Applicants for Build-To-Order flats say that if they do not get a 'good queue number', they can only choose from less desirable flats, such as those on lower floors.
SINGAPORE: Flat applicants could find themselves in a quandary with the latest change in Build-To-Order rules to penalise those who reject a flat.
When asked if he would have done the same under new rules announced on Thursday , Mr Oh said he might have had no choice but to pick a flat. He would not want to lose his first-timer priority status as he has a child and needs a home, he said. BTO applicants get a queue number based on balloting and if there are units left when their number comes around, they are invited to select a flat. The number of applicants typically exceeds the number of flats available by multiple times, especially for popular locations in mature estates.Taking Mr Oh's case, there were 2.5 first-time applicants vying for each four-room flat in Yishun during the sales exercise in February last year. But for second-timers, the rate was 16.
“For some, the remaining flats may be out of their budget. For others, they might be considering other housing options, or prefer flats with specific attributes for specific reasons. Another BTO applicant who asked to be referred to as Madam Seah said she applied for a flat in the last two launches. Although the new rule will not affect her, she empathised with families who did not want flats with undesirable attributes.
“I think that if your queue number is outside of the number of flats, it is a bit unfair. It may make sense if you are within the queue numbers, but to be penalised because you don’t want to choose a bad flat if that is all you are left with is not the fairest,” Mr Eng said. Huttons estimated that the number of applicants for the August 2023 BTO launch may fall by as much as 20 per cent.
Applicants, especially second-timers, who had one non-selection count may turn to the HDB resale market, he added. But this increased demand may not last, said Dr Tan Tee Khoon, Singapore country manager at PropertyGuru.
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