Before completing an HDB resale purchase, arrange a final inspection with the seller. HDB’s resale procedures say the seller should invite the buyer to inspect, and the buyer should check that vacant possession will be delivered on completion. Check the actual move-out plan and any HDB-approved temporary extension of stay before setting the inspection and handover dates.
Bring the signed option and a short room-by-room list. Check that the flat is ready for the agreed handover, record new or unresolved issues and identify the keys or access devices due at completion. If something significant is wrong, contact HDB or your conveyancing lawyer before taking action on the completion or payments.
- Set the inspection close enough to completion to check readiness.
- Verify whether an approved temporary extension changes the handover.
- Check rooms, agreed items and access with the seller.
- Record any issues with dates and permission for photographs.
- Ask the appropriate conveyancing contact what to do before completion.
Find the section you need
Use the first chapters when arranging the visit. Go to the issue and handover chapters if the flat has already been inspected.
Chapters 1–3
Agree on a time with the seller and the relevant agent or conveyancing contact. Aim to inspect after the seller has cleared most belongings, while there is still time to raise a concern before completion. Read the actual HDB instructions and confirm the completion appointment. Tell the seller if you need to check a particular area, so that access can be arranged.
Check who will be there
Ask who can open each room and explain any items that are meant to stay. If someone is attending on behalf of the buyer or seller, confirm what they are authorised to do. The person conducting a walkthrough may be able to take notes while another person is responsible for any formal decision. Keep the relevant contact details available for that day.
Read the signed paperwork
Review the prescribed OTP, applicable resale terms and any HDB-approved arrangements affecting possession. Ask your conveyancing contact which documents control the issue if there is disagreement about an item. A listing or message may help explain the background, but use the applicable agreement and HDB’s instructions when checking obligations.
Plan for limited access
If the seller is still moving boxes, agree which areas you can inspect and whether you need another check before completion. Record where access was unavailable. Do not assume that a room you could not enter is in the same condition as the rooms you saw. Ask the conveyancing contact about timing if access remains unresolved.
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HDB’s standard resale terms say the seller delivers vacant possession on resale completion and the buyer does not take possession before completion. Ask when the occupants will move out and when belongings will be removed. Check if any items will remain by agreement and make sure the parties are working from the same record. A quick inspection is useful for seeing whether the move-out plan is actually on track.
If the seller will stay after completion
Check HDB’s Temporary Extension of Stay process and the approval or conditions for the actual purchase. Record the approved duration and the date for physical handover. Confirm what can be checked before legal completion and what will be checked again when the seller leaves. Do not assume that a private request to stay creates an approved extension. Ask HDB or your lawyer to confirm the arrangement.
If belongings are still in the flat
Identify what the seller intends to remove and when. A few boxes ready for collection differ from rooms full of belongings or people still living there close to completion. Record the facts and ask how the seller will complete the move. If the plan may affect vacant possession, tell the conveyancing contact promptly rather than relying on an informal promise.
If someone else is living there
Ask who currently occupies the flat and when their occupation will end under the arrangements. If you find an unexpected occupant or do not have a clear handover plan, contact HDB or your lawyer. Avoid negotiating directly with an occupant about rights you have yet to verify. Give the adviser the completion date and the seller’s explanation.
Use the approval and agreement if there is a temporary stay
HDB’s guidance says the buyer must agree and both parties should declare the arrangement in their resale application portions. The seller’s request form describes a period of up to three months, subject to HDB approval. Check the actual approval and the separate agreement for this flat. Confirm the end date, responsibility for costs and what happens at physical handover. Do not assume the entire maximum period has been granted.
An example with different completion and handover dates
Suppose completion is in June and the approval and agreement provide for handover in August. The buyer can use the pre-completion visit to understand the flat and check the arrangements. Put the second visit, removal of the seller’s belongings and receipt of keys on the August handover plan. Confirm which expenses and responsibilities apply in the intervening period. If you want to start renovations, check when you will actually have possession and can arrange the required approvals.
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Start at the entrance, then check each bedroom, the kitchen, bathrooms, service yard and other areas included in the flat. Compare the condition and contents with what you agreed and the records available. Focus on visible conditions and anything that could affect handover. Record the exact room and location rather than describing the whole flat as satisfactory or unsatisfactory.
Look at what remains and what has been removed
Check fittings, furniture or appliances that the parties say are included. If an item has been removed or replaced, note the difference and refer back to the documents. Do not make assumptions based on what appeared in the original listing photographs. Ask the seller to identify any equipment that needs a manual or special access key.
Observe ordinary operation where permitted
With the seller’s permission and where services are on, check readily accessible items such as doors, latches, taps and lights. Record what could not be tested. If a defect appears unsafe or needs technical diagnosis, leave it to a qualified person. A walkthrough can show a symptom, but it cannot establish that hidden services or previous works are compliant.
Keep photos useful and proportionate
Take dated photos with permission, showing a room or feature and then a close view of the issue if needed. Avoid photographing personal documents or unrelated belongings. Note whether an issue was seen earlier or first appeared at this visit. Save the records with the transaction rather than relying on a message thread that is difficult to search.
Use a simple room record during the visit
For each room, record the date, whether you could enter, items agreed to remain, items to be removed and any condition issue. Mark an appliance as unchecked if there was no electricity or it was not appropriate to test it. This distinction matters if the parties later disagree about what was observed. At the end of the visit, review the open items with the seller and agree who will confirm each one.
Look for conditions that will affect the first week
Check how large items will pass through the entrance and whether anything blocks access to the meter or service areas. Ask which keys operate which locks and whether there are separate access accounts. Note any immediate practical work, such as arranging a locksmith after lawful handover. Put those tasks in the move plan separately from the defects or possession questions being addressed before completion.
Make the written record understandable to someone who was absent
If a co-buyer or solicitor was not there, describe the location, what you saw and what the seller said would happen. Where you have photos with permission, pair a wide shot and a close one for each issue. Label visible issues as observations and distinguish them from a contractor’s diagnosis. A useful record gives the other person enough information to ask the next question.
| Check | What to record |
|---|---|
| Vacancy | People, belongings and the agreed handover date |
| Fixtures and items | What is present and any difference from the agreement |
| Condition | Location and timing of a visible issue |
| Access | Keys, gates, locks and devices to be transferred |
| Follow-up | Who will resolve an issue and when |
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HDB’s terms describe its own branch inspection for certain unauthorised renovation works. That process has a different purpose from the buyer’s final inspection. If a wall, grille or other feature raises a question, identify the exact location and ask what HDB or the relevant professional needs to verify. Do not assume the final walkthrough confirms regulatory approval or construction quality.
If a feature appears to differ from the plan
Ask for the relevant drawings or approval records where available. Record the feature, location and what appears different. If the concern may affect safety or completion, speak to HDB or the conveyancing lawyer rather than asking a contractor to remove or alter it immediately. Do not start work before you have the right to possess the flat and the relevant permissions.
If the seller says work will be done before completion
Ask which work will be carried out, who is responsible and when you can confirm it is done. Keep the written response. If it concerns an HDB instruction, ask how compliance is confirmed and whether another inspection is needed. Update the transaction contacts if the work may not finish by the planned date.
Distinguish a renovation preference from an existing issue
A buyer may want to replace flooring or change a layout after moving. That preference is separate from an alleged unauthorised alteration or an item required by the sale documents. Make a separate renovation list for your own contractor. Keep the inspection report focused on the condition, agreed handover and any concern the parties need to address now.
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Start with a factual record of what you saw, the date and any explanation offered. Send a concise account to the party handling your transaction and ask what steps are available. Include the completion date and the agreement or approval relevant to the problem. Avoid deciding on your own to withhold payment, postpone completion or take possession early.
A room has not been cleared
Record what remains and ask the seller for a specific removal date. If the removal can be confirmed in time, arrange a follow-up check as appropriate. If the seller cannot confirm that the flat will be ready, contact HDB or your solicitor promptly. The issue may affect possession even though the application and payment paperwork are otherwise in order.
An agreed item is missing
Check whether it was actually included and which document supports that position. Ask the seller for an explanation or proposed solution. Give the conveyancing contact the documents if there is a dispute. A missing movable item and a major issue with the condition of the flat may require different responses.
A new leak or safety issue appears
Record the visible symptom safely and tell the seller and relevant contacts promptly. Ask whether a qualified inspection is needed and who will arrange it. Keep any assessment or repair record. If the issue appears urgent, follow appropriate safety instructions. Do not dismantle equipment or take steps that could change the condition before it is documented.
Keep the reply tied to an observable result
If the seller says a room will be cleared by Tuesday, ask how the buyer can confirm clearance before completion. If a fitting needs attention, identify the agreed action and the document that supports it. Give both parties a copy of the resulting note. A useful follow-up has a date and a clear result the parties can verify. If that result is uncertain or disputed, ask the lawyer or HDB what to do rather than adding new informal terms at the last minute.
A repair changes the original condition of a fixture
The seller says a contractor will replace a damaged item before completion. Record what is being replaced and whether the parties agree on the replacement. If an applicable approval or safety requirement is involved, ask who will verify it. Check the result at the agreed visit and save any receipt or confirmation needed for handover. Distinguish evidence that work occurred from agreement about whether it satisfies the sale terms.
Plan for an inspection that reveals no major issue
Even where the flat appears ready, record the date, the areas you checked and what remains for completion. Confirm the keys, any agreed items and the seller’s move-out date. Give the people arranging the move the actual completion and possession dates. Keep the inspection and handover records so the buyer can later distinguish what was present before moving from changes made after possession.
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Follow the completion instructions for documents, funds and the appointment. Confirm when keys, gate access and any other devices will be handed over. If an extension is approved, use the relevant handover arrangements for its end. Write down what was transferred and what remains outstanding. Share the agreed record with the people arranging the move.
Put all access devices on one list
Check front door and gate keys, digital lock access where applicable, letterbox keys and any other devices agreed for the flat. If an access code or account needs to change, ask when it can be transferred. Once you are entitled to possession, arrange any changes you need and keep track of who holds access. A count made at the appointment helps both parties check whether everything was handed over.
Record utilities and next steps
Where useful, record meter readings and the status of utility accounts. Check the handover dates before arranging connection, deliveries or renovation. Preserve the inspection photos and any signed or acknowledged handover note. Give your contractor the information needed for future work without sharing unrelated transaction documents.
Close any outstanding issue explicitly
If the parties agreed to follow up on something, record what will happen and who will confirm it. Keep it separate from items that were fully checked or received. If the parties disagree about whether a problem has been resolved, use the inspection evidence and ask the appropriate adviser about the next step.
Check the key list again at the actual handover
Have the parties count the access items together and record anything that is missing. If a seller is still arranging to remove an item or return a key, note the date promised and whom to contact. Avoid changing locks or accounts while another person still has a lawful right to occupy the flat under the agreed arrangements. After possession passes, update the relevant access and service records and keep the final handover confirmation with the transaction.
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Is the final inspection the same as HDB’s branch inspection?
They serve different purposes. The buyer’s final inspection checks handover readiness and possession. HDB’s branch process can address specified renovation issues.
Can I collect the keys at the inspection?
Follow the actual completion and handover instructions. HDB’s standard terms say the buyer must not obtain possession before resale completion.
Does the seller have to clear the flat?
Check the applicable vacant possession requirement and any approved temporary extension or agreed items that will remain.
What if I cannot inspect part of the flat?
Record the limitation and ask for access or another check. If the issue may affect completion, tell your conveyancing contact.
Can I demand a delay because of an issue?
Get advice from HDB or your conveyancing lawyer using the actual agreement, the issue and the dates. Do not assume a particular remedy applies.
What if the seller stays under an approved extension?
Keep the approval and relevant dates and plan a check at actual handover. Confirm the conditions for the specific case.
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