Wednesday, 8 June 2016

Renovation Blues

If you're engaging an ID (Interior Designer/Decorator) it definitely would be more expensive than a Contractor. The latter is only advised if you know what you want, and your contractor knows how to give you what you want. Make sure you check licences! I got an electrician once who installed an electrical point, which short-circuited during a thunder storm a few weeks later. He was highly unprofessional (late, disappeared for an hour etc.) and was inflexible, challenging me when I asked to view his license claiming I don't trust him issit. In truth, I didn't, but he was aggressive. He charged less than others who advertised and I should have suspected, even though he advertised with a purported license number. Rookie mistakes.

Renovation Costs - I look through Qanvast to look at what bang I can get for my buck, and also to look at interesting designs and to figure out what may appeal to me. Hopefully if I am able to spell out what I want to the ID, they'd be able to negotiate on the ID fee.

Most importantly, know what style you want, and bring your floor plan.

If I had this house, I could convert the store into a walk-in wardrobe. In a house I viewed, they extended the store into the common room, and made it into another room for their son. Wall doesn't go all the way up, and an air-con that ventilates both rooms is right above it. Cool, right? In this plan, you can hack the kitchen wall to make a open kitchen concept which is ideal for light cooking.

You may think, 3-room standard what. But apparently, door placement, storeroom, where the toilet is, etc. does make a HUGE difference. I like how the MBR toilet door does not face into the room. Same with the front door that faces a living room wall rather than straight on like the Bedok design.


Renovation Considerations for HDB
Some cost estimates are given in this Renovation Cost Breakdown list on Qanvast from 2015.
Note that hacking a wall can easily cost $40  $60/ft. Not all walls can be hacked as some are structural, and permit has to be sought from HDB. Consider hacking half a wall to bring cost down.
Installation of a bathtub requires a permit too. However with leaking and maintenance issues, now the trend is lighterweight free-standing tubs. I much prefer a soak tub though.
Illegal modifications have to be re-instated before selling off the flat, or to HDB inspection, whichever is earlier, though who can predict the latter?

To give you an idea:
For $16,800 for a 3-Room Renovation Package from Home Reno Pte. Ltd. you get these.

I saw these quotes for renovations at the ID shops at IMM on 10 June while I was there:

This ID was just a store away but quieter here, and staff didn't seem to have much initiative working at their desks. They didn't even look up when customers went by and stopped to read.

It was more busy here and it could have been the strategic placing of a bench right outside. I think this is the most thorough advertisement quote I've seen yet.


The current promotion by Mason & Tiler lists 3-Room Renovation Package at $5900. When I enquired at their store, they said it would just be standard materials, nothing fancy. They are located near my parent's place, so I can save on time and transport too. Good to know when you have many revisions to make.
Their Kitchen and Both Toilets package is $7888. That is a $612 cost saving for this section according to their estimates. 

It includes:

  1) Supply and lay kitchen & both toilet flooringSGD 1900
  2) Construct one fridge base, washing machine base and cabinet base         SGD 280
  3) Supply and install 20 Fts laminate cabinetSGD 2400
  4) Supply and install one postform kitchen topSGD 200
  5) Supply and install one stainless sink & dish washerSGD 260
  6) Supply and install 2 toilet bowlSGD 1100
  7) Supply and install 2 wash basinSGD 500
  8) Supply and install stop valves for W/C and basinSGD 120
  9) Supply and install stainless steel piping for both toiletSGD 880
10) Supply and install 2 bi-fold toilet doorSGD 560
11) Supply and install 2 spray gunSGD 50
12) Removal of debrisSGD 250
 TOTAL: SGD 8500
F.O.C
*Application of H.D.B permit
*Chemical wash for whole kitchen & 2 toilet flooring
* 5 years workmanship warranties

You can go over to the Home Reno Guru to look at portfolios of Renovation work done by IDs and look at the costs involved too.
Take for example, for a 3-room resale flat, the packages listed started from about $8000 (of course, when I clicked on it, the cheapest portfolio was for $20000) and went all the way to about $35000. 

The safest estimate is to add another about 30% to 50% to the cost, just like when you schedule a delivery, you add another 2-3 hours for the parcel to arrive, or when they tell you the renovation work will be done by this date, you keep a few days to a week buffer still.

Everything runneth over.


Welcome to Singapore... Everything spills over.
Also make sure your ID or Contractor includes these items which tend to add up in your quote:
HDB renovation permit (IMPORTANT!)
Chemical wash (make sure you ask advice if your tiles are black... as apparently it can fade the hue.)
Haulage and debris removal
Labour cost for installations (They may need to engage electrician or plumber for certain specialised tasks too.)
Cardboard protection and cover sheet protection (for furniture or things already there, and for scratch-proofing the flooring)
Who does the cleaning of premises?
--> These items when overlooked tend to add up, and if compromised, damage control can be expensive too.

As you're working most probably, it may be better advised to engage an ID who can check on the quality of work in your absence (as reno work can be prolonged and during office hours) and advise you on the quality of material suited for the function of the design item.

(Update 07/08/16) Found this link on Qanvast recently, and have been itching to share it with you... 12 3-Room HDBs with ingeniously large layouts.

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