Search the Community

Hi Guys! I started visiting RenoTalk last year when I began scouring for news online about Punggol Emerald, my home-to-be in the very near future. It has really been educational and I've learned a lot about the ins and outs of renovating just by browsing the different threads here. I noticed there were very little threads about budget renovating and I got a little worried. But after doing my own research, I realize owning your first home can be a very affordable affair (you see I'm a poor social worker and my wife is pursuing a full-time diploma in Physiotherapy atm). The key is to prioritize the things I want to renovate which would absolutely cause a lot of trouble if I were to do the works after all the furnishing is in. So for this first post I will share what I have prioritized as Phase 1 for our renovation. Another thing is to include as much as you can afford into HDB loan; if you can afford a DBSS, most furnishings and fittings come with the price of your flat; you have lesser you need to pay by cash. In our case, the previous bidder helped us out by opting in for HDB to do the flooring. As we are not picky with the look of our floor, we saved a lot. Just a little background; we bought this flat (Blk 266C) during a Sales of Balance Flat exercise in March 2012 right after I proposed to my wife. Fast forward to when we are about to collect our keys on the 28 January 2014, we look back and are thankful for how things have fallen in place one after another beautifully (if possible I will share it in another post). We will be meeting our contractor on the 11th Feb (CNY break; thus that's the earliest), submit approval for hacking, and begin the other renovation works from the 18th Feb onwards. Hopefully we'll be done by end of March for Phase 1! We think of our renovation in two phases; Phase 1 for the major works, Phase 2 for fittings and furnishings and other DIY projects. Here's what Phase 1 includes: 1. Hack off existing wall at bedroom 2 and install new 10mm tempered glass approx. 1500mm (L) x 900mm (H). Quoted Estimate: 1,800. 2. Laminated Flooring for all three bedrooms @ $4 psf. (this is a little pricey. There is another company who can do it @ $2.80 psf). 3. 2 sets of 10mm tempered swing shower glass door to bathroom. Quoted Estimate: 1,200 ea. The kerb costs an extra $450 / set. 4. Dismantle existing wash basin and replace new ones. Quoted Estimate: $90 ea. 5. Labor to install owner's light fitting: Quoted at $12 / no. 6. New PD door to bathroom. Depending on design, lowest quoted at $450 / no. Phase 1's total estimated cost: + 7800 As you can see, it's really basic but necessary. Once this is in place, it's in a pretty much liveable condition, minus the furnishing. Our furnishing inclusive of installation of air-con and ceiling fans is expected to cost another 7,000 or so. My wife felt that if it was affordable to hack off the wall in the living room (bedroom 2), it would be a very unique feature that adds character to the home. If you were to leave that out, you save another $1,800 dollars. Alright, that's it for the first post. The subsequent posts will have more pics I promise. It will talk about Phase 2, and also update about how our reno has been doing, in real-time. =) Plus, feel free to let me know if you have lobang which can do the above at a cheaper price kthxbye!