Is the optional component scheme worth?

Hi Anon,

Here is the response from the SeedlyTV BTO Special (09:50 to 12:56).

"So okay OCS is the Optional Component Scheme and if you opt in for that it means that your flat will come in with pretty much the basic stuff, so tiles being done, doors, sanitary things, technically you can just move in. Okay everything's all done yeah.

So if you choose not to right then this is what you get. Okay and you can sleep la but it's just not very comfortable.

Okay so my personal experience right was that when I went down to HDB to go and see like what -

So okay, so for all you guys that are new right if you're going to HDB hub or if you're planning to like get your BTO flat right, make a point to go down to the showroom and have a look at what the fittings are like.

So they'll show you examples of what the floor tile is like, or what the door will be as well, so sometimes its plain or varnish or usually its like some kind of a laminate thing, but yeah okay so the thing is that go down and touch the tiles, go and see if it is really what you like.

Yeah you might laugh right, okay it's a very important thing to really go there and touch the tiles. Okay so why is this important right is that I have friends who they just look at the picture right they say "okay very good" but there's a problem.

So with tiles right there are some that are maybe more slightly more slippery as compared to others. So like if you're if you're living with aged parents right, then yeah so that's not very good right if you're cleaning the floors or whatever then it gets extra slippery. Or like young kids who are running yeah.

Or in my case is that when I went to look at the tiles that they were gonna use for our OCS right, um there were like very obvious smudges, not that it is bad quality but it is just something that i don't want to live with.

So let's say if someone who can afford to pay more for renovation costs because I would say that maybe OCS might end up a cheaper alternative than like having everything installed by themselves. So if someone likes what they see when they go down, and like the budget is within their limit then okay OCS might be a good consideration.

I'm definitely not knocking OCS so there are some estates with projects with very good OCS feedings and it's a very cost effective way to get your house just like done and you can basically live in everything there's nothing wrong with it at all.

It just boils down to your personal preference.

Yeah so if you just think that you're working a very tight budget or you don't want to spend so much on the house then the OCS is actually a very cost effective way to get your new flat uh ready to live in if you shifted immediately okay yeah."

And if you're keen for another story sharing with regards to the OCS scheme, do refer to the SeedlyTV BTO Special (1:00:45 to 1:05:10).

Hope this helps!​​​

I really think this is a very subjective question because what the Optional Component Scheme (OCS) offers can be very different depending on the launch project.

Ultimately, the general consensus is if you're not planning to do a massive renovation - since your BTO will be pretty close to move-in condition, then OCS is a relatively cheap addition (that you can pay via CPF!) to ensure your fixtures are all ready to go.

The main caveat for me is that you're making this decision 4-5 years in advance, so it's hard to say if you're really getting value for money when you think about it. i.e. what might be trendy now may look dated by the time you move in.

Of course, if you already have a whole aesthetic/theme in mind and you're planning to renovate your flat, then there's a pretty high chance the OCS will not be in-line with your plans.

The HDB Sales Office is by appointment only while in Phase II (thanks COVID!) but you should be able to check out the finishings there just before you make your decision.