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Jumbo flats: the combined HDB units still on the resale market

By Winfred Quek, Associate Marketing Consultant · CEA R073319H · Crestbrick Pte Ltd (L31010886H) · Published 13 July 2026

Facts verified: 13 July 2026 · Individual unit configurations vary and should be verified against HDB's records for the specific flat · Sources attributed below

Every so often a resale listing shows a floor area that looks like a typo for the flat type stated. It is not a typo. It is a jumbo flat, a relic of an HDB scheme from decades ago that combined two adjoining flats into one, and it is one of the few genuinely scarce categories of public housing left on the resale market. As an investor minded advisor, I get asked about these often enough that they deserve a proper explainer, separate from the general resale buying guides.

What a jumbo flat actually is

A jumbo flat is the product of an HDB scheme, mainly active in the 1980s and into the early 1990s in a handful of older estates, that allowed two adjoining flats, most commonly two 3-room units, to be combined into a single larger home. HDB physically merged the units by knocking through the shared wall, and the resulting flat was registered as a single unit with a substantially larger floor area than any standard flat type offered at the time.

This is distinct from a modern renovation combining two flats you happen to buy separately today. A jumbo flat was created and registered as one unit by HDB itself, decades ago, and it carries that history in its records, its layout, and often in its remaining lease.

Why the scheme stopped and where jumbo flats still exist

HDB does not offer a scheme to create new jumbo flats today. The flats that exist are concentrated in specific older estates where the combination scheme was offered, and they show up occasionally on the resale market rather than through any current BTO or Sale of Balance Flats channel. Because no new supply is being created, the existing stock of jumbo flats is fixed and, if anything, shrinking as older blocks are eventually redeveloped or their leases run down.

That scarcity is the core of the investment case, and also the core of the valuation difficulty. There simply are not many comparable transactions to benchmark a jumbo flat against, which makes pricing one, whether you are buying or selling, more art than science compared to a standard flat type with dozens of recent comparable resale transactions in the same block or estate.

The space premium: why jumbo flats sell for more

The premium a jumbo flat commands over a standard flat in the same estate is a straightforward function of floor area. Combining two 3-room flats produces a home meaningfully larger than even a standard 5-room or executive flat of the same era, at a scale that would otherwise require moving to landed housing or a much pricier private unit. For a multi-generational family, or a buyer who wants space without leaving the HDB system, that scarcity is genuinely valuable, and buyers have historically been willing to pay for it.

What the premium is not is a guarantee of proportionally faster appreciation. A jumbo flat's value still tracks the same underlying drivers as any HDB flat, location, lease remaining, and estate desirability, layered on top of the size premium rather than replacing those fundamentals. I set out the broader mechanics of what actually moves resale prices in my HDB resale pricing guide, and the same logic applies here, just with a larger unit attached.

The practical realities: utilities, layout and renovation history

Because a jumbo flat began life as two separate flats, some units retain artefacts of that original layout. It is not unusual to find two kitchens, two sets of toilets, or in some cases separate utility meters that were never consolidated into one account after the combination. Whether this is the case for a specific unit depends entirely on how the combination was carried out and whether a previous owner renovated to unify the space.

Renovation history matters more here than in a standard flat, because the quality of how the original wall was knocked through, and whether structural work was done properly and approved by HDB at the time, affects both livability and future renovation flexibility. Ask for any available renovation permits or records from the combination, and if in doubt, have a structural inspection done before committing, in the same spirit as the checks I recommend in my defects inspection checklist, adapted for an HDB context.

Financing a jumbo flat: lease decay and loan quantum

Jumbo flats were created from flats built decades ago, which means their remaining lease is shorter than a newer flat of comparable size elsewhere in Singapore. That shorter remaining lease affects both HDB loan eligibility and bank loan quantum in the same way it would for any older resale flat: the lease needs to cover the youngest buyer to a certain age for full CPF usage and loan quantum, and the loan amount a bank is willing to extend shrinks as remaining lease falls. Work through the lease decay mechanics in my lease decay impact guide before assuming your financing will stretch as far as the flat's impressive size might suggest.

Is a jumbo flat worth the premium

1. Value the space on its own merits, not as a shortcut to landed living. A jumbo flat is genuinely large for an HDB unit, but it is still an HDB flat with HDB rules, not a private property substitute.
2. Confirm the utilities and renovation history before you fall in love with the floor plan. Two kitchens sound charming until you discover a billing headache or an unapproved structural change.
3. Underwrite the lease, not just the square footage. An older remaining lease changes your financing and your eventual resale pool, and it should be priced into what you are willing to pay.
4. Expect a thinner comparable set when it is time to sell. Scarcity that helps you as a buyer today becomes a valuation challenge for you as a seller later, so hold with that in mind.

Frequently asked questions

What is a jumbo flat in Singapore?

A jumbo flat is two adjoining HDB flats, typically two 3-room units, that were combined into a single larger home under a scheme HDB offered in select estates decades ago. The combination usually involved knocking through a shared wall to merge two originally separate flats into one unit with a significantly larger floor area than any single flat type of that era.

Can I still buy a jumbo flat today?

Yes, but only on the resale market, since HDB no longer offers a scheme to create new jumbo flats. Existing jumbo flats occasionally come up for resale in the older estates where they were built, and they are treated as a single resale unit under the flat's official HDB records, not as two separate flats.

Why do jumbo flats carry a price premium?

The premium reflects genuinely larger floor area than a standard flat of the same type in the same estate, which is scarce because HDB no longer creates new jumbo units. Buyers looking for significant extra space without moving to landed or a much pricier private unit are drawn to this rare inventory, which supports the premium over a comparable standard sized flat nearby.

Do jumbo flats have two sets of utilities?

Some jumbo flats retain features from their original two flat layout, such as two kitchens or two sets of toilets, and in some cases separate utility meters that were never consolidated. This varies by unit and by how the combination was carried out, so a prospective buyer should check the exact utilities setup and any related town council or SP Group records before committing.

Does a jumbo flat's older lease affect financing?

Yes. Jumbo flats were created from flats built decades ago, so their remaining lease is shorter than a newer flat of the same size class, which affects both bank loan quantum and HDB loan eligibility as the lease decays. Factor the remaining lease into your financing plan the same way you would for any older resale flat.

Winfred Quek is Associate Marketing Consultant at Crestbrick Pte Ltd, advising Singapore upgraders, investors and families. CEA R073319H. The information on this page is general and does not constitute financial, investment or mortgage advice. Individual jumbo flat configurations, utilities setups and renovation histories vary; verify all details for the specific unit with HDB, SP Group and the relevant town council before making any purchasing decision.