10 HDB Renovation Tips I Don't Regret [HDB BTO Homeowner Diary] (2023)

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owner:piano
Lal:HDB Resale Flat, 4 Bedrooms
Place:Pasir Ris
move:2022
Decoration cost:$ 30.000

My partner and I are celebrating our 1 year anniversary as full owners and our family of 3 will be moving into our newly renovated 4 bedroom resale HDB flat in 2022.

We purchased this beautiful new unit completed in 2015 because we knew we didn't want to spend too much on renovations and planned to keep as many original fixtures as possible.

Renovation cost: $30,000

Our total renovation cost ended up being close to $30,000.

The 2 bathrooms and the kitchen have been renovated with some hack work on the existing carpentry and a new old wardrobe built for us. We kept the vinyl floor as it has a rustic wood design and we have no complaints about it, in fact many of our guests have complimented on the beauty of the floor.

We plan to do some home improvements later on, such as changing the look of the doors with door panels, fixing the bi-fold bathroom doors, and installing solar window film on the windows.

10 Home Improvements I Haven't Regretted

We hear about other people's home improvement regrets all the time, but here are 10 home improvement wins I've picked up as a first-time home buyer that you can consider for yours, too.

1. fan

Having good air circulation and ventilation is very important when living in a hot and humid country like Singapore. This largely explains my strong desire to have as many fans as possible in every corner of our house. We have ceiling fans installed in all bedrooms and living room.

Instead of installing another ceiling fan, we decided to use a corner fan in the dining area because we wanted a pendant light over the dining table. Small but powerful corner fans are strategically placed, and their massive wind speeds vibrate to the open concept kitchen, making food preparation more tolerable.

2. Lighted ceiling fan

All our rooms have a lighted ceiling fan. It is multifunctional and saves us the trouble of installing another light source, because the ceiling light is enough for night use. We prefer warm and cozy ambient lights on at night, but if you need to study or work at night, ceiling lights will come in handy.

There are many trendy ceiling fan designs now and we can see elegant blades in light wood and walnut shades. Ceiling fans are mostly remote controlled and easier to switch on and off than traditional manual switches which makes me worry that the whole fan will collapse when pulled.

3. Hidden switch

There are as many large kitchen appliances as ovens, microwaves, and dishwashers as there are electrical switches you will have, so plan where they will be.

This does not include any light switches you may have, as we also installed recessed LED lights. I would say that there are a lot of switches you have to think about and the last thing you want is for a switch to ruin the look of your beautiful kitchen.

We hired an experienced professional electrician to help us with the electrical work and he gave us a brilliant suggestion to hide our electrical switches in the kitchen joinery. The considerations behind installing electrical switches are primarily ease of access while keeping unsightly switches from being too jarring.

4. LED light strip as task lighting

Our LED strip lights above kitchen counters and in bathrooms are more useful than main ceiling fixtures. They're less bright, but more pleasing to the eye because LED lights are less likely to cast weird shadows when you're performing a task.

Today, you can easily buy smart LED strips online and install them effortlessly because they come with ready-made adhesives. The smart LED strip comes with a physical remote that allows you to adjust brightness and color temperature with the touch of a button.

5. Shelves in the DB cabinet

If you've lived in a newer HDB development, you're familiar with the distribution box, also known as the DB cabinet, where the power system components are located. The bulky 4-door design of a DB cabinet may not look its best, as some owners choose to cut everything out and build proper shelves and storage drawers.

However, many homeowners like me will choose to keep it because it works in its own way. We had a carpenter help us install a shelf to house our internet modem. Some savvy homeowners have installed sloped shelves to completely transform a DB closet into a functional shoe cabinet with a handy mirrored door for one last laundry check before heading out.

6. Full height carpentry cabinet

It is true that woodworking wardrobes are more expensive than ready-made wardrobes. The idea behind open wardrobes is alluring for its affordability and novelty, and you can also have a full height wardrobe system. However, I'm glad we decided to use a closet wardrobe with sliding doors, since we now have a curious crawling baby.

Additionally, having a full height carpenter's closet allowed us to make the most of the space above by storing less used items such as empty product boxes, spare hangers and travel related items. We also don't have to worry about dust collecting on the top of the wardrobe because the wardrobe is built from floor to ceiling.

7. Mounting the TV on the TV Console

We made a conscious decision to have our room without built-ins and to avoid drilling any permanent holes in the walls as we wanted flexibility and options to change out furniture and freely update the layout and space.

Our storage solution of choice is the modular and customizable IKEA BESTA system. We have a bench near the main door that gives access to the room where the TV console is. The BESTA system comes with an extra TV mount, you can choose to mount your TV to the console. Please note that the TV stand only supports TVs up to 55 inches.

8. 2 street light switch

I didn't initially see the point of having two way light switches since our 4 bedroom unit wasn't the largest to begin with. The two-way light switch was made by the original owner, and one thing that annoys me is that the switch isn't completely uniform in the off position, even with all the lights off.

Since our dining lights were specifically fitted with two-way light switches, I quickly discovered that it was useful to reach for the dining area light switch by the door when I got home, and turn off the same dining light when I went to the restaurant. bedroom, at the end of the day.

9. Shutters in service yards

We didn't realize there was no real glass in the service yard, but the original owners installed shutters. The lack of glass in the windows provided good airflow to our service yard, allowing our clothes to dry efficiently.

Additionally, the louvers also act as privacy screens, as we can adjust the angle of the louvers to optimize airflow and block anyCapoAlso spy on the neighbors.

10. Open concept kitchen

When we purchased a resale unit, the original owner had knocked down or opted not to use the kitchen door. We love the idea of ​​an open concept kitchen because it helps open up the space. Equipped with a high suction chimney hood to prevent the kitchen fumes from spreading to the sofa and curtains in our living room.

Since we don't cook a lot, the open concept kitchen is perfect for us. However, many seniors warn us and advise us to have a proper baby gate to keep our crawling and curious newborn out, just in case, in case he comes into contact with dangerous objects like knives.

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