Singapore Home Renovations on a Budget: Part 1

As decades go back, it is not surprising that old Housing and Development Board (HDB) flats look worn out and almost (I may be exaggerating here) dilapidated. A dilapidated, old house is dreary and it affects the mood of its inhabitants. Old dingy homes make you feel as depressed as your environment, while clean, bright homes give you a light and relaxed feeling. Many people live in run-down HDB flats, yet they are very hesitant to make changes. And we all know the reason why: they think the home renovation is very expensive.

In this two part article, we give you a few tips on renovating your home while on a limited budget. You do not have to tolerate your old, World War II-esque house anymore. It is time to make some changes.

• Putting on a fresh coat of paint may be one of an economical way to give an old dingy house interior a new lease of life. In Singapore, it is actually not difficult to find licensed people who can paint your house within a comfortable $1,200 budget, inclusive of service and paint costs. However, If you have a little bit more budget on hand, you can also consider putting up wallpapers in certain parts of the house for highlighting the area. Although wallpapers are slightly more expensive with a higher initial investment needed, they are actually comparable with the cost of painting in the long run. If you are lucky, you can even find some retailers who may be clearing their wallpaper stocks at half price or even more during the off-peak renovation periods. With new technology, wallpapers are getting more and more durable, and can withstand the changes in weather, humidity better than in the past. Yes, those drizzle that go inside your house or the sunlight that hits the walls do leave a mark. However with careful maintenance, wallpapers can actually last as long or even longer than painting. Choosing between wallpapers or painting is a personal choice. Painting is definitely more economical than wallpapers in the short run, but wallpapers provides better value for money given the durability and ability to brighten up a house/room instantly with the myriad of textures and design to choose from. Putting up wallpapers for the entire house is definitely costly, but the tip is to look out for wallpaper deals during the off-peak renovation periods, and put up wallpapers in selected areas of the house for highlight, while painting the remaining area in a complementary shade of colour to match.