Don’t rush to sign that renovation contract

YOU’VE received the keys to your dream home and have visions of transforming it into a stylish sanctuary reflecting your lifestyle and taste. But who do you call to do the renovation work?

Unless someone recommends an interior design firm to you, finding a good one can be the luck of the draw. It doesn’t help that the renovation industry has a rather shady reputation – it has the ignominy of taking top spot in the number of complaints received by the Consumers Association of Singapore in 2022. The 1,454 complaints last year represented a 12 per cent year-on-year increase.

After getting the short end of the renovation stick, local comedian Kelvin Tan decided he was going to fix the problem – by going into the business himself. It helps that Tan, better known as Mayiduo – an Ah Beng character he created from a viral TikTok video for his Mandarin social media content company, Double Up – is one of those who fearlessly ventures into new fields.

Tan has started eight businesses since 2013, when he was 21. These include apparel printing company EL Print, a restaurant, factory and even a durian shop. He is also involved with media and entertainment company mm2 Entertainment in a programme to create youth-related content, and will be directing a full-length feature film.

When he was renovating his commercial properties and his mother’s home, Tan encountered the issues that many homeowners face – the overwhelming number of options in the market and the pressure to confirm and pay for renovation work as quickly as possible. Friends in his age group renovating their first home were facing the same problems.

So, together with three buddies, Tan learnt the ropes of the industry by understudying in an interior design company before starting SG Interior KJ in 2020. The business has since grown to a team of 34 interior designers, with Tan eyeing a headcount of 200.

According to him, SG Interior KJ is different in the amount of time and effort it invests in each project – some 20 to 30 labour hours in planning and consultations with clients – even before any confirmation or payment. A mood-board and detailed quotation are given at the second appointment, after which clients are free to compare with other firms and advised to go with the one they connect best with.

He says homeowners have full visibility and understanding of the design decisions, costs and project progress. “We’re not the cheapest, but we have proper procedures and a transparent protocol,” explains Tan, whose company has completed around 300 renovation projects.

Tan shares what ails the industry, as well as tips for those about to embark on home renovations.

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Be wary of cheap packages

Many interior design companies offer low-priced renovation packages with very attractive “promotions”, even throwing in air-conditioners and sanitary fittings for free. “But within 30 to 60 minutes of a consultation, they will be pushing you to sign a package with them because they have created such a hook, you feel you’re missing out on a lot of freebies if you don’t,” says Tan.

They make money from hidden costs. A package to renovate a kitchen and two bathrooms including hacking and fittings may be priced very low, but you could be persuaded to change the wardrobes in the master bedroom at double the usual cost. If you go with another company for the wardrobes, you’ll be told that the warranty for the bathrooms will be voided since other workers are also at the site at the same time.

Or, you could be told that nicer-looking tiles are not included in the package, and will incur extra costs.

“There are 101 ways to pile on additional costs,” reveals Tan. “After hacking your bathroom, they can say that your waterproofing is really bad, they need to do another layer of cement screed plus waterproofing, or that the package excludes haulage of tiles from the lift landing to your home.”

Foreign workers’ different working cultures

There are very few Singaporeans doing renovation works, so most contractors employ Malaysian, mainland Chinese, Vietnamese or Bangladeshi workers – and they can come with very different working cultures.

Some will charge if asked to help install even a small item from Ikea, while others don’t have the habit of keeping people informed, including when they’re sick and don’t turn up for work. “So even if a renovation plan is mapped out perfectly, there might still be hiccups in the workflow,” explains Tan.

Find an interior designer you connect with

Go with someone who gets you instantly when you communicate with him or her. You can suss that out through interactions during the consultation process.

“Even if the company is very reputable, but you can’t gel with the designer, you’ll have a very difficult time,” warns Tan. “There’ll be miscommunication and work won’t be done properly. So if you speak to three different interior designers and there is one who resonates better with you, go for that one.”

Check the quotation carefully

Apart from making sure everything is clearly itemised, look closely at what types of materials are listed. For instance, there are many different materials for a kitchen countertop, and a variety of laminates for carpentry work, so if those are not specified, you may be asked to pay more later.

And of course, always set aside an additional 10 per cent in your budget to cover unforeseen expenses or extras that you decide to opt for.