How I apply for HDB 2 room BTO flat under Singles Scheme :)

I started hunting for a resale flat 1.5 years ago, OMG how time flew. It seemed like yesterday to me! As you knew, it was very expensive and I also needed a co owner to help finance the flat.

After going through some house hunting around tampines area, i gave up. The flats looked rundown if not its too expensive. I thought i never be able to own my own house and given that we had to shift to half the size of the present flat made me felt even more dim. :(

Half a year later, the government announced singles were eligible for new flats!! Hooray!!! :) I cant believe i was that lucky...haha. ;D Prayers to GY ma does help! :)

Excited, i waited eagerly for the first sales launch and googled that i could apply online for SMS notification.Not only do they sent SMS, they sent me an email for the link to apply for the BTO. I guess i might have opted for email notification when i signed up for sales launch notification service online. This is a good platform.

My 2nd sis was very supportive and accompanied me down to view the flats. My parents went down too to help me choose. To be frank i was disappointed with the location as its not even near LRT. Only pros was its in Sengkang which was where i wanted.

I was unsuccessful and the second round the flats were in Sengkang too, same thing, my sis accompanied me down.Same story...:(

Each round i went, i went to the famous Bugis Guanyin temple to get a lot. She gave me bad lots. Indeed i was unsuccessful. After 3 unsuccessful rounds (i didn't participated for 3rd round as i didn't like the location, no point viewing and choosing) , i was a bit disheartened.

On the fourth round, as usual email received, click on the link to view the choices, i didnt go down to view the flats (everyone feeling sian after 3 failed attempts) as they were not built yet. Feeling dejected, i was toying with the idea of non participation or choosing Yishun. In fact I almost missed the deadline too, LOL. If not for my big sis, she told me Sembawang was a better choice and remembering about those disgusting litterbugs at Yishun, i changed my mind and made my choice online with Sembawang, paid 10 bucks (each round is 10 bucks every 3 mths) and hoped for the best.

Try not to skip too many rounds.....like my friend and my sis fren...waited so long. Try to be open minded in other areas. If all else failed, keep going to MP to up your chances , must be thick skin and keep going til you get it.

As usual before the announcement of results which would be a slightly over a month later, i went to Guanyin temple and drew the lot 73. Its a good lot and i deduced from it that it would be in May. (Indeed it was!)

Results was sent through email and i was surprised when i saw the word successful!!! Initially i wasnt excited to check my email and i dont even want to look at it. LOL i jumped with joy! :D

Invitation Package by mail-Sales letter missing in this pic as it was collected back after flat selection

So excited i called the customer service a few days later to ask what documents to bring and i could hear her frustration at my stupidity. LOL.
But actually i was pissed too. In the end i got no answer from her, so i gingerly waited til end of the month (3 weeks later) for the above package to arrive in my letterbox.

See the red document? It showed you what documents they provided and bring and also instructions inside.

HLE Application-Successful

Before my flat selection, i knew i dont have enough CPF and i dont wish to borrow min 100K from banks so i applied HLE online (HDB loan) and was granted. Normally You are required to submit documents like 3 months salary, a year's CPF (1 year prior to the date u applied for flats). As for me, my deed poll and my son's birthcert is required too. All soft copies.

So all the above steps were done at the comfort of your house:)

Queue ticket -Flat Selection

My dad advised me to go early and taught me a new route to take the mrt/bus to save time. Tip: Try to go early, they call u up first if ur early and better chance to choose a better unit. For flat selection, my appointment was after lunch so i decided to have lunch there. I arrived a few hours early but don't know where to get the q number. I saw the self service q number but so nervous i don't know where was the barcode. If ur wondering where is the counter located, its on your right when u enter. I headed for the reception just beside the self service kiosk and she asked for my sales letter, haha i cant even pronounce flat properly. So u know how nervous and tired i was ( i stayed up all night and morning to make my choice and coupled with my busy schedule lately). When she scanned i realised the barcode was at the bottom of the sales letter.

DOcuments given after flat selection

After lunch my mum wanted to window shop and i dunno why i wanted to wait at HDB though im very early. I gave up my favorite shopping for my flat so u knew how important this moment was for me.

The person who served me was Mr Kwok, a very nice patient old chap.Heard he worked there for about 20 years. :)

When my number was called, i couldnt believe my eyes, i even had to confirmed with my parents. haha. Cos i was feeling very sleepy due to tiredness. I walked in stoned and an officer smiled at me, luckily i was quick to respond. But i think my face was still hard so wen i first met Mr Kwok perhaps we dont have good impression of each other. ;p

He asked for my ID, sales letter and which unit i like to buy.From then on we warmed up. I asked him to help me put my son's name and he came back with good news and he found out our names were inside my parent's flat so he asked my parents to sign on the document to remove. At that time, my parents were busy with my son as he needed to go toilet. 

While they were away, i told him why i needed to put my son's name and he advised me to go to lawyer to draft a will,safer. He mentioned the price was about SGD 300 bucks and lawyers could be found above HDB and i could do it when i got the flat.

He also advised me that i could sell my flat after 5 years and if i married local or PR i can get 15k back but must apply personally. Oh and he helped me to apply grant and print out my CPF. There were some months i was in between jobs and he helped me solved that too. All  i needed to do now was to send back the payslips for the grant. (oops i almost forgot!)

He encouraged me to take up the OCS but i didn't like it though its cheap and can be paid by CPF. U cant choose materials , designs and colour. A good tip he mentioned was i could request HDB after key collection to smooth out the cement flooring to lay laminates if i wanted to for free.

Tip: OCS is good though the workmanship is poor and lack of selection for materials. Some of it got a bad hole and cant be rectified le. But it save you some dirty work and money...i tell u later..

i paid 500 bucks through nets to book the flat and in fact the person after me wanted my unit too. Lucky i was before him. This 500 bucks would be returned once u pay the downpayment through CPF (provided u had money in CPF) in 1-2 months time. U can choose to get ur $500 back in bank or to CPF. Turned out that person didnt choose the unit beside mine too...dunno which one he chose. 

Before i leave, i shook Mr Kwok's hand and thank him for the assistance and guidance he provided.

Oh the duration spent at the office cubicle was an hour plus almost 2 hours.

There were many many cubicles inside there, search for the number reflected on the screen.

Time to buy 4D!!!

I be back to update on downpayment.

The first lot 73 from Bugis GUanyin Temple

A month prior to flat selection for high floor unit.

A few days prior to flat selection for high floor unit.

If you looked at the guanyin lots, they were quite accurate, indeed i had no luck in high floor unit.

Downpayment-Stack of papers to keep

Promise to update, so here I am. I remembered Mr Kwok telling me that i will received something after 2 months and prior to that i sent an email to the officer in charged. She was very prompt in replying that there was a delay as they were reviewing my case to give me the extra grants. I also realised i had forgotten to provide all the required docs but during then i felt it should sufficed.

Finally i received a letter receiving the grant!! Yay!! Then they sent me another mail for the downpayment. They mentioned that if i missed this appointment, it meant i had no interest in getting my flat and consequences would be to wait a year or two and dont know if my option fee would be forfeited.

I was just on time in the evening, nearly late. Thank god i arrived on time cos i only have to wait 10 min and my number was called.

Simple procedure, provide the papers they sent you, NRIC, bank book, signed the papers...voila....wait a few years for the flat to build!

First time won Toto on the day of downpayment and 4D on same week (unit no)

My mum was telling me my house unit number might open. On D day after picking up my son from kindergarden, i went to buy 4D and toto. I remembered i buy wrongly, wanted SGD2 but said wrongly and the lady gave me one. So i asked for another.

I had a good gut feel about winning. :)  I was lucky i buy 2 sets of numbers for toto and i got 3 numbers correct. 16,33,42.

Boy the joy of knowing i won!! :) Its just SGD22 but a good start!! :)


RECAP:

1. Dont be choosy, try to be open minded in other areas. You might be pleasantly surprised like i did. (MRT near me, announced after i selected the next day,prayers help!)
2. Try not to skip the sales launch (once is ok) that will decrease your chances
3. Try MP...b very thick skin and keep goin ...
4. Be v early during your HDB appointment esp flat selection
5. If u believe in Guanyin, try and get a lot (bugis temple) nearer to the date for accuracy for the answers u seek
6. Buy 4D or toto....cos ur lucky to get physical assets.
7. Opt for OCS
8. Keep working til the day of downpayment at least (apply to 2 room and you have sufficient CPF to pay ur flat) if you get bigger flat, try to stay employable, if cant, get temp job first. 
9. Apply for HDB email/sms notification
10. Mid floor is ok between 6-10. Too high is too hot or cold. Took long time for the lift. 
11. Low floor unit 1-5 must have window grilles or those with young kids.
12. Before selection, have a look online on fengshui tips. My unit is windy and less sun.