Reno Journey: Choosing ID and Contractors




When you think that renovation is as easy as playing The SIMS online, you are mistaken. Unless you have been dreaming about your dream home since the day you were born , it will require tons of research stretching to days, months and even years. In my case, I only had 2 months to find a forever home and choose my ID. I am old school, so I had to use spreadsheet to collate information and list down the things I need to do. I also had to browse around forums such as renotalk, hardwarezone, homeanddecor, visit pinterest, youtube, and join facebook groups. It also didn't hurt to subscribe to telegram chatgroups, @SgReno and @SgRenoProducts to find out more about renovating (it's a chat group where like-minded individuals share their thoughts on renovation). While researching, I caught a glimpse of what people were sharing about in their renovation journey.  (So do your research!) 

So to help you readers start on your renovation journey, I've listed a couple of things that might help you towards your  renovation journey.  Just do bear in mind that at this time, you already know what you want for your design and have a vision board. Good Luck! 

Ask for friend's contractor/ID.

You are not alone in this world. There are friends who have been on this journey before. They're really a great bunch of people willing to lend an ear and helping hand when you need them the most. Thanks to them, you'll have an idea on what you need to do.  Friends also share their experiences and what to watch out for, do heed their advice and be on alert. Ultimately, the decision is still yours whether you want to engage their contractor or source them yourselves.

On my renovation journey, I asked friends, and friends' friends and solicited some advice. They were more than willing to share their experience and answer all my qualms, and I thank them for that ( you know who you are).


List down the things you need to do

You need this to convey to your future ID/Contractor on what essentially you want to do for your house. You will have a spiel and your contractor/ID will take note of. Some will offer advice, others will impose their strategy and design on you. You do take note of that peculiarity and if that will sit well with you. Also, do browse from forum - renotalk, hardwarezone, hometrust (Be forewarn, there are a lot of information you need to read) and telegram, to give a glimpse of problems encountered by people who are on the reno journey.

Shortlist the things you need to do in the house, and identify whether they can still be compromised.

Shortlist your contractors

Once you have a list of the contractors, do check if they are hdb accredited (if they have credentials) or what people have to say online. How are their works? None of the IDs showed us their work (but would always direct us to their fb where you could see a 5star recommendation from previous client. ) I am not interested in testimonials.

Check if your contractor/ID are responsive 

Do you get your quote on time? Are they amenable for weeknight late night sit down, and weekend meet up? Normally, IDs work 6x a week, 1 day off (but they say that even on their off days they still have to think about work).

Check their credentials
Below are some of the links to check the credentials of your potential ID/contractor 

Check your contractor/ID rapport

Do you always get rejected? Do they give some insight on what should be avoided? Are they practical? Are they after more variation order?

Collect as much quote as you can

Visit at least 5 IDs and compare the quote. (I visited more than 10 IDs and narrowed it down to final 2 at the end of the month) .You can get a gauge whether or not the prices are fair or not. This will also let you have a gauge on what is the market rate for the ID. 

Price Range for 4 Room, Resale flat, with Kitchen, Store Room and Toilet + Additional Carpentry for Wardrobe:  31,0000 - 40,000 (some with electrical works, some without electrical works, some with upgraded carpentry and premium quartz)

To help to calculate your reno cost, this is a useful Calculator tool. 

Set a deadline 

Like in any projects , you need to set a deadline and be wary of your timeline. (As I was still renting,  moving out of the rental place was my first priority. The earlier I can move to my own place, the better. ) You also need to check if the timeline overlaps with any major holiday that may cause interruption like CNY. Work your time backwards and check how early on should I decide to settle for an ID/Contractor. 


Note: This post was made before Covid19. 

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