By Winfred Quek · CEA R073319H · Published 26 October 2026
Facts verified: 26 October 2026 · Sources listed below
If you are selling an HDB resale flat, the Request for Value is the step where the official value of your flat is set for the buyer's CPF and loan purposes. Sellers often hear about it second hand: "the valuation is coming", "it is valid for three months", "it costs $120". This page lays out the process as HDB states it, in order, and shows how the dates fit together so a late step does not force a repeat. It covers process only. It does not predict what a valuer will say. If the number matters to your pricing, read our separate page on getting a second opinion on your HDB valuation before listing.
What a Request for Value is, and who makes it
HDB says the Request for Value determines the value that forms the basis for the buyer's CPF usage and the reference for the housing loan amount from HDB or the financial institution, unless the financial institution advises otherwise. It is the buyer who submits it. The buyer files through My Flat Dashboard, and if the buyer has engaged a salesperson, the salesperson may submit it on the buyer's behalf using HDB's agent tools.
One exception matters. If the buyer is paying with cash only, meaning no CPF usage and no housing loan, no Request for Value is needed. So a cash buyer can skip this step entirely, and no Request for Value outcome exists for that sale.
Source: HDB, Request for Value for a Resale Flat, last updated 28 April 2026, checked 26 October 2026. https://www.hdb.gov.sg/buying-a-flat/resale-flats/process-for-buying-a-resale-flat/option-to-purchase/request-for-value
The fee, and who pays it
HDB states the processing fee is $120 including GST, paid to HDB when the request is submitted. It is part of the buyer's costs, not the seller's, so as a seller you do not pay it. The fee is separate from the option fee and option exercise fee the buyer pays you, which HDB sets at between $1 and $1,000 for the option fee, with the option fee and exercise fee together not exceeding $5,000.
The steps, in order
Everything runs inside the Option Period. HDB says the Option Period is 21 calendar days from the Option Date, including weekends and public holidays. Before that, as a seller you must have registered your Intent to Sell and waited out the 7 day cooling off period before you may grant an Option to Purchase.
| When | What happens | Who |
|---|---|---|
| Day 0 (Option Date) | Seller grants the Option to Purchase and the buyer pays the option fee. The 21 day Option Period starts. | Seller and buyer |
| By the next working day | Request for Value submitted on My Flat Dashboard with a scanned copy of page 1 of the OTP, and the $120 fee paid. | Buyer or the buyer's salesperson |
| After submission | If a valuation of the flat is required, the appointed valuer contacts the seller to arrange an inspection. | Valuer and seller |
| Typically within 10 working days of the request | HDB emails the buyer when the outcome is available on My Flat Dashboard. | HDB |
| Before the 21 days end | The buyer can only exercise the OTP after the outcome is available, and must decide whether to buy. | Buyer |
| Within 3 months of the outcome | Buyer and seller each submit their portions of the resale application. | Buyer and seller |
Source: HDB, Request for Value for a Resale Flat, last updated 28 April 2026, checked 26 October 2026. https://www.hdb.gov.sg/buying-a-flat/resale-flats/process-for-buying-a-resale-flat/option-to-purchase/request-for-value
Source: HDB, Intent to Sell and Option to Purchase When Selling a Flat, checked 26 October 2026. https://www.hdb.gov.sg/managing-my-home/selling-a-flat/process-for-selling-a-flat/option-to-purchase
Note the words "if a valuation of the flat is required". HDB's page ties the valuer's visit to that condition, so do not assume every flat gets a physical inspection. If you are contacted, make the flat available promptly, because the 21 day clock does not stop.
How long the outcome lasts
HDB states that the outcome is valid for 3 months from the day it is made available in My Flat Dashboard. Both the buyer and the seller must submit their respective portions of the resale application inside that period. If they do not, they must submit a new Request for Value for the same transaction. HDB also notes that a resale application counts as complete only when it has received both portions and the necessary supporting documents.
This is where the OTP wording helps. The OTP has a clause for the number of days after exercising the option within which the buyer and seller agree to submit the resale application. A short, realistic number keeps you inside the 3 month window.
Illustration with assumed dates
Assume the OTP is granted on Day 0 and the buyer submits the Request for Value the next working day. Assume HDB makes the outcome available on 12 March. The outcome then lasts for 3 months from 12 March, so both portions of the application should be in well before mid June. If the buyer needs to switch banks, the seller is travelling or documents are slow, a late application means a new Request for Value, and the buyer should check with HDB whether the fee applies again. These dates are illustrative only. Check the exact validity on My Flat Dashboard.
What it does not do
The Request for Value does not set your selling price. HDB's selling page says you and the buyer must mutually agree the resale price, and that you must declare the true resale price to HDB, with no side agreements that inflate or understate it. It points sellers to recent transacted resale prices, HDB Map and its resale statistics to help set a price. The valuation instead feeds the buyer's CPF and loan arithmetic. It also does not extend your Option Period. The 21 calendar days keep running while HDB processes the request, which is why the buyer submits it by the next working day.
What a seller can do to keep it smooth
These are practical suggestions of mine, not HDB requirements.
- Ask the buyer or their salesperson to confirm the day the request was submitted, so you can diarise the 10 working day mark.
- Keep the flat accessible for a valuer visit during the Option Period.
- Agree a resale application submission period in the OTP that leaves room inside the 3 months.
- Have your own documents ready, so your portion is not the reason a request lapses.
What the number means for your pricing is a separate question. We cover it in selling below valuation and cash over valuation, and the full selling sequence in our HDB resale selling guide.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the HDB Request for Value fee?
HDB states the processing fee is $120 including GST, paid to HDB when the buyer submits the request. It is a buyer cost, not a seller cost.
Who submits the Request for Value?
The buyer submits it through My Flat Dashboard by the next working day after the Option Date, with a scanned copy of page 1 of the OTP. The buyer's salesperson may submit it on the buyer's behalf. A buyer paying with cash only, with no CPF and no housing loan, does not need one.
How long does the valuation take?
HDB says the outcome is typically available within 10 working days from the date of the request, and the buyer is informed by email once it is available in My Flat Dashboard. The buyer must wait for the outcome before exercising the OTP.
How long is the HDB valuation valid, and what if it lapses?
The outcome is valid for 3 months from the day it is made available. Buyer and seller must submit their portions of the resale application within that period, otherwise a new Request for Value is needed for the same transaction.
Want your selling timeline mapped to the HDB dates?
Share your target Option Date and your buyer's financing mode, and Winfred will lay out the Request for Value dates against the 21 day Option Period so nothing lapses. General information only.
Ask Winfred on WhatsApp Book a free 30 minute callWinfred Quek, CEA R073319H, Crestbrick Pte Ltd (L3010886H). General information as at 26 October 2026, not legal, financial, tax or property advice. Rules and fees are from HDB pages and may change. The dated example uses assumed dates. This page does not predict any valuation outcome or price.