What should I repair before selling my HDB flat?

Repairs before selling HDB flat: what buyers check

The repairs worth doing are the ones a buyer will find anyway. Most buyers walk through a resale flat opening taps, flicking switches, pushing window handles and looking up at the bathroom ceiling. Some bring a professional inspector and some bring only a phone torch, but an HDB resale inspection tends to cover the same ground. Buyers are looking for anything that will cost them time after they collect the keys.

Walk through your own flat the way a buyer would. Our resale flat inspection checklist is written for buyers, so it also works as a script for sellers. Go room by room and note:

• Damp patches or flaking paint on the ceiling, especially in toilets
• Cracked or hollow-sounding tiles in the kitchen and service yard
• Switches or sockets that are loose, scorched or not working
• Casement windows that stick, rattle or will not lock
• Black mould on silicone around the sink, basin and shower screen
• Doors that scrape the floor or will not latch

Sort what you find into three piles: fix now, tidy up and leave for the buyer. The rest of this guide follows that order.

Fix first: leaks, electrics and windows

A water stain on the ceiling unsettles buyers because it makes them wonder what is going on above it. HDB explains that ceiling leaks from the flat above seep through the floor slab when the waterproof membrane and screed wear over time. This is common in older buildings, especially in toilets and bathrooms, and untreated leaks may damage electrical items and cause mould growth. HDB also reminds owners that they are responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of their flat (HDB: ceiling leaks). If the water is coming from upstairs, our guide to a ceiling leak from upstairs explains how to raise it with your neighbour.

A dead bedroom socket or a flickering kitchen light makes buyers question the rest of the wiring. EMA says electrical work in an HDB flat needs a Licensed Electrician, the class of LEW approved for loads of up to 45kVA. That includes installing, repairing or modifying wiring, as EMA's page on engaging Licensed Electrical Workers sets out.

Next, check the windows. BCA suggests that if you are not confident checking your own windows, you engage an approved window contractor to inspect them, and it points HDB owners to HDB's list. When casement windows are retrofitted, approved window contractors replace all aluminium rivets at the window stays with type 304 stainless steel rivets. Replacing a window needs an approved window contractor registered with BCA under workhead RW01 and a trained window installer (BCA: windows safety).

Cosmetic fixes worth doing

Once the flat is safe and dry, move on to what buyers see in listing photos and in the first minute of a viewing. When you prepare an HDB flat for sale, most of this work is small and visible:

• Paint. Touch up scuffed corridors, marked children's rooms and any bold feature wall. Light, plain colours let buyers picture their own furniture.
• Grout. Scrub or regrout dark lines between bathroom and kitchen tiles.
• Sealant. Cut out mouldy silicone around the basin, sink and shower and lay a clean new bead.
• Hardware. Tighten or replace loose door handles, sagging cabinet hinges and towel rails that wobble.
• Bulbs. Replace dead bulbs so every room looks bright at an evening viewing.

The cost of painting depends on the size of the flat, the state of the walls and how many rooms you include. Our HDB painting cost guide explains what changes the quote. If you have a list of small jobs, show the whole list to handymen and ask whether they can finish it in one visit.

What to leave alone

You will probably not get the value of a big renovation back when you are about to move out. A new kitchen, hacked walls or a full bathroom redo take weeks, and the next owner may rip them out to suit their own plans. Fix what is broken and leave style choices to the buyer.

Look carefully at past works too. If an earlier owner or contractor did work that needed approval and never got it, that can complicate the sale. HDB may require unauthorised works to be regularised, so deal with this well before you submit your part of the resale application. Our guide to unauthorised renovation explains what counts and what to do next.

Fitting repairs into the sale timeline

Repairs are easiest to fit in before you list, because once the formal steps begin, each one has its own deadline.

Before selling, you register an Intent to Sell through My Flat Dashboard with Singpass. HDB says it is free and valid for 12 months, and you may grant an Option to Purchase (OTP) to a buyer at least 7 days after registering (HDB: Intent to Sell). Those 12 months give you time to finish repairs before viewings start.

The HDB-prescribed OTP must be used, and all sellers sign it. The option expires 21 calendar days from the option day (HDB: Option to Purchase). Buyer and seller each submit their part of the resale application within 7 calendar days of each other. HDB takes about 8 weeks from accepting the resale application to complete the resale (HDB: resale application).

A practical order:

• Before listing: sort out leaks, electrics and windows, then paint and reseal.
• During viewings: keep the flat aired and dry, and fix anything new quickly.
• After the OTP: avoid new works and keep the flat as the buyer saw it.

If your block is older, our older flat maintenance guide covers the wear that builds up over the years, which helps you spot problems before a buyer does.

Questions