How to buy a new EC step by step: from HDB eligibility to key collection, applied to Clovelle of Woodlands

A new Executive Condominium is bought from the developer, not from HDB, but HDB sets the eligibility rules. Below is HDB's published process for buying an EC from a developer, with the CPF and IRAS pieces added. Clovelle of Woodlands has not launched, so the project-specific steps have not been announced; contact us for the latest.

The steps

1. Check eligibility first. Everyone in the application must meet HDB's conditions: an eligible household type, citizenship (at least one Singapore Citizen plus one other citizen or PR for couples and families), age 21 or above, the monthly household income ceiling, and the property ownership rules. Income-ceiling treatment for this project is in the income-ceiling article, so it is not repeated here. If you have used a housing subsidy before, the second-timer and levy guide applies.
2. Line up your loan and costs. HDB tells buyers to confirm they can get a housing loan from a financial institution and can pay the downpayment (option fee plus balance downpayment), stamp duty, legal fees, any resale levy or premium, and renovation. Engage a solicitor for conveyancing.
3. Watch for the sales launch. The developer announces the launch and can tell you the preliminary designs, number of units offered, indicative prices, and the e-application period and booking date if applicable. For Clovelle of Woodlands the launch date, units offered and prices have not been announced; see the price page and showflat page for updates.
4. Submit your application to the developer. The developer chooses between computer balloting and walk-in selection. HDB lists no payment at this stage, but check with the developer. How Sim Lian will allocate units has not been announced.
5. Receive the outcome, then book a unit. If you are eligible, the developer invites you to book and grants the Option to Purchase. If you are applying for the CPF Housing Grant, you submit the EC application form and the grant application form, with supporting documents, directly to the developer. HDB states the option fee is 5% of the purchase price on successful booking, and it offsets against the price.
6. Sign the Sale and Purchase Agreement. The developer invites you to sign. HDB states the balance downpayment is 15% of the purchase price, paid within the timeframe in your Option to Purchase, using CPF Ordinary Account savings or cash. The grant forms part of your CPF funds and can be used for this payment. Legal fees, stamp duty and registration fees are separate. The exact timeline for Clovelle of Woodlands will be in the developer's sales documents; it has not been announced.
7. Collect your keys. The developer invites you after the project is completed. The TOP date has not been announced. HDB's tender result sets a 60-month completion period from tender acceptance; the completion period article explains what that does and does not confirm.

Stamp duty timing

IRAS lists acceptance of an option to purchase and the sale and purchase agreement as ways property is acquired for stamp duty purposes. Buyer's Stamp Duty is computed on the higher of the purchase price or market value, and IRAS states it must be paid within 14 days from the date of execution of the instrument. The first instrument executed for a sale is charged in full; later documents for the same sale are not. Because rates and any Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty depend on your profile, check the current IRAS rates and ask your solicitor which document is stamped first. HDB notes stamp duty and legal fees may be paid with cash or CPF savings.

CPF usage and the CPF Housing Grant

CPF Board states Ordinary Account savings can be used for the downpayment, the housing loan, and stamp and legal fees on private residential property. Keep in mind that CPF used for a property, plus accrued interest, has to be refunded on sale.

For the grant, HDB states that the CPF Housing Grant for an EC from a developer is up to S$30,000, and the amount falls with household income. A first-timer SC/SC household with average gross monthly income of S$10,000 or less is shown at S$30,000; the amounts step down above that. At least one core member must be a first-timer, and the household must include at least one Singapore Citizen plus one other citizen or PR. The Enhanced CPF Housing Grant (EHG) is a separate HDB-flat grant and is not what applies to a new EC.

If you own an HDB flat

HDB states anyone in the application who owns an interest in an HDB flat must dispose of it within 6 months of key collection, based on the legal completion date of the disposal. Plan your sale around the key collection date, which has not been announced for Clovelle of Woodlands.

The minimum occupation period (MOP)

HDB states EC units from projects with land tenders closing on or after 8 May 2026 have a 10-year MOP before sale on the open market. Other projects have a 5-year MOP, counted from the TOP date. The tender for this site closed on 13 January 2026, before 8 May 2026, so the 5-year MOP applies; confirm final terms with HDB. Core occupiers must stay in the application and live in the unit during the MOP. You may rent out bedrooms within the MOP if you register with HDB within 7 days, but renting out the whole unit is allowed only after the MOP.

What has not been announced for Clovelle of Woodlands

• Launch date and booking date
• Prices and per-square-foot price
• Unit mix, sizes and number of units released
• Application method (ballot or walk-in selection)
• Option-to-purchase timeline and payment schedule
• Showflat dates, TOP date and key collection date

Our payment scheme page will be updated when the developer issues sales documents. The above is a general guide to HDB, IRAS and CPF Board processes and is not financial advice.