |
| Balance | At completion, 12 to 16 weeks after the option | At completion, 8 to 12 weeks after the option | Progressive, stage by stage, over the build |
| Time from option to keys | 3 to 4 months | 2 to 3 months | 3 to 4 years |
| Interest on the loan | From completion | From completion | Only on the part drawn down |
HDB resale
- Seller files an Intent to SellValid 12 months, and a 7-day wait before the option can be granted.
- Buyer gets an HDB Flat Eligibility letterTakes about 21 working days and is valid 9 months. It is needed before an option is granted or exercised.
- Option to PurchaseOption fee $1 to $1,000. You have 21 calendar days to exercise.
- Request for ValueThe next working day after the option date. $120, not refunded.
- Exercise the optionOption fee and exercise fee together at most $5,000, paid in cash and counted in the price.
- Joint resale applicationWithin 7 days of exercising.
- HDB processes the applicationAbout 8 weeks, then completion and keys. Twelve to sixteen weeks from the option in all.
HDB. Cash over valuation is paid in cash and is not part of the loan or CPF.
Cash over valuation is paid in cash. Grants for first-timers are in Buying an HDB flat.
Private resale: condominium and landed
The buyer pays a 1% option fee, and the option is typically valid for 14 days (14 to 21 is negotiable). Exercising it needs a further 4%, and Buyer's Stamp Duty and any ABSD fall due within 14 days of exercise. Completion follows in 8 to 12 weeks.
Landed homes. PRs and foreigners need approval from the Land Dealings (Approval) Unit under the Residential Property Act, which takes about 30 working days. Allow 3 to 6 months. A bank valuation gap is the landed equivalent of cash over valuation, so an indicative valuation before exercising avoids a surprise.
Executive condominium, new from the developer
An EC is public-private housing: eligibility is set by HDB, and bank financing is used.
- Income ceiling $16,000 a month, and $18,000 for ECs on land whose tender closed on or after 24 August 2026 (HDB, 23 August 2026). It does not apply to balance units in an existing EC, nor to a resale EC.
- At least one Singapore Citizen, aged 21 or older (35 under the Joint Singles Scheme), with an eligible family nucleus.
- No private residential property owned or disposed of in the past 30 months.
- MSR of 30% applies, with bank financing only.
- No ABSD up front for HDB upgraders, but the HDB flat must be sold within 6 months of the EC's TOP. A resale levy may apply.
| ECs launched or in the pipeline | Sites with tenders closing on or after 8 May 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum occupation period | 5 years from TOP | 10 years |
| Privatisation | 10 years | 15 years |
| Deferred Payment Scheme | May be available | Removed |
| First-timer quota | 70% | 90% |
| First-timer priority window | 1 month | 2 years |
The new rules will not affect a completed EC until about 2029 at the earliest. Source: MND, 8 May 2026.
New private launch: the progressive payment scheme
Housing Developers (Control and Licensing) rules. Interest is charged only on the part of the loan drawn down.
Buyer's Stamp Duty and any ABSD fall due within 14 days of the sale and purchase agreement. Interest accrues only on the portion of the loan drawn down, and a typical build takes 3 to 4 years.
The duties, fees and financing rules that sit on top of each route are in what it costs to buy and sell.