We Asked, You Answered: Hot Takes on Actual Reno Dilemmas from Reddit

AITA?

Renovation is a huge undertaking in more ways than one; it’s not just about deciding the look for your home, but also making decisions with family and your ID/contractor, and being considerate of your neighbours. Naturally, it could lead to some tricky situations.

We took a look at some ‘juicy’ renovation woes shared on Reddit and asked our community what they would do in the same situation. Here’s what they had to say!

Sticky situations with family

Contributing to parents’ renovation

Here’s the first dilemma: your parents are renovating the family home and want you to pay part of the renovation cost as they don’t have enough savings.

In such a situation, the majority of respondents made their choice considering financial stability and housing situation: 32% would hesitate to do so because of concerns about their financial capabilities and wanting to save up for their own renovations.

As for another 31% of respondents, they would contribute only if they were still staying with their parents.

Of course, such a complex situation cannot be streamlined into a mere four choices; if you encounter such a situation, consider factors like your relationship with your parents and your finances to discuss a reasonable compromise.

Parents veto your renovation choices

Another sticky situation we came across: if you co-own a BTO with your parents and are paying part of the renovation, what would you do if they don’t let you have a say in the renovation decisions?

This can be upsetting, especially if it’s over spaces in the home that you will be using, like your bedroom or a bathroom.

While some would accept the situation, others would have an open discussion with their parents to “find out the reason behind the [renovation] plan”. This is also an opportunity to get them to understand your perspective on the renovation works you want to include.

An alternative is to compromise and only pay half of the renovation cost (if you had been planning to pay a larger percentage).

While “[moving] out” or backing out of co-ownership is an option, it’s not advisable due to the potential costs, such as settling payments like the outstanding housing loan and required CPF refund to the outgoing owner (if necessary). On top of that, there are other payable fees like administrative and stamp fees.

Neighbour disputes

Noise complaints

With the majority of Singaporeans living in apartment units, we’re no strangers to noise disturbances. However, things like renovation noise will no doubt disrupt study/work and rest time.

For general renovation works in HDB flats, the permitted hours are 8am to 6pm daily (including weekends); for noisy works like hacking and drilling, they should only be carried out from 9am to 5pm on weekdays.

In condominiums, the hours are typically between 9am and 5pm on weekdays and 9am to 1pm on Saturdays.

So, if you encounter a situation where your neighbour’s renovation works go on outside of the permitted hours and disrupt your day, what would you do?

Most of our respondents were divided between amicably texting/speaking with said neighbour (37%), and complaining to their town council/MCST (39%).

The latter is an option we’d recommend only if you can’t come to an agreement with your neighbours since it could sour the relationship and worsen tensions in the long term.

Neighbour doing illegal renovation works

Did you know that you aren’t allowed to hack or conceal the household shelter door in an HDB flat? In most homes, the shelter is a structural component and hacking it could affect the unit’s structural integrity.

Here are some other renovation works that are not permitted in HDB flats:

• Installing an awning outside your unit
• Hacking, alterations or removals of reinforced concrete walls, columns, beams, etc.
• Partial or total enclosure, including installation of external grilles, on the air-conditioner ledge
• Placing reflective film exceeding 20% reflectance over an existing window’s glass panel

Noise concerns aside, if you found out your neighbour is doing illegal renovation works like those above, would you report them?

Among our respondents, at least, two-thirds would close one eye while the rest would report their neighbours.

Renovation troubles

While every renovation has its hiccups, you may encounter more serious issues like workmanship rectifications that you’re not satisfied with, even if they’ve been worked on several times.

If this process is also delaying your move-in date, what would you do? While some would “just suck it up and move in” – as one respondent shared – this depends on which areas are affected and how they impact the move-in.

This is not feasible if the dissatisfactory works cause huge inconveniences or require a major fix, such as unstable carpentry or plumbing issues. In such a case, you can request your ID to engage a different skilled professional to work on the fixes.

Alternatively, speak to your ID to find out what further works need to be done to solve the problem and source other skilled professionals yourself.

At this point, depending on the circumstances, you can consider negotiating and getting the ID to foot the bill since the agreed-upon deliverables were not fulfilled.

TL;DR

Scenarios like those above might catch you off-guard, but the most important things are to consider all your options and maintain open communication with the parties involved. If necessary, reach out to the relevant agencies/organisations who can help.

And if you’re looking to start your renovation journey with a reliable ID, we can help you connect with suitable interior firms based on your budget and requirements!

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