Is your recent reno cost this high too?! Share your house type and renovation costs here!

Eh, the prices you mentioned look ex! My friends did their places up not too long ago, and none of them mentioned numbers that high. Aside from carpentry works which varies from each home's requirements, their basic electrical works were like around $3k-ish and plumbing up to $3k-ish. Their painting jobs were quite extensive tho as they selected some premium paint from Benjamin Moore, which cost them around 5K+

These prices sounds crazy if compare to those quotes from 2 years ago before all the inflation BS kicks in. I remember I did my 4-room upgrade back then, it wasn't even close to what you're being quoted, probably like 45K can get a functional and no frills reno.

It might be worth it to look into more comprehensive package deals or consider which parts of your reno you can DIY to save some cash, e.g. painting and some electrical/plumbing works if you do not have complex false ceiling.

Thanks for the advice guys, I would be looking to get more quotes first. Most friends I spoke to met with around 5 to 7 IDs before finalising on one. It seemed that every ID have their own habits and practice of going about the renovation, which also results in vastly different pricings.

Some ID i spoke mentioned that I can overlay my bathroom tiles directly, which some mentioned that for a 7 years old resale HDB it is necessary to hack and redo to ensure waterproofing works good.

Seemed like we gonna have to speak to more.

Not just for resale HDBs, but condo renovation costs have also spiked. Generally from what i hear-say around the increase is around 20 to 30% (crazy i know). Contractors and IDs are claiming that these are from "lack of manpower" and "materials increase due to inflation", but god knows if they are just chopping carrots for profits considering Singaporeans are so willing to spend huge sums on renovation.

Hey Serena, saw the numbers you've been quoted – they do seem on the high side! As an ID previously who have been designing spaces for more than 10 years, I believe making spaces can be functional, stylist while still being affordable. Don't be afraid to speak to more IDs, most would love to share their design insights.

Honestly those quotes don't look that crazy for resale HDB in the current market, painful as that is to hear. Resale adds cost because there's usually more hacking involved, older pipes and wiring that need updating, and more unknowns once they start opening things up.

That said $65-80k for your scope does feel on the higher end. The carpentry at $18k is where I'd push back the most. For master wardrobe, kitchen cabinets and entryway storage that's quite a lot unless they're proposing full floor to ceiling everything with premium laminates.

A few things worth checking — are they quoting full hacking of existing tiles or just overlay? Because overlay flooring saves a significant chunk and for a resale that's liveable it's worth considering. Also ask them to break down the electrical in detail because $7-8k is steep unless there's a full rewiring situation going on.

My honest suggestion is get 2-3 more quotes from smaller renovation contractors rather than ID firms. ID firms have overhead and design fees baked into everything even when you don't really need the design service. A straight contractor for your scope could come in $15-20k lower easily.

Also your requirements sound pretty standard — no feature walls, no fancy built-ins, nothing structural. So you have room to negotiate or shop around without compromising much.

What's your actual budget target? That'll help people here give more useful suggestions on where to trim.