HDB renovation package guide - costs, timelines, and tips

Plan your renovation right

Your project starts with a clear brief. List must-haves, nice-to-haves and deal breakers, then set a budget range with a 10 to 15 percent buffer for surprises. Measure every room, doorway and ceiling height. Map major services like water points and electrical risers. This prep helps you compare quotes line by line and avoid scope creep. If you are eyeing an HDB renovation package, look for an itemized scope that names design hours, drawings, tiling, carpentry, painting, plumbing, electrical and site protection. Packages often include allowances that cap materials. Ask what happens if you pick tiles or laminates above the allowance and what the top-up looks like.

For condos, confirm MCST rules early. Typical constraints include working hours, no-wet-works periods, lift padding and deposits. Note any penalties if your team misses booking windows. For all homes, check permit needs for hacking, reconfiguring bathrooms or moving gas lines. Get a schedule that shows milestones for design sign-off, wet works, carpentry fabrication, installation and defects touch-ups.

Shortlist at least three providers so you can compare apple-to-apple. Put condo interior design and kitchen renovation sections in a simple comparison table that covers materials, hardware brands, edge treatments, hinges and runners. Ask for cabinet internals to be listed, not just “kitchen carpentry”. Confirm warranties on carpentry, mechanical parts and waterproofing. Lock down payment stages tied to visible progress, not vague percentages. Finally, plan livability during works. Protect items you keep, set a dust-control plan and agree on housekeeping standards. Solid planning makes your interior design firm or home renovation contractor far easier to manage and keeps your project on track.

Choose the right team

Decide how you want to work. An interior design firm typically leads concept, drawings and site coordination. A home renovation contractor focuses on build and may need your clearer direction on aesthetics. Design-build firms bridge both. Review recent projects similar to yours and ask for a sample drawing set: floor plan, elevations, reflected ceiling plan and mechanical-electrical plan. You want proof they think through outlets, task lighting and appliance clearances, not just pretty 3D renders. Ask for a materials schedule that lists laminates, tiles, fittings and lead times so you see dependencies before demolition starts.

Want a team that delivers without drama?

Vet licenses, insurance and safety practices. For HDB flats, confirm the contractor’s eligibility and experience with block-specific constraints. For condos, ask how they handle MCST submissions and booking logistics. Meet the proposed project manager, not just the salesperson. Agree on communication routines, site meetings and a shared decisions log. Define how variations are quoted, approved and tracked to the dollar. A friend rushed a quote once; the sink arrived 2 cm too big and delayed move-in by a week. Build in a retention sum that you release only after defects are fixed and the final clean passes your check.

Probe workmanship quality. Request to see a running site and a just-completed handover. Check cabinet alignment, door reveals, silicone lines and tile lippage. Open drawers, test soft-closing, look under the sink for neat plumbing. Discuss protection for existing floors, lifts and corridors to avoid neighbor complaints. Clarify defect liability period length and response time. Tie payments to checkpoints like tile completion, carpentry install and final inspection. Ask for digital updates with dated photos and a week-ahead plan so you track progress. The right team does not just build well. They plan, report, fix and finish well, and they keep you informed without chasing.

Nail your kitchen decisions

The kitchen drives daily comfort and resale, so choose layout, storage and services with care. Start with flow. Galley and L-shaped plans suit compact homes, U-shaped maximizes corners, an island works only if you keep safe aisles of 1 to 1.2 meters. Plan zones for prep, cook and clean. Keep the sink, hob and fridge within easy reach but avoid cramped triangles. Allocate full-height storage for pantry items, pull-outs for spices and oils, deep drawers for pots and a tray for chopping boards. Inside cabinets, pick durable hardware with soft-close and full-extension runners.

Select resilient finishes. Quartz or sintered stone benchtops resist stains and heat. High-pressure laminates or thermoformed doors are easy to clean. Use quartz or matching backsplash behind the hob and seal edges well. Plan power like a pro: dedicated circuits for oven and induction, outlets inside tall units for appliances, USB-C near work zones. For ventilation, choose a hood with sufficient cubic meters per hour and duct out where rules allow. Good lighting layers matter. Mix bright task light under cabinets, ambient ceiling light and a warm accent near the dining edge.

Waterproof wet areas, slope floors to the drain and keep dishwashers on easy-to-service sides. For condo interior design, check restrictions on gas lines and ducting. For HDB flats, confirm wall hacking approvals and waterproofing specs. Before fabrication, sign off on shop drawings that mark dimensions, fillers and service access. After installation, do a snag list. Open everything, run water, test appliances and note fixes. Treat your kitchen renovation as a small system, not just cabinets, and it will serve you for years.

Bottom line: Define scope, hire well and design smart to get a beautiful stress-light home.