When you’re on your house hunting journey, an extremely key component is whether you think you can live in that unit. Of course, the financial side of things and the unit’s location plays a bigger role (maybe not for you), but one critical aspect is whether you can visualise this place as your home.
You may want to think of some key questions when you’re viewing your potential unit. Can I put up my fancy waterfall fountain here? Can I build a man cave without my wife killing me, right over there? How can I fit my 55 inch tv so I can catch all my favourite Korean dramas?
Once that visualisation is done and it’s a place you can see yourself staying in, you’ll then need to put your vision into action through renovation. Considering this is your first home, it’s going to be a challenge as you’ve never gone through this before. We’re a helpful bunch at SRX so here are some of our tips to help you on your house renovation journey.
1) It starts way in advance!
If you thought the renovation works start only once you get the keys, you’re very wrong! It starts way in advance and your first starting point should be on how you want your home to look like. It requires you to look ahead to when you receive your place possibly months or years down the road. Are you looking to have a child? Or will you be staying with elderly parents or an extended family?
Knowing the plans you have down the road will be extremely important in determining how and what you need to renovate your place. Once you have your hands on the floorplan, start thinking about how much space you need which is probably the most critical priority before you start on anything else.
Thereafter, you’ll want to think of the aesthetics of your place. It’s best to have a clear vision of the style and design you’re after so you won’t be distracted throughout the renovation.
2) Setting the budget for your makeover
I’m sure if there was no limit on spending on your renovation, you’d include over-the-top refurbishments to your place. But #life so we know that’s highly unlikely unless you have money to burn like a billionaire. As such, it’s best that you set aside a budget that you’re comfortable with. Seeing as your renovation is likely to cost a 5-digit sum, you’ll want to consider what is a need and want. Having said that, try not to set a fixed amount but give yourself a bit of a cushion if need be, should any additional costs crop up over the renovation process.
In doing that, you’ll have a better sense of what you can or can’t afford and limits you on overspending on what you don’t necessarily need.
3) Who do I go with?
This is probably the most frequently asked question when someone is looking to start on their renovation journey. Do I go with a contractor or should I choose an Interior Designer (ID)? What’s the difference between the two?
There’s a significant difference, with an interior designer being a middleman, while a contractor has that direct engagement and contact with you. If you have no clue about the whole renovation process or aren’t even sure of the design you’re looking for, you will require a lot more help and will need to hire an ID. An ID will cover the entire renovation process – from the start through the idea and plans for your home based on your requirements and wants, right up to the end of the project when your home is ready! In other words, you can be a bit more hands-off as an ID will oversee your home’s renovation. However, seeing as there’s a lot more work involved, you’ll need to account for the higher costs associated with an ID. Also, be sure to get regular updates from your ID on the status of the renovation.
However, if you know what you have specifically in mind, then you can look to hire a contractor, who will simply execute your idea. However, you’ll need to be extremely specific of what you’re after as you will be the one managing the renovation process. Seeing as you remove the middleman out of the equation, a contractor will be a cheaper option.
Once you’ve made the decision, then comes the next big question: Which ID or contractor do I go with? Count on recommendations from close friends and family members for a start as you’ll have a first-hand view of how the renovation turned out as well as the whole engagement process. Be sure to do your research and if possible, find out more from past clients on how it was like working with the select ID or contractor. Don’t simply jump on the cheapest option out there as you may live to regret it.
4) Try out your new home!
Once everything’s complete, you may want to stay in your house for a couple of days, simply because you’ll want to make sure everything is working fine and there aren’t any issues whatsoever. Once you’ve made the remaining payment, your ID or contractor washes their hands off the job so you’ll want to catch any problems and get them sorted while you still can.
While your renovation journey might cause a headache or two along the way, look ahead to the end where you’ll be in a place you can truly call home.
With all that’s been said, you’ll need a house first to even think about renovating it. If you’re leaning towards a BTO, do check out SRX’s HDB BTO Launches page that provides you with all the relevant BTO information you’ll need at a glance. However, if you’re considering getting a resale unit, simply head on over to SRX’s Singapore HDB Directory page where you can browse units via HDB towns and/or easily view HDB flats that are up for sale.
Source: editorial