Methodology
How the numbers work
Every figure on SG Flatmate comes from public records or published government rules, worked through on your own numbers. This page shows where each one comes from, how it's calculated, and when we last checked it.
Where the data comes from
Prices are completed sales, not asking prices. Each source refreshes on its own schedule.
| Data | Source | Last checked |
|---|---|---|
| HDB resale pricesChecked daily. | HDB, via data.gov.sg | Not yet |
| Condo, EC and landed salesChecked twice a week. | URA | Not yet |
| Maps and addresses | OneMap, Singapore Land Authority | Live |
Loans and what you can borrow
The two monthly tests
Lenders check your repayment against your gross monthly income, at a higher "stress test" interest rate than you'll actually pay.
- Mortgage Servicing Ratio (MSR): home loan repayments up to 30% of income, for HDB flats and new ECs.
- Total Debt Servicing Ratio (TDSR): all debt repayments up to 55% of income, for bank loans.
- Stress-test rates: 3% for HDB loans, 4% for bank loans.
HDB loan
- Up to 75% of the price or valuation, whichever is lower, at 2.6% a year.
- Up to 25 years, shortened so it ends by 65 (average age) and with at least 20 years of lease left.
- CPF Ordinary Account savings above $20,000 go into the flat first.
- Needs at least one Singapore Citizen and a household under the income ceiling.
Bank loan
- First loan: up to 75%, with at least 5% in cash. Second: 45%. Third or more: 35%.
- Lower limits (55% on a first loan) when the loan runs past age 65 or longer than 25 years for an HDB flat (30 for private).
- At least 25% in cash if you still owe on another home loan.
Older flats
If the lease won't last until the youngest buyer is 95, the loan and the CPF you can use are cut in proportion. Under 20 years of lease left, CPF can't be used at all.
CPF housing grants
What's included
- Enhanced CPF Housing Grant: up to $120,000 for families and $60,000 for singles, from HDB's published income bands. Needs 12 months of work.
- Family Grant (resale, first-timers): $80,000 for up to 4 rooms, $50,000 for 5 rooms or more.
- Singles Grant (resale): $40,000 / $25,000.
- Proximity Housing Grant: $30,000 to live with parents or children, $20,000 to live within 4 km (half for singles).
Income ceilings: $16,000 a month for families, $8,000 for singles, $24,000 for extended families.
Grants are paid back when you sell
Grants go into your CPF and count as CPF used for the home, so they're refunded to your CPF with 2.5% accrued interest when you sell. The upgrade planner works this out for you.
Stamp duty and upfront costs
Buyer's Stamp Duty
IRAS rates: 1% on the first $180,000, 2% on the next $180,000, 3% to $1 million, 4% to $1.5 million, 5% to $3 million, 6% above. Due within 14 days of exercising the option, payable by cash or CPF.
Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty (ABSD)
Applied by citizenship and how many homes you'll own. Married couples with at least one Singapore Citizen pay none on their first home together, and can claim it back on a second if they sell the first within 6 months.
Cash versus CPF
Some payments must be in cash: the option fee, part of a bank-loan downpayment, any amount above valuation, and HDB's valuation and application fees. Each planner shows which is which, and when it's due.
Selling and upgrading
- Sale proceeds: price, minus the loan left, minus the CPF you used plus 2.5% accrued interest (capped at what the sale brings in), minus agent and legal fees.
- Minimum Occupation Period: 5 years for most HDB flats, 10 for Plus and Prime flats, before you can sell.
- Seller's Stamp Duty applies to private homes sold within 3 or 4 years, depending on when you bought.
- Aged 55 and over: part of the CPF refund tops up your Retirement Account to the Full Retirement Sum first.
Wedding and renovation costs
These aren't government figures, so they're labelled as estimates everywhere they appear. They come from published venue rates, packages and typical quotes, as simple, typical and premium ranges. Once you have real quotes, they replace the estimates in your plan.
Rules last checked
Rules change. Here's when each was last checked against the official source, and what we're still confirming.
| Rule | Source | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Enhanced CPF Housing Grant tables (families and singles) | HDB | Checked Oct 2026 |
| Proximity Housing Grant amounts | CPF Board | Checked Oct 2026 |
| Loan limits and tenure rules | MAS, HDB | Checked Oct 2026 |
| Income ceilings (from 24 Aug 2026) | HDB | Checked Oct 2026 |
| ABSD remission for married couples | IRAS | Checked Oct 2026 |
| Marriage notice periods and fees | Registry of Marriages | Checked Oct 2026 |
| Singles Grant amounts | HDB | Being confirmed |
| HDB loan income ceiling | HDB | Being confirmed |
| Rules for households where all buyers are PRs | HDB | Being confirmed |
| HDB renovation hours and permits | HDB | Being confirmed |