My neighbour on level 2 at 311 Yishun Ring Road just moved in, and I saw a transaction from last September for a lower level unit—does this mean the sale was completed and keys were received, or was it just the HDB resale application approval?

For HDB resale transactions, when you see a sale record from last year September for the level below you, this typically reflects the transaction completion date—meaning the new buyer has legally taken over the unit, received the keys, and can move in.

Usually, the HDB resale process takes about 8 to 12 weeks from the time both parties submit the resale application to HDB, to the actual completion where keys are handed over. The date you see in transaction records is generally the completion date, not just the resale application approval date. HDB’s approval usually comes a few weeks earlier in the process, while key collection and physical moving-in usually happens at or shortly after the transaction completion.

If your neighbour shifted in around early this year, following a sale registered in September last year, it is consistent with the standard timeline. Sometimes sellers request a temporary extension of stay (up to three months), so the actual move-in date could be later than the completion, depending on the arrangement. But by the time a resale transaction is recorded as completed, the buyer is entitled to collect the keys and, unless otherwise agreed, move in.