Collecting BTO keys while selling your existing flat is governed by hard rules: the 6-month disposal window, the resale levy, CPF refund timing. This planner works the dates both ways, whether you have the funds to collect first, or need the sale money to pay the balance, and gives you a clear verdict.
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Enter your current flat's expected sale price, outstanding loan, the CPF used for it and the BTO's key collection date. The planner works out the cash you keep after repaying the loan, refunding your CPF with accrued interest and paying the agent, deducts any resale levy you enter, and checks your dates against HDB's rule that the existing flat must be sold within six months of collecting the BTO keys. It then shows whether to sell first or collect first, and the cash you need at each step.
Selling a 4-room resale flat at S$650,000 to collect BTO keys
The CPF refund goes back to your own CPF account and can be used again for the BTO.
| Rule | Rate used | Source | In effect from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Disposal of the existing flat | Within 6 months of collecting the BTO keys | HDB | Current |
| Resale levy | Payable when buying a second subsidised flat; the amount depends on the first flat's type and the subsidy received (see HDB's levy table) | HDB | Current |
| Mortgage Servicing Ratio (HDB flats, new ECs) | 30% of gross monthly income | MAS / HDB | Jan 2013 |
| CPF Ordinary Account interest (accrued on CPF used for property) | 2.5% a year | CPF Board | Ongoing |
| Buyer's Stamp Duty (residential) | 1% on the first S$180,000, 2% on the next S$180,000, 3% on the next S$640,000, 4% on the next S$500,000, 5% on the next S$1,500,000, 6% above S$3,000,000 | IRAS | 15 Feb 2023 |
Rates checked October 2026. Confirm the figures for your own case with the source before you commit.
Households who bought a subsidised flat from HDB, or received a CPF housing grant, and now buy a second subsidised flat. The levy recovers part of the first subsidy. The amount depends on the type of the first flat and the subsidy received, and HDB states it when you apply.
If you still own the first flat, the levy is usually deducted from its sale proceeds. If you have already sold it, the levy is paid in cash when you buy the new flat. Enter it in the planner to see what it does to your cash.
HDB requires the existing flat to be sold within six months of collecting the keys to the new one. The planner checks your sale timeline against that window and warns you when the dates are too tight.
When the flat is sold, the CPF principal you used plus the accrued interest it would have earned goes back into your CPF account, before you receive any cash. You can use that CPF again for the BTO, but it reduces the cash you take home.
Collecting first means you need the funds for the BTO balance before the sale money arrives; selling first means you may need somewhere to stay until key collection. The planner works through both and shows which one your cash and dates support.