In the most recent Housing Board’s sales exercise, which included 236 new BTO flats in Bidadari, the 5-room and multi-generation flats in this mature estate were more than 12 times oversubscribed, with most applicants being second-timers. That could signify how much potential the public saw in the new HDB estate, so much so that they were willing to try again.
Photo credit: HDB
The new flats in Bidadari will also include new 2-room flexi units for senior citizens. Although singles are now allowed to purchase new 2-room flats directly from HDB instead, they are limited to flats in non-mature estates, and thus do not qualify to purchase 2-room flats in Bidadari under the Single Citizen Scheme if they were to purchase on their own.
As February’s launch was the first for 2016, the number of applicants indicated that housing demand remains high, while property curbs could have limited options. In the same exercise, flats in West Plains @ Bukit Batok were more than twice oversubscribed and those in Anchorvale Plains in Sengkang saw almost 7 applicants vying for one unit.
Anchorvale boasts views of the Punggol Reservoir and is close to a LRT station, which could explain its popularity. Buyers with limited resources might choose to go for units in non-mature estates and Sengkang is as good an estate as any, with promises of waterside living and the new Punggol township just next door.
