Can I get a well designed house with $30,000 in renovation budget? [5 minutes read]
Times are tough, especially for home owners who collect keys to their new property in 2021.
They face a triple whammy. First, COVID-19 has hit the economy hard and almost everyone has less spending power. Second, work from home is the new normal and memory of circuit breaker is still fresh. Home owners may wish to spend more on renovations so their home is good for work and extended periods of staying in. Third, manpower shortage in the renovation industry due to the Malaysian Movement Control Order (MCO) has led to higher renovation costs. It is estimated to cost up to 20% more, and when prices go up, they rarely go back down.
Home owners may feel a need to squeeze value out of every dollar of their renovation budget. So how can they do this? What if their renovation budget is $30,000 or less?
At RENOSTUD.IO, we believe that a beautifully designed home is the result of the interior designer’s skills: an understanding of how colours, lighting, design elements and placement of products come together to create the perfect environment. Good design is not a result of using expensive components.
In other words, good design does not have to be expensive. Give Van Gogh a cheap set of paint, a blank canvas and easel and he will create a master piece every time.
Admittedly, renovation works are more complex than painting. There are multiple parties involved and all have a role to play - from design to project coordination to renovation. However, $30,000 is no small sum too. Guided by a good interior designer who budgets wisely, $30,000 is sufficient (we are assuming that the house is under 138 square metre, which would cover more than 80% of Singapore’s housing). There are two important components to achieving this.
First, you need an interior designer who vibes with you. The most important stage in home renovation, is visualising what the house should look like at the end of the entire process using 3D images.
You might have seen interior designers paste 3D images throughout a job site for contractors to reference during renovations. There is a good reason for this.
It is not feasible for the interior designer to be on site to monitor the contractors every time they work. While he could verbally explain to them how a room should look, the risk of miscommunication is high. When works go wrong, the contractors would have to redo. The costs would then be absorbed by the interior designer or passed on to you.
A picture is worth a thousand words, or a few thousand dollars in savings, in this case. It is especially important that you get the interior designer and the 3D images right from the start. Below are some suggestions on how to choose the right designer:
Look at his past work to get a sense of his artistic taste. Design is subjective. So the first step is to make sure that you find his portfolio attractive.
Speak to him. Tell him any ideas you have for your home. If you have no ideas that is fine too. He should be able to ask you the right questions to tease out what’s important to you, and design accordingly.
Listen to his ideas for your home. Does he incorporate your budget and other requirements into his ideas? Does he propose various materials and explain how it all comes together? Does he offer you good tips on how to keep the costs low?
Whether you are looking to hire an interior designer or you have decided to use contractors to carry out your works, we would advise that you purchase a basic design proposal first (one 3D image, one mood board and one floor plan layout). The basic design proposal will be sufficient for you to test the interior designer’s skill, and your working relationship with him. Upgrade your basic design proposal to a full design proposal when you are confident of the interior designer’s ability. The full design proposal contains five 3D images which would cover the major spaces in a typical home: living room, kitchen, master bed room, bed room and toilet. If you require more, we will work out a customised proposal for your needs.
The second component is to minimise works that typically cost more but add little to the overall look.
Built-in carpentry can be nice but loose furniture can look just as good. With platforms like Ezbuy, Shopee and Taobao, savvy shoppers will be able to find quality furniture at affordable prices. Not to mention that loose furniture is replaceable too. This means you have flexibility to change the look of the house by replacing the loose furniture anytime.
Hacking of floors is another major work that can take a big chunk of your budget. This is because it involves lots of manpower to do the actual hacking and hauling of debris afterwards. Opt for vinyl or laminate flooring to save on costs.
Need help with your renovations? We can design and build for you. Contact us by clicking the button below now.