Property News · April 1, 2016

3 things to consider before renovating your home


What to look out for before calling a contractor to fix your apartment
Image credit: mygeneration.org.uk
Getting the keys to your new condo sure is exciting. You’ve been waiting for this day for a while, and you know just what you want to do. You’ve picked out the exact shade of paint on the walls.
Maybe take over another bedroom for a walk-in wardrobe. The cutest al fresco dining area on the balcony for those Sunday cups of coffee. Turn that master bathroom into a relaxing spa.
We understand the excitement, of course. But hold your horses a little. Before you call your interior designer or bring in the contractor to start taking down some walls, here are some tips to take note of.
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1—Look for defects
If you are moving into a newly TOP (Temporary Occupancy Permit) condo, make sure to go through the process of defect correction with the developer. After you collect the keys, you can highlight flaws and defects to the developer, and they have a month to rectify them.
2—Review management committee restrictions
Most condo management committees and Singapore’s Building and Construction Authority (BCA) will restrict homeowners from building additions that will permanently affect the façade of the building, such as a permanent awnings or covering up the balcony.
Hacking into permanent walls are also a common no-no, and committees will often require homeowners to build false ceilings to install lighting and cabling, for instance, rather than ripping into the concrete.
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Remember that you’ll usually need to get some form of approval from the committee before renovations can commence, so familiarise yourself with what you can or cannot do to avoid the hassle of altering your plans and any renovation delays.
3—Think of the future
Homeowners, especially those who move into the smaller one-plus-one or two-bedroom units, often take down non-permanent walls to increase the size of their bedrooms or living rooms.
If you’re a newlywed first-time buyer, or are intending to expand your family in the medium term, you might find yourself either selling the unit, or renting it out for extra income while you move into a larger unit.
In such case, you might find what you can ask for the unit might be as high as what you expected, because such alterations do reduce the perceived value of the unit. Rebuilding the walls again would also be a cost-prohibitive measure.
This article, written by Chang Hui Chew, was first published in The PropertyGuru News & Views print edition. The online version appeared on PropertyGuru.com.sg on 31 July 2015.

Source : property-report.com
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