‘5 years of waiting, and now what?’: Singapore woman faces BTO dilemma after breakup weeks before key collection

SINGAPORE: Heartbreak over a breakup is one thing, but what if it brings an even bigger loss — one that could upend the life you had spent years building?

A 34-year-old woman was only weeks away from collecting the keys to the Build-To-Order (BTO) flat she had waited five years for with her partner when their relationship ended.

She had been renting while waiting for the BTO to be completed, but now that their relationship has ended, she said she has nowhere else to go. Her parents are divorced and live in smaller flats, leaving no space for her to move in with either of them.

“I feel really lost, feel like my hopes and dreams disappeared before my eyes,” she wrote on r/askSingapore.

Commenters had mixed advice for her. One who had gone through a similar situation said she might have to give up more money at this stage since she was already close to collecting the keys, but felt that it would still be a small price to pay compared with being stuck in an unhappy marriage and facing bigger complications later.

Another suggested trying to transfer her ex-partner’s name to one of her parents, though a third pointed out that this could be difficult if they already own Housing and Development Board (HDB) flats.

Despite this, they urged her ‘not to give up yet’, suggesting she appeal to HDB and explain her situation honestly, with one even offering to help her draft an email to the board.

Unfortunately, the post author is not the only Singaporean facing a similar dilemma.

In a previous The Independent Singapore report, another couple called it quits after six years together despite having already selected their BTO flat and paid the S$2,000 option fee. Fortunately, they had yet to make the down payment, leaving them with fewer financial complications as they worked out what to do with the flat.

In August this year, Singaporeans discussed some of the most Singaporean breakup stories they heard, and while many stories were shared, one commenter said breaking up over a BTO was “peak Singapore”. /TISG

Read also: Younger HDB resale deals decline as buyers turn to BTO flats: report