Guide · 7 min read · updated 2026-09
The HDB resale process
From Intent to Sell to key handover, what actually happens at each step and how long it takes.
The whole thing in one table
The resale process looks bureaucratic from the outside. It is actually a fixed sequence with two decision points: the price, and the option. Everything else is forms with deadlines.
| Stage | Who | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Before anything | Seller | Confirm you have crossed your MOP, then register an Intent to Sell on the HDB Resale Portal. A 7-day cooling period follows before you can grant an option. |
| Before anything | Buyer | Apply for an HFE letter. It settles eligibility, grants, and loan ceiling in one shot, and sellers cannot grant you an option without it. |
| The deal | Both | Agree on price. This is where block-level transaction history earns its keep, because the valuation is still unknown at this point. |
| The deal | Seller → Buyer | Seller grants the Option to Purchase for an option fee of up to $1,000. The buyer has 21 days to decide. |
| The deal | Buyer | Request the valuation from HDB, then exercise the option with a deposit of up to $5,000 including the option fee. Any gap between price and valuation is COV, payable in cash. |
| Paperwork | Both | Submit both portions of the resale application within 7 calendar days of each other and within the timeframe agreed in the OTP. HDB verifies the documents before accepting the application; approval is a later step. |
| Done | Both | Completion is about 8 weeks after HDB accepts the application, subject to the scheduled date. Public resale records are based on registration and can appear before completion. |
If you are selling
A published transaction does not confirm that the sale has completed. Read when HDB resale transactions appear online for the difference between registration, completion and publication.
Your one real job is setting the asking price. Set it from evidence: what did your block, your flat type, your storey band actually transact at in the last 12 months? Not the town average, your block. A 4-room on a high floor in a block that just did three $700k sales is a different product from the same flat two streets away.
If you are buying
Get the HFE letter before falling in love with a unit. It takes time to process and nothing moves without it. Then study the block you are bidding on, because you will agree on price before HDB tells you the valuation. That order surprises people. The only defence is knowing the recent transacted prices cold, so your offer does not sit far above what the valuer will later see.
COV, the cash gap between price and valuation, has its own guide: what is COV and how to avoid overpaying.
Questions & answers
How long does the HDB resale process take?
From granting the Option to Purchase to completion, plan for about three months. HDB processes the resale application in roughly eight weeks, and the steps before and after add a few more.
What is an HFE letter and when do I need it?
The HDB Flat Eligibility letter confirms what you can buy, what grants you qualify for, and how much HDB loan you can take, all in one assessment. Buyers need a valid HFE letter before a seller can grant them an Option to Purchase.
How much is the option fee for an HDB resale flat?
The option fee is negotiable up to $1,000. On exercising the option, the buyer pays a deposit that, together with the option fee, cannot exceed $5,000.
Can I sell my HDB flat without an agent?
Yes. The HDB Resale Portal walks both parties through the paperwork, and plenty of owners do it themselves. What an agent really sells is pricing judgment and negotiation. If you know your block’s recent transactions, you have most of the pricing part.
When does the seller receive the money?
At completion, which HDB schedules about eight weeks after accepting the resale application. Sale proceeds first repay the housing loan and CPF refund, and the rest is paid to the seller.