To build your dream home, must you endure a nightmare? What new homeowners wish they’d known before starting renovations

SINGAPORE, July 15 — It had perfect five-star reviews and an impeccable portfolio of renovated homes, so marketing professional Larry Yap felt confident that the interior design firm he had hired would make his first flat in Bukit Batok a dream home.

Yap, 41, had spoken to six other firms to hear their pitches, but eventually decided on one that was recommended by an online renovation platform that vouched for its quality and professionalism.

Two months later, however, his optimism turned into disappointment after observing what he dubbed “irreconcilable” issues with the renovation: Poor tiling work, uneven grouting and issues with the placement of key fixtures.

On the other hand, lawyer Airell Ang, 36, decided to trust the renovation of his new four-room Build-to-Order (BTO) flat in Eunos to an interior designer whom his wife knew and recommended, after hearing the pitches of three other firms that presented “cookie-cutter” ideas.

Ang described his renovation experience with superlatives: Amazing. Easy. Enjoyable. Although admittedly, he said, these are not words one usually hears when it comes to home renovation.

Homeowners typically go through a process of finding a suitable renovator for their homes either via word-of-mouth, online reviews, or renovation platforms that “matchmake” them with interior design firms.

Yet, based on TODAY’s interviews with 12 first-time homeowners, the whole renovation experience can be problematic, often with issues of workmanship and breakdowns in communication with renovators.

Indeed, in the past decade, the Consumers Association of Singapore (Case) saw an average of 1,273 complaints filed against renovation contractors yearly.

Renovation also consistently ranks among the top 10 list of industries with the highest number of complaints, even coming out on top as recently as 2022, with 1,454 complaints that year when the Covid-19 pandemic halted much work in the field.

Simultaneously, more renovation platforms have also popped up in recent years, touting themselves as reliable middlemen to connect homeowners to renovators that they claim have been subject to various quality checks to determine their reliability — at no fee to the homeowner.

Such platforms include long-time players Qanvast, Renonation and Renopedia, as well as more recent upstarts such as HomeMatch and Ezid.

With the complaints and the introduction of new players in the renovation game, how are new first-time homeowners choosing their renovators, and what do they wish they had known before starting the process?

TODAY looks at how one can better navigate this important project that many Singaporeans often call a “nightmare”.

Whose words can you trust?

In a straw poll of 157 users conducted on TODAY’s Instagram page this week, first-time homeowners were asked how they decided on the renovator they ended up choosing. Almost half (46 per cent) of the respondents said that they decided on renovators who were recommended via word-of-mouth.

Some, such as Ang the lawyer, believe that a testimonial from a trusted friend or relative would be the best way to ensure the quality of a firm, and their own experiences have proven them right.

However, several interviewees who initially felt the same way expressed regret for not choosing a more “credible” or “accredited” company recommended by a renovation platform.

On the platforms’ websites, homeowners fill up a simple form indicating their renovation needs such as their budget and preferred home themes. Then, these platforms would curate a list of suitable firms that meet their criteria and connect both parties together.

This ease of filtering firms according to her needs appealed to marketing manager Vanessa Koh, 30, who said that she and her husband arranged meetings with four interior design firms shortlisted this way by multiple renovation platforms.

In the end though, she chose a firm outside of this shortlist based on a friend’s recommendation, because she wanted to work with a firm that had experience designing homes in a similar style.

Koh was buoyed by the fact that the firm was expanding rapidly — a seemingly sure indicator of its success.

However, a host of issues soon surfaced.

In addition to cracked tiles and poor paint work, she also noted slanted shelves and a drawer that could not be fully opened.

She had spent about S$110,000 (around RM383,000) on renovation costs to date for her resale maisonette in Bukit Batok, and attempts to rectify some of these defects were not successful, for she was told told that a major rework would be required to fix them.

“Why did I pay so much just to get subpar work?” she lamented.

How home renovation platforms work

With the goal of matchmaking homeowners to reliable interior design firms and contractors quickly and conveniently, many home renovation platforms have sprouted up in recent years.

Homeowners may go to these websites to fill up a form indicating their renovation needs such as their budget and preferred home themes. After that, these platforms would curate a list of suitable firms for them.

This “curation service” comes at no cost to the homeowner. Instead, interior design firms often pay a fee to be listed on the platform and are charged a sum for every lead generated.

In response to TODAY’s queries, Qanvast, Renopedia, HomeMatch and Ezid said that they each undergo their own versions of stringent screenings before approving their listing on their platforms.

For instance, HomeMatch said that its renovators need to achieve at least four-star reviews on neutral platforms such as Facebook or Google, and its co-founders speak with the management teams of potential partner firms to evaluate their adherence to industry standards, among other criteria.

Qanvast works with around 300 firms, while Renopedia said that it endorses around 200 to 250 of them. HomeMatch and Ezid said that they have 73 and 50 firms listed on their platforms respectively.

When a homeowner decides to engage a firm recommended by the platforms, several follow-ups will be made with the homeowner to ensure that his experience is satisfactory.

The platforms may also mediate disagreements and conflicts between homeowners and their renovators. However, they are not legally liable for the way the company conducts its operations.

In the event that complaints are lodged against a renovation firm, the platforms would conduct their own internal investigations into the matter, before deciding whether to remove the firm from the list of renovators they endorse.

Marketing manager Vanessa Koh in her home in Singapore July 12, 2024. — TODAY pic

Koh said that on hindsight, she should have chosen one of the firms recommended by a renovation platform instead.

This was because these platforms provide assurances to homeowners in various forms.

For instance, Qanvast, which was established in 2013, has a trust programme for homeowners that includes a S$50,000 guarantee to safeguard deposits in the event that their chosen interior design firm becomes insolvent, as well as a dispute resolution process.

However, even though these platforms offer perks such as guarantees and quality checks, their recommendations do not necessarily guarantee a fuss-free renovation experience.

Yap, the marketing professional who lives in Bukit Batok and engaged a renovator through a platform, said that even though he was impressed with the firm’s portfolio, the interior designer assigned to manage his project lacked experience and that led to the many defects that left him dissatisfied and disgruntled.

“If you’re not going to manage the project yourself, it comes down to luck — there’re so many things that can go wrong,” he added.

What homeowners wish they had known

In TODAY’s conversations with a dozen homeowners who recently completed their renovations, many said that their problem-filled experiences opened their eyes to what they should have done.

Here are some of their advice:

1. Ask specific questions to understand the people with whom you are working

First, do not be too fixated on a company’s portfolio, they said.

In addition to budget and design considerations, homeowners should also enquire about the interior designer they will be working with — such as their level of experience, how often they are required to provide the homeowner with progress updates and how many projects they are juggling at once.

The latter will provide a good sense of how much attention would be given to your home.

2. Watch out for unnecessary upselling

One way interior design firms make more money is by marking up the services they provide.

Because of this, some homeowners said that they were persuaded to undertake extra renovation work even after the renovation process had begun, leading them to spend beyond their initial budget.

Data analyst Muhammad Aqil, 27, said that homeowners should “stand their ground” and “stay firm” with their plans.

“It’s common for them to try to upsell you. They’ll say things like, ‘Instead of this gray wall, how about we do a different kind of wall? You’ve already sunk in S$40,000, what’s another S$5,000?’ Don’t let your interior designer take over the creative side completely,” Aqil added.

3. Perform checks at every stage of the renovation process

Certain renovation works, such as how cleanly the hacking of walls is done, may also affect other works — such as tiling and installing fixtures — at a later stage, in effect leading to a “cascading” set of problems.

Homeowners said that they should have flagged specific concerns upon every stage of completion before the next set of subcontractors began their work.

Alexa Chang, 26, who works in the education sector, said: “Always double-check their work. We often assume that, because we pay so much and they are experts, they can be left to manage the problems.

“But the last thing you want is for something to be installed, and by the time you pick up on that mistake, it’s too late — and it’s going to cost more if you want to change it.”

Some clients, such as Yap, said that it may also be worthwhile to engage a company specialising in defect-checking to ensure that contractors are held accountable for subpar work.

4. Never make full payment until all works are completed acceptably

Many homeowners mentioned that it is difficult to get contractors to fix defects after payment has been made.

Aqil said that his interior designer was initially very proactive in providing him and his wife updates and answers to their questions, but after they made their final payment, their messages were often “left unread” and assurances to fix issues turned into half-hearted acknowledgements.

Therefore, homeowners suggested that one should settle on a prior agreement to pay for renovation works progressively in phases — either through transfers or applications such as HomePay, which releases funds to interior designers as works get completed.

What else can homeowners do?

For Jonathan Clyde, 32, and his wife, who recently moved in to their five-room flat in Tengah, it is important to communicate with renovators with a level of respect and empathy, because renovating a home is not an easy task.

“I’ve heard stories of interior designers getting a scolding from their customers for two hours straight. Instead of getting angry over it, why not find another way to solve the issue together? They are still humans.”

Responding to TODAY’s queries on what homeowners should do to protect themselves, Case suggested engaging accredited businesses with CaseTrust — the association’s official accreditation arm.

Consumers who encounter disputes with their renovation contractors are also advised to approach Case for assistance.

So, can home renovations ever take place without a hitch? Industry experts said that it is possible, but highly unlikely.

Russell Chin, honorary general secretary for the Singapore Renovation Contractors & Material Suppliers Association and founder of interior design firm Inspire ID Group, said that renovations are inherently labour-intensive, involving numerous things such as manufacturing, installation and coordination among various parties.

Some level of stress and problems are thus almost inevitable.

However, at the very least, eagle eyes and savvy research would go a long way in preventing one’s renovation journey from turning into a harbinger of sleepless nights. — TODAY