How is a bridging loan sized for an EC purchase?

There is no universal 85%-of-value entitlement. The bank sizes and approves a short-term bridge against expected net sale proceeds and may ask for evidence that your current flat sale is contracted. Enter only a written bank quote, then match its release date to the exact EC payment step; it is not part of the long-term mortgage.

How do the DPS and NPS payment schedules differ?

Under the Normal Progressive Scheme you pay 20% upfront (5% cash booking + 15% on exercising the S&P), then 5–10% at each construction stage, 25% at TOP, and 15% at CSC — your loan disburses progressively and instalments ramp up from the construction stages. Under the Deferred Payment Scheme you pay the same 20% upfront, then nothing until TOP, when 65% falls due, with the final 15% at CSC. DPS was removed for EC sites with tenders closing from 8 May 2026; an older-site project can use DPS only if its developer offers it, typically at a 2–3% price premium.

How much cash must I pay at booking?

The booking fee is 5% of the purchase price in hard cash — CPF OA and housing grants cannot substitute for it. If no housing loan is outstanding, that is normally the full minimum-cash floor. With one or more housing loans still outstanding when the EC loan is granted, the total minimum rises to 25%: the 15% exercise payment and another 5% at the next price stage must also be cash.

Do I pay ABSD on my existing HDB flat when buying a new EC?

No — eligible EC buyers receive upfront ABSD remission. HDB upgraders sign an undertaking to dispose of their existing flat within six months of the EC reaching TOP. BSD applies as normal and is due within 14 days of exercising the S&P.

When do my monthly instalments start under each scheme?

Under NPS, instalments begin once your equity (cash + CPF + grants) is exhausted and the bank starts disbursing — typically from the foundation stage around month 9 — and ramp up with each drawdown to the peak after CSC. Under DPS, the loan disburses only at TOP, so instalments start around month 39 but arrive at close to the full amount at once.

Brand-New EC Purchase Planner

Your EC price, mapped payment by payment

Price first: key in the EC you want and we lay out the 5% cash booking, the downpayment, BSD, any resale levy, and the chronological order of payments under the progressive or deferred scheme. If your bank has approved a bridge facility, add its quoted amount separately. Solving for a budget instead? Use the EC affordability planner.

Instalments ramp up from the construction stages.

Purchase

Purchase price

Financing

Loan-eligible amount

From your bank's IPA — or solve your max with the EC affordability planner.Est. interest rate

Package rate p.a. — drives the instalment ramp on the drawn loan.Loan tenure

5–30 years. Banks cap EC tenures at 30 years.

Housing loans still outstanding

Count loans still outstanding when this EC loan is granted. This is not the number of properties owned; confirm redemption timing with the lender.

Extended loan tenure

Off — 75% LTV, 5% min cash

Loan past 65 (to age 75 / 35 yrs). This uses the reduced LTV tier.

Funds

Cash for the purchase

CPF OA available

CPF housing grants

We don't estimate grants — enter your total from HDB's official eligibility check.Resale levy (if HDB confirms one)

Paid with cash and/or your flat sale proceeds, never CPF or a loan, and outside the EC price. Enter the amount HDB confirms for your household.

Short-term bridge (optional)

Bank-approved bridge amount

Use only a written bank quote. The bank sets approval, documents and release timing; it is shown separately, not counted as funds.

Enter a purchase price to map the order of payments.

How this planner works — the order of payments, bridged

A new EC is paid in a fixed chronological order, and the order is the whole game. Your equity — the price minus the loan — is consumed first: the 5% booking in hard cash that CPF cannot touch, then the 15% on exercising the S&P, then the early construction stages. CPF and grants may fund the non-cash portion, but an outstanding housing loan can make the full 15% exercise payment and another 5% of the next stage mandatory cash. Only once your own funds are exhausted does the bank start disbursing, stage by stage, against the later milestones. Instalments are charged only on the drawn balance, so the monthly payment ramps up as construction progresses — which is why we show a monthly figure against each step, and why the number that matters is the peak, not the first. BSD sits outside that waterfall: it is due within 14 days of exercising and never draws the loan.

For HDB upgraders, the awkward truth is that the money for the downpayment is usually locked inside the flat they have not yet sold. ABSD is remitted upfront for eligible EC buyers — with an undertaking to dispose of the flat within six months of TOP — but remission does not produce cash. A bridge facility may help only if a bank approves one for the sale of your current flat. The amount, documents, release date and repayment terms are lender-specific, and residential bridge facilities are short-term. This planner therefore accepts a written bank quote; it does not invent an entitlement from a percentage of your flat's estimated value. Your existing mortgage may also put the new EC loan on the 45% LTV and 25% minimum-cash tier until the lender treats that loan as redeemed, so the planner asks how many housing loans will still be outstanding when the EC loan is granted.

The scheme choice is a financing trade, not a discount. The Deferred Payment Scheme buys roughly three years of zero outgoings after the 20% upfront — useful when you are servicing an existing mortgage while the EC is built — but it costs a 2–3% price premium, makes zero progress on the principal until TOP, and lands the full instalment in one step rather than a ramp. And it is a closing window: DPS was removed for EC sites with tenders closing from 8 May 2026, so it remains possible only on older-site projects whose developer actually offers it. If you are solving for what price fits rather than mapping a known one, start with the EC affordability planner and bring the answer back here.

Frequently asked questions

How is a bridging loan sized for an EC purchase?: There is no universal 85%-of-value entitlement. The bank sizes and approves a short-term bridge against expected net sale proceeds and may ask for evidence that your current flat sale is contracted. Enter only a written bank quote, then match its release date to the exact EC payment step; it is not part of the long-term mortgage.
How do the DPS and NPS payment schedules differ?: Under the Normal Progressive Scheme you pay 20% upfront (5% cash booking + 15% on exercising the S&P), then 5–10% at each construction stage, 25% at TOP, and 15% at CSC — your loan disburses progressively and instalments ramp up from the construction stages. Under the Deferred Payment Scheme you pay the same 20% upfront, then nothing until TOP, when 65% falls due, with the final 15% at CSC. DPS was removed for EC sites with tenders closing from 8 May 2026; an older-site project can use DPS only if its developer offers it, typically at a 2–3% price premium.
How much cash must I pay at booking?: The booking fee is 5% of the purchase price in hard cash — CPF OA and housing grants cannot substitute for it. If no housing loan is outstanding, that is normally the full minimum-cash floor. With one or more housing loans still outstanding when the EC loan is granted, the total minimum rises to 25%: the 15% exercise payment and another 5% at the next price stage must also be cash.
Do I pay ABSD on my existing HDB flat when buying a new EC?: No — eligible EC buyers receive upfront ABSD remission. HDB upgraders sign an undertaking to dispose of their existing flat within six months of the EC reaching TOP. BSD applies as normal and is due within 14 days of exercising the S&P.
When do my monthly instalments start under each scheme?: Under NPS, instalments begin once your equity (cash + CPF + grants) is exhausted and the bank starts disbursing — typically from the foundation stage around month 9 — and ramp up with each drawdown to the peak after CSC. Under DPS, the loan disburses only at TOP, so instalments start around month 39 but arrive at close to the full amount at once.

Could you ride out a job loss after buying?

Planning the purchase is only half the picture. See how many months your cash reserves would carry the mortgage if your income stopped — and how much you’d rebuild over four years if it doesn’t.

Open the Safety Net Calculator →

Disclaimer

The tools on this page provide estimates for general reference only and do not constitute financial, legal, tax, or investment advice. Calculations are based on prevailing MAS, IRAS, HDB, and CPF rules and rates at the time of publication, which may change without notice. Actual figures — including loan eligibility, interest rates, stamp duties, and CPF usage — depend on your specific circumstances and the final assessment of banks, IRAS, and other relevant authorities. TRIBE makes no warranty as to the accuracy or completeness of any output and accepts no liability for decisions made in reliance on these tools. Please verify all figures with the relevant institutions or a qualified professional before committing to any transaction.