Aunt Agony, renovation edition.
Renovations cost sizeable amounts. And with media reports of renovation horror stories, it’s perfectly understandable if you err on the side of caution when it comes to your own.
That said, sticky situations between homeowners and interior designers often result from misaligned expectations where there is no clear ‘right’ or ‘wrong’. So, when do you stand your ground, and when should you relent?
View these projects by Massing Design (left) and ARK-hitecture (right)
Most homeowners turn to forums, chat groups and the like to get opinions from fellow homeowners.
To that end, we trawled through renovation-related Telegram groups and picked out some of the most common questions to do with such situations. We then sat down with Serina from ARK-hitecture and Javier from Massing Design for an alternative perspective, as well as practical tips to handle these less-than-pleasant circumstances should they arise.
Timestamps:
- Why is it so common for a renovation to take longer than the original timeline shared?
- Is it okay for me to ask my ID to redo or revise 3D renders?
- Is it normal for IDs to tell homeowners not to go down to the house until it is fully renovated?
- Is it acceptable for an ID to suddenly bill extra for additional works mid-renovation?
- Is it okay for me to dispute the final payment if I’m not satisfied with the end product?
- Do I need to pay a project management fee if I prefer to manage the subcontractors myself?
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