The short answer is âIt depends.â Here are the 3 things you MUST consider objectively!
1. Does your property agent have a hidden agenda?
While some property agents genuinely want to help their clients settle in smoothly, itâs important to be aware of potential conflicts of interest.
In many cases, agents receive referral commissions from interior designers they recommend.
If they the amount of commissions they receive is significant, it might be "marked-up" into your renovation cost. That means you might end up paying more, or getting less, without even realising it!
Itâs not about distrusting your agent, but, about understanding the incentives behind the referral so you can make an informed decision
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2. Your friend's good experience doesn't guarantee yours
When your friend suggests an interior designer, it usually means they trust them. So, working with that designer gives you a sense of reliability.
However, we suggest still doing your due diligence to check if the renovator is truly credible.
Renovation is the industry that receives the most complaints in Singapore â scams, shoddy works, delays, and unprofessionalism are rampant.
Before signing the contract, make sure that that they follow best consumer practices that will protect you before, during, and after the renovation e.g. deposit guarantees, itemised quotations, warranty, fair payment schedule etc.
âPro-Tip: Renovators with the CaseTrust mark undergo rigorous assessment which verifies that it has good consumer practices.
âCheck their Facebook reviewsâ
Fake Reviews are rampant. Facebook is our preferred source of truth for its neutrality. Plus, you can easily check if reviewers are real people e.g. account activity, no. of friends, profile photo, account creation date etc. Google Reviews comes in 2nd but it is harder to spot fake reviews there.
Other tips for assessing quality include 1) requesting for relevant past projects and 2) asking them how they manage their sub-contractors.
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3. What works for your friend might not work for you!
Again it comes down to âSuitability.â
We strongly recommend homeowners to meet at least 5 renovators in order to make meaningful and informed comparisons.
What does Suitability mean? What to look out for when comparing?
Budget Range Alignment
Ensure that your Renovator is comfortable with working within your budget range.
Some Renovators have minimum budget requirements while others prefer to work with a smaller budget. This is usually not stated upfront as Renovators may not want to lose the opportunity to work with you.
Having a mismatch of budget range can lead to issues such as âghostingâ or âupselling.â
Your Specific Needs
Ultimately, it comes down to who is the most capable of understanding your specific needs and translating the ideas into reality.
Avoid the superficialities and focus on:
- Lifestyle: Does the proposed renovation features and layout meet your lifestyle needs?
- Aesthetics: Are the design concepts aligned with your aesthetic preferences?
Vibes and Work Ethics
Renovation is an intimate process that takes ~6-8 weeks to complete.
You want to make sure that youâre engaging someone vibe and work well with.
Apart from general âvibesâ and temperament, also assess them based on their work ethics e.g. how long do they take to respond to your messages and do they proactively update you or do you have to send reminders?
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 We can help you find Trusted and Suitable Renovators based on your specific needs:
