7 Renovation Costs That Homeowners Often Forget to Budget

(This article was last updated on 24 May 2021.)

Take note! These miscellaneous items could cause you to go over budget.

Making a list of renovation works can prevent you from burning any holes in your pocket, but sometimes, accidents do happen.

You might have forgotten to factor in the cost for getting extra sockets or hiring post-renovation cleaning services, and while these extras aren’t terribly expensive on their own, they’ll most definitely add up. So, save yourself the unnecessary heartache and plan carefully – take note of these 7 overlooked renovation costs that could leave you with a heftier bill.

1. Electrical Re-wiring

With working from home being the norm these days, you can’t have enough power points around to ensure that your laptop/smartphone stays plugged in. But don’t go overboard installing them – you might get a shock when the bill for your renovation comes.

Having more sockets means more re-wiring work and expenses. Generally, installing an extra power point will cost you approximately $70 to $100 per socket, but this could mean your final expenditure on electrical works will end up being significantly higher, especially if you’re having an older resale flat completely rewired.

2. Concealed Wiring

Giving your home a minimalist look often goes hand-in-hand with creating sleeker spaces and that means getting all the wiring organised – no exposed bits or overhead trunking should be left hanging in plain sight.

However, doing so will cost you a fair bit more. Concealed sockets tend to cost a fair bit more (approximately $25 to $30 more per socket) than their exposed counterparts, so be sure to do the math before signing on your renovation contract.

3. Half Walls

Does building a half wall get you 50% off the renovation cost? We hate to break it to you but partial structures like these tend to cost as much (or even more) than a full wall.

The reason is because more work has to be done to create a half wall. First, the original full wall has to be hacked away completely (because it isn’t possible to lop a wall in half) then a new one is built up to the desired height. Be prepared to set aside $300 to $500 (or more, if you plan to install a desk and see-through glass partition) for this feature.

4. Door Frame Removal

Even if it’s a new HDB flat, be prepared to fork out $600 to $900 for each door frame that you’re planning to replace. Yes, there’s a labour cost involved that’ll be charged for each door frame that’s removed – and that’s not even factoring in the cost of supplying and installing the new doors.

5. Floor Protection

Be it drilling, demolishing walls or moving your furniture in, renovation-related tasks that involve heavy manual work will put your floors at risk of cracks and scratches.

If you’re planning to retain the original flooring of your resale home or have new flooring installed, protection in the form of protective sheets/boards is a must-have, and depending on the size of your home, this could cost you a few hundred dollars.

6. Debris Removal and Haulage

There’s no way your Dyson/Roomba vacuum cleaner is going to take care of all the leftover debris from your renovation – you’ll need a dedicated team to provide the necessary manual labour and it’ll cost you approximately $200. But take note, this task might cost more depending on a) the size of your home and b) the amount of debris present.

7. Floor Cleaning

Another post-renovation service that most homeowners often overlook when budgeting is floor washing. These specialised cleaning sessions (that sometimes involve acid or chemical washing) often take place after key renovation works like flooring installation and painting are completed.

Ensuring your floors are free of grime, paint stains and/or cement marks will cost you upwards of $200 if you aren’t planning on doing it on your own, but it’s definitely going to save you plenty of cleaning time that's better spent on relaxing in your newly-renovated home!

Now's a good time as any to get started on your renovation plans!

Many Singapore homeowners have had to put their renovations on hold due to COVID-19, but that doesn't mean you can't start planning for yours now.

Ironing out the kinks in your home makeover plan will enable it to proceed smoothly once circumstances improve, so if you’d like some professional help let us know and we'll link you up with five diffferent interior design firms to get the ball rolling!

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