HDB BTO May 2023 Review: Bedok, Kallang/Whampoa, Serangoon, Tengah

The HDB BTO May 2023 BTO exercise will see around 5,400 flats launched, including in the mature estates of Serangoon and Bedok. Read our review to find out more about the launch. 

Best home insurance in Singapore

Aviva Home Lite | AXA Smart Home Insurance | MSIG Enhanced HomePlus | FWD Home Insurance | Tiq Home Insurance | Sompo HomeBliss | HL Assurance Home Protect360 | AIG Homes Advantage Package | AIG Enhanced Public Housing Contents Insurance Policy

The HDB BTO Feb 2023 sales exercise may be over, but the HDB BTO May 2023 launch is just around the corner. There will be around 5,400 flats in Bedok, Kallang/Whampoa, Serangoon, and Tengah this time. 

We’ll review the May 2023 HDB BTO launch and more, so read on!

• HDB BTO May 2023 overview
• Bedok
• Kallang/Whampoa
• Serangoon
• Tengah
• Sale of Balance Flats in May 2023
• HDB BTO August 2023

HDB BTO May 2023 launch overview

Those looking to live in Bedok and Serangoon will be delighted to know that there will be BTO flats offered in the estates for the first time since November 2016 and January 2014, respectively.

Moreover, both BTO projects will also offer 5-room units, which are usually reserved in non-mature estates or mature estates that are farther from the city centre. Additionally, 3Gen units are also available in the Bedok BTO project. 

Meanwhile, we’ll see yet another BTO project in Kallang/Whampoa. And given its locational attributes, this will likely be a Prime Location Public Housing (PLH) project. 

Last but not least, there will be around 2,950 units of 2-room Flexi up to 5-room flats in HDB’s first smart town, Tengah. Although deemed 'ulu' by most, this 'forest town' is shaping up to be a modern town with good connectivity, amenities, and sustainability features. 

There's much to cover, so let's get right to it!

HDB BTO May 2023 Bedok overview and location

Source: HDB

The Bedok BTO project will be located along Bedok South Avenue 3 and Bedok South Road. As mentioned, this will be the first BTO project in Bedok in nearly seven years! 

The Bedok BTO project also has the widest selection of flat types available, with 1,630 units of 2-room Flexi, 3-room, 4-room, 5-room and 3Gen units. As such, those who want a more spacious home or large families will find the larger units appealing.

Amenities in the vicinity include the Marketplace @ 58, Blk 16 Bedok South Market and Food Centre, Siglap Community Club, and Bedok Stadium. 

Meanwhile, nearby schools include Temasek Primary School, Bedok Green Primary School, Bedok View Secondary School, and Temasek Secondary School. 

The nearest MRT station is Tanah Merah MRT station on the East-West Line, which is just a short walk away. The station is also a stop away from Bedok MRT station, where you’ll find other amenities such as Bedok Bus Interchange, the Bedok Town Centre, Bedok Interchange Hawker Centre, Bedok Mall, and Djitsun Mall Bedok. 

Tanah Merah MRT is two stops from Changi Airport MRT and Pasir Ris MRT; the latter will be a future interchange station for the Cross-Island Line in 2032. Speaking of future MRT stations, the Bedok BTO project is also a short walk from Bedok South MRT on the Thomson-East Coast Line, which will be ready by 2025. 

HDB BTO May 2023 Kallang/Whampoa overview and location

Source: HDB

The Kallang/Whampoa BTO in May 2023 is located along Farrer Park Road and Dorset Road, opposite Farrer Park Fields BTO in Feb 2023. 

As such, this BTO project will likely have the same amenities, including Pek Kio Community Centre, Pek Kio Market and Food Centre, City Square Mall, and Mustafa Centre, among others. There’s also no shortage of shopping and dining options, with many shophouses, cafes, and restaurants around.  

Moreover, we’re almost certain that this will be a PLH project as it’s near the city centre and has good public transport links — it’s right between Little India MRT and Farrer Park MRT stations.

That being said, this is a smaller project vis-a-vis the Farrer Park Fields BTO, with only 570 units of 3-room and 4-room units offered. 

This BTO project also has the same drawback: a lack of schooling options. The only nearby school in the vicinity is Farrer Park Primary School.

HDB BTO May 2023 Serangoon overview and location

Source: HDB

After a 9-year wait, we’ll finally see a BTO project in Serangoon come May 2023. The last BTO project in Serangoon was a 150-unit studio apartment (otherwise known as 2-room Flexi units) launch for the elderly.

The upcoming Serangoon BTO project is located along Yio Chu Kang Road and Serangoon North Avenue 1 and is also a small one, consisting of 330 units of 4-room and 5-room flats.

It’s also located near Serangoon Gardens, where the famous Chomp Chomp Food Centre lies. Besides that, there’s also the Serangoon Garden Market and Food Centre and plenty of other dining establishments in the area.

Active people will also appreciate nearby sports facilities, including Serangoon Community Club, Serangoon Stadium, Serangoon Swimming Complex, and more. 

As for schools, the nearest schools are Peicai Secondary School, Zhonghua Primary School, Serangoon Garden Secondary School, Rosyth School, and the International French School. 

There’s currently no MRT station in proximity; the nearest MRT station is Serangoon North MRT station on the Cross-Island Line, which is slated to open in 2030. For now, the nearest 'existing' MRT station is Kovan MRT (about 2.3km away). 

HDB BTO May 2023 Tengah overview and location

Last but not least, there will be two Tengah BTO projects in the May 2023 BTO sales exercise. The first is a 970-unit project located along Plantation Close, overlooking the PIE. It offers 2-room Flexi, 3-room, 4-room, and 5-room flats.

The second project is along Tengah Park Avenue. Similarly, this project offers 2-room up to 5-room units, but is a much bigger project with around 1,980 units.  

Plantation Close BTO

Source: HDB

The Plantation Close BTO is located along Plantation Close and next to the PIE. As mentioned, this is the smaller of the two Tengah BTO projects, with 970 units of 2-room Flexi to 5-room offered.

This BTO project is also near to not one, not two, but three MRT stations on the upcoming Jurong Region Line: Tengah Plantation MRT, Tengah Park MRT, and Bukit Batok West MRT. All three stations are scheduled to be completed in 2028. 

There’s also a good selection of schools in the area, including Jurong Primary School, Jurongville Secondary School, Bukit Batok Secondary School, and Dulwich College (Singapore). In addition, the new Pioneer Primary School will also be relocated to the area in 2025 and will be a short walk away from the Plantation Close BTO flats. 

As Tengah is undergoing heavy development, there aren’t a lot of amenities around yet. That said, future residents can access the nearby Bukit Batok and Jurong East amenities.

Tengah Park Avenue BTO
Source: HDB

Tengah Park Avenue BTO is located along Tengah Park Avenue. This is the biggest BTO project in the May 2023 BTO launch, with around 1,980 units. All flat types from 2-room Flexi to 5-room units will be offered. 

The nearest MRT station is Tengah MRT on the Jurong Region Line, which is set to open in 2027. 

Tengah Park Avenue is also right across the street from the Tengah Bus Interchange, opposite the new ACS (Primary) and special education (SPED) school. If you haven’t heard, ACS (Primary) will be relocated to Tengah from its current Barker Road location in 2030. The SPED School, meanwhile, will be ready in 2031. 

Another school that will be relocated to Tengah is Bukit View Primary School (BVPS), which will happen in 2027. The future BVPS Bukit Batok West campus will be located along Bukit Batok West Avenue 5 and Bukit Batok West Avenue 8, near the Tengah Park Avenue BTO. It will be one of the schools that will be relocated to Tengah, including Pioneer Primary School. 

Aside from that, other schools in the vicinity include Dunearn Secondary School and Eden School (Campus 2), which is a SPED school. 

There’s also a proposed sports centre, a proposed health and medical centre, and proposed parks nearby, but we don’t know when they’ll be ready.  

Sale of Balance Flat in May 2023

If you’re looking to fast-track your home ownership, you might want to watch for the Sale of Balance Flat (SBF) sales exercise, which will be announced along with the May 2023 HDB BTO sales exercise. 

HDB SBFs are unsold HDB flats, including previous BTO and SERS sales exercises, and flats that were repurchased by the HDB.

Compared to a BTO flat, SBF has a much shorter waiting time and also comes with grants. It’s also more affordable than resale flats. 

We'll update this article when the SBF sales exercise is announced. 

Upcoming HDB BTO launch in August 2023

Apart from announcing the May 2023 HDB BTO flats, HDB also revealed that there will be about 5,200 to 6,200 BTO flats in the HDB BTO Aug 2023 sales exercise. There will be in the following estates:

• Choa Chu Kang (2-room Flexi, 3-room, 4-room, 5-room, 3Gen flats)

• Tengah (2-room Flexi, 3-room, 4-room, 5-room)

• Bukit Merah (2-room Flexi, 3-room, 4-room)

• Kallang Whampoa (2-room Flexi, 3-room, 4-room)

• Queenstown (3-room, 4-room)

As announced in Budget 2023, new measures will be in place to help first-timers secure a flat, starting from the HDB BTO August 2023 sales exercise.

First-timers families with children and young couples aged 40 and below buying their first BTO flat, or First-Timer (Parent and Married Couples), will receive an additional ballot for their BTO applications. This group of buyers will be given a total of three ballot chances instead of the two currently.

Additionally, up to 40% of the flat supply will also be reserved for first-timers, up from the current 30%. 

But that’s not all; up to 60% of SBFs will also be reserved for First-Timer (Parent and Married Couples) group, a 10% increase from the current 50% allocation.

Read these next:

7 Lesser-Known Things You Should Be Aware Of Before Purchasing A BTO Flat
8 Hacks To Improve Your HDB BTO Ballot Chances
BTO Vs Resale Vs EC: Which Gives The Best Bang For Your Buck For Investment?
Everything You’ve Ever Needed to Ask About HDB Downpayments