Most of our friends are happily married and with kids. We kind of envy them because we are still single and living under our parent’s roof. It is also kind of embarrassing. Well, it is time to turn the tide. We can now buy a HDB flat and hold our head up high because we can finally afford HDB flat and move into our own place once it is settled.

Here are the things that we need to know about buying HDB flat as a single:

• Age limit: Getting older is actually a good thing here in Singapore for those who do not have a home. If we reach the age of 35, we are actually eligible to buy a home. We have to take note of the exceptions though. According to the law, only citizens are allowed to buy a flat. If we are widowed or orphaned, we can buy a flat when we turn 21 years old.

• Income ceiling: Of course, there is an income ceiling. It is implemented to ensure that all people can afford the flat. If we earn more than $5,000 per month, we are not eligible for a new flat (our only choice is the resale market) but if we earn less than $5,000 a month, we are only eligible for a two rooms Built to Order flat (BTO) flats are small about 45 sq. metres.

• About owning multiple properties: If we have a private property, we are still allowed to purchase HDB flat (whether it is resale market or BTO) but we are expected to dispose our previous property. For BTO, we have to dispose our previous property not longer than thirty months of the date of application. For resale, we have to dispose our previous property not longer than six months of the purchase. This goes to show that even if we can afford to own multiple properties, the law does not allow it and we have to observe it.

• Grants and loans: Perhaps the biggest transaction we will ever make here in Singapore is buying a property. With this, it is important that we want to know available help to finance our big purchase. We can consider different loans like HDB loans, CPF housing grant, additional housing grant, renovation loans and bank home loans.

This should be enough. Buying a house is not easy but if we really want it, we can make it happen. If we are younger than 35, there are plenty of years ahead to save.