Seen 3NG or 3I on a listing and wondered what you're buying? They're HDB 3-room flat models: 3STD is Standard, 3I is Improved, 3NG is New Generation, 3S is Simplified and 3A is Model A. Each old HDB 3-room floor plan comes from a different era, so the size, lease and price all move with the code. In the 12 months to October 2026, a 3-room resale flat sold for S$440,000 at the median.
They're short codes for HDB's flat models, the design each block was built to. Listings use the codes, while HDB's resale records spell out the names: Standard, Improved, New Generation, Simplified and Model A.
The older models came first. Among 3-room flats resold in the 12 months to October 2026, most Standard flats had leases that started between 1967 and 1971. Improved flats mostly started between 1973 and 1978, New Generation between 1979 and 1984, and Simplified between 1986 and 1988.
Model A covers a longer stretch, from the late 1980s to recent years. Newer 3-room flats also show up under other names, such as Premium Apartment and DBSS, with leases from the 2010s.
Here's what HDB's resale records show for every 3-room flat resold from November 2025 to October 2026. Floor area and lease start show the middle half of sales, so a few unusual flats don't stretch the range.
Model A and New Generation flats are the roomiest of the common types, at 68 sqm (732 sqft) at the median. Standard flats are the smallest, at a median of 60 sqm (646 sqft).
Newer 3-room flats sell for much more. Premium Apartment flats, with leases mostly from 2016 to 2021, sold for S$754,000 at the median, and DBSS flats from 2014 for S$656,944. Both had close to 90 years of lease left at sale.
| Model (listing code) | Resold | Floor area, middle half (sqm) | Lease start, middle half | Median price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Model A (3A) | 1,947 | 68 to 73 | 1987 to 2018 | S$520,000 |
| New Generation (3NG) | 1,657 | 67 to 68 | 1979 to 1984 | S$420,000 |
| Improved (3I) | 1,341 | 63 to 67 | 1973 to 1978 | S$383,000 |
| Standard (3STD) | 311 | 56 to 62 | 1967 to 1971 | S$337,000 |
| Simplified (3S) | 278 | 64 | 1986 to 1988 | S$435,000 |
| Premium Apartment | 214 | 63 to 68 | 2016 to 2021 | S$754,000 |
| DBSS | 48 | 61 to 67 | 2014 | S$656,944 |
Size isn't the only thing that changes. At sale, the median Standard flat had about 42 years of lease left, Improved 49, New Generation 54 and Simplified 60. Model A had about 88.
A shorter lease can shrink your loan. HDB cuts the loan limit when the lease doesn't last until the youngest buyer turns 95. The same test caps how much CPF you can use. Try a unit in the HDB loan calculator before you fall for the size.
Across all 5,806 3-room resales in the 12 months to October 2026, the median price was S$440,000. The middle half sold for S$390,888 to S$518,000, and older models cost less: S$337,000 at the median for Standard against S$520,000 for Model A.
That's a big slice of the market: 3-room flats made up 5,806 of the 25,116 HDB resales in those 12 months, or about 1 in 4.
By town, the lowest 3-room medians were in Geylang and Toa Payoh, at S$380,000 each. Jurong West came next at S$392,000. We counted towns with at least 50 sales. The highest were the Central Area at S$550,000, Punggol at S$545,000 and Sengkang at S$542,944. Bedok sold the most 3-room flats, 499 of them.
Paying above valuation? The gap, called cash over valuation, comes out of your cash. A loan covers at most 75% of the price or the flat's value, whichever is lower.
Prefer new? HDB sells 3-room BTO flats too. After the full Enhanced CPF Housing Grant of S$120,000, a 3-room Standard BTO flat started from S$156,000 in February 2026 and S$145,000 in June. Only the lowest incomes get the full grant, so most buyers pay more. Some 3-room projects keep an S$8,000 household income ceiling, and our BTO application guide walks through the steps.
Old flats need more work before any new finish goes in, and HDB's rules decide what you can touch. Price these before you sign:
Works that needed a permit but went ahead without one count as unauthorised. HDB can make you remove them and put the flat back as it was. For a figure on your own flat, try the renovation cost calculator.
HDB's Resale Flat Listing shows each listed flat's original floor plan, floor area and remaining lease. You can check the model and layout before you visit.
Already own the flat, or need the plan for a renovation? You can buy a copy of your flat's floor plan from HDB for S$5, online or at a kiosk in any HDB branch.
With a valid HFE letter, you can contact sellers through the listing to arrange a viewing. Then walk the unit with the plan in hand. Two flats with the same floor area can feel different, so measure the walls you'd put furniture against, not just the total.
We'd read the code and the lease together, because an older model trades lease for space and price.
Then we'd price the repairs a flat that age needs, from spalling to wiring, before comparing it with a newer model.
The fact that settles it is the youngest buyer's age against the lease left, since the lease has to last until that buyer turns 95 for the full loan and CPF use.
3NG is a New Generation 3-room flat. Most New Generation 3-room flats resold in the 12 months to October 2026 had leases that started between 1979 and 1984. They were about 68 sqm and sold for S$420,000 at the median.
It depends on the model. Among 3-room resales in the 12 months to October 2026, the median Standard flat was 60 sqm (646 sqft) and Improved 65 sqm (700 sqft). New Generation and Model A were 68 sqm (732 sqft).
Standard flats, the oldest model, sold for S$337,000 at the median in the 12 months to October 2026, with about 42 years of lease left. Improved flats came next at S$383,000.
S$440,000 at the median for the 12 months to October 2026, across 5,806 sales. Town medians ran from S$380,000 in Geylang and Toa Payoh to S$550,000 in the Central Area, among towns with at least 50 sales.
Yes. HDB's Resale Flat Listing shows each listed flat's original floor plan, floor area and remaining lease. Owners can also buy a copy of their own flat's floor plan from HDB for S$5.
Old flats often need repairs first, such as spalling concrete in kitchens and toilets, which the owner pays for. Original wiring is usually past HDB's 25-year estimate for PVC cable. Wall hacking needs HDB's evaluation, and every renovation needs a contractor from HDB's Directory of Renovation Contractors.
This is general financial information for Singapore, not personal financial advice. Figures change, so verify current rates against the official sources above before acting. See our full disclaimer.
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