For those of you who missed the previous BTO (Built-to-order) launch, listen up. Your opportunity to grab a ballot…
With the Sale-Of-Balance-Flat (SBF) exercise also launching in November 2019, you need to make the choice between applying for a BTO or opting for the SBF options. We know, the dilemma is real. And that’s what this BTO review is meant for. We want to help you weigh your BTO options by showing you the good and not-so-good of each BTO launch. This will then help you decide whether to apply for a BTO or SBF in the upcoming November Launch.
Check out our 5-Minute Guide To HDB Grants For Singaporeans here.
Source: HDB/URA Masterplan
Once again, Tengah takes the honour of providing the largest BTO offerings among the 3 BTO launchs. The reason why there are so many units available for BTO is because Tengah is a new and upcoming estate. With 3,460 units up for balloting (plus being a non-mature estate), there’s a good chance of you getting a good ballot number to pick your new home.
One of the biggest selling points of this upcoming Tengah BTO launch is that it is right next to the MRT. You will be living right beside the Tengah Plantation Station (if you don’t mind the name) on the Jurong Region Line. This will reduce your travelling time by a lot once the MRT is in operation.
Tengah is known as the ‘Forest Town’ not just because it used to be a forest (Tengah Forest). It is also named the ‘Forest Town’ because there will be many proposed greeneries around the estate. If you look at the URA Masterplan for this BTO launch, you will notice that there are not just proposed CGs, but also proposed town parks. They are almost everywhere within the Tengah estate.
BTO veterans will tell you that you should always check out the BTO launch before you make your application. This will give you a better idea of what kind of amenities are available around the area and the associated travel time to the amenities. Unfortunately, you can’t do that for the Tengah BTO launch since it is a new town that is in the midst of construction. Almost everything you see on the URA Masterplan comes with the word “proposed”, including the MRT. You will have to make your decision based on what you see on the proposed URA Masterplan.
Source: HDB/URA Masterplan
If you plan to have kids, this is the perfect BTO location for you. That’s because this BTO launch in Ang Mo Kio (Yio Chu Kang, to be more precise) is situated right in the middle of schools. From Anderson Primary School to Presbyterian High School to Anderson Serangoon Junior College and Nanyang Polytechnic, you have schools all the way from primary level to the tertiary/JC level. You won’t have to worry about arranging for school bus or waking up early to send your child to school. Every school will be within walking or public transport distance from your home.
This BTO launch in Ang Mo Kio is located within walking distance to the Yio Chu Kang MRT. Just behind Yio Chu Kang MRT, you can find a multitude of options that can help encourage a healthy fitspo lifestyle for you and your family. From swimming complex to the stadium to squash and tennis court to the sports hall, you can do all kind of sports activities at your leisure time, be it weekday nights or weekends. It is the perfect location for you to lead a healthy lifestyle because you won’t have the excuse of not exercising because the facilities are too far away.
While it is the perfect education hub for families, the lack of amenities can sometimes be frustrating. Let’s say you want to go out for a nice meal or head to the supermarket, the closest shopping mall is at Ang Mo Kio Hub. Although Ang Mo Kio is only one MRT station away, you probably wish that you have a shopping mall at Yio Chu Kang MRT to get your food or get your groceries done. Luckily, there’s still a market at block 628 where you can get your groceries done, albeit not a supermarket.
Source: HDB/URA Masterplan
The upcoming BTO launch in Tampines will likely be highly sought after by applicants. Besides the fact that it is located in a mature estate, it is also centrally located to the MRT station. You are literally within walking distance to the Tampines MRT and the surrounding shopping malls in Tampines.
Apart from the malls at Tampines, you also have backyard access to Our Tampines Hub where you can eat, shop and exercise whenever you want. Our Tampines Hub offers food choices from hawker food to ‘atas’ food places within the shopping area. You also have a big NTUC Fairprice that allows you to meet all your grocery needs for the week. Even if you forget an item or two while on your grocery trip, you can just get it anytime since the NTUC Fairprice is so near your block.
Everything about this BTO launch is Tampines is so good, except for one thing: There are limited units available for ballot. With 650 units that needs to be spread across 2R Flexi, 3R, 4R and 5R flats, you barely get 150 units for each type of flat. Unless you are really lucky, you will likely end up without a ballot number for this round of BTO. You might even want to consider using your chance for the SBF exercise in November instead.
Check out August 2019 BTO if you missed it!
If you managed to successfully ballot for a flat in the upcoming (or previous) BTO, make sure to check out our home loan comparison tool here. The home loan comparison tool is meant to help you find the best home loan deal in the market right now! Don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you are unsure whether you are getting the best loan deal on your home loan.
