How Much is a 3, 4, and 5-Room HDB Flat Renovation in 2024?

Be prepared to pay more as material costs go up.

As the saying goes, preparation is the key to success – and in the realm of home renovations, that comes in the form of planning your budget and timelines properly.

To help you plan your renovation in 2024, we crunched the 2023 renovation data and spoke to two interior designers – Rachel from S&R Interior and Jackson from Concrid Interior – to gain more insight into the expected renovation cost and duration of your BTO/resale HDB flat in 2024.

How much will a 3-, 4-, and 5-room HDB flat renovation cost in 2024?

BTO/New HDB renovation costs in 2024

Prospective homeowners renovating their HDB flats in 2024 should expect to spend $34,200 to $52,100 on a 3-room BTO flat, $52,500 to $66,000 on a 4-room BTO flat, and $62,000 to $70,000 on a 5-room BTO flat.

Compared to previous years, this year’s increase in renovation costs isn’t likely to be as drastic as the ones during the pandemic, which Jackson attributes to the overall stabilisation in working conditions.

“Previously, there was a shortage of manpower and raw materials,” he says. “Because of the low supply and high demand, the prices went up drastically. But now that everything is largely back to normal, we’re not seeing the same significant price increases today.”

“The only thing driving prices up these days is the ever-increasing cost of raw materials. And unfortunately, once prices increase these days, it’s hard for them to decrease, so if everything else remains the same, I expect a continual 5-10% increase in overall renovation costs.”

Rachel also expects a similar rise in renovation costs, but notes an additional shift in mindset. “During the pandemic, homeowners couldn’t travel,” she explains. “And because a lot of them were spending more time at home, they were much more willing to spend more to create a comfortable home.”

“Today, people are taking the opportunity to travel as much as they can after being in lockdown for several years, and are much more likely to use their budget on travelling instead of their home renovation.”

“I’ve also realised that more homeowners are opting for loose furniture over built-ins – not only because they prefer the flexibility of shifting things around, but likely also because they’re being more careful given that renovation costs are constantly increasing.”

Resale HDB flat renovation costs in 2024

One would expect a 3-room resale HDB flat to be cheaper to renovate compared to their bigger counterparts, but as data from previous years show, the reverse seems to be true.

And you can expect this trend to continue in 2024, with a 3-room resale HDB flat renovation costing an estimated $65,000 to $88,000 – which is more than the expected renovation cost of a 4-room resale HDB flat at $58,000 to $72,000.

5-room resale HDB flat renovation costs are also expected to increase to a range between $78,600 and $93,500.

With regards to why renovations for 3-room resale HDB flats tend to cost more, Rachel believes that they require far more work to be functional.

“A 3-room resale flat is a lot smaller than a 4- or 5-room resale flat,” she says. “It’s easy for these types of homes to feel cramped, so a lot of work goes into making the small space feel bigger, and creating numerous storage options that allows homeowners to store their things without cluttering the space.”

She also theorises that more singles in recent years are purchasing 3-room resale flats, and spend more creating a home that expresses their individuality.

“Based on personal observation, I realise that singles are interested in customised features such as unique carpentry and feature walls,” she says. “All these factors are possible reasons why prices [for 3-room flats] are increasing more than the other flat types.”

How long is a 3-, 4-, and 5-room HDB flat renovation in 2024?

Renovation duration for BTO flats in 2024

In terms of renovation duration, both Rachel and Jackson agree that it should remain stable in 2024.

“It’s pretty much back to pre-pandemic times,” Rachel says. “There’s no shortage in manpower now that our workers from Malaysia can freely go back and forth across the causeway. There’s also no more pandemic-related delays slowing things down.”

While it’s mostly positive, Jackson advises homeowners to remain careful. “You’ll never know when something unexpected happens again,” he says. “Even though renovation durations are back to normal, homeowners should still factor in a duration buffer beforehand.”

“I would say that a buffer of 2-4 weeks is a good range.”

Renovation duration for resale HDB flats in 2024

Like BTO projects, the renovation duration for resale HDB flats in 2024 are also expected to maintain their current length of 10 to 12 weeks.

However, resale flat homeowners should keep in mind that these flat types generally take longer to renovate compared to their BTO counterparts.

“There are more things to consider for a resale flat,” Jackson says. “Unlike a new BTO flat, they tend to come in varying conditions, so some people will opt to rework the entire flat, which obviously takes more time.”

“Also, they may sometimes have faults that you won’t know about until you actually start the renovation – like, say, faulty plumbing or damaged walls. And that’s another thing that will take time to fix.”

What can homeowners do to get the best price for their home renovation?

With constantly-increasing renovation costs, proper preparation is the key to a renovation that meets your budget. Here are some recommendations:

1. Meet 3-5 designers and compare quotes

While it can be time-consuming to reach out to multiple interior designers, the fact is that doing so can help you get a good gauge of how much your renovation should cost.

“Reaching out to more interior designers will help you see whether you’re being overcharged or not,” Jackson says. “Of course, different IDs will charge different prices depending on their years of experience, reputation, and so on, but there should be an average price across all of them.”

“If you only reach out to one or two designers, it’s not as easy to tell when you’re being overcharged. I would say that three to five interior designers is a good range, although I think that more is usually better.”

2. Give yourself ample time to find an interior designer

If there’s one thing a homeowner should remember, it’s that giving yourself ample time to find the best interior designer is crucial.

“We’ve had clients reach out to us just 2-3 months before their key collection date, and they always end up rushing into decisions,” says Jackson. “It’s not ideal, because you have less time to research and see if there are more cost-effective solutions.”

“You don’t want to rush something as expensive as a home renovation. Plus, with a reasonable buffer, you’ll give your IDs more time to deal with unexpected circumstances – for instance, water leakages or HDB permits not being approved.”

If you’re wondering how early you should start meeting interior designers, take note: it’s 6 months before collecting your keys for BTO estates!

Looking for an interior designer to renovate your home?

We’ve got you covered. Simply tell us your renovation requirements – like your budget and design preferences – and you’ll get free personalised renovation quotes from five local interior design firms.

By doing so, you’ll also be eligible for the Qanvast Trust Programme, which includes a $50,000 Qanvast Guarantee that safeguards your deposits.

All prices are accurate at the time of publishing, on 11 January 2024.

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