For HDB homeowners here in Singapore, selling your flat can be quite an exciting milestone. Whether you’re upgrading to a condo, moving to a bigger home, or relocating to a different neighbourhood, most homeowners end up selling their flat at least once in their lifetime.
While it might seem intuitive, selling your home involves more than just listing it, finding a buyer and collecting the proceeds. In this guide, we break down the process from seller fees and resale timelines to CPF accrued interest repayment.
There are several steps and considerations along the way that can affect both the sale of your current flat and the purchase of your next home.
If you’re looking to sell your HDB flat in the near future, here’s what you need to know, as well as some neat tips and tricks along the way to make the process a smoother one.
Check Minimum Occupancy Period (MOP) eligibility
Before you even begin the process of selling your HDB, the first thing to check is whether your flat has fulfilled its Minimum Occupation Period (MOP).
Image credit: TheSmartLocal
In Singapore, most HDB flats cannot be sold until the MOP is met. The MOP starts from the date you collect your keys, and only after this period can you sell your flat on the open market.
Under HDB’s current classification framework, the required MOP depends on the type of flat
| Flat types | Minimum Occupation Period |
| Standard flats | 5 years |
| Plus flats | 10 years |
| Prime flats | 10 years |
MOP rules for Executive Condominiums (EC)
If you own an Executive Condominium (EC), you’ll also be subject to a 5-year MOP, but note that it begins on the date of the Temporary Occupation Permit (TOP) rather than during key collection.
After 5 years, you can sell your EC in the open market to Singaporeans and PRs. Only after a period of 10 years, when your EC rolls to private property status, will you be allowed to sell your property to foreigners.
Calculate seller fees and stamp duties when selling your property
Updated Seller’s Stamp Duty (SSD) rates
Seller’s Stamp Duty, or SSD, is a fee that you’ll have to pay if you’re selling your property within 4 years of purchase. The updated SSD rates for properties purchased on or after 4th July 2025 are:
| Year of Sale | Seller’s Stamp Duty (SSD) Rate |
| Up to 1 year | 16% |
| More than 1 year and up to 2 years | 12% |
| More than 2 years and up to 3 years | 8% |
| More than 3 years and up to 4 years | 4% |
| More than 4 years | No SSD payable |
For properties purchased between 11th March 2017 and 3rd July 2025, the previous SSD rates still apply.
Does SSD apply to HDB flat sellers?
While SSD mainly applies to private property owners, who aren’t subject to an MOP, it can also affect HDB flat sellers in certain situations. For example, if HDB approves an early sale before the MOP due to circumstances like divorce or financial hardship, the prevailing SSD rate may still apply.
Additional fees when selling your HDB flat
Beyond Seller’s Stamp Duty (SSD), there are several other costs involved in the HDB resale process that you should budget for:
| Fee | Estimated Cost |
| HDB resale application fee | $40 (1- & 2-room HDB) or $80 (3-room & larger) |
| Legal conveyancing fees | $1,800-$2,500 (varies by law firm) |
| Service & Conservancy charges (S&CC) | $20-$90/month, any outstanding charges should be settled before selling |
If you purchased a Plus or Prime flat directly from HDB, you’ll also need to fork out a subsidy clawback when selling your flat. This means returning a percentage of the resale price or valuation price (whichever is higher) to HDB. The clawback ranges from 6% to 14%, depending on the specific BTO project.
Other resale restrictions to take note of
There are also a few additional rules and charges that may apply depending on your situation.
For example, if you plan to buy another subsidised flat after selling, you may need to pay an HDB resale levy. The levy ranges from $15,000 for a 2-room flat to $50,000 for an executive flat, depending on the type of housing you previously owned. This amount cannot be paid using CPF or a housing loan, and must be settled in cash or from your sale proceeds.
You should also plan your purchase and sale timeline carefully to avoid holding two properties at the same time unnecessarily, which would trigger Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty (ABSD) on your next purchase. Singapore Citizens pay 20% ABSD on a second residential property, while PRs pay 30%.
Before you actually sell your property, we strongly advise doing your homework and also planning your next move, so that you won’t be caught unaware.
Register your Intent To Sell
To formally kickstart your selling journey, you first have to head over to the HDB website and log in to the HDB Resale Portal to register an Intent To Sell. This step is mandatory whether or not you’re working with an agent, and the registration is valid for 12 months.
In a nutshell, the Intent To Sell is just a preliminary checklist to confirm that you’re able to sell your flat. Through it, you’ll be informed of when you can start selling your flat and grant an Option To Purchase (OTP) to a buyer, and you can only do so at least 7 days after registering.
You’ll also gain access to other relevant information, such as the Ethnic Integration Policy (EIP), Singapore Permanent Resident (SPR) quota, and recent sales transactions of flats in the vicinity. Do note that your Intent To Sell must be valid when you grant the OTP to a buyer and when you submit a resale application, so keep an eye on the 12-month window.
Engaging a property agent & listing your property
Once you’ve confirmed your eligibility to sell your HDB, the next step is to list your home for sale. At this juncture, you can choose to sell your flat on your own without the help of an agent. But for the time-strapped and uninitiated, engaging a CEA-licensed real estate agent can greatly reduce complications in the sales process.
A good agent can advise you on a competitive listing price, market your property through professional channels, and handle much of the administrative work. They will also help arrange and conduct viewings, negotiate with potential buyers, and manage the necessary paperwork with HDB and the buyer.
Property agent commission
As for property agent commission, this varies by property type and agent relationship. The typical market rate is around 2-3% of the sale price for HDB flats, but do clarify the commission structure upfront before engaging an agent.
Listing & advertising your HDB flat
Image adapted from: PropertyGuru
Whether you decide to sell your flat on your own or work with an agent, the next step is to advertise your property.
You can spread the word through personal contacts, word of mouth, or social media, but the most effective method is usually listing your flat on property portals where buyers actively search for homes.
Some of the most commonly used platforms in Singapore include:
- 99.co
- PropertyGuru
- OhMyHome
You can even use HDB’s own Resale Flat Listing (RFL) service, which is free to use and accessible via the HDB Flat Portal.
However, take note that some platforms, such as PropertyGuru, require you to be a CEA-licensed agent to put up listings.
Prepare HDB resale documents
Once you’ve secured a buyer for your flat, the next step is to issue the Option to Purchase (OTP). After the buyer exercises the OTP, both you and the buyer must submit the resale application and supporting documents through the HDB Resale Portal, either on your own or through your respective agents.
Bear in mind that this process has to be done within 7 days after the OTP is exercised. Otherwise, the application will lapse and both parties will have to restart the process and pay the application fees again.
After the application is submitted, HDB will typically take around 3 weeks to review and notify both parties if the resale application has been accepted. Once accepted, the transaction usually takes about 8 weeks to complete.
Planning your move after selling your HDB flat
Image credit: TheSmartLocal
While all this is taking place, you should also be concurrently planning and working out your next steps.
If you are moving into a new property, factor in the timeline for your new home to be ready and allow sufficient time to move your belongings.
If there’s a gap between your sale completion and your next home being ready, you may need to request a Temporary Extension of Stay up to 3 months, which allows you to remain in the flat for a fixed period after the sale is completed, subject to HDB and your buyer’s approval.
Where does your money go after the sale?
Let’s fast-forward and assume you’ve found a buyer, agreed on a price, and the resale process is nearing completion. One common misconception is that the seller gets to pocket the entire sale price. In reality, the proceeds are first used to settle several obligations before the remaining amount goes to you.
Repaying the remaining home loan
If you still have an outstanding home loan, the remaining balance will be deducted from your sale proceeds first.
If you still have an outstanding home loan, the remaining balance will be deducted from your sale proceeds first.
Returning your CPF money
Next, a portion of the proceeds must be returned to your CPF Ordinary Account (OA) if you used CPF funds to purchase the flat.
When most homeowners buy a property, CPF OA savings are commonly used for:
- Initial down payment
- Buyer’s Stamp Duty and legal fees
- Monthly mortgage repayments
When you sell the flat, the amount used from CPF, together with the accrued interest, must be refunded to your CPF account.
Of course, if you paid entirely in cash, this step does not apply.
Upon selling your property, you’ll have to return the total sum of CPF funds you used. This sum consists of 3 main components:
- CPF used for the downpayment, stamp duties and other upfront charges
- Any CPF housing grants received
- CPF used to finance monthly home loan repayments
But that’s not all. Additionally, you’ll also have to pay what’s known as Accrued Interest, which is basically the CPF OA interest (2.5%) on the funds that you’ve used above. In short, the accrued interest is the total amount of money that you would have theoretically earned based on the amount you used above, if you didn’t use it and remained in your CPF OA.
And so, even if you’ve snagged a pretty good selling price of, say, $900K on your flat, you won’t actually have $900K cash in your pocket after the sale. More often than not, this sum is considerably reduced, which some sellers are shocked by. Of course the money doesn’t actually ‘disappear’, it just goes back to your CPF OA.
Image credit: Marcus Sia
Pro-tip: To find out exactly how much you’ll need to return, log in to the CPF Mobile app using your Singpass, and tap on “Housing”.
You’ll be able to see your Principal Withdrawal and Accrued Interest figures. Add them up, and that’s roughly how much you’ll need to return to your CPF OA upon sale. You can also use HDB’s Sales Proceeds Calculator to find out how much cash you’ll take home.
Selling your HDB flat in Singapore
The first home that you purchase rarely ends up being your forever home. And when you do decide to sell your very first BTO or resale flat, this guide will come in handy to guide you through the process.
Check out more HDB articles:
- Most expensive HDB flats sold in 2026 so far
- Using CPF to repay your HDB home loan
- What happens if you can’t repay your HDB loan?
Cover image adapted from: Unsplash, TheSmartLocal
This article was originally published on 7th December 2022, and updated on 10th March 2026.
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