Singles out in force as HDB receives more than 10,000 applications for just 1,902 two-room flexi units in Oct 2024 BTO exercise

HDB has received more than 10,291 applications for the 1,902 two-room flexi units offered in the October 2024 BTO Sales Exercise. As of 12pm on Oct 23, the day the BTO exercise closes, applications from singles, first-timer families, second-timer families, and seniors for these flats made up close to a third of all applications received in this month’s BTO exercise. According to Eugene Lim, key executive officer of ERA Singapore, applications for the two-room flexi flats jumped “dramatically” on the back of the government’s recent decision to allow singles to apply for two-room flexi flats in non-mature estates. Read also: October 2024 BTO sales exercise will comprise 1 Prime project, 7 Plus projects, and 7 Standard projects; first BTO launch under location-based classification Advertisement Advertisement “For the first time, singles are able to apply for two-room units island-wide, while in the past they could only apply to flats in non-mature estates,” he notes. West BrickVille @ Bukit Batok, a 130-unit Standard BTO project, saw the highest application rate of 33.4 among first-timer singles. Overall, this BTO project received 1,152 applications for its two-room flats, which include first-timer families, second-timer families, and seniors. There was also strong interest for the 139-unit Towner Breeze, a Plus project in the Kallang/Whampoa town, where the application rate for singles was 27.7. A total of 924 applications were submitted for its two-room flats. “First-timer singles were the major driving force behind the demand for two-room flexi flats, with relevant application rates reaching as high as 33.4 in Bukit Batok and 27.7 in Kallang Whampoa,” says Lim. He adds that this puts the median application rate for single first-timers at 25.1, which is markedly higher than the 6.4 median registered during June 2024’s BTO exercise. Meanwhile, the Standard projects at Pasir Ris, Costa Riviera I & II saw the highest application rates among the 15 BTO projects released this month. Costa Riviera I & II consist of 145 five-room/3Gen flats, 393 four-room flats, and 86 three-room flats. Read also: The October 2024 BTO will introduce Plus flats and Open-Concept layouts Advertisement Advertisement The application rate among first-timer families for the five-room and 3Gen flats at these two developments was 6.3, while the application rate among second-timer families was significantly oversubscribed at a rate of 130. First-timer families also flocked to the four-room units, leading to an application rate of 3.4, while the application rate among second-timer families was 30.9. After Pasir Ris, West BrickVille @ Bukit Batok was the runner-up with application rates of 1.7, 3.0 and 3.5 times for three-room, four-room and five-room/3Gen flats, respectively. Other Standard projects, like Fernvale Oasis and Fernvale Sails in Sengkang, and Marsiling Ridge in Woodlands, also saw robust responses for three-room and larger units, with first-timer family application rates ranging from 2.2–2.8 and 2.7–2.8 times respectively. Lim reckons the popularity of the Standard BTO projects offered in this month’s sales exercise can be chalked up to shorter wait times and good locational attributes. “For instance, flats at West Brickville @ Bukit Batok are slated to be completed within two years, while those at Costa Rivera I and II will have waiting times of around three years,” he says. Meanwhile, the only Prime project offered this month was Crawford Heights in the Kallang/Whampoa estate. The estate will also have two Plus projects, Kallang View and Towner Breeze. Overall, four-room flats for Prime and Plus BTO projects in the town, including those at Crawford Heights, saw an application rate of 2.6 for first-timer families, says Lim. This is slightly higher than the 2.1 application rate seen in June 2024’s BTO launch that offered the BTO projects Tanjong Rhu Riverfront I and II, which have fewer amenities. Read also: HDB launches resale flat listing portal for owners Advertisement Advertisement Applications for the October 2024 BTO sales exercise close at 11:59pm on Oct 23.