HDB Valuation Request (Request for Value): A Step-by-Step Guide for Resale Buyers

Figures checked on 9 October 2026 against HDB's resale terms and Option to Purchase notes, last updated by HDB on 7 September 2026.

Quick answer: An HDB valuation request, which HDB calls a Request for Value, is filed by the buyer after the seller grants the Option to Purchase (OTP). You submit it on My Flat Dashboard in the HDB Flat Portal by the next working day after the Option Date, upload page 1 of the OTP and pay a $120 fee, GST included. HDB says the value is usually ready within 10 working days, and it stays valid for 3 months. Paying fully in cash, with no CPF and no loan? Then you don't need one.

Filing the request takes about ten minutes. The wait afterwards is what catches buyers out. HDB's 10 working days come straight out of a 21-day option period, so by the time the number arrives you may have less than a week left to decide. Below is each step in order, with the dates that matter.

What is an HDB valuation request?

It is the buyer's formal request for HDB to confirm the market value of the resale flat they've agreed to buy. That value, and not the price you agreed, is what your loan and CPF are measured against.

The CPF Board puts it plainly: an HDB loan covers up to 75% of the resale price or the market valuation, whichever is lower, and a bank loan follows the same 75% cap. Anything you agreed above the valuation is cash over valuation (COV). It must be paid in cash, and neither CPF nor a loan can cover it.

The order of events has been fixed since March 2014. Price first, OTP second, valuation third. Both sides now agree a price without knowing the official figure, which is why it pays to look at an HDB valuation estimate before you sign anything.

Do you need to submit a Request for Value?

Yes, if you are using CPF savings or any housing loan, whether from HDB or a bank. No, if you are paying the whole price in cash.

HDB's Request for Value page is clear that cash-only buyers can skip it. There is a catch, though. If you later decide to use CPF after all, the outcome of your Request for Value has to be available before you submit your resale application. A buyer who changes plans halfway can run short of time, so if there is any chance you'll touch CPF, file the request anyway.

How to submit an HDB valuation request: 5 steps

Get your HFE letter, receive the OTP, file the Request for Value on My Flat Dashboard by the next working day, give the valuer access if HDB sends one, then wait for HDB's email.

Step 1: Get your HFE letter and agree the price

You need a valid HDB Flat Eligibility (HFE) letter before the seller grants you the OTP. It confirms your eligibility to buy and, if you need one, for an HDB loan. If you plan to borrow from HDB, check the new HDB income ceiling first. Then agree the price with the seller, and decide now how much COV you could pay in cash if it came to that. You won't see the valuation until later.

Step 2: The seller grants the Option to Purchase

The seller issues the OTP and you pay an option fee of between $1 and $1,000. HDB doesn't allow a $0 fee, and the option fee plus the later exercise fee can't go above $5,000, according to HDB's OTP guide. The day the OTP is granted is the Option Date. Your clock starts here.

Step 3: Submit the Request for Value by the next working day

Log in to My Flat Dashboard on the HDB Flat Portal and submit the request by the next working day after the Option Date. Have these ready: the OTP serial number, the date it was granted, the agreed resale price and a scanned copy of page 1 of the OTP. The processing fee is $120, GST included. A salesperson acting for you can make the request on your behalf. Sellers can't file it at all, because HDB's resale terms only accept a Request for Value from a buyer who holds an OTP.

Step 4: Let the valuer in, if HDB sends one

HDB decides case by case whether a site inspection is needed. When it is, the appointed valuer contacts the seller directly, and the seller has to allow the inspection within 3 working days. A seller who is slow to reply holds up your result, so a polite reminder through the agents is fair.

Step 5: Wait for HDB's email, then check the result

HDB emails you once the value is posted on the HDB Flat Portal, and you can check the status of your request there in the meantime. Don't exercise the OTP before the result is out. HDB requires the outcome first.

How long does HDB valuation take? The 21-day squeeze

HDB says the value is typically available within 10 working days of your request. Your OTP lasts 21 calendar days, so the result can arrive with only about 6 days left on the option.

Here is how the dates fall for an OTP granted on a Monday, with no public holidays in between.

One public holiday in the window pushes the result back a day. The option period doesn't stretch to make up for it, because it counts every calendar day. Put the dates in your calendar the day the OTP is signed.

Some older guides still say 7 working days. HDB's current documents say 10, so plan around 10.

What you get back, and who sees it

You get one figure: HDB's value for that flat, attached to your OTP. HDB sends it to you, the buyer.

Buyers often call it the HDB valuation report, but in practice it is a value posted to your portal account rather than a long document. Under HDB's resale terms, it applies only to that transaction. You can't carry it to another flat or reuse it under a different OTP.

HDB's guidance talks about notifying the buyer and says nothing about telling the seller. Whether you share the figure is your call. If it comes in under the agreed price, showing it to the seller can be the strongest card you hold. If it matches or beats the price, there's little reason to volunteer it.

What if the HDB valuation is lower than your agreed price?

You have three choices: pay the difference in cash, renegotiate the price, or let the OTP lapse and lose only the option fee.

Say you agreed $650,000 and HDB values the flat at $630,000. Your loan is capped at 75% of $630,000, which is $472,500. The $20,000 gap is cash over valuation (COV), and it comes out of your bank account on top of the downpayment. Run the capped loan through our mortgage calculator to see what that means for your monthly repayment.

Pay the COV. Fine if you budgeted for it in step 1. Check you still have cash for stamp duty, legal fees and renovation afterwards.

Renegotiate. The valuation is a neutral, official number. A seller who wants a quick sale may meet you partway, especially if other buyers would face the same gap.

Let the OTP lapse. If you don't exercise within the 21 days, HDB's OTP notes say you lose only the option fee. Losing $1,000 hurts less than finding $20,000 you don't have.

Don't count on a second opinion. HDB doesn't publish an appeal process for a Request for Value, and it won't accept a new request for the same flat until the current OTP expires. Treat the first number as final.

How long is an HDB valuation valid?

Three months from the day the value appears on My Flat Dashboard.

Within that window, you and the seller both have to submit your parts of the resale application, no more than 7 calendar days apart. Each side also pays an administrative fee of $40 for a 1- or 2-room flat, or $80 for 3-room and larger. If the three months run out first, HDB requires a new Request for Value for the same transaction. Settle the application timing with the seller before you exercise the OTP, so neither of you drifts past the deadline.

HDB valuation vs bank valuation vs online estimates

HDB's value sets your CPF limit and your HDB loan. A bank may rely on its own valuation for a bank loan. Online estimates are only a guide for the stage before the OTP.

The CPF Board describes the bank loan cap as 75% of the bank's valuation or the purchase price, whichever is lower. HDB's own page says its value is the reference for a loan from a bank too, "unless the FI advises otherwise". If you're borrowing from a bank, ask early which figure it will lend against. Our comparison of HDB loan vs bank loan sets out the other differences, including the cash a bank loan needs upfront.

Online estimates have one real job: helping you decide what price to agree before the OTP exists. After that, HDB's number is the one that counts. Before you make an offer, get a free estimate of what the flat is worth. Our report combines nearby listings with bank valuation ranges and is checked by a CEA-registered agent, so you go into the negotiation with a realistic range.

If you're the seller

You don't file anything. The buyer submits the Request for Value. Your part is granting the OTP and letting the valuer in within 3 working days if HDB asks.

Your bigger decision comes earlier. Every dollar of asking price above the likely valuation is cash a buyer has to find, and fewer buyers have it. Price it against a valuation estimate before you list, and read our guide to selling your HDB flat for the full selling timeline.

Winnie's take

When the value comes in below the price, I ask buyers to share it with the seller's agent the same day, together with two or three recent sales from the same block. Sellers move faster when the gap is in writing. Valuers lean heavily on nearby transactions, floor level and condition, so a fresh renovation on its own rarely closes the gap. Message me on WhatsApp for consultation.

By Winnie Lim, licensed CEA agent and founder of AIProperty.sg

Common questions about the HDB valuation request

How much is the HDB valuation fee?

The fee is $120, including GST, and the buyer pays it when submitting the Request for Value on the HDB Flat Portal. HDB's resale terms state that valuation and administrative fees are not refunded if the application is withdrawn, so treat it as spent once you submit.

Who submits the Request for Value, the buyer or the seller?

The buyer. Only a buyer who has been granted an OTP can submit, and the deadline is the next working day after the Option Date. A salesperson acting for the buyer can file it on their behalf. The seller's role is to give the valuer access within 3 working days if HDB arranges an inspection.

Can I submit the Request for Value before getting the OTP?

No. HDB accepts a Request for Value only from a buyer holding an OTP, and the form asks for the OTP serial number, the date it was granted and a scan of its first page. To gauge the value before you commit, use an online estimate or recent transaction prices.

Do I need an HDB valuation if I'm paying in cash?

No, not if you pay entirely in cash with no CPF and no housing loan. If you decide to use CPF later, the valuation outcome has to be available before you submit your resale application, so leave enough time for the 10-working-day wait.

Can I appeal an HDB valuation?

HDB doesn't publish an appeal process. It also won't accept a new Request for Value for the same flat until the current OTP expires. If the value is lower than the agreed price, your options are to pay the gap in cash, renegotiate, or let the OTP lapse and lose only the option fee.

How long is an HDB valuation valid?

It is valid for 3 months from the day the value appears on My Flat Dashboard. You and the seller must both submit your resale application within that time. If it lapses, HDB requires a new Request for Value for the same transaction.

Does the seller get to see the valuation?

HDB sends the value to the buyer. Its published guidance doesn't say the seller is notified, so in practice the seller learns the figure only if the buyer or the buyer's agent shares it. Sharing a low figure is often useful when you renegotiate.