November 2026 BTO: which of the seven is worth it?
How the seven projects compare on getting to town, food, schools, price and odds.
HDB launches about 7,960 flats in November across six towns: two projects at Bayshore in Bedok, and one each at Mattar, Sembawang, Tengah, Toa Payoh and Yishun (HDB, 22 Aug 2026). Prices, and whether each project is Standard, Plus or Prime, only come out at launch. Everything below that depends on them is my prediction from the last few launches in each town.
Which one is worth it?
- Toa Payoh West. It’s right next to Caldecott, where the Circle and Thomson-East Coast Lines meet, and HDB is putting a food court and supermarket inside the project (HDB, 3 Mar 2026). There are three primary schools within 650 m. My guess is that it will be Prime, so expect a 10-year MOP and a lot of people applying.
- Bayshore. You walk out to the MRT, and East Coast Park is close by. There are 2,500 flats across the two projects, so your odds are better than at Toa Payoh. For now, food is the weak point. Nearest hawker centre is about 1 km away.
- Tengah. This one sits at the edge of Tengah, next to Yuhua and Bukit Batok West, so the shops and hawker centres are already there. Two Jurong Region Line stations open 420 to 580 m away in 2028. It backs onto the PIE, and there are only 170 4-rooms.
- Mattar. It’s the quickest to town and has the most food nearby. But about a third of the land around it, not counting roads, is zoned for industry.
- Yishun. Khatib MRT is about 10 minutes’ walk, and from there it’s one line straight into town. There’s no hawker centre within 1.5 km. The nearest, Chong Pang, is 1.95 km away and under construction until 2027.
- Sembawang. It’s the cheapest and the easiest to get. You pay for that with a 15-minute walk to the MRT and heavier industry to the west.
How long does it take to get to town?
Mattar and Toa Payoh are both under half an hour to Dhoby Ghaut and Raffles Place. Bayshore is quicker to Raffles Place than to Dhoby Ghaut, because the Thomson-East Coast Line runs straight to Outram Park. Tengah’s time is today’s, with a bus to Chinese Garden. The Jurong Region Line should replace that bus from 2028.
What’s next door?
This is where Mattar and Sembawang lose points. Around Mattar, a third of the land that isn’t road is zoned for industry, starting 135 m from the site. That means workshops and lorries a short walk west of the site. Sembawang has about 74 ha of heavier industry to its west. Toa Payoh, Tengah and Bayshore are mostly homes, parks and schools.
What’s within walking distance?
Food and schools split the other way. Mattar has a 106-stall hawker centre 475 m away and MacPherson Mall 450 m away. Sembawang has four primary schools within 1 km: Northoaks, Endeavour, Canberra and Wellington. Bayshore and Yishun have one each.
How much will a 4-room cost?
New flats are priced well below resale. Across the last 20 HDB project groups, the starting 4-room price was 50 to 70% of the cheapest nearby resale HDB quoted. Toa Payoh and Bayshore will look like half price next to their young neighbours. The catch with a Plus or Prime flat is the 10-year MOP, and paying 6 to 14% of the sale price back to HDB when you sell.
What are my chances?
Sembawang’s last two launches each had fewer first-timer applicants than 4-room flats, so anyone eligible who applies should get a queue number. Toa Payoh is the opposite: its two recent Prime launches drew 3.3 and 6.4 first-timers per flat. Mattar and Tengah haven’t had a launch in a year, so those two are guesses. I’d expect Mattar to be busy, with few 4-rooms near the city, and Tengah to land around 1 to 2.5.
Will there be a Sale of Balance Flats too?
Probably not this time. HDB announced February 2026’s SBF months ahead, but none of its three updates on the November launch mention one. Going by the last two years, the next one is likely in February 2027. That’s also when families with kids get an extra ballot chance per child.
All seven side by side
If you don’t have an HDB Flat Eligibility letter yet, apply now. HDB asked buyers to send in their HFE documents by 25 September for this launch, so a letter applied for now may not come back in time. To check any block near these sites, use the HDB map.