Complete Guide To HDB’s Optional Component Scheme (OCS)

If you have successfully balloted for a Build-To-Order (BTO) flat, congratulations! Now, the hard work of getting your new flat is just beginning. You need to make some major decisions such as choosing your flat and whether to opt for the Optional Components Scheme (OCS).

Here is what you need to know about the Optional Component Scheme before you decide whether to opt in for the scheme.

Read Also: [BTO Guide] 5 Important Things You Need To Check Off Your List Before Going To Your HDB Appointment

What Is The Optional Component Scheme?

The Optional Component Scheme (OCS) is an opt-in scheme that allows you to add the cost of essential fittings and fixtures to the overall cost of your BTO flat. This can include flooring, sanitary fittings and internal doors (and even wardrobes and cabinetry for 2-room short-lease flexi flats). As HDB will hand over the flat with these finishes already completed before key collection, your time to complete the flat to a move-in condition may be shortened.

As the cost of the OCS is included in the flat price, you can pay for it with your CPF and mortgage loan.

Read Also: Step-By-Step Guide To Buying A HDB BTO Flat

What Is Already Included In Your HDB BTO Flat Before The Optional Component Scheme?

Before you decide on the Optional Component Scheme, you need to know the original state of your BTO flat when you collect the keys to your new home.

All BTO flats come with the main door and gate, windows, wall sockets, flooring in the kitchen, bathrooms, service yard and household shelter, wall tiles in the bathrooms and kitchen and a water closet suite in the bathroom (aka the toilet seat).

What this means is you will see concrete floors in the living and bedroom areas, all the rooms have no doors and there is no sink or shower in the bathrooms when you first enter your new BTO flat.

What is Included Under The Optional Component Scheme (OCS)?

According to HDB, the OCS is meant to accommodate the different needs of different flat owners and thus the packages differ for 3-room, 4-room, 5-room BTO flats and the 2-room flexi BTO flats.

If you do not opt-in for the Optional Component Scheme at the flat booking appointment, you will not be able to opt for them later. The building contractor of the new development may have ordered the required quantities and even completed the installations in other flats.

Optional Components Scheme for 3-Room, 4-Room, 5-Room BTO Flats

For 3-room, 4-room and 5-room flats, you have two choices under OCS. You can choose to buy:

1. the HDB determined flooring for the bedrooms and living spaces
2. the internal doors and sanitary fittings

Taking the example of Sembawang Sun Sails which was launched in November 2020, the finishes are vinyl flooring for the bedrooms and porcelain tiles for the living and dry kitchen areas.

Source: HDB

If you opt for all the OCS options for a 3-room BTO flat, you will be greeted with a home with functioning bathrooms, flooring throughout the flat and doors for privacy. This will add on another $6,000 to $9,000 to the price of your BTO if you chose all the OCS options, depending on your flat size.

Note: the prices indicated are based on the November 2020 BTO launch of Sembawang Sun Sails. The actual price of OCS will vary for different BTO projects due to the different material costs.

Read Also: 5 Things Homeowners Can Do During Renovations That Will Save Them Money Over The Long Term

Optional Component Scheme for 2-Room Flexi BTO Flats

OCS gets more interesting when it comes to 2-room flexi BTO flats, especially for the 2-room short lease flexi BTO flats that are meant for seniors.

In addition to what is available for all flats (wall and floor tiles in the kitchen, bathroom and shelter areas), all the 2-room flexi BTO flats come with internal doors (a sliding partition/door for the bedroom and a folding bathroom door). Additionally, grab bars are installed for all 2-room short lease flats for seniors.

There are 3 packages for 2-room flexi BTO flats. The first two are available for 99-leases and the final package options are only available for short leases (for seniors only):

Package 1: flooring for the bedroom and living area, and a 3-panel sliding partition. The sliding partition is different from the HDB-included option which is 2-panel sliding partition with a short wall.

Source: HDB

Package 2: sanitary fittings (i.e. the bathroom sink with tap and shower set with shower mixer)

Source: HDB

Package 3: must include Package 1 (as flooring must be installed before Package 3 can be installed) and is for short-lease flexi flats only. The intention of this package is to enable seniors to be able to move in immediately without the need for renovation. This package includes:

• Built-in kitchen cabinets with induction hob, cooker hood, kitchen sink, tap and dish drying rack. The kitchen cabinets come with mobile cabinets to provide knee space for wheelchair users. Additionally, you can choose to opt for a lower cabinet height to suit wheelchair users
• Built-in bedroom wardrobes with lower clothes hanging rod for easier reach
• Folding door at the flexible space next to bedroom
• Window grilles
• Lights
• Additional bathroom fittings: mirror, toilet roll holder and water heater

Source: HDB

If you are an eligible senior who opts for the most complete works under OCS (packages 2 and 3), you can expect to pay about $10,000.

Source: HDB: Sembawang Sun Sail

Note: the prices indicated are based on the November 2020 BTO launch of Sembawang Sun Sails. The actual price of OCS will vary for different BTO projects due to the different material costs.

Not All BTO Flats Have The Optional Component Scheme

According to HDB, not all BTO flats have the OCS. BTO flats that are built using the Prefabricated Prefinished Volumetric Construction (PPVC). This is a construction method that allows buildings to be built in a modular (Lego-like) fashion, with individual modules fabricated offsite and then assembled on-site. About 35% of all BTO flats are expected to be built in this manner.

For example, in the May 2023 BTO launch, 2 of the 5 estates offered were built using the PPVC method.

BTO flats built using PPVC come with floor and wall finishes, internal doors, window frames and sanitary fittings already installed, negating the need for OCS.

Read Also: Complete Guide To Renovation Loans In Singapore

In general, HDB Optional Component Scheme is not meant as a full replacement for your home renovation (except for seniors who can choose Package 3 for short-lease 2-room flexi flats). Instead, OCS save you a bit of time by including essential works such as flooring and installation of internal doors. However, not everyone will appreciate the cookie-cutter nature of OCS; every flat in your block will be installed with the same flooring, doors and sinks under OCS. If you want your home to be distinct from others, you may want to reconsider OCS.

Cover image credit: Raymond Quek