How much is the Cost of Renovation in Malaysia?

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Thinking of doing some renovation work but not sure how much it should costs? Though renovation costs in Johor Bahru (and anywhere else) depend strongly on the prevailing market price of materials, services and labour available in your area, we’ve done our best to put together a rough estimate (with some assumptions taken) that can help you plan your renovation budget more effectively!

So what’s involved in renovation? For starters, a significant portion of the cost for a renovation consists of carpentry, electrical wiring, painting, plumbing and flooring. Components of a renovation with high variability in price include the cost of materials, rates charged by contractors and interior designers, as well as decorative items such as feature walls. Renovation work involving house extension will costs more.

For the purpose of this article, we’ve omitted costs arising from indirect sources, such as rental paid for a temporary home to wait out completion of the renovation – yup, ignored and do not count toward the our estimates.

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Property Type

Property types affect the cost of renovation primarily in two ways:

(i)                 Size (which require more materials, time and labour to complete)

(ii)                Land and property price valuation (generally becoming more expensive the closer the property is to a city centre). The table below summaries the average cost of renovation by type of property.

Type of Property	Size (in square meters)	Cost to renovate (RM)
Condominium / Serviced Apartments	100 – 120	40,000 - 150,000
Terraced	150 – 200 (2-storey),  <= 300 (3-storey)	60,000 – 250,000
Semi-detached	300 - 400	100,000 – 300,000
Bungalow	> 400	150,000 – 600,000

*property types are primarily distinguished by size. The wide variation can be explained by materials cost and land/property price valuation.

A double-storey terraced house. Design by Kava Décor, an interior designer in Johor Bahru.

Graphic render of three-storey semi-detach houses.

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Renovation Cost Breakdown

Flooring

Flooring Type	Cost per square foot (RM)
Parquet (e.g. Merbau)	10 - 30
Vinyl	4.5 – 12.0
Carpet	4.5 – 15.0
Tiles	9 – 60

*Flooring makes up a large proportion of the costs involved in a complete renovation. Also, ask around for promotions and special offers whenever possible.

Parquet flooring. Design courtesy of De Space Interior Design, an interior designer in Johor Bahru.

Marble tiling.

Plumbing

Plumbing Service (installation)	Cost (RM)
Water Heater	250
Sink and Tap	300
Flushing Toilet / Toilet Bowl	400

A bathroom with sink and tap, flushing toilet and bathtub.

Electrical Service (installation)	Cost (RM)
Power Point	70 - 100
Lighting Point	40 - 90
Two-Way Switch	180

*Electrical work requires additional hacking and plastering to conceal wiring behind walls, both for safety and aesthetic purposes (hacking = RM20/sqf). Ask your electrician if this service is included in the price.

Feature Walls

Feature walls are decorative elements that are added to a home and serve as focal points for themed renovations. Today, homeowners can choose from a range of different products and designs to fully customize their feature walls to fit in with their chosen theme.

A feature wall could be anything, ranging from a simple coat of paint to expensive and elaborate laminates and veneers. Regular wallpapers bridge the gap between costs and aesthetics, with 3D wallpapers substantially raising the bar with designs that look and feel like different materials, including stone and brick.

Feature Wall Element	Cost per square foot (RM)	Notes
Feature Painting	40	Feature paintings are elaborate artistic designs painted onto walls and are not to be confused with regular painting.
Plywood Laminate	80
Decorative Stone Veneer	10 - 30
3D Wallpaper	3.5 – 4.0	Compared to painting, wallpapers are slightly cheaper and generally more durable. Downside is it is easily damaged by water and moisture exposure – a problem posed by high humidity in Malaysia. Air-conditioning can resolve the issue of high humidity.
Standard Painting	3.6 – 4.0	Inexpensive and reliable, wall painting is still a popular way of protecting and decorating walls.

 

Decorative Stone Veneer by Taishi.

Carpentry

*Prices reflect custom carpentry built-to-order by carpenters and carpentry workshops. Purchasing your furniture off-the-shelf is often cheaper, but custom furniture can be designed and built to perfectly fit interior spaces – like a bedroom wardrobe that goes all the way up to the ceiling to maximize space and make the room look more spacious.

Furniture Type	Cost per foot run (RM)
TV Cabinet	150 - 300
Shoe Cabinet	300 - 500
Kitchen Cabinet	100 - 300
Kitchen Countertop	Solid: 150 – 200 Granite: 250 – 400 Quartz: 150 – 400 Wood: ~ 200
Wardrobe	350 - 600
Study Table	200 - 300

 

Custom wardrobe. Carpentry by De Space Interior Design.

Custom shoe cabinet. Carpentry by De Space Interior Design.

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Need help building the perfect TV cabinet for you living room? Find a good Interior Designer in Johor Bahru to help you!

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Plaster False Ceiling

False ceilings are used to conceal wiring, plumbing and pipes that run across the ceiling of homes. They are often made from plaster which offers the advantages of affordability and versatility (Why a Plaster Ceiling? – Types of Plaster Products, Advantages and Applications).

Plaster Services	Cost (RM)	Notes
Installation of False Ceiling (Plaster)	2 – 5 per square foot
Light Troughs	7 – 30 per foot run	Light troughs are used to sheath lighting and modify its lighting properties e.g. to create dramatic, directed lighting (spotlight effect) and reduce scattering effects for more relaxing and conducive spaces.