This Halloween, the scariest thing may not be the late-night trip to Old Changi Hospital or a Pontianak story. The most terrifying, pulse-pounding, cold-sweat-inducing horror is selling a property in Singapore.

Selling your home, especially your HDB flat, is an emotional journey. You’ve just decided to part with a place full of memories. You’re bracing for the paperwork, the financial calculations, and the stress of finding your next home. But what you didn’t brace for was that your home would suddenly become the set of a horror movie.

It starts simple: You list your flat. You clean for hours, light nice candles, and open your door to a cast of characters straight out of Halloween Horror Nights.

In this survival guide, we’re unmasking the ghouls, ghosts, and zombies that every Singapore home seller meets and giving you a treat to avoid common mistakes when selling HDB and banish them for good.

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The 7 Ghouls of Your HDB Selling Nightmare1. The ‘Exclusive’ Ghost: MIA Property Agent

This ghoul is all charm, sliding into your inbox and promising a record-breaking price and dozens of ready buyers. They flatter your renovation, talk up the market, and convince you to sign a 3-month exclusive agreement. After you sign… poof. They vanish.

Your optimistic ‘How are things?’ WhatsApp inquiry is met with a single grey tick. You search for your listing and find it buried on Page 12 of a property portal, photographed with a blurry phone camera. The horror isn’t the silence; it’s the helpless feeling of being locked in a contract with a ghost.

Don’t be charmed by the price; be convinced by the plan. Before you sign anything, ask them:

How would you market my unit?

What is your budget for online portal listings?

How often will you be conducting viewings?

When can I expect a report on viewing feedback?

A professional property agent in Singapore sells with a strategy.

2. The ‘Just Looking’ Zombie Horde

You’ve had 30 viewings. Your back hurts from mopping the floor for the 15th time this month. But you have zero offers.

You’ve fallen victim to the zombie horde. They shamble through your flat, touch your walls, say ‘Nice, nice’, and leave, never to be heard from again. They are a shuffling stream of time-wasting property viewers like:

Your kaypoh neighbour who wants to see your renovation

The ‘just married’ couple who are thinking of buying soon

The ‘just looking’ family who want to see a 5-room flat, even though their HLE is for a 3-room

A good agent is your shield. They must filter these kinds of buyers before they ever set foot in your home. A simple pre-qualification call (‘Have you done your HLE/IPA?’ or ‘Are you actively looking to buy in the next three months?’) saves you hours of pointless cleaning and emotional labour.

3. The Nitpicking Ghoul

This viewer walks in, and you can just feel the negative energy. They don’t see a home; they see a list of flaws. They pick apart every renovation choice you lovingly made, and they’re going to narrate every single one.

‘This facing got afternoon sun, hor? Very hot.’
‘Why do you use this colour paint? So dark.’

This is the ultimate test of your emotional detachment. This isn’t your home anymore; it’s a product. Their feedback can just be a clumsy, amateur negotiation tactic. Your counter is to smile, nod, and say, ‘That’s a fair observation. The good thing is the flat is priced reasonably, so the next owner has plenty of budget to renovate it to their exact taste.’

4. The Lowballer Vampire

You’ve done your research, and your agent has provided an accurate property valuation. You’ve come to a fair and competitive price of $550,000. A viewer comes by, seems to love the place, and says they’ll be in touch. That night, they text you, ‘My offer is $420,000.’ The offer felt like an insult, designed to make you question your valuation, your agent, and your sanity.

Never get angry or engage in a fight. After all, you have the facts on your side — your valuation, floor price, and all the data possible. A firm ‘Thank you for your interest, but we are unable to consider offers below $530,000 at this time’ is all that’s needed.

5. The MOP Poltergeist

This is a horror of your own making. You find the perfect buyer who loves your flat. You agree on a price, shake hands, and pop a bottle of bubbly to celebrate. You excitedly log in to the HDB portal to register your Intent to Sell, but you get an error message.

‘You’re 3 months short of your 5-year Minimum Occupation Period (MOP).’
‘The Ethnic Integration Policy (EIP) or Singapore Permanent Resident (SPR) quota for your block is full for that buyer’s group.’

It’s a poltergeist, an invisible force that threw your entire plan into chaos.

This is the easiest ghoul to bust. Do your homework before you list. Log in to the HDB Resale Portal. Check the HDB MOP date and the EIP and SPR quotas for your block. This takes 10 minutes, but can save you three months of heartache and embarrassment.

6. The Indecisive Spectre

This haunting spirit just won’t leave. They’ve viewed your flat maybe five times now. They’ve measured the walls for their sofa twice. They’ve brought their kids, parents, a feng shui master, and an interior designer. They ‘love it’ but ‘just 99% sure’.

They’re holding you hostage with their indecision, preventing you from focusing on other, more serious buyers.

Gently and professionally create urgency. Don’t be pushy, just factual. A simple text works wonders: ‘Hi, just wanted to let you know, we have two other groups coming for a second viewing tomorrow. We’ve really enjoyed showing you the place, so if you’re keen, we’d encourage you to put down an offer soon!’

7. The Final Boss: The Loan-less, Unqualified HDB Buyer

This is the most heartbreaking and financially damaging horror of all.

You get an offer. You agree on a price. You grant the Option to Purchase (OTP) and gratefully bank the $1,000 deposit. You stop all other viewings. You’ve found your new place. You’re ready to put down your deposit.

On Day 20 — because it just had to be before the 21-day deadline — the buyer calls. ‘Hi, so sorry, my HLE/bank loan was rejected.’

The sale is dead. The $1,000 is yours, but it’s a bitter prize. You’ve lost days of marketing momentum and missed out on other real buyers who have since moved on. Now, you have to start the entire zombie-horde process all over again.

Your golden rule should be: No HLE/IPA, No OTP.

Never grant an OTP without seeing proof of funds. This means you must ask to see a valid, not-expired HDB Loan Eligibility (HLE) letter or a bank’s In-Principle Approval (IPA) letter. This proves they have been assessed and are qualified to buy your flat. A good agent enforces this as a non-negotiable rule.

Selling Your Home Shouldn’t Be a Nightmare

Selling your flat in Singapore can feel like navigating a haunted maze. But these ghouls are predictable, and their scares are preventable. With enough preparation, the right mindset, and a professional partner, you can banish the negative energy, avoid jump scares, and get your flat sold.

At Ohmyhome, we believe the selling process should be simple, fast, and transparent. We’re the ghostbusters you’ve been looking for, backed by experienced Super Agents and a responsive and dedicated support team.

We filter and pre-qualify every single buyer, ensuring you only meet the serious and ready ones, and guide you through all the paperwork, from eligibility check to resale application submission. Our technologies provide free and accurate home valuation based on real-time data, so you can negotiate from a position of strength.

Let us make your home sale a dream come true, not a nightmare.

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