Reno journey of a 5-room resale HDB

[Tinuviel 3]

Hi all,

Thought of starting a write up of my journey to share with others and also for me to look back and appreciate the experience.

[Update 19 Mar 2022] Didn't have time to update here and haven't finished unpacking so just going to put some pictures here for reference. =========================================================

TLDR

Renovation bill = S$96K++

ID: AD Design and Build Private Limited http://www.addesign.sg/contact-us/

Now looking at some of the poor workmanship inside the carpentry items (e.g. drawers edges are sharp and uneven - may cut if you run your fingers down the length), silicon is cracking within 1 month, paint has cracked at one wall (maybe due to rain accidentally coming in), uneven walls/paint and poor follow up after the full sum has been paid and a lot of follow up issues, I'm a little hesitant about engaging them again.

I feel a little shortchanged because I chose this company due to Alvin, the ID. However, he hardly dealt with me directly after the initial sessions but passed everything off to Joe, the PM instead. I did not know there was a 2 person arrangement until after things are confirmed and we were going ahead with the reno.

Overall is 5-7/10. If you don't look too closely or are not very particular, most things are fine.

Pros

• ID Alvin was very impressive in first meeting. He has already done the drawings in AutoCAD and he was able to update them quickly on the spot (i.e. he's the one doing it and not outsourced). Many IDs I met are just coordinators, looking for designs on instagram, pinterest. They don't give me the same level of assurance I have with Alvin - he is able to explain the carpentry, tiles, electrical designs etc.
• He listens to my opinions and give feedback based on my asks and adjust the designs accordingly. Reason why this is important is because I've met some IDs who insisted on certain designs that they find "trendy" or good instead of listening to what I want.
• He doesn't push for you to do more but recommend you to do for e.g. less carpentry in certain areas if you are not quite sure if you need a fixed shelf yet.
• Proposed getting indemnity for HDB renovation approval before I got the house keys which helped to shorten the timeline. No other IDs mentioned/heard of this.
• Had some installations from old house that I want to build into new house. He arranged for his carpenter to do all these for free
• Went to tiles shop (like Hafary) and spent a few hours explained different types of tiles and designs to me
• Very detailed electrical and carpentry drawings all done by Alvin

Cons

• You have to have strong ideas of your own design (which I did). They don't really design aesthetics for you unlike some other IDs.
• Lack of timeline plan shared with you. Probably they have in their mind what to do and they have a plan internally. However, this wasn't shared with me and I felt like I didn't quite know when is what happening and have to ask them for updates frequently.
• They don't really do 3D design drawings, this was seconded to someone else. They only did 3 drawings for me and it's not in my actual design. Alvin explained that 3D drawing is only for me to see how the tiles will look like with the house whereas I thought (and my understanding from friends' reno) is that the drawings will be in the actual design so I can visualize how the eventual house will look like.
• Cabinet design was sent to me very late. They clarified that this is because they wanted to make sure all the tiles are done and the exact measurements are done before doing the design drawing. However, I thought at least the design (how many drawers, shelves) can be discussed first as I didn't have a lot of time to look through, only a few days.
• ID is Alvin, Project Manager is Joe. Good/bad arrangement depending on your opinion. Many things that I told Alvin previously may not have been communicated to Joe, who came into the picture later when the renovation was going to start. So I had to repeat and recall what I mentioned.. Very often, I will ask Joe when is certain things happening etc but he had to discuss design considerations with Alvin, so there was a lot of back and forth during the renovation instead of having a single point person
• Due to covid and various reasons, my renovation was delayed for about 1-1.5 months. (I told them I plan to move in mid Dec but I only moved in mid-Jan.). Delays are "ok"/expected but lack of updates is not. Luckily I had alternative arrangements, else my rental place would have ended and I will have no place to stay in between so this was quite worrying. I had to keep chasing them for updates on exactly when I can arrange for move in.
• Initially they promised that I can rest assure to leave my things (boxes etc..) in the house.. They didn't clean the house thoroughly (paint drops etc.. ). They explained that it was because I left my items in the house so the cleaning couldn't be thorough, which was different from what they promised initially. If I had known it's not advisable/possible to leave my things in the house, I would probably have rented a storage place.
• Workmanship is 6/10, not sure if it's due to timeline rush
• Very poor follow up - no response despite multiple reminders etc.. 

 

[Update 19 Mar 2022] Didn't have time to update here and haven't finished unpacking so just going to put some pictures here for reference. =========================================================

• Completed sale of my previous house in Aug 2021
• Completed my HDB purchase on 4 Oct 2021, reno started on 5 Oct 2021 (Side note: the housing agent for my purchase was so good that I decided to pay and engage him rather than re-engage my not-good agent for my sale who volunteered to do my purchase paperwork "for free". Do PM me if you want his contact.)

Prior to that, I started shortlisting IDs in early July. I went to a few of the major reno websites like renotalk, renotalk etc and found the companies with high ratings. After that, I scanned through each individual reviews of the companies to see which ID are named in the reviews. This is to avoid situation where sometimes people equate ID good = company good. The company may assign you any other IDs if you do not specify who you want and you may not get the quality or design you are expecting.

Below is my original list and I've indicated why I did not select them in the end. I had a somewhat clear idea of what I wanted which I wrote the specifications in a word document that I emailed all of the companies and requested for them to get back to start the discussion. I will not named the specific IDs but PM me if you want to know more.

1. Swiss interior design (ID: JXXX)
   1. I did 1-2 zoom call with him. Overall, he seems ok, read through my specifications, factored in what I wanted. The main reason why I did not select him is because he copied and pasted part of another person's quotation into my quotation (2-3 extra doors that I was not expecting) and I had to highlight to him before he realized he sent me the incorrect quote. As there are plenty of companies in the market, this is a red flag to me that they may not have the attention to detail that I am looking for.
2. Edge line planners (ID: IXXXX)
   1. I met this company twice in person and once over zoom call. The company's design and proposal were in accordance with my specifications and there was nothing majorly off. The main reason I did not select them is (1) they got back to me quite late in the process by which time I have already more/less made up my mind (2) they are based at IMM whereas I was in the northeast. They strongly "asked" on one more meeting at their office which I spent >1hour going back and forth only to discuss things that we could have done over call and provide no value-add to me. The quotation was also on the higher side $1XX,XXX.
3. Design Avenue (ID: JXXXXX)
   1. She is the first ID I met in the whole shortlisting process. Our discussion at her office was pleasant although quite high-level but we discussed major details from the specifications I've sent her. However, she was one of the last, if not the last ID to get back to me, with no updates about the progress during the entire shortlisting process (which took about 1 month). By the time she got back, I have selected another ID and I thought she wasn't interested in my project at all. The lack of updates/interest was a red flag to me as I was looking for an ID as invested in my reno as me.
4. Mr Designer Studio (ID: LXXXX)
   1. No response from them = not interested in my project
5. I Interior Design (ID: CXXXX & EXX)
   1. This was an interesting one. I met up with CXXXXX at their office quite late one evening but we had a really good chat and I feel like she's someone I can work with. EXX is the more senior one and she does the artistic designs so CXXXXX had to discuss with her before getting back to me and she wanted me to come down another day to meet up with EXX and her. I was looking forward to this. Unfortunately, the original interest did not sustain and they did not get back to me on any proposals. By the time, she finally dropped me a message (still no proposal/quotes), I had already made up my mind.
6. Elysian Design (ID: CXXXXX or AXXXX)
   1. No response from them = not interested in my project
7. Er studio
   1. The original IDs I asked for (EXXX, HXXX, EXXX) were not available so they assigned RXX to me. Overall, I think the designs are quite ok, he did go through my specs and provide some feedback etc and came up with his own proposals. The main reason I did not select them is probably that I did not "connect" with the ID. (1) I was a little turnoff when he say I can't take the quotation home to study closer, am I supposed to memorise all the numbers, (2) he had quite strong opinions of what he wanted vs what I wanted (3) I feel like I couldn't be honest about what I wanted.
8. 8. M2 Decor (ID: BXXXXXXX)
   1. After the original email I dropped them, they got back too late when I have already met up with many IDs.
9. Letz Interior (ID: JXXXX)
   1. This company was my 2nd choice. Overall, I like the discussions with them, the designs were nice and in-line with what I like. Quotation was somewhat reasonable. It was a tough fight between my top choice and this.
10. Honey Comb Design Studio (ID: I asked for GXXX but they assigned another ID to me)
    1. I read many great reviews on this company. Unfortunately, I am looking for an ID that listens to me and what I am looking for, instead of telling me what she wants. The ID did not read the specifications I sent, completely changed everything I wanted to what she proposed (without even knowing my specs until I asked if she has read it) and kept showing me designs that she found online. I feel like we are on different frequency and I couldn't connect with her.
11. Design 4 space (ID: SXXXXXX)
    1. I connected quite well with this ID and we had some good discussions and she was able to start drawing some layout design on the spot. She was probably my 3rd choice in the list. However, the main reason I did not select her is because many of her proposals are overly expensive and does not seem aligned to what is important to me. Example she proposed a vanity mirror as a feature piece which probably costs $3k+-, but I have emphasized that the living area is more important to me, I don't need a feature in the toilet. It is just a utility to me. She also proposed cement screeding for all my floors which adds up to about $30k+ quote and didn't propose any other "cheaper" alternatives for me to consider. So when compared to my top choice company, the proposal seemed less aligned to what I want.
12. AD Design & Build (ID: Alvin)
    1. Note that this company was not selected via using reviews from the various website. They do not really have an online presence. This was a referral from a colleague and they have done many renovations for other colleagues. At first, I was quite ready to write them off given that I already have so many to choose from. However, I decided to meet the ID since I was in the area. I was rather blown away in the meeting because he had already gone through my layout and did quite detailed diagrams (which I will show later on) and he updated them on the spot (shows that he's the one who did it). The impression I got was that he know his work and he has "substance" instead of other companies who merely show me instagram, pinterest photos that I can find on my own.
    2. Of course, there are hiccups during the process which is on-going now but the overall experience is still quite positive.

I will highlight some positives and negatives in my journey below.

This is my original floor plan -

 

This is my new plan -

• 16 July 2021 - When I first engaged AD Design & Build and sent him the floor plan and my specifications.
• 24 July 2021 - Our first face-to-face meeting

(+) I was a little short on time as I needed to move out by a certain date so I needed the renovation to be done quickly for me to move in. Alvin was the only ID among all that I talked to who proposed using the HDB Indemnity form for renovation. Essentially, this allows you to apply to HDB for renovation approval before the house is officially transferred to you. This form requires the seller to give you the option to apply for renovation approval but indemnifies them for damages etc incurred during the process. Typically, this is only used for the application approval and not the actual renovation. Because if you start the renovation while the name is still under the seller, in the event that the sale/purchase does not go through, you may have to revert all the renovation work you have done which will incur more costs and more problems for you.

(+) In the first meeting, he already had the layout of my house created in AutoCAD and he made adjustments on the spot while we talk. This was what "clinched" the deal for me as I had strong ideas of the design I want but I was looking for someone who can go into detailed dimensions and specs and execute for me.

This is the interactive UI version of what he came up with (in the first meeting) but of course, there were subsequent revisions. I am not too sure if this is common in the industry but at least it wasn't really common among my friends who had done reno. I found this really useful because I could clearly visualize what I want in each of the sections.

• 3 Aug 2021 - He provided the new proposed layout and quotation to me.
• 14 Aug 2021 - Met up when he went through each line of the quotation and using his autocad design he highlighted each part and what is the work to be done. I found this quite detailed and useful for my understanding.

(+) One thing that stands out is that he tries to propose cheaper alternatives or suggest that I may not have to do carpentry for certain areas until I have lived in the house and see if it is really necessary.

• 28 Aug 2021 - He went to the house to do detailed measurements

• 3 Sep 2021 - We went to Hafary showroom to look at tiles. I appreciate that he spent about 3-4 hours there with me to explain the different types of tiles, sizes and considerations.

In between this time was clarifications on designs etc..

(+) I had some things like tv console where I need to dismantle at old house and assemble at new house. Alvin helped to arrange for his carpenter to do this for free. (Although I did give them some token sum for transportation and the work)

• 21 Sep 2021 - I was introduced to the Project Manager for my reno.

(-) The company operates on a 2-man team - an ID and a Project Manager (PM). I am sure there are benefits to this arrangement but I see a lot of downsides.

Things that I have discussed with the ID were not 100% repeated to the PM. I have to repeat again and remind again. How would I remember every single thing I have discussed before?

Also, I am told that the PM will come up with the project plan/timeline but many times, he is looking to the ID for design considerations etc before he can come up with it. So I don't have a single point of contact to go to but rather I am kinda "pushed" back and forth and till now (Dec 2021), I still don't have an exact plan/target completion date.

• 5 Oct 2021 - Renovation starts

(-) I asked for a timeline/project plan so I know when different events are happening as timeline is very tight for me too. I have to move in by early Dec or latest mid Dec which I have communicated to them. However, this was something that was/has been lacking from them as till date, I still have not received something concrete. I will share more details in the below section.

The current quotation is at around $70k+ (and counting as sometimes I may select more expensive materials for different areas).

 

Hacking work -

Once hacking is done

5 Oct 2021- Electrical plan

(+) We met up and Alvin went through in detailed the proposal electrical plan with me. I appreciated his effort on this as we really went through where each switch, light will be, if a 2-way switch is required, what time of lights should it be etc.. He also encouraged me to think about how I plan to use the house. Like where will I walk through more frequently, when I reached home where do I go to first etc..

 

6 Oct 2021 -

(-) The 3D drawings were sent to me very late (or at least to me it seems quite late that I only see the design after reno started) and there were only 3 and they were not in the actual design I was looking for. According to them, the 3D drawing is only meant for looking at whether the tiles selected are suitable to what I want and not really to look at other aspects. This was quite different from my original understanding/assumption of what 3D drawings are for.

What I can infer and conclude from this is that, you need to be someone who has very clear idea of the type of design and specifications you are looking for. AD Design may not be like other ID who can come up with insta-worthy designs for you. While their designs are not bad, it is more towards the modern contemporary style. So if you are looking for a different style, you need to really specify the details to them.

These are the 3Ds I got (note it's not in the design I want which you will see later)

 

• 13 Oct 2021 - First payment due (about 50% in total) It was supposed to be due sooner but they did not press me on it.

This is the schedule -

Tiling works start-

Ponding to test the water flow in toilet and if any leakage -

Smoothen the toilet walls -

Tiling works for toilet -

 

Covering the tiles to prevent scratches from rest of work -

 

22 Oct 2021 - He provided me with the list of items to purchase for the toilets and lighting.

Sample -

 

7 Dec 2021 -

(-) FINALLY, we went through the cabinet designs. My original thought is that cabinet designs are discussed towards the start of reno or even some preliminary discussions before reno. This was something that was not very pleasant as I had to keep following up on where exactly will we be discussing this. The explanation I had is that they prefer to get the exact measurements after tiling work is done to avoid having to do adjustments later on. Compared to other IDs who may give a rough estimate first and have to do cabinet adjustments later.

However, I thought that the measurements should not change my designs too much and this could have been discussed much earlier. Example 2cm in deviation should not change whether I want a drawer or shelf for this area.

This was a source of frustration because I was going to buy the handles/knobs from taobao and I would need time to ship it here. By discussing this so late in the process, the shipment would arrive much much later.

Also, I wanted to discuss the design and color of the cabinet laminates early so as to decide on the wall color of the house.

Sample carpentry design -

 

 

I will be sharing more of the progress in later posts.

 

Edited May 7, 2022 by Tinuviel
Update content

[Tinuviel 3]

- reserving the space. Not sure if this is word limit, in case I need extra posts to complete -

[Tinuviel 3]

updated with new pics and summary