Due to lack of experience, many homeowners will lose in direction when it comes to renovation, often step on the pit, and only find various problems after the renovation is completed. Today I will share with you the things/steps you must know before the renovation, keep your eyes open, let's take a loo now!
Step 1# Know What You Want
This is the first question you must know. Answering this question can give you an effective understanding of the scope of renovation needs. This involves aspects such as does the toilet needs to be refurbished? Which existing furniture can continue to be used? When do you plan to move in? How to allocate the space at home?
After you understand your needs and the problems that need to be solved, you can start to perform follow-up work, such as collecting design inspirations, checking the types of furniture and electrical appliances, etc.
Step 2# Know Your Budget And Finances
In Singapore, most of the renovation requirements will be completed within 3 months, during which up to 95% of the renovation fee has to be paid. You can consider a loan for a house renovation, pre-calculate and plan the financial situation, and set an upper limit for the required expenditures.
With that say, budgeting is very important when renovating. The key areas for calculation include carpentry, furniture, flooring, and electrical appliances. You can distribute most of your budget on carpentry work, such as kitchen cabinets, wardrobes, TV consoles, etc. Because these are custom projects, which may take up 40-50% of your budget.
However, in most cases, no matter how accurate the budget you have set in the beginning, some money must be prepared for unexpected use during the renovation. This is because the cost of renovation may change due to changes in time, materials, and so the needs of your sudden change of requirement.
Note: The interest rate of a renovation loan is lower than that of a personal loan, However, there are certain restrictions on the use of funds. Check processing/management/handling fees before confirming with the bank.
Step 3# Know Your Contractor/Interior Designer
Commonly there are two options available in Singapore, the first one is to find an interior design-based company to do the works; the second one is simply hiring a renovation/contractor-based company to perform the work. For the first one, although usually, it is costlier, you can expect more personalized designs; for the second one, it is majorly pressing on practicality and budget-friendly.
There are one thing to know about the contractor is the HDB renovation permit which approved by Singapore government authorities. The renovation work in Singapore should be and can only be done by a firm that is HDB-registered. If they are not, it would be illegal to carry out the works. Hence be sure to check with the company that performs the renovation work, and ask them to help with securing the renovation permission and so other essential tasks.
Notes: Many companies now provide free quotes for the owner before signing the contract. We encourage you to compare them so that you can have a more informed choice. Besides, there have several one-stop renovation companies that have both in-house interior designer and handyman, can check it out and contact here so that you can have both personalized design and budget-friendly for renovation.
Step4# Know The Project Timeline
As mentioned earlier, house renovations in Singapore will generally be completed within 3 months, so it can be said that the tasks are tightly arranged.
Making a complete project timeline can effectively supervise whether the work is completed on time, be prepared for emergencies, and help you estimate your move-in date, especially for resale apartments. Hence it is crucial to get the full project timeline from your contractor or interior designer.
Step 5# Know The Design
As stated in the first point, you have to know what you want, be clear on what is in your mind, and now is the time to tell it to the designers.
While discussing with the designer, It is often that people will get more ideas throughout the meeting, but you should choose your materials, furniture, and accessories wisely. There's no needs to be best, but should always prefer quality over cost. If your budget is your main issue, resolve the items on the priority list, then gradually decorate your home with other items in the design.
Many owners told me that he has interviewed a few designers, but none of them get what he wants. Hence, it is important to go through the 2D and 3D designs which they show you before moving to the next step. Be careful and attentive to details, ask if you don't understand, because it might cost you pay extra money if make a change at the last minute to the things that you never noticed before.
Step 6# Know The Progress
Keep in touch with the person in charge at all times, and you can ask the decoration company to follow up and report the work progress in real-time. Usually, the person in charge (or site coordinator) will supervise the work on-site but you can go to the site for inspection if necessary. In this way, mistakes can be detected at the earlier phase, and unnecessary/unexpected costs can be avoided to the greatest extent.
In addition, the renovation of the house is cumbersome and various situations need to be dealt with during the construction period. It is recommended that the homeowner find a reliable and experienced professional contractor company to be responsible for the whole process to ensure the smooth completion of the renovation project.
