I always believe that one of the best experience one could have in a life journey is to build (or refurbish) a house; for it offers the opportunity of deep self-discovery. The experience is very different from say, buying a condo and renovating it. Over here, there is relatively fewer of such opportunity when compared with where, say, one is living in Australia or New Zealand. So, when presented one, I say don't let go of the opportunity. For a well designed landed, it typically addressed the issues of natural lighting, ventilation and landscape. A truly outstanding design, in my opinion, is in the detail; the relationship between the house and the landscape (how the natural lighting comes into the house, what do you see looking out, what do people see looking in, how the house complements the neighborhood etc), the material used for the facade and then internally. Over here, I think that most architects would rush through a project. And most IDs have very little experience in landed project, or they tend to design it for a condo (it is actually far more difficult to ID a bigger space than smaller). So, to build a house or refurbish one, the owner should be more participative; actively rather than passively. To address some of the questions raised: - There is no such thing as a contractor that could cover all aspects of a refurbishment. If the contractor is a main contractor, then most of the works are subcontracted (in this case, he is no better than an ID who subcontracts the works as well.). - There are bylaws related to a house refurbishment. For example, one couldn't just widen a driveway without a written consent from LTA; while anything inside the gate belongs to you, anything just outslde the gate belongs to LTA. - For landscaping, it is better to approach a landscaping company directly. (And plant a couple of trees, wouldn't you?) And for a video break.
Enjoy!