Buying a resale flat in 2026, you can stack three HDB grants. A first-timer family can collect up to $230,000: the Enhanced CPF Housing Grant of up to $120,000, the CPF Housing Grant for Resale Flats of up to $80,000, and the Proximity Housing Grant of up to $30,000. Singles can reach $115,000. The HDB grant resale rules turn on two numbers most buyers get wrong: your averaged household income over the last 12 months, and whether either of you has taken a housing subsidy before. Get those two right and the rest is arithmetic. This guide walks every grant, every ceiling, and the resale levy that quietly claws money back from second-timers.
Resale grants sit in three buckets, and an eligible first-timer household can draw from all three at once. They land in your CPF Ordinary Account, not your bank account, so they cut your loan and your cash outlay rather than handing you spending money.
The Enhanced CPF Housing Grant (EHG) is the big one and the only grant tied to your income on a sliding scale. The CPF Housing Grant for Resale Flats (often called the Family Grant) is a flat amount set by flat size. The Proximity Housing Grant (PHG) rewards you for buying near your parents or married child. Use the BTO vs resale calculator to see how the grant stack changes the real price gap between a resale flat and a new launch.
| Grant | Family maximum | Singles maximum | Income ceiling |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enhanced CPF Housing Grant (EHG) | $120,000 | $60,000 | $9,000 (families) / $4,500 (singles) |
| CPF Housing Grant for Resale Flats | $80,000 | $40,000 | $14,000 (families) / $7,000 (singles) |
| Proximity Housing Grant (PHG) | $30,000 | $15,000 | No income ceiling |
| Combined maximum | $230,000 | $115,000 | Lowest income earns the most |
Since 20 August 2024 the EHG for families tops out at $120,000, up from $80,000, after the Government raised the tiers at Budget 2024. Singles, and first-timer-plus-second-timer couples who qualify on the singles track, get up to $60,000. This is the grant that rewards lower-income households hardest: it falls by $5,000 for every $500 your averaged monthly income rises.
The income figure HDB uses is the average gross monthly household income over the 12 months before your resale application, not your latest payslip. Bonuses, commissions and CPF contributions from your employer all count. The full $120,000 goes to families earning $1,500 a month or less; a family at the $9,000 ceiling still receives $5,000.
Two conditions trip people up. At least one buyer must have worked continuously for the 12 months before the application and still be working when you apply. And the flat's remaining lease must cover the youngest buyer to age 95, or your EHG is pro-rated down. Run your figures through the HDB loan calculator before you commit, because a shorter lease shrinks both your grant and your loan.
| Average monthly household income | EHG amount |
|---|---|
| $1,500 or less | $120,000 |
| $2,001 to $2,500 | $110,000 |
| $3,001 to $3,500 | $90,000 |
| $4,501 to $5,000 | $60,000 |
| $6,001 to $6,500 | $40,000 |
| $8,001 to $8,500 | $15,000 |
| $8,501 to $9,000 | $5,000 |
The Family Grant is a fixed amount based on the size of the flat you buy, and it is the workhorse for most resale buyers. A first-timer couple buying a 2-room to 4-room resale flat gets $80,000; a 5-room or larger flat gets $50,000. The smaller-flat bias is deliberate, nudging right-sized purchases.
The income ceiling here is more generous than the EHG: $14,000 a month for a couple or family, and $21,000 for an extended family buying to live with parents or married children. You only need to meet the ceiling at the point of application.
Singles aged 35 and over buy on a halved scale through the Singles Grant: $40,000 for a 2-room to 4-room flat, $25,000 for a 5-room, with a $7,000 income ceiling. If you later marry and your spouse is also a first-timer, you can apply for a top-up to the full family amount. For the difference between owning alone and as a couple, read our breakdown of the Minimum Occupation Period that locks you in either way.
The PHG is the easiest grant to qualify for because it ignores your income entirely. Buy a resale flat to live with your parents or married child and a family gets $30,000; buy within 4km of them and you get $20,000. Singles get $15,000 (living with) or $10,000 (within 4km).
It can be claimed once per household, and it works even if you have used other grants before, which is why it matters for second-timers and right-sizers who are otherwise locked out. The 4km radius is measured as a straight line from the flat you are buying, and you must keep living together or nearby for the full occupation period.
If you have taken a housing subsidy before, whether a grant, a subsidised BTO, or a Sale of Balance Flat, you are a second-timer and the generous grants above mostly close to you. Two routes stay open. A couple where one partner is a genuine first-timer can claim the Half-Housing Grant: $40,000 for a 2-room to 4-room flat or $25,000 for a 5-room and larger, because only one buyer is being subsidised. Second-timers upgrading from a subsidised 2-room flat to a 3-room resale flat in a non-mature estate can apply for the $15,000 Step-Up CPF Housing Grant.
Then comes the clawback. Selling your subsidised flat and buying another subsidised flat triggers the resale levy, a fixed sum HDB takes to recover the first subsidy. It is payable in cash or from your sale proceeds, never from CPF or a loan, and it is interest-free with no deadline pressure. The levy is halved if your first flat used a singles grant. Compare your full upgrade maths in our guide to BTO versus resale before you decide which side of the line to land on.
| First subsidised flat sold | Resale levy |
|---|---|
| 2-room | $15,000 |
| 3-room | $30,000 |
| 4-room | $40,000 |
| 5-room | $45,000 |
| Executive | $50,000 |
Everything starts with the HDB Flat Eligibility (HFE) letter. You apply for it on the HDB Flat Portal, and it confirms in one document which grants you qualify for, your loan eligibility and your budget. You cannot get an Option to Purchase processed without a valid HFE letter, so start it early; it can take up to a few weeks.
Grants are disbursed into your CPF Ordinary Account at completion and go straight toward the purchase, lowering the cash and loan you need at the start. Because grants are CPF money, they come with the same accrued-interest rule as any CPF used for property: if you sell later, you return the grant plus the interest it would have earned. Factor that into any later sale with the CPF contribution calculator so the eventual refund does not surprise you.
One sequencing point saves money: your income is averaged over the 12 months before application, so timing a resale application right after a low-bonus stretch, or before a pay jump lands in the average, can move you a full EHG tier. A $500 swing in averaged income is worth $5,000 of EHG.
A first-timer family can stack up to $230,000: EHG up to $120,000, the CPF Housing Grant for Resale Flats up to $80,000, and the Proximity Housing Grant up to $30,000. Eligible singles can reach $115,000. The exact figure depends on your averaged household income and the flat size, as of June 2026.
The EHG ceiling is $9,000 a month for families and $4,500 for singles, with lower income earning more. The Family Grant ceiling is $14,000 for families, $21,000 for extended families and $7,000 for singles. The Proximity Housing Grant has no income ceiling at all.
Yes, but far less. A first-timer married to a second-timer can claim the Half-Housing Grant of $25,000 to $40,000, and the Proximity Housing Grant stays open to everyone. Second-timers upgrading a subsidised 2-room flat to a 3-room flat in a non-mature estate can get the $15,000 Step-Up Grant.
For first subsidised flats sold on or after 3 March 2006 the levy is fixed: $15,000 for a 2-room, $30,000 for a 3-room, $40,000 for a 4-room, $45,000 for a 5-room and $50,000 for an Executive flat. It is payable in cash or from sale proceeds, interest-free, and halved if you used a singles grant.
This is general financial information for Singapore, not personal financial advice. Figures change — verify current rates against the official sources above before acting. See our full disclaimer.