Online complaints about BTO prices but demand remains high

Singapore — There is unhappiness online with the prices of Build-To-Order (BTO) flats in this month’s sales launch by the Housing and Development Board (HDB). Demand, however, remains high.

On Aug 13, the HDB released on Facebook and its website prices that ranged from S$90,000 for a 2-room Flexi flat in Woodlands to S$571,000 for a 5-room flat in Ang Mo Kio.

One person said: “Seriously looking at the price makes one think is this really affordable at all? Almost like Resale pricing there!”

Another commented: “Almost one hundred thousand for the smallest flat in Singapore. Public housing shouldn’t be handle and sold like this.” 

However, despite some complaints about the BTO pricing, the demand remains high.

As of Aug 13, there were on average more than two applicants for each of the 7,862 flats available in this sales exercise, even after HDB mentioned that some of the flats in this launch may take up to five years to build due to construction safety measures introduced since Covid-19. Among the most in-demand units were large flats in mature estates. /TISG