Before completing an HDB resale purchase, arrange a final inspection with the seller. Check the flat against the agreed handover, look at areas that were hidden during the first viewing, and confirm when you can actually take possession. HDB’s guidance asks buyers to inspect the flat before completion to make sure the seller has moved out where vacant possession applies.
Bring the relevant records and contact details so you can act if something differs from the agreement. If an approved Temporary Extension of Stay applies, follow the documented arrangement and plan separately for the seller’s eventual move-out. A completion appointment and a workable move-in date can be different dates.
- Arrange access in advance and confirm who will attend.
- Bring the transaction and handover records that apply to your flat.
- Walk through every accessible room and check agreed items.
- List keys, access devices and handover tasks.
- Raise material problems promptly through HDB or your acting solicitor, as applicable.
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Prepare before the inspection
Open HDB’s resale completion guidance for buyers and check the instructions for your case. Set a viewing time that gives you enough time to raise a problem before completion. Coordinate through the seller or the agent if one is involved. If an acting solicitor is handling completion, know how to reach that person and what records they need.
Gather the documents and correspondence that set out the transaction and any applicable handover arrangements. Make a plain list of anything you expect to stay, such as a specified appliance or access device, where supported by the agreement. If a message or viewing photo leaves room for interpretation, clarify the matter early. What appeared in an advertisement and what the parties actually agreed to hand over can differ.
Plan who will take notes. In a household with two adults, one can walk through the flat and speak to the seller while the other ticks off rooms, keys and follow-ups. A short checklist works better than relying on recollection from a viewing several weeks earlier.
Back to contents · Next: Walk the flat in a fixed order
Walk the flat in a fixed order
Start at the entrance and use the same order through the home every time. Check the main door and gate, living room, bedrooms, kitchen, bathrooms and service yard where applicable. Look behind spaces previously covered by furniture where safe and accessible. Record observations in specific terms. “Water stain on the ceiling above the kitchen window” is easier to follow up than “something wrong in kitchen”.
| Area | What to check | What to write down |
|---|---|---|
| Entrance and access | Gate, main door and handover devices | Which keys, cards or controls were shown |
| Living room and bedrooms | Remaining belongings, agreed items and visible condition | Room, item and whether it matches the record |
| Kitchen and service yard | Agreed fixtures, visible leaks or damage, and access to services | Exact position and whether testing was possible |
| Bathrooms | Visible condition, water supply if available and accessible surfaces | Any new observation and the agreed follow-up |
| Whole flat | Whether the possession arrangement can be carried out | Date, people present and anything unresolved |
Where the seller permits and services are on, basic checks can include opening doors and windows safely and seeing whether taps run or toilets flush. If services are off, mark the relevant checks as untested. Photograph issues where permitted and keep the record private. Use a qualified person for specialist assessment of suspected electrical, structural, plumbing or other technical problems.
HDB’s inspection related to a resale application has a separate purpose, including checks for unauthorised renovation works. See HDB’s seller-side approval guidance. If the state of the flat or the authorisation of previous renovation matters to your purchase, raise the specific question and consult the HDB resale terms and conditions.
Back to contents · Next: Check possession, keys and move-day access
Check possession, keys and move-day access
Review whether your transaction is expected to complete with vacant possession or whether an approved Temporary Extension of Stay applies. Under the normal vacant possession arrangement, the final visit helps confirm the seller has moved out before completion. If there is an approved extension, note when occupation under that arrangement ends and coordinate the later handover. Follow HDB’s Temporary Extension of Stay guidance and the terms for your transaction.
List the applicable keys and devices in one place. Common items to discuss include the gate, door, letterbox, remotes and access cards where used. Ask about digital locks and the appropriate process for changing access after you take possession. Coordinate with the seller, agent or solicitor on who will handle each handover item and when.
Confirm the first date a mover or contractor can enter. A family that has ordered furniture should know who can postpone the delivery and what the supplier requires. If a child needs to start the school run from the new address on a particular day, keep the current route available until the flat can actually be occupied.
Back to contents · Next: Decide what needs attention before completion
Decide what needs attention before completion
Sort your observations by consequence. A confirmed handover item can be ticked off. An outstanding item with an agreed follow-up can go into a dated record. A discrepancy that could affect possession, the agreement or a safety-sensitive part of the flat should be raised through the appropriate transaction contact promptly. Ask for the next step for your case and keep a written record of the answer.
If a seller says the last items will be removed later, record the actual timing and who is responsible. If a photograph shows a condition difference, add where it appears and whether the area was accessible at the first viewing. A factual note makes it easier for HDB or your acting solicitor to understand the issue. Keep moving-day changes in a separate list so an administrative response and a family scheduling decision can progress independently.
For the earlier stage of the purchase, see eduKateSG’s resale viewing and home inspection guide. Use that guide before deciding whether the property suits you. Return to this checklist when the question becomes what can actually be handed over.
Back to contents · Next: Worked example when the flat still contains belongings
Worked example when the flat still contains belongings
A family has an inspection on Monday and a completion appointment later in the week. It expects vacant possession. At the visit, large items remain in two rooms and the buyer notices a mark behind a cupboard that was previously against the wall. These are two observations with different implications.
The buyers note the rooms and items, take photographs with permission and confirm whether the seller has arranged removal. They record the condition issue separately and gather enough detail to explain it. Because removal timing could affect vacant possession, they contact their acting solicitor or HDB as applicable before the appointment and ask what to do. They avoid treating a mover’s booking as a reason to proceed without guidance.
The same family also checks that the actual keys can be accounted for. It places the expected items in a handover list and confirms the plan for any missing access device. If the seller’s removal date changes, the family updates the moving company, asks about the agreed arrangements and keeps the school trip from the current home active.
Back to contents · Next: Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions
Does the first viewing count as the final inspection?
Use the final inspection to confirm the current condition and handover state. A first viewing may have taken place while the flat was occupied or furniture hid parts of the room.
What if something is missing or the seller is still there?
Record what you observed and compare it with the applicable agreement, including any approved extension. Contact HDB or your acting solicitor promptly, as applicable, to confirm the appropriate next step for completion. An informal understanding may leave the underlying transaction issue unresolved.
What if I cannot attend myself?
Ask the relevant parties how inspection and attendance can be arranged for your case. Give whoever is authorised to help a room list, handover record and the contact details needed to report a discrepancy.
Back to contents · Next: Next steps and official sources
Next steps and official sources
Set the inspection time, print or save the room checklist and keep the completion contact ready. Put each finding into one of three groups: confirmed, requires a handover follow-up, or requires guidance before completion.