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Hi All, I'm getting my new hdb home 4room latest by June 2014 I guess... Will like to seek opinions & source for renovation quotation from you guys as well.. Like to know: 1) is it a must to use ID for renovating? looking for reliable & responsible contractors as well... 2) if no ID, is there any good contractor out there that does almost same work scope as the ID? 3) walk-in wardrobe in the bedroom is a must from my partner... looking to spend around $20k, will it be enough...? 4) already opted for flooring & doors done by HDB which I think may be a mistake to do that on my part but already done.... 5) need help from you guys to recommend me reliable IDs & Contractors for these... 6) please leave contact or website if any as well.. Please post your comments or pm me if u like. Thank you very much...

Is it really more cost effective if u look for Contractor directly compared to Interior Designer? Interior Designer: Some have said that the first fee the IDs charge will be the design, concept, planning and maybe even decorating. Next, the IDs will get the relevant contractors to come in and the contractors may markup the price so the IDs can get a cut off it. Gd news is they will work hand in hand in most cases and give u lesser worries but that may also take away some of ur participation. Contractor: To go for a contractor straight, i would say you hv some form of an idea what you want in a hse. The material cost may not be necessary cheaper as usually they will not give u the discounted price that they give to IDs for them to mark up. Alot of participation may be required as they may not knw things like where to place the lighting or wiring etc as usually IDs will advise them. Some of the more experienced contractors may knw what u want and need and even give suggestions but would they cost more, im not sure... Any seniors here can share their thoughts on who is better or cheaper? Getting my keys in under 18mths. I would say i roughly know wat theme or decor i need in my hse but not sure does it gel up together in whole and currently trying to get as much ideas as possible.

Hi all, I am going to collect my keys to my place next year and have started to look for ID for preparation of my flat. Mine is a 4 room BTO which I have opted for flooring and doors to be done. So far I have went to about 4 IDs, some are too expensive and some way too cheap. I even have 1 quotation from an ID for whole house renovation, including changing of kitchen table top from solid surface to quartz, having a full length mirror at dinning, false ceiling for whole house (except 2 bedrooms) and making dinning bench all for $11,888. As a newbie, I would like any advise on how much a rough 4 room BTO renovation would cost and any recommendation so that I can have a better idea. Thank you!

I will like to share my experiences with you, now that my unit is 85% done. Since early 2013 i have been trawling this website looking for information and engaging in a self learning process of ways to renovate my brand new unit (just TOP). I just want to say that one of the most commonly made mistakes everyone here make is to fall into the trap of looking for something / someone that is the "cheapest" out there. I also played with the idea of getting a design drawn and hiring my own contractors to do the job. Well, i am glad i didn't. Here's why. 1) There is no way to compare 'quotes' from one ID with another. Unless the quotes are fully itemized (they never will be) and branded properly, there is no way to compare the quality of fixtures and materials used by one ID versus another. 2) Things are bound to go wrong during the renovation process. There will be delays, there will be ad-hoc problems to be solved. One should include the price that one pays for the ID to involve their problem-solving capabilities. 3) One of the biggest reasons why one uses an ID is their ability and responsibility of managing the main contractor, carpenter, soft fixtures (curtains + wall paper), etc. One cannot just look at their prices quoted and know how good they are in doing this. Keep in mind these people (contractors, etc) are a different breed - they are difficult to manage. You can read about all the horror stories posted here regarding them. Before selecting on my current ID, i went out and got 3 competing quotes. I almost fell into the trap of choosing the cheapest ID. Now that i am 85% done with my stuff, i wonder if i will be as happy now if i had selected the cheaper alternative. Here's why. 1) My ID is very much on the ball - so much so, he PUSHES me to meet all my deadlines. When there is a problem, it is an instant phone call and we work together to solve the problem. 2) My ID is passionate about his work and talented. So much so that many of my earlier suggestions have been proven wrong. 3) There is no limit to the number of times he has visited my sites to make sure the contractors are working on schedule, and constantly rectify things on the spot if mistakes are made by them. 4) He controls the timing and schedule of his workers very well and adheres very strictly to the proposed schedule and handover timing between us. So in a nutshell, i am blessed because i made the right decision. Is 1-4 a reason why i had paid a premium (10-20%) versus the cheaper alternative? The answer is yes. It's a small price to pay for 1) things to happen and finish on time 2) Furnishings and fixtures to be top quality 3) Full transparency of things paid 4) Ability to pay and set up things myself (furniture, soft furnishings) while he focuses on the (fixed features) to jointly reduce the total costs of renovating 5) High level of trust. Having read many threads here on selecting IDs, i would recommend that forummers here do NOT fall into the trap of going for something that is the cheapest Go for a personalized service and think if one will pay a premium for all the intangibles as what i wrote above. In short, go for someone whom your friend/family/relatives/colleague have used and have high marks for execution and talent. In short, use the power of referrals in your selection process. In my case, this particular ID was used by my brother and that's how i settled on him because he did a great job for him. Never under estimate the power of referrals and relationships when it comes to choosing the right ID for your renovation work!

I bought a resale flat in Yishun early Feb 2013 and key collected in April 2013. Now my flat renovation is about half way through so I just want to share my experience about the renovation. As I have no experience in renovation, I started browsing through the megazine and found that they give free consultation on space planning so I decided to fax my floor plan to 1 of the magazines. The second thing I did was to google and found Reno talk website.I find the forum quite informative at least to me as a green horn in renovation. . A few days later, id firms started to contact me and arranging for meetings. I've arranged meeting id firms from: Ubi, Balestier, Joo Chiat, Tannery Lane and Kallang. The procedure for the meet ups are quite similar, questions they will ask : What concept you hv in mind for yr flat, budget, any special requirement ....... My ideal reno concept is Modern Resort and my budget is 50k because the flat I bought is a resale flat and is from JTC (they rented out the unit) so condition is very bad, I basically hv to redo the whole flat. I received the proposal and quotes from the id firms and started checking out the forums regards to the 5 id firms. After much consideration I've shortlisted 2 id firms : from Balestier and Tanney Lane and I went down for 2nd meet up. -- During the second meet up the id firm at Balestier promise to add in alot of additional stuff (full height mirror, vanity top.....) and want me to sign the contract on the spot. (Strange thing is during our 1st and 2nd meet up , when we are in discussion in their office cum showroom there is a guy lying at the sofa starring and listen to our conversation?????) -- The second meet up at Tannery Lane, ID go through and explain the quotation item by item and if necessary he will give me suggestion to keep the cost to my budget. He even ask me to go back, digest the quotation and he will follow up with me in a later date. So guest what? I chose the id from Tanney Lane, they are not the cheapest but they are more transparent and their image of company is so far the best of all 5 id firm. Well, now got to wait to verify their service and workmenship. I will update in a later date!! That's for now, I am willing to upload the 3D drawing if there is any request ya!

Hi Guys, Please leave your comments below. thank thank Or any of you have other good IDs to recommend? Our budget is 40K, can do an average sort of renovation? Mindy

Hi, would love to know if anyone engage y-axis interior. their basic pkg for new 4rm premium flat is $11800 with free gift of system 3 daikin aircon, soft closure for all cabinets & drawers, and free hood,hob & sink. is it too cheap to be good? any tips on how to see if their workmanship is good? cos currently their company is under reno thus cant really see their showroom. tried finding reviews on their company online but dunt even have one. thus would appreciate if any of you can kindly advise. thanks!