How Much Would It Take To Pay Off Your Flat By 30, 40, 50 or 55?

Sign up to Stacked's newsletter: Our free newsletter trusted by serious Singapore property buyers.

A seasoned content strategist with over 17 years in the real estate and financial journalism sectors, Ryan has built a reputation for transforming complex industry jargon into accessible knowledge. With a track record of writing and editing for leading financial platforms and publications, Ryan's expertise has been recognised across various media outlets. His role as a former content editor for 99.co and a co-host for CNA 938's Open House programme underscores his commitment to providing valuable insights into the property market.
For many Singaporeans – heck, for many people across the world – paying off the mortgage early is a common aspiration. We get it too: most of us don’t like the thought of owing money, especially on something as major as our home. The good news for Singaporeans is that, unlike the Singapore private property market, HDB flats are affordable to most. But if you want to take it further and go for early retirement, FIRE, etc., here’s how much you’d need to do it:
How are the following figures derived?
In all of the following, we assumed full financing from available loans. This is 90 per cent of your flat price if using an HDB loan, and 75 per cent if using a bank loan.
We have also assumed the flat is a new 4-room flat, which is the most common first-home choice among Singaporeans. We will use an assumed cost of $320,000 for this flat (this is a typical amount after subsidies).
We have excluded stamp duties, renovations, and furnishing, as these are not covered by the home loan.
For the purposes of bank loans, we have used an interest rate of 1.3 per cent, which is the present-day average. However, for the purposes of determining the minimum income only, we have used an interest rate of 3.5 per cent. This is the rate that banks will use when factoring your MSR (even if the real interest rate is a lot lower).
The HDB loan rate is 2.6 per cent, and seldom changes.
In each of the following, we have assumed that the buyers’ obtained their flat at age 25. We have also assumed a loan tenure of 25 years.
How did we derive the minimum income required?
Under the Mortgage Servicing Ratio (MSR), your monthly home loan repayment cannot exceed 30 per cent of your combined monthly income (among all borrowers). We’ve used the MSR to determine the minimum income level, for a loan of the given tenure.
How much do you need to pay off your flat in just five years?
Using an HDB loan
Details | Amount |
Downpayment (10% of $320,000) | $32,000 |
Loan quantum | $288,000 |
Monthly repayment on 5-year loan tenure | $5,123.95 |
Total interest paid on 5-year loan tenure | $19,436.93 |
Minimum combined income required | $17,079.83 (exceeds income ceiling for BTO flats) |
The income ceiling for buying a BTO flat is currently $14,000 per month. This means such a loan wouldn’t usually be possible, and you’d need to either (1) buy a resale flat (for which there’s no income ceiling), or (2) make a much bigger down payment, to reduce the monthly loan repayment.
Using a bank loan
Details | Amount |
Downpayment (25% of $320,000) | $80,000 |
Loan quantum | $240,000 |
Monthly repayment on usual 25-year loan tenure | $4,133.57 |
Total interest paid on 25-year loan tenure | $8,014.42 |
Minimum combined income required | $14,553.40 (exceeds income ceiling for BTO flats, see above) |
How much do you need to pay off your flat in 15 years?
Using an HDB loan
Details | Amount |
Downpayment (10% of $320,000) | $32,000 |
Loan quantum | $288,000 |
Monthly repayment on 15-year loan tenure | $1,933.94 |
Total interest paid on 15-year loan tenure | $60,109.15 |
Minimum combined income required | $6,446.46 |
Using a bank loan
Details | Amount |
Downpayment (25% of $320,000) | $80,000 |
Loan quantum | $240,000 |
Monthly repayment on 15-year loan tenure | $1,468.28 |
Total interest paid on 15-year loan tenure | $24,289.48 |
Minimum combined income required | $5,719 |
How much do you need to pay off your flat in 25 years?
Using an HDB loan
Details | Amount |
Downpayment (10% of $320,000) | $32,000 |
Loan quantum | $288,000 |
Monthly repayment on 25-year loan tenure | $1,306.57 |
Total interest paid on 25-year loan tenure | $103,970.45 |
Minimum combined income required | $4,355.23 |
More from Stacked
A First-Time Homebuyer’s Journey: My Personal Review Of 3 Resale Condos At Pasir Panjang + Tips!
My last article ended with me concluding that our next home would most likely be a resale condo. As my…
Using a bank loan
Details | Amount |
Downpayment (25% of $320,000) | $80,000 |
Loan quantum | $240,000 |
Monthly repayment on 25-year loan tenure | $937.46 |
Total interest paid on 25-year loan tenure | $41,237.63 |
Minimum combined income required | $4,005.00 |
To pay off the home loan only after 30 years:
HDB loans are capped at 25 years. If you start servicing the loan at 25, it’s not possible to stretch the loan tenure past the age of 50.
It is possible for bank loans though. The catch is that if the loan tenure exceeds 25 years, the maximum financing falls to 55 per cent. So you will need a bigger down payment, if you want to stretch the loan this far.
Do also note that the maximum loan tenure for bank loans financing HDB purchases is 30 years.
Details | Amount |
Downpayment (45% of $320,000) | $144,000 |
Loan quantum | $176,000 |
Monthly repayment on 30-year loan tenure | $590.66 |
Total interest paid on 30-year loan tenure | $36,639.28 |
Minimum combined income required | $2,634.40 |
In a bid to make things easier, we have also broken down how much it would cost to pay off a BTO in both a mature and non-mature estate. For this example, we’ve used prices from the recent BTO sales launch in November 2020 – Tengah (non-mature) and Toa Payoh (mature).
Minimum Combined Income for HDB Loan
Min. Income (HDB LOAN) | 3-Room | 4-Room | 5-Room |
Mature BTO Price | $324,000 | $466,000 | $627,000 |
By 30 Years Of Age | $17,293* | $24,873* | $33,466* |
By 40 Years Of Age | $6,527 | $9,388 | $12,631 |
By 50 Years Of Age | $4,410 | $6,342 | $8,534 |
Non-Mature BTO Price | $194,000 | $288,000 | $394,000 |
By 30 Years Of Age | $10,355 | $15,372* | $21,030* |
By 40 Years Of Age | $3,908 | $5,802 | $7,937 |
By 50 Years Of Age | $2,640 | $3,920 | $5,362 |
Do note that at 25, the maximum tenure is just 25 years for HDB loans.
Minimum Combined Income for Bank Loan
Min. Income (BANK LOAN) | 3-Room | 4-Room | 5-Room |
Mature Estate BTO Price | $324,000 | $466,000 | $627,000 |
By 30 Years Of Age | $14,735* | $21,193* | $28,516* |
By 40 Years Of Age | $5,791 | $8,328 | $11,206 |
By 50 Years Of Age | $4,055 | $5,832 | $7,847 |
By 55 Years Of Age | $2,667 | $3,836 | $5,162 |
Non-Mature Estate BTO Price | $194,000 | $288,000 | $394,000 |
By 30 Years Of Age | $8,823 | $13,098 | $17,919* |
By 40 Years Of Age | $3,467 | $5,147 | $7,042 |
By 50 Years Of Age | $2,428 | $3,604 | $4,931 |
By 55 Years Of Age | $1,597 | $2,371 | $3,244 |
*Not possible to do so given these income exceeds the ceiling for BTOs.
Do note that for bank loans exceeding 25 years in tenure for HDBs, the financing changes from an LTV of 75% to 55%.
What about paying off the entire loan with a windfall?
Sometimes, occurrences like winning the lottery, getting an inheritance, etc., provides an opportunity to pay off the outstanding home loan.
For HDB loans, you can do this anytime you want, without any penalty. For bank loans, you need to check for prepayment penalties. There is usually a period just after you take the loan (around three to five years is the norm), when you pay a penalty for trying to pay off the loan early.
With most banks, this comes to 1.5 per cent of the amount redeemed (e.g., if you try to pay off $100,000 at one go, you would pay $1,500 in penalty). This isn’t true of every loan package, so do check before you pay.

Finally, an important note on paying off your home loan early
Please keep in mind that it’s not prudent for everyone to pay off their flat loan by 30 or 40, even if they could.
A fully paid-up flat can’t pay for needs like meals or healthcare (unless you’re willing to sell the flat, which defeats the purpose). It’s a mistake to empty one’s savings on early home loan repayments, and end up needing personal loans in emergencies.
The typical unsecured loan has an interest rate of six to nine per cent, whereas HDB loans are only 2.6 per cent. In most such cases, the borrowers would be better off keeping cash for emergencies, paying their home loan slowly, and avoiding the use of other loans.
If you’re uncertain about how home loans work, or you need help with the numbers, drop us a message on Facebook. You can also follow us on Stacked, to know more about the Singapore property market, and for reviews on new and resale properties alike.
If you’d like to get in touch for a more in-depth consultation, you can do so here.
Ryan J
A seasoned content strategist with over 17 years in the real estate and financial journalism sectors, Ryan has built a reputation for transforming complex industry jargon into accessible knowledge. With a track record of writing and editing for leading financial platforms and publications, Ryan's expertise has been recognised across various media outlets. His role as a former content editor for 99.co and a co-host for CNA 938's Open House programme underscores his commitment to providing valuable insights into the property market.Read next from Property Market Commentary

Property Market Commentary I Reviewed HDB’s Showroom For 4 And 5-Room Flats. Here’s What Future Homeowners Should Know

Property Market Commentary The Biggest Misconceptions About Buying Property In Singapore’s CCR In 2025

Property Market Commentary 4 Potential Residential En Bloc Sites That Could Be Worth Watching In 2025

Property Market Commentary Can Singapore’s Housing Market Handle A Rapidly Ageing Population?
Latest Posts

Singapore Property News 9,800 New Homes Across 11 GLS Sites In 2H 2025: What To Know About Tanjong Rhu, Dover, And Bedok

Singapore Property News Why HDB Needs To Build More 4 Bedroom Flats

Homeowner Stories “If We Sell, We’ll Never Have A Home This Big Again”: What Singaporean Parents Do After The Kids Move Out

Property Advice How Much Is Your Home Really Worth? How Property Valuations Work in Singapore

Property Investment Insights Singapore Property Data Is Transparent: But Here’s Why It Can Still Mislead You

Pro Why Marina Bay Suites May Look Like a Poor Performer—But Its 4-Bedroom Units Tell a Different Story

On The Market 5 Cheapest Convenient 1-Bedders Near Integrated Developments From $800k

Property Advice Why I Had Second Thoughts After Buying My Dream Home In Singapore

Pro Why This 40-Year-Old Leasehold Condo Beat Newer Developments: A Case Study Of Loyang Valley

Editor's Pick 50 New Launch Condos With Balance Units Remaining In 2025 (From $1,440 PSF)

Editor's Pick Is Arina East Residences Worth A Look? A Detailed Pricing Review Against District 15 Alternatives

Singapore Property News This West-Side GLS Plot Just Got A $608M Bid And 6 Bidders: Why Lakeside Drive Bucked The Trend

Editor's Pick Touring A Rare Stretch of Original 2-Storey Freehold Terrace Homes At Joo Chiat Place From $3.02m

Singapore Property News The 1KM Primary School Rule In Singapore: Fair Game Or Property Power Play?

Singapore Property News 1,765 Punggol Northshore HDB Flats Reaching MOP: Should You Sell Quickly or Wait?
