HDB seller costs explained: what actually comes out of your sale price
The number on the Option to Purchase is not the number that lands in your bank account. Between the resale price and your cash proceeds sit a loan, a CPF refund, HDB fees, and the agent fee. This guide lists each one, says who pays it, and shows a worked example so you can estimate your own proceeds before you list.
7 min read · Figures checked 16 September 2026 · By Michelle Lee Ling Ching, CEA R009798I
The short version
Your cash proceeds are the resale price minus the outstanding housing loan, minus the CPF you used plus the interest it would have earned, minus HDB's administrative and legal fees, minus the agent fee. If you are buying another subsidised flat, a resale levy is paid on that purchase. Everything else is small or does not apply to most sellers.
1. Outstanding housing loan
Whatever is still owed on your HDB loan or bank loan is repaid from the sale proceeds on completion. Bank loans may carry an early repayment penalty if you are still inside a lock-in period, so ask your bank for a redemption statement before you grant an Option to Purchase.
2. CPF refund with accrued interest
Any CPF Ordinary Account savings used for the flat, whether as downpayment, stamp duty, or monthly instalments, go back into your CPF account on completion, together with the interest those savings would have earned had they stayed in CPF. This is the item most sellers underestimate. A flat bought fifteen years ago with heavy CPF use can carry a six-figure refund. Log in to the CPF website to see your exact figure under Property.
The refund is not lost money. It is yours, inside CPF, and it can be used for your next home. It just is not cash in hand.
3. Agent fee
Estate agency fees in Singapore are negotiable and are not fixed by the Council for Estate Agencies. Many sellers still pay a percentage of the sale price, often quoted around 2%, plus GST. On a S$600,000 flat that is S$12,000 before GST. Our HDB seller package is a fixed S$1,999 + GST, or S$2,178.91 including GST at the current 9% rate, payable only when the sale completes. The fee is a marketing offer; the estate agency agreement you sign with ERA Realty Network Pte Ltd sets the final terms.
4. HDB administrative fee for the resale application
You and the buyer each pay HDB a small administrative fee when you submit your portion of the resale application on the HDB Flat Portal. At the time of writing it is S$80 for 1-room and 2-room flats and S$120 for 3-room and larger flats. The fee is not refunded if the application lapses, so submit your portion promptly once the buyer has exercised the Option.
5. Legal and conveyancing fees
Someone has to handle the legal work of transferring the flat and discharging your loan. Most sellers appoint HDB as their solicitor, which is usually the cheaper route; HDB publishes an online estimator for its legal fees. If you have a bank loan, the bank may require a private law firm to discharge the mortgage, which costs more. Budget a few hundred dollars for HDB conveyancing and more if a private firm is involved.
6. Resale levy
A resale levy applies only if you sold a subsidised flat and are buying a second subsidised flat or a new Executive Condominium from a developer. It is paid in cash when you take the next flat, not out of this sale. HDB tells you whether a levy applies when you register your Intent to Sell. If you are moving to a resale flat or private property, there is no resale levy.
7. Seller's Stamp Duty
Seller's Stamp Duty is charged by IRAS on residential property sold within a set holding period after purchase, with the rate stepping down each year. Because HDB flats normally must meet a Minimum Occupation Period before they can be sold, most HDB sellers are already past the holding period and pay nothing. If you acquired the flat recently through inheritance or divorce, check the IRAS holding-period rules before you list.
8. Upgrading costs, property tax, and conservancy charges
- Upgrading costs: if your block went through a Home Improvement or other upgrading programme and the bill has not been settled, it must be paid before completion.
- Upgrading levy: applies only to certain flats sold after precinct upgrading; HDB flags it at Intent to Sell.
- Property tax: IRAS bills the owner for the year. Any refund or top-up between you and the buyer is settled on completion.
- Service and conservancy charges: paid up to completion date. Clear any arrears with the town council beforehand.
- Utilities and internet: close or transfer your accounts on the completion date.
What the buyer pays, not you
- Buyer's Stamp Duty on the purchase price.
- The S$120 fee for the HDB Request for Value, submitted by the buyer after the Option is granted.
- Any cash over valuation, which is the buyer's cash, not a deduction from your price.
- The buyer's own legal fees and administrative fee.
Worked example: a 4-room flat sold at S$600,000
Figures are illustrative. Your loan balance and CPF refund come from your bank and the CPF website.
| Item | Amount | Who receives it |
|---|---|---|
| Resale price | S$600,000 | |
| Less outstanding loan | −S$180,000 | Bank or HDB |
| Less CPF used plus accrued interest | −S$210,000 | Your CPF account |
| Less HDB legal fee (estimate) | −S$300 | HDB |
| Less HDB administrative fee | −S$120 | HDB |
| Less agent fee, fixed S$1,999 + GST | −S$2,178.91 | Estate agent |
| Cash proceeds (illustrative) | S$207,401.09 | You |
With a 2% commission instead of the fixed fee, the agent line would read about S$13,080.00 including GST, and the cash proceeds would fall by roughly S$10,901.09. The rest of the table does not change; the fee is the one cost you control.
Common questions
Sources
- HDB: Option to Purchase when selling a flat
- HDB: Resale application for sellers
- HDB: Estimated legal fees calculator
- CEA: estate agency fees are negotiable
Written by
Michelle Lee Ling Ching
Michelle Lee Ling Ching · CEA R009798I · ERA Realty Network Pte Ltd · L3002382K
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