Buying your first home in Singapore
Your first flat is the biggest decision you'll make with the least experience. This is the whole journey in order — from what you can afford to the exact block — built on official open data, with no agent spin and no fabricated numbers.
Tools to plan your buy
All tools →- 01
Work out what you can actually afford
Before anything else, pin your real budget: downpayment, loan ceiling, stamp duty and the cash you'll burn on the way in.
- 02
Check your eligibility and grants
Income ceilings, schemes and grants decide which flats you can even buy — and how much the government tops up.
- 03
Sort your financing
HDB loan or bank loan, and how CPF, accrued interest and downpayment actually work over the life of the loan.
- 04
Decide: BTO or resale
New and cheaper but a 4–5 year wait, or move-in-ready at market price. The trade-off that shapes everything after it.
BTO vs Resale HDB: How to Decide
Price and a fresh lease vs moving in now and choosing the exact block.
How to Choose a BTO: Location, Floor, Waiting Time and Demand
Project, floor, facing, waiting time and demand — how to choose a BTO.
The HDB Resale Buying Process, Step by Step
HFE letter → OTP → valuation → resale application → keys, with timeline.
- 05
Or HDB versus condo
If private is on the table, weigh the real cost gap — and whether an EC is the middle path for a first home.
- 06
Choose the right block
This is where we come in. Screen a specific block on MRT walk time, schools within 1km, and the amenities you'll use daily.
How to Screen an HDB Block Before You Buy: A First-Timer's Checklist
The 9-point screening framework we use to rank every block in Singapore.
The 1km Primary School Rule: How Where You Live Affects P1 Registration
How the 1km / 2km home-school distance bands work, and how to check any block.
Buying Near an MRT: How Much Does Walk Time Actually Matter?
What 5, 10 or 15 minutes to the station really changes — and the resale angle.
- 07
Sanity-check the price and the lease
Is the asking price in line with the town, and how much lease runway are you really buying? Every block page now answers “is it worth it?”
Common questions
What is the first step to buying a first home in Singapore?
Work out your real budget — downpayment, loan ceiling and the cash costs (stamp duty, legal, valuation) — before you look at flats. Our screener then filters every HDB town by what you can afford, commute and liveability.
What grants can first-time HDB buyers get?
First-timers may qualify for the Enhanced CPF Housing Grant and, for resale, the Family and Proximity grants, depending on income and the flat. See the HDB grants guide for the current schemes and ceilings.
Is BTO or resale better for a first-time buyer?
BTO is newer and usually cheaper but means a 4–5 year wait; resale is move-in-ready at market price with wider location choice. Which wins depends on your timeline, budget and preferred location.
How do I choose which HDB block to buy?
Screen the specific block on MRT walk time, primary schools within 1km, hawker and daily-needs access, real commute to your workplace, and the resale price trend and remaining lease. Every block page on blockindex.sg scores exactly these.