House Hunting: Our BTO Journey!
92
- Japandi
- HDB (BTO)
- ~1,000 sqft
- 3 br
- Couple Living
Hi! In this post, we will be sharing our house-hunting journey (BTO/SBF edition)! As first-time home owners, our journey to getting a BTO unit was a long one! 
We first started applying for BTO back in May 2017 using MCPS, but the queue number given was still out of quota. For the second application in Feb 2018, whilst in a hurry to apply while at a dinner function, we left out clicking the MCPS option to apply! Ended up getting a queue number that was out of quota again. For May 2018 and Nov 2018, we tried our luck at Sales of Balance flats for our ideal Bidadari location. Used MCPS for both applications. May 2018's result was out of quota, while for the Nov 2018 application it was 142 out of 146. Hence, it DID reach our queue number to select! But as we were particular about the floor level and wanted to avoid WEST sun houses at all cost, we ended up forgoing the selection and had one non-selection count. In Feb 2019, we resumed applying for BTO launches. Queue number ended up being way OUT of the quota again. In the later part of the Year 2019, after weighing the options (i.e. with one non-selection count on hand; and with the BTO application rate information), we went for one more round of BTO application. This time round, we prayed hard to get a queue number and for the queue number to be a SMALL number (because we did not want another non-selection count)! We ended up getting a queue number WITHIN range, and a good queue number! Although it was not the ideal location, it was a take it or leave it situation already if not we will need to move on to get a resale flat. And yes, so that sums up the whirlwind adventure of our BTO application. Over 2+ years and 6 applications! 
Next, we will share the factors that we considered when picking a BTO/SBF unit. For us, the following factors were important: 1. West Sun We were particular about NOT getting a unit which gets any west sun. You can use the compass on the HDB BTO map to orientate yourselves. Identify where the windows / exterior wall (there will be one wall - either living room wall or master bedroom wall that is not connected to another unit) faces. The sun rises in two different directions (north west or south west). At the same time, we prefer the service yard to get some sun in the morning to help air the clothes. 2. Floor Level We preferred getting a higher floor unit (or minimally half block height and above). We were advised NOT to get a top floor unit as the unit may be hotter. Top floor units have higher ceiling heights, so floor to ceiling carpentry will also cost more than usual (this is something which we only realised when finding ID/contractors for our renovation). Besides just looking at the floor level, you have to look at the floor plan as well to see if it is linked to any multi storey car park. For example, if there is a link bridge to the car park at the 6th floor for instance, a 6th floor unit in the block will NOT be ideal as the footfall traffic will be high. Also, nowadays, some BTO plots have roof gardens on the second or third floor. Hence, a 4th floor unit is not really a 4th floor unit, but may in fact be a 2nd floor unit. 3. Corridor facing Again, this was a non-negotiable factor for us. We preferred a unit where the service yard is not super near to the main corridor for privacy concerns. Another concern is the location of the rubbish chute, whether it is right outside the unit, or whether it is too far a walk away and whether that will be a concern for you. 4. Noise level If you are prefer quieter living, it may be best to avoid any unit that directly faces the kids playground for instance. After deciding which factors are important for you, create an excel spreadsheet to narrow down your choices! 
Here is how our house looks like now! This was the moving in ritual that we did on the first day of moving in! We hope this sharing helps in selecting your ideal house!
- 19 October
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