Home buyers looking to purchase a balance flat from the Housing and Development Board (HDB) can view online listings of such flats at any time of the year and book a unit the day after they make an application. Selection and booking a flat is available on a first-come-first-served basis.
Starting Tuesday (11 June), home buyers looking to purchase a balance flat from the Housing and Development Board (HDB) can view online listings of such flats at any time of the year and book a unit the day after they make an application.
This open booking option of unselected flats from the Re-Offer of Balance Flats (ROF) pool “enables more flat buyers to move into their homes earlier”, said HDB.
It noted that a total of 123 flats will be made available for application from 18 June, comprising 105 flats in mature towns such as Bukit Merah, Ang Mo Kio and Toa Payoh as well as 18 flats in non-mature towns such as Jurong West and Bukit Batok.
“The one-week period gives interested applicants time to gather information on the flats offered, before submitting their application,” explained HDB.
“Applicants will be able to select and book a flat on a first-come-first-served basis. During the flat selection appointment, applicants will be assessed for eligibility before they book a flat.”
Looking to buy a private condo? Get more insights on the right locations for your new home at AreaInsider.
HDB revealed that a fresh supply of ROF flats will be offered for open booking twice a year – in February and August. To give home buyers time to prepare, online applications will be suspended for around two weeks before each inject of new flats.
“During each suspension, HDB will publish the dates for the next inject and when it will start accepting online applications, so that home buyers can plan ahead for their purchase,” it added.
Introduced in 2017 to help young couples secure their first home sooner, the ROF exercises have become popular with buyers.
In fact, HDB has offered close to 3,400 units via the ROF exercises since August 2017, with around 3,000 households booking a flat. Of these, 62 percent or 1,850 households have already collected the keys to their units.
“The new open booking of ROF flats, together with the existing sales modes, will provide more options for home buyers to find a flat that meets their budget and needs. HDB will continue to monitor the response and make refinements to our sales processes where necessary,” said HDB.
Fiona Ho, Digital Content Manager at PropertyGuru, edited this story. To contact her about this or other stories, email fiona@propertyguru.com.sg
