Your Home Renovation, Step by Step.

Not to start this guide by an anxiety driving fact, but the truth is that there might be only a few right ways to renovate your house, but there are a gazillion things ways that it may go wrong. The one way to avoid a whole fiasco would be to plan, plan and plan, also if it’s not emphasised enough, you could plan some more. The purpose of this article is now to not only deep dive into knowing what exactly is the right way, but also breaking it down to understand the step-by-step process, that’s why you need to plan out the next 1-2 months of renovation work and where each segment of the renovation fits into the whole renovation schedule. 

​Step 1: The Design and the Planning 

​The first thing to do would be to bring out a notebook and a pen or Excel sheet and make notes on everything from ideas to costing from suppliers to even advice from friends or people who have gone through this journey of renovation.  

​Like with any kind of project, you cannot start without a plan in mind. If not, it is inevitable to be seeing some delays around. The first step to take when planning for your renovation is to start with the end goal, this means that you need to have a hard think to understand what do you envision for your home? Is it Modern design, Contemporary design, Scandinavian design, Minimalist design, industrial or Oriental style? At this stage it is crucial to expose yourself to a multitude of home renovation styles and unique furnishing ideas that could suit you. It is fair to note, that most images on your mood board might not replicate exactly as the measurements might not match, hence it is advisable to measure with a tape, each furniture piece as well as the space you wish to install it in, you wish to purchase beforehand.  

​After forming a rough idea, you would want to hire either an interior designer to start the execution process. There are hundreds of Interior designer in Singapore. Take your time to look around and seek for advice with your planned requirements. The rule of thumb is don’t just look at the quote but also the materials, products and services provided.

​Step 2: Planning the Bucks 

​Renovation works can cost anywhere between $20k to $80k and even more, depending on how extreme or conventional you want to go. Thus, it is important for you to start with the budgeting first before you go on to the actual renovation steps or you would have no idea when the money flew out of your wallets.  
 
There also exists an option of taking up a renovation loan, for people who might not be willing to pay the entirety of the amount at once. Do check with your bank to see what is the renovation loan quantum that they are willing to lend to you and the cost (i.e. interest rate) of the renovation loan. 

​Step 3: The Hacking 

​Depending on the design you have in mind, there might or might not be any large-scale demolition involved. If you’re planning to restructure entirely the house, it is best to go through your interior designer before finalising any such plans, as they will be able to advise after checking with the relevant bodies (HDB or other) whether your desired changes are permitted. Singapore as we know is very particular about what goes on within. Most experienced interior designer will be able to advise you based on their experience on what can or cannot be done, they will have fixed systems in place of waste disposal etc as well.  

​More and more Singaporeans are embracing and venturing into open concept kitchen, as they’re the gateway into a chic lifestyle,  while there are others who are joining two bedrooms to create a walk-in wardrobe cum dressing room, also giving them more space, there are people who hack a bedroom wall to have a spacious living room as well. If you have a wall that requires hacking, do it first. Get the noise, the dust and the rubble out of the way so that you can assess the newly opened up space with a fresh eye and make any adjustments to your plans, if need be, after having a fresh look at the open-ness of your home. 

​Step 4: The Plumbing and Wiring in Your Home 

​This step is crucial to be executed early on and should be planned and done in advance, if possible, in the renovation as this could dictate the direction of your renovation along with trunking of the air conditioner.   

This essential skilled work can affect other aspects of renovation and will often require digging out channels in your walls and possibly your floors. Hence it needs to be done before the plastering, which will smooth over any lumps and bumps left behind by plumbers and electricians. 

​Step 5: The Major Structural Building in Your Home 

​We’re talking the big things, which might involve erecting walls or big scale built-in fixtures like bar counters and built-in robes, or kitchen islands. Depending on your contractor, the latter are often built off-site in carpentry workshops, and fitted on-site at the home. 

​Step 6: Tiling Works

This step usually applies to the kitchen and bathrooms, and possibly floors. Leave it to a professional ­– cutting tiles to fit snugly around pipes and taps is no easy feat. Correct surface preparation and the right adhesive are crucial to a good result. 

Many homeowners intend to change the floor tiles of their home, however this does raise the cost for an additional $6,000 upwards depending on the kind of material and the size of your house. 

​Step 7: The Actual Roof on Top of Your Head

​Inclined towards wall ceilings which beautify your home? Common areas for false ceiling include the living area, dining area, bedroom passageway area, and foyer area. These lights are extremely aesthetically pleasing and embellish your home like no other for a beautiful night mood.  

​Step 8: The Carpentry Works

​Carpentry work can be done for items like kitchen cabinets, wardrobes, TV consoles, doors, feature walls, bed frames, false ceilings, and different kinds of tables and cabinets. 
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Try negotiating for a better price if using the same material and design for the whole house, it’s better to use low formaldehyde emission furniture since that is a way to protect your and your family’s health in the long run. 

​Step 9: The Aesthetics-frication

​You can choose to paint patterns, have different wall colours for each room or each wall – it’s up to your imagination.

​Wallpaper would be the lower cost option to creative painting and easily changeable as your tastes change in the future 

​Step 10: Finishing It Up

​Besides the dirt and rubbish, the other things you need to setup includes the Wi-Fi and the placement of your home furniture. You will need to plan the right delivery date for your furniture and Wi-Fi so that you can move into your newly renovated home smoothly. 

​Step 11: Living It Up!

​There might a multitude of surprises or hiccups along the way but you must remember that the renovation process is only for you and your lifestyle’s upgrade. All that’s left to do is to cherish it’s fruits and make tons of memories in your new home as you foster your happy life in it!