After exercising an HDB resale Option to Purchase (OTP), the buyer and seller each submit a portion of the resale application through My Flat Dashboard. Either party can file first. The other party has seven calendar days from that first submission to file, and both parties also have to meet the submission timeframe they agreed under Clause 12 of the OTP.
HDB treats the application as complete once it has both portions and the supporting documents. If everything is in order, HDB says it will notify the parties of acceptance within 28 working days. The roughly eight-week processing and completion period starts at acceptance. Keep submission, acceptance, endorsement, approval and legal completion on separate lines in your calendar.
- Read Clause 12 and confirm the agreed timeframe before either party submits.
- Check HFE, any Request for Value outcome and financing documents.
- Coordinate both submissions within seven calendar days.
- Read HDB’s acceptance notice and finish the required endorsement and payments.
- Plan keys, moving and sale proceeds around confirmed legal completion.
Find the section you need
Use the first two chapters if the option has just been exercised. Go to the acceptance chapter if both sides have submitted.
Chapters 1–3
Read the signed option and identify the timeframe in Clause 12. This is the period the parties agreed for submitting the resale application. HDB says it is a contractual term and a variation requires mutual agreement. Then note the seven-calendar-day requirement, which starts once either party submits. Meeting one timing requirement can still leave the other unmet.
Decide who will file first
Agree whether the buyer or seller will submit first. Check that both sides have the documents and information they need before starting the seven-day clock. If the buyer will file on Monday, ask the seller to confirm the actual day they will file rather than assuming a whole week is available. An upcoming trip or missing document may make another agreed date more practical, provided it fits Clause 12 and the relevant documents remain valid.
Keep the validity checks beside the deadlines
For a buyer, check the HDB Flat Eligibility (HFE) letter, any required valuation outcome and the formal financing documents. For a seller, check the Intent to Sell and any seller-side records HDB requires. Use the actual documents and dashboard status. A document that was valid when the OTP was granted may have an expiry date before submission. If anything may expire, ask HDB what to do before filing or committing further money.
Confirm who is monitoring the dashboard
If an agent is submitting on behalf of a client, agree who will confirm filing and follow up on requests. Where a household has several owners or buyers, make sure the right people can respond. Keep a contact list and a copy of the signed agreement with the timeline. The person moving house and the person managing paperwork may need the same dates.
| Milestone | What to record |
|---|---|
| First submission | Who filed and when |
| Second submission | Seven-calendar-day limit and Clause 12 timeframe |
| Acceptance | HDB notice and stated completion date |
| Endorsement and approval | Documents, fees and portal deadlines |
| Legal completion | Appointment, handover and payment instructions |
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Open My Flat Dashboard and read the document requirements for your part. Gather the exercised OTP, the information about all parties and documents related to financing or ownership as applicable. If you are appointing HDB or a solicitor to act, check which details each needs and what must go through the portal. Provide sensitive information only through verified channels.
Match names, address and price across the file
Compare the names and unit address with the signed option and the proposed transaction. Check the exercise date, the agreed price and what you are declaring about financing. If the household has changed or the paperwork contains a discrepancy, get guidance before entering conflicting information. A correct address and a valid agreement are necessary even if the financial information is straightforward.
Check the records each side can confirm
A buyer can confirm the HFE, the intended financing and the progress of lender documents. A seller can confirm the registered flat details and the status of arrangements for the sale. Both sides should identify missing information before the first submission. Where a solicitor needs additional documents, check whether that work can be done before either party starts the clock.
Save the confirmation and tell the other party
Once the first portion is submitted, share the actual submission date and confirm the other party’s plan. Keep the receipt, dashboard confirmation and a record of any fees. Use the verified dashboard to check whether the application is complete. A message that someone is preparing their documents does not confirm filing. Keep passwords, identity records and payment details separate from ordinary coordination messages.
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Suppose the parties agree a submission timeframe that allows both to file this week. The seller submits first on Tuesday. The buyer should count the seven calendar days from the first submission using HDB’s instructions and make sure Clause 12 does not require an earlier date. File as soon as the buyer’s portion is ready rather than planning around the last day.
If the second side cannot submit in time
Contact HDB promptly with the application reference and dates. HDB says the application lapses if the second portion is not submitted within seven calendar days, and both sides will have to restart the application process and pay the application fees again. Check the underlying OTP and document validity separately. If the parties need to change the agreed contractual timeframe, record the mutual agreement and obtain advice if the situation is unclear.
If a supporting document is outstanding
Identify exactly what HDB needs and who is responsible. If the matter concerns a loan, call the lender through its official channel. If the issue concerns a submitted record, use the HDB enquiry route with the correct reference. Ask whether any deadline is affected. Avoid assuming that a request for a missing item extends the seven-day window or any contractual date.
If the other party says they have filed
Ask for confirmation of the filing date and the status in the dashboard. A saved draft, payment attempt or document sent to an agent may not constitute submission. Get a clear account of what was completed, then respond promptly if HDB asks for anything else. A reliable timestamp is easier to work from than a verbal estimate.
A Friday submission with a public holiday the following week
A seller submits on Friday after the parties agree that both can file within the contractual timeframe. The buyer expects Monday to be a public holiday and plans to finish the paperwork later in the week. The seven-day window uses calendar days, so the public holiday does not create an extra day. The buyer should check the exact deadline in the portal and submit well before it. If a bank contact or solicitor will be unavailable, arrange for the relevant information before the holiday.
A complete file submitted later than the parties intended
Suppose the buyer and seller submit within seven days of one another but later than the timeframe stated in Clause 12. The seven-day requirement does not resolve the contractual timing question. Check the signed option and any mutual variation, and contact HDB or the appropriate legal adviser if there is uncertainty. The parties should confirm both dates before starting, rather than trying to reconstruct what was agreed after one side has filed.
An HFE or valuation outcome is close to expiry
Before the first submission, compare the planned dates for both portions with the documents’ expiry dates. If a document may become invalid in between, ask HDB about the correct next step. Moving one party’s filing forward may leave the second party’s deadline unresolved. Explain what has been exercised, what has been submitted and what has expired. This helps HDB distinguish an eligibility document issue from a lapse of the application itself.
Keep the filing fee with the application record
If the first attempt lapses, distinguish any payment made for that attempt from a new filing fee. Keep the receipt and application reference together so you can identify which transaction is being discussed. If the parties are sharing costs, agree how to account for a second fee without assuming it will be refunded.
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After both portions and supporting documents are in, HDB verifies eligibility and the information provided. HDB says that where the application is in order it will notify the parties of acceptance within 28 working days. Use the dashboard and official messages to check status. The first person’s submission starts the seven-day window. Acceptance starts the roughly eight-week processing period that leads to completion.
Worked timeline without using a guessed completion date
Assume the buyer and seller file within the required window and HDB accepts the application several weeks later. Record the acceptance date from the letter and the completion date HDB states. Do not count eight weeks from the day you paid the option fee, exercised or submitted. Until HDB issues the notice, use a provisional schedule for rent, storage and any move that depends on completion.
Check what the acceptance letter actually gives you
Read the named parties, property and dates. Identify any outstanding instructions for the buyer or seller and share the confirmed dates with the people handling financing and conveyancing. If either side wants a later completion, HDB says the parties may mutually agree and submit the request through MyRequest@HDB. Do not treat a proposed later date as approved until you have confirmation.
Keep other transactions on a separate track
If the seller is buying a replacement home or the buyer is ending a rental, place both timelines on one page. Mark which dates are contractual and which are provisional. Where cash or CPF from one transaction is needed for another, ask when the funds become available. A date for legal completion and the date you can use money from the sale can require separate checks.
Plan a completion date conservatively before acceptance
A household might estimate that a resale application submitted in January will finish in March. That estimate omits the review interval before acceptance. Build a range with a date for filing, a period for the initial review and roughly eight weeks after HDB accepts. Mark the completion date as provisional until HDB issues the notice. If a rental expires first, ask whether an extension can be arranged. Do the same for storage, childcare and any work that depends on physical access to the flat.
Tell the other side when a separate deadline becomes firm
A buyer may need to arrange a notice to end a tenancy. A seller might have to complete a replacement purchase. Share the fact of the outside deadline with the other party and the conveyancing contacts so everyone can evaluate what is possible. If the parties agree to seek a later completion date, submit the request through the proper channel and wait for the response. The agreed proposal and the confirmed HDB date belong on separate rows.
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During processing, HDB prepares documents for the parties to endorse through My Flat Dashboard and asks for the required payments. Read the portal instructions and endorsement deadlines. Check each document against the transaction facts, including how the purchase is financed and any deductions or payments shown. Ask about discrepancies while there is time to resolve them.
Keep buyer and seller tasks distinct
A buyer may need to coordinate with a lender or a lawyer. A seller may need to deal with the existing loan, CPF refund and disbursement instructions. If HDB is acting for the seller, its published guidance asks the seller to submit bank account details within three calendar days of submitting the resale application. If a solicitor is acting, give the details directly through the solicitor’s verified process.
Confirm that endorsement and payment are complete
Record when the required people endorsed and what payments have cleared. HDB says resale approval follows endorsement and the necessary payments. If someone in the household cannot access the portal, arrange help early through the correct official channels. Do not share logins or use payment details sent by an unverified contact.
A useful final check
Before the completion week, read the approved documents against your own worksheet. Identify any amount you thought would be paid from cash, CPF or loan funds and verify the source with the party handling payment. Keep the latest figures and discard obsolete versions from the active file. If an agent is coordinating, give them the status of the steps they actually need to monitor.
Follow a document correction all the way through
If a portal document has an incorrect name, address or payment figure, record the issue and contact the party responsible for resolving it. Ask whether the endorsement deadline is affected and what the household should do in the meantime. When the corrected version appears, compare it with the original issue, then have the appropriate people review and endorse. Keep the final version. If the correction affects financing or disbursement, tell the lender or solicitor promptly.
Check a planned temporary extension against the approval
If the seller intends to remain after completion, verify any HDB approval and the parties’ agreement. Record the approved duration, any conditions and the planned move-out inspection. The buyer should budget for the time they cannot occupy the home. Confirm who will arrange access and when the keys will be handed over. Legal completion can settle the transaction while physical possession follows on another date.
Put the important records in order for completion day
Prepare the approval letter and appointment instructions first, then the financing and payment records. Keep the names and verified contacts for the lawyer, lender or HDB contact handling the case. If a household member will be unavailable, check what arrangements are permitted ahead of time. Write down which documents must be originals and what can be shown electronically. This is especially useful when a person who did not manage the application will attend.
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Use the official appointment instructions for the people who must attend, documents to bring and payments to arrange. Confirm where and when the keys and access devices will be handed over. If a later stay by the seller is proposed, check the HDB process and what was agreed and approved. Keep a separate record of the date the buyer can actually occupy the flat.
Give moving companies confirmed dates
You may need dates for movers, contractors, internet and utilities. Distinguish tasks that can be booked provisionally from those that incur cancellation costs. For a seller moving out, allow time to check which items remain under the agreement. For a buyer, check access and arrange any inspection or work after the relevant handover date.
Keep completion and financial records
Retain the completion statement, keys record and any bank, CPF or HDB correspondence. Reconcile the cash and CPF amounts using the final records rather than the estimate used when the OTP was exercised. If another purchase depends on those funds, tell the lender or lawyer what has actually been confirmed and when the money will be usable.
Close the loop with the other party
Record who received each key and any follow-up item agreed at handover. If there are utility meter readings or access cards, share the relevant details and keep a copy. Check that no one is relying on an old handover date in another message thread. A simple shared checklist can help prevent duplicate trips or missed arrangements.
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Can the seller submit first?
Yes. Either party may submit first. The other side has seven calendar days to submit its portion, and both still have to meet the agreed timeframe under the OTP.
Is the seven-day rule counted from exercise?
HDB measures the seven-calendar-day window from the first party’s submission. Clause 12 of the OTP controls the timeframe the parties agreed for the application.
When does the eight-week period start?
It starts when HDB accepts the resale application. Check the acceptance letter for the stated completion date.
What if the second party misses the deadline?
HDB says the application lapses and both parties must restart and pay application fees again. Ask HDB about the specific transaction and check the signed OTP and document validity.
Can the parties agree on a later completion?
HDB provides a route to request a later date with mutual agreement. Use the official process and wait for confirmation before making firm arrangements.
Does an email from my agent replace the dashboard confirmation?
Use the official dashboard and notices to verify submission, acceptance and completion status. Ask your agent for the relevant acknowledgement if they submitted for you.
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