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When I looked at my contractor's recent projects in his facebook and instagram, I am getting more and more impressed with his artwork and renovation interior designs.  I have taken the liberty of posting some of his pictures here below.  Enjoy!

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It is a long time since I posted anything.  I posted part of this comment in another tread and I thought I added these suggestions here for anyone seeking renovation contractors or IDs.  

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I think for owners to sign their interior designers or contractors, they should do their homework.  My own 10 suggestions for appointing an ID or contractor as follows:

1) Do an Acra company search to check - directors, owners, date of incorporation, capital, etc.  it costs only $5 I think which is a small sum to what you are paying them.

2) Check their HDB Renovation contractor license - avoid those without licence if possible, unless you know them personally.  Do note that a lot of ID borrow licence from professional licence issurers for a fee for every project if I am not mistaken.  Check whether the name of the licence holder which is on HDB website is the same as the companies' directors.  It is even better if your renovator is the same HDB licence holder.  It is so easy for any one to open and shut a renovation company, and then start another one.  Nowadays, even automotive car companies and gyms are having similar issues.  Having a nice showroom and office, does not meant they will not shut down and leave you hanging after paying for your works.

3) Pay them in stages.  If possible, do progressive payments.  I read somewhere in Renotalk forum that some other contractors do this.  I know it can be done because my contractor have quite similar payment method - he only collects after he started work or materials delivered at site or completion of that stage of works.  If your contractor or ID simply refuse any other progressive options except theirs of paying over 90 percent for works that are not even near what is completed, I suggest you keep looking for one or be careful because hopefully you are not being setup to be a scam victim.  

4) Never pay cash to sale designers as I have heard some of them run away with the payment.  Even if you pay to the company, pay only to the owner or director of the company as listed in Acra search.

5) Take a picture of the director and sales designer's face and his NRIC.  They should come handy in your police report in case of problems or identification of who you are dealing with and are they the same persons as shown in the Acra company report or the quotation you received from them.  I think if they are honest, I don't see a problem if they can take a photo of my NRIC and I cannot take theirs.

6) Project completion deadlines to be included, perhaps with some flexibility but not 6 or 7 or more months when it should take not more than 3 months.

7) Have the clause option in the contract to stop the project at any stage and pay up to that stage if the renovation progress are completely out schedule.

8) Know your renovator.  If they are a referral from someone you know, it is even better.  Talk to them about things other than your renovation.  Look at the character of your sales designers and more importantly, the boss of the company.  Of course, before signing and payment, everything is nice.  I am sorry to say, some really look and talk like gangsters or loan sharks.  

9) Follow them on facebook or instagram for sometime before appointing them.  Who is not on facebook nowadays.  See progressive photos from start till finish.  Be very careful of companies who only post 3D drawings and not progressive to the final completed renovation pictures.

10) Go with experienced contractor who knows their stuff if possible.  Hopefully your house is not a testing project for a young newbies, unless they have a mentor behind all the way throughout your renovation and not during the pre-sales signing period only.

I am not sure how many IDs or contractors can agree to the above, but it offers more protection to owners who got scammed often in renovation as reported in the media and in this forum.  Anyway, these are my personal opinions.  Good luck!

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