Planning on applying for a Built-to-Order (BTO) flat in 2023? Your first chance is coming up!
The first upcoming BTO in 2023 is the Feb 2023 launch, which will have projects in Jurong West, Kallang/Whampoa, Queenstown, and Tengah.
Wondering if a BTO in Queenstown is going to cost you an arm and a leg? Is the Tengah BTO location too ulu? We take a look at the Feb 2023 BTO’s locations, expected prices, expected application rates, and more.
Contents:
Overview of BTOs in Feb 2023 launch
What are the Feb 2023 BTO prices
What are the Feb 2023 BTO application rates? I keep failing to get a BTO!
What are the Feb 2023 BTO flats’ resale values?
Which Feb 2023 BTO projects will be Prime Location Public Housing (PLH)?
There are 2 projects under Kallang/Whampoa. Can I apply for the specific project I’m interested in?
Can I choose not to book a flat if I don’t like the units?
Which Feb 2023 BTO flats are the largest?
Final thoughts on choosing the best Feb 2023 BTO for you
I don’t like anything I see in the Feb 2023 BTO. When’s the next BTO launch?
1. Overview of HDB BTO Feb 2023 launch
There will be 5 projects in the Feb 2023 BTO launch, and these will span mainly West and Central Singapore (tough luck this round, Easties).
Feb 2023 BTOs in the West
Here’s a quick look at the Jurong West and Tengah projects, including flat types, nearby amenities and MRT/LRT stations.
Town
Jurong West
Tengah
Mature estate?
Non-mature estate
Non-mature estate
Flat types
3-room, 4-room
2-room Flexi, 3-room, 4-room, 5-room
Number of units
270
1640
Address
Jurong West Street 93
Tengah Boulevard / Brickland Crescent / Brickland Rise
Nearest MRT/LRT
Pioneer MRT (750 m/10 min walk)
Choa Chu Kang West (u/c; 1.1 km/14 min walk) / Keat Hong LRT (1.7 km/23 min walk)
Nearest mall
Pioneer Mall (1.2 km/15 min walk)
Keat Hong Shopping Centre (1.2 km/15 min walk)
Nearest hawker centre / market
Jurong West Hawker Centre (1.2 km/15 min walk)
Blk 253 Choa Chu Kang Market & Food Centre (1.1 km/13 min walk)
Nearest clinic/hospital
Pioneer Medical Centre (700 m/10 min walk), Pioneer Polyclinic (950 m/12 min walk), Soon Lee Medical Clinic (1.2 km/15 min walk)
Island Family Clinic Keat Hong (800 m / 10 min walk), OneCare Clinic Choa Chu Kang (1.5 km/19 min walk) Healthway Medical Sunshine Place (1.1 km/13 min walk), My Family Clinic Choa Chu Kang (1.1 km/13 min walk)
Nearest school(s)
Frontier Primary School (950 m), Jurong West Primary School (1 km), Pioneer Primary* (1.1 km), Jurong West Secondary School (1.1 km), Xingnan Primary School (1.6 km), West Grove Primary School (1.8 km), Boon Lay Secondary School (2 km), Nanyang Technological University (2.1 km), River Valley High School (2.5 km) (*Note: Pioneer Primary and Juying Primary merged in 2022 at the site of Juying Primary. The merged school will relocate to Tengah in ~2025)
Choa Chu Kang Primary School (1.2 km), Concord Primary School (1.6 km), St Anthony’s Primary School (1.6 km), Dunearn Secondary School (2 km)
Nearest sports facility
Jurong West Sport Centre (450 m/5 min walk)
Bukit Batok Sports Hub (6.3 km/13 min by car)
Map of Jurong West BTO in Feb 2023
Source: HDB
Map of Tengah BTO in Feb 2023
Source: HDB
Feb 2023 BTOs in Central Singapore
Here’s a quick look at the Kallang/Whampoa and Queenstown projects, including flat types, nearby amenities and MRT/LRT stations.
Town
Kallang/Whampoa
Kallang/Whampoa
Queenstown
Mature estate?
Mature estate
Mature estate
Mature estate
Flat types
3-room, 4-room
2-room Flexi, 3-room, 4-room
3-room, 4-room
Number of units
500
1,270
730
Address
Jalan Rajah
Farrer Park Road / Hampshire Road / Race Course Road
Commonwealth Avenue West, Ghim Moh Link
Nearest MRT
Toa Payoh MRT (1.3 km / 18 min walk)
Little India MRT (400 m, 5 min walk), Farrer Park MRT (700 m/9 min walk), Rochor MRT (1 km/13 min walk)
Dover MRT (700 m/9 min walk), Buona Vista MRT (1.2 km /16 min walk)
Nearest mall
Balestier Plaza (550 m/7 min walk), Shaw Plaza (750 m/9 min walk), Zhongshan Mall (900 m/11 min walk), Toa Payoh Mall (1.4 km/18 min walk)
Mustafa Centre (750 m/10 min walk), Centrium Square (800 m/11 min walk), City Square Mall (1.1 km/15 min walk)
The Star Vista (700 m/9 min walk), Rochester Mal (1 km/13 min walk)l
Nearest hawker centre / market
Wong Poh Kopitiam (450 m/6 min walk), Balestier Market (600 m/7 min walk), Whampoa Food Centre (1 km/12 min walk)
Tekka Food Centre (600 m/8 min walk), Pek Kio Market & Food Centre (1.1 km/13 min walk), Berseh Food Centre (1.3 km/16 min walk)
20 Ghim Moh Road Market & Food Centre (900 m/11 min walk)
Nearest clinic/hospital
Carelink Family Clinic (650 m/8 min walk), SP Teo Clinic for Women (650 m/8 min walk), Parkway Health Primary Care (800 m/10 min walk), Unihealth 24-Hr Clinic (1.3 km/17 min walk), Chng Clinic & Surgery (1.3 km/17 min walk), Dr Joyce & Partners Family Clinic (1.4 km/19 min walk)
Caring Community Clinic (350 m), Apollo Medical Centre (450 m), Tekka Clinic-Surgery (600 m), Medstar Medical Clinic & Surgery (650 m), Shifa Clinic & Surgery (500 m), Karunya Community Clinic (550 m), Waheeda’s Clinic & Surgery (600 m), Care Family Clinic (900 m), Express Medical Clinic (1.1 km)
Cornerstone Medical (400 m/5 min walk), Trinity Medical Clinic (300 m/4 min walk), Northeast Medical Group (450 m/5min walk), Dover Clinic & Surgery (650 m/8 min walk), Healthcare Family Clinic (650 m/8 min walk)
Nearest school(s)
Bendemeer Secondary School (1.6 km/20 min walk), Hong Wen School (1.4 km/18 min walk), Northlight School (1.5 km/19 min walk)
Farrer Park Primary School (650 m/8 min walk)
Singapore Polytechnic (300 m), New Town Secondary School (1.6 km), School of Science and Technology (1.2 km), Dover Court International School (950 m), NUS University Town (2 km), United World College (850 m), Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) (850 m), Anglo-Chinese Junior College (950 m), Fairfield Methodist School (Secondary and Primary) (1.3 km)
Nearest sports facilities
Toa Payoh Stadium, Toa Payoh Swimming Complex, Toa Payoh Sports Hall (800-900 m / 10-12 min walk)
–
–
Other notable features
Next to the Kallang River.
Likely to be under the Prime Location Public Housing (PLH) model.
Likely to be under the Prime Location Public Housing (PLH) model.
Map of Kallang/Whampoa (Jalan Rajah) BTO in Feb 2023
Source: HDB
Map of Kallang/Whampoa (Race Course Road) BTO in Feb 2023
Source: HDB
Map of Queenstown BTO in Feb 2023
Source: HDB
2. What are the Feb 2023 BTO prices?
If you’re wondering why you can’t find the prices of the Feb 2023 BTO flats on HDB’s website, it’s because they aren’t out yet. HDB will only announce the prices for BTO units during the actual BTO launch in Feb 2023. (Check out our step-by-step BTO guide for a full recap of the process!)
That said, we can always do some intelligent guesswork. There are two main factors that influence the price of a BTO flat: location and unit size. So, we can get a rough estimate of the Feb 2023 BTO prices by looking at past sale prices for flats of the same size in approximately the same area.
Jurong West
These are the prices Lakeside View (May 2022) BTO flats sold for:
Lakeside View (May 2022) BTO prices
Flat type
Price range
3-room
$215,000 to $265,000
4-room
$320,000 to $393,000
As Jurong West is a non-mature estate, these prices are friendlier than those for mature towns like Kallang/Whampoa and Queenstown. Jurong West is going to be a relatively affordable option if you don’t mind its far west location and slightly less developed area.
Tengah
There were two BTO projects in Tengah over the past year:
Flat type
Parc Flora @ Tengah (Feb 2022) price range
Garden Waterfront I (Nov 2022) price range
2-room Flexi
$132,000 to $182,000
$111,000 to $174,000
3-room
$231,000 to $273,000
$214,000 to $262,000
4-room
$322,000 to $403,000
$307,000 to $397,000
5-room
$428,000 to $525,000
$428,000 to $536,000
Like Jurong West, Tengah is a non-mature estate. This makes Tengah another relatively affordable option in the West of Singapore. Based on past sales, prices are comparable to those at Jurong West.
Kallang/Whampoa
Like Tengah, Kallang/Whampoa saw 2 BTO projects over the past year:
Flat type
Kallang Horizon (Nov 2022) price range
King George’s Heights (Feb 2022) price range
3-room
$335,000 to $447,000
$353,000 to $462,000
4-room
$509,000 to $690,000
$488,000 to $675,000
Kallang/Whampoa is a popular town and a mature estate. Unfortunately, that means it’s going to be a more expensive option in the Feb 2023 round of BTO—especially if we’re talking about the Race Course Road BTO. Based on the past sale prices, a 3-room unit in this estate might cost you even more than a 4-room unit in Tengah or Jurong West.
Having said that, we anticipate that the prices of the Jalan Rajah BTO in Kallang/Whampoa will be slightly lower. The rates above were for PLH model BTOs, which probably only the Race Course Road BTO will be.
Queenstown
Over the past year, there were a whopping 4 BTO projects in Queenstown:
Price range
Flat type
3-room
4-room
Ghim Moh Natura (Nov 2022)
$364,000 to $487,000
$516,000 to $696,000
Queensway Canopy (Nov 2022)
$392,000 to $488,000
$551,000 to $695,000
Ulu Pandan Banks (Nov 2022)
$362,000 to $504,000
$546,000 to $725,000
Ghim Moh Ascent (May 2022)
$369,000 to $481,000
$511,000 to $691,000
A mature estate near the city centre, Queenstown isn’t going to be cheap. We’re guessing that the flats in Queenstown might be the priciest in the Feb 2023 BTO launch.
In fact, the past BTO closest to the upcoming Queenstown BTO in Feb 2023 is the Ulu Pandan Banks one, which also sits along Commonwealth Avenue West. Ulu Pandan Banks is the most expensive BTO in the estate in the past year, with 4-room flats starting at over half a million.
3. What are the Feb 2023 application rates? I keep failing to get a BTO!
Been applying for BTO for a while now and starting to think you’ll strike Toto before BTO? You might want to consider which projects will give you the best chances of securing a flat. That all boils down to 2 words: application rate.
Application rate = Number of applications received / number of units for sale. The smaller the number, the better:
If there are 80 applications for 100 units, the application rate is 0.8. Everyone gets a unit, and there are 20 extra units unsold.
If there are 100 applications for 100 units, the application rate is 1. Everyone gets a unit with no surplus.
If there are 300 applications for 100 units, the application rate is 3. That means for every 1 unit, 3 people applied. Only ⅓ applicants will get a unit.
How do you know the application rates if no one’s applied yet? Well, you can’t know for sure. But you can make a good guess based on the application rates of past BTO projects in the same area. Here’s a range of application rates you can expect for the Feb 2023 BTO:
Jurong West
Lakeside View was a BTO project launched in May 2022 with 101 3-room units and 246 4-room units.
Application rates of past BTO project in Jurong West: Lakeside View (May 2022)
Flat type
Overall
First-timers
Second-timers*
3-room
4.4
2.4
9.3
4-room
7.4
5.3
19.6
*Second-timers are those who have utilised their housing subsidies before and are now looking to apply for a new flat.
Tengah
There are two Tengah BTO Projects we can reference: Garden Waterfront I @ Tengah (Nov 2022) and Parc Flora @ Tengah (Feb 2022):
Application rates of past BTO project in Tengah:
Garden Waterfront I @ Tengah (Nov 2022) / Parc Flora @ Tengah (Feb 2022)
Flat type
Overall
First-timers
Second-timers
2-room Flexi
1.9* / 8.4*
0.1 / 12
0.5 / NA
3-room
3.7 / 4.3
1.5 / 2.5
16.2 / 8.5
4-room
2.6 / 3.2
1.9 / 2.7
16.2 / 5.8
5-room
4.3 / 4.7
2.6 / 3.7
35.2 / 10.1
* The overall 2-room Flexi application rates are inclusive of rates for the elderly and singles. The application rates for the elderly were 1.2 (Garden Waterfront I @ Tengah) and 3.1 (Parc Flora @ Tengah). The application rates for singles were 3.4 for Garden Waterfront I @ Tengah and not applicable for Parc Flora @ Tengah.
Tengah has (so far) not been a very popular location. It’s new, not developed yet, and feels far from most other places. But once upon a time, we thought the same way about Punggol. Well, look at Punggol now—packed with amenities and thriving. So if you’re sold on Tengah’s green living concept, we’d say go for it—first-timers might have a good chance of securing a unit in the Feb 2023 BTO launch.
Judging from past applicant data, everyone’s clamouring for a larger flat. So your chances are also better if you apply for a smaller unit. Having said that, the 4-room application rates at Tengah are probably going to be more friendly than the 4-room rates at Jurong West.
Kallang/Whampoa
Over the past year, the last BTOs in Kallang/Whampoa were Kallang Horizon (Nov 2022) and King George’s Heights (Feb 2022). Neither of these had 2-room Flexi units, so we can’t use that data to predict the 2-room Flexi application rates for the Feb 2023 Kallang/Whampoa BTO. However, it’s generally safe to assume that 2-room Flexi application rates are lower than 3-room ones.
Application rates of past BTO project in Kallang/Whampoa:
Kallang Horizon (Nov 2022) / King George’s Heights (Feb 2022)
Flat type
Overall
First-timers
Second-timers
3-room
7.6 / 6.4
3.1 / 2.8
111.3 / 76
4-room
11.3 / 17.5
7.1 / 10.9
92.3 / 149.3
The rates above might be a better reflection of the rates for the Race Course Road BTO than the Jalan Rajah one. Both the Kallang Horizon BTO and King George’s Heights BTO were PLH models sitting in prime locations—the former right next to Kallang MRT, and the latter situated along King George’s Avenue. For the Feb 2023 BTO launch, we suspect the Race Course Road BTO will also be a PLH model due to its location in Little India.
Unfortunately, that means the Race Course Road BTO in Feb 2023 is probably going to be a tough one to land. Your best chances are if you’re a first-timer applying for a 3-room flat. If past data is anything to go by, your chances are going to be super slim if you’re a second-timer. With past application rates of over 100, that means you’re fighting with over 100 other people for one flat!
What about the Jalan Rajah BTO? While this one may not be a PLH model, we suspect application rates might be just as high as the Race Course Road BTO—if not even higher. This BTO is decently close to the heart of the Toa Payoh heartlands (always a popular spot!) and will likely be more affordable.
Queenstown
The 2 most recent BTO launches at Queenstown were Ghim Moh Natura/ Queensway Canopy/ Ulu Pandan Banks (Nov 2022) and Ghim Moh Ascent (May 2022).
Application rates of past BTO project in Queenstown: Ghim Moh Natura/Queensway Canopy/Ulu Pandan Banks (Nov 2022) / Ghim Moh Ascent (May 2022)
Flat type
Overall
First-timers
Second-timers
3-room
0.9 / 1.5
0.3 / 0.5
13.2 / 21.9
4-room
2.3 / 4.4
1.4 / 3
18.8 / 31.3
Of these past Queenstown BTOs, all but Queensway Canopy were PLH models, which might turn some people off. We anticipate the Feb 2023 Queenstown BTO is also going to be a PLH model.
If you’re a first-time applicant, your odds of getting the Queenstown BTO in Feb 2023 are likely going to be pretty good—especially if you’re aiming for a 3-room flat. However, chances are probably slim if you’re a second-time applicant.
4. What are the Feb 2023 BTO flats’ resale values?
See yourself selling your flat in a few years’ time? If you don’t think any of the Feb 2023 BTO flats will be your forever home, it’s worthwhile to consider their resale value.
As a rule of thumb, the resale value of a flat will be affected primarily by its location and size. Flats near the city centre or very close to an MRT station will sell for more. A larger, 5-room flat will have a higher resale value than a 4-room one in the exact same block. (Of course, there are other important factors such as lease and floor number, but that’s for you to decide.)
With that in mind, let’s look at past resale statistics based on town and flat size to get an idea of the resale value of the Feb 2023 BTO projects.
Median resale price (Q4 2022)
Town
3-room
4-room
Jurong West
$358,000
$481,500
Kallang/Whampoa
$380,000
$788,000
Queenstown
$390,000
$870,000
Source: HDB resale statistics for Q4 2022
Here’s a recap of how much you can expect to pay for the Feb 2023 flats, based on past BTOs in the area.
BTO sale prices (Feb, May and Nov 2022)
Town
3-room
4-room
Jurong West
$215,000 to $265,000
$320,000 to $393,000
Kallang/Whampoa
$335,000 to $462,000
$488,000 to $690,000
Queenstown
$362,000 to $504,000
$511,000 to $725,000
So how much can you profit from selling your HDB flat? Based on the 2022 Q4 resale statistics and BTO prices in 2022, this could be anywhere from -20% to 60% profit. Here are the sales proceeds in percentage (%), or in other words, how much you would gain from selling your Feb 2023 BTO in a few years’ time.
Estimated sales proceeds (%) from 2022 Q4 resale statistics and BTO prices in 2022
Town
3-room
4-room
Jurong West
35.09% to 66.51%
22.52% to 50.47%
Kallang/Whampoa
-17.75% to 13.43%
14.20% to 61.48%
Queenstown
-22.62% to 7.73%
20.00% to 70.25%
Don’t let those negative numbers fool you. This is a crude way of estimating sales proceeds, and you should be on the upper part of these ranges if you choose the right time to sell your flat.
Having said that, it does appear that Jurong West, a non-mature estate, might yield relatively higher profits from resale than the other two towns. Additionally, the value of 4-room flats seems to appreciate relatively more than 3-room flats across the board.
5. Which Feb 2023 BTO projects will be Prime Location Public Housing (PLH)?
For the BTO launch in Feb 2023, we suspect the Queenstown and the Kallang/Whampoa project along Race Course Road are going to be under the Prime Location Public Housing (PLH) model. Why? As the name suggests, they are in prime, central locations in or next to the heart of Singapore.
But can we be sure the Queenstown and Kallang/Whampoa project along Race Course Road will be PLH models? Further supporting this is the fact that these locations have a track record of being PLH projects over the past year:
Kallang/Whampoa: Kallang Horizon (Nov 2022) and King George’s Heights (Feb 2022) were both PLH models.
Queenstown: Among Ghim Moh Natura, Queensway Canopy, Ulu Pandan Banks (Nov 2022), and Ghim Moh Ascent (May 2022), all were PLH models except for Queensway Canopy. Queensway Canopy will have Community Care apartments for assisted living.
What does this mean for you? While the eligibility conditions and buying process for a PLH flat are the same as for other flats, PLH flats will cost more and come with some key limitations:
Minimum occupancy period (MOP): You must occupy the PLH flat for at least 10 years before you can sell it or invest in a private residential property.
Resale: Upon selling the flat, you must return a percentage of the flat’s resale price to HDB.
Renting out: You can rent out spare bedrooms, but cannot rent out the whole flat.
Do consider these carefully before you apply for Kallang/Whampoa or Queenstown in the upcoming Feb 2023 BTO.
6. There are 2 projects under Kallang/Whampoa. Can I apply for the specific project I’m interested in?
No. We’re gonna quote HDB here for an important reminder: “You can only submit 1 application for 1 town and 1 flat type during the sales launch.” (Q6 in their Sales Launch FAQs)
Let us emphasise: You can only apply for 1 town. What does this mean for you? Let’s say you apply for the town Kallang/Whampoa because you’re interested in the Jalan Rajah project. At the same time, you definitely don’t want the Race Course Road project in the same town because it might be under the PLH model.
The day of reckoning comes, and you get a queue number! However, you’re pretty far back in the queue. By the time you go down to HDB, like-minded folks with queue numbers ahead of you have snapped up all the units in the Jalan Rajah project. You’re left with the Race Course Road project that you didn’t want.
7. Can I choose not to book a flat if I don’t like the units?
Sure you can! But here’s the problem: this counts as rejecting a BTO, and HDB doesn’t take too kindly to that. You’ll lose any additional ballot chances accumulated from previous unsuccessful applications (i.e. when you never even got a chance to book a flat, not when you got a chance but rejected it).
If you reject 2 chances to book a flat, you’ll lose all your first-timer privileges for a year—including the basic 2x chance that all first-timers get. So if you thought getting a queue number the first time was hard, think about how much harder it’d be without the 2x chance power-up!
8. Which Feb 2023 BTO flats are the largest?
From McDonald’s burgers to our homes, everything except our bills is getting smaller. So, which are the biggest flats you can get in the Feb 2023 BTO exercise?
In the Feb 2023 BTO launch, your options for a big unit are pretty limited. Only Tengah has 5-room units this upcoming round. That’ll get you about 107-113 sqm of space—20 to 22 sqm more than a 4-room flat.
9. Final thoughts on choosing the best Feb 2023 BTO for you
It’s important to not just consider factors such as nearby amenities, MRT/LRT accessibility, and proximity to the city centre, but also what they mean for you.
For example, take proximity to the city centre. This is a double edged sword—on one hand, it’ll be easier to commute anywhere if you’re coming from a home in or near central Singapore. Plus, you’re closer to Singapore’s nightlife and other attractions. If this sounds like a dream to you, you’ll probably like the Queenstown project the most.
On the other hand, projects near the city centre are likely to be under the PLH model. Read: Heftier prices and a longer minimum occupancy period of 10 years. Additionally, what if you hate nightlife? Maybe your dream is to nest in a quiet space in the thick of a thriving forest. Well, HDB can’t give you rustic, but they can give you Tengah (and you’re likely to get it if you apply!).
We can’t stress enough that the “best” location is only the best for you. A couple planning to have kids might want a nearby primary school, while a couple dead against little human spawns might find the noise from schools a nuisance. Consider your life/family plans, commute to work, and lifestyle when you’re choosing your BTO location.
10. I don’t like anything I see in the Feb 2023 BTO. When’s the next BTO launch?
The second BTO launch of the year will be in May 2023. Watch this space—we’ll cover prices, application rates and more.
In May 2023, you can expect about 3,800 to 4,800 BTO units in the following towns:
Bedok (2-room Flexi/ 3-/ 4-/ 5-room/ 3Gen)
Kallang Whampoa (3-/ 4-room)
Queenstown (3-/ 4-room), Serangoon (4-/ 5-room)
Tengah (2-room Flexi/ 3-/ 4-/ 5-room)
Know someone considering a Feb 2023 BTO? Share this article with them to help them prepare!
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