‘Wrong colour, wrong measurements’: Singaporeans share their worst renovation experiences

SINGAPORE: Renovating a home is often one of the most exciting parts of moving into a new place. But for many homeowners, it can also become one of the most stressful.

A Reddit user who is currently renovating a home recently shared that communication with their contractor had been difficult. Wondering if others had gone through something similar, the user asked fellow Singaporeans to share their renovation horror stories.

“What is your reno horror story?” the netizen asked. 

Others shared their experiences in the comments section. One commented that their contractor during the pandemic ran away with their deposit for additional cabinets. They were blindsided. 

Another netizen shared that he/she made an appointment with an interior designer (ID) for an inspection, and he/she was kept waiting for four hours before being cancelled. 

One more netizen claimed that no matter how detailed you are in informing the ID or contractor, even if you present them with photos, writing, or formal confirmation, there will always be issues such as wrong colour, wrong laminate, wrong design, and wrong measurements. 

A netizen remarked: “There should be a contract for breaches on performance or lack of response… To penalise the company if they fail to deliver on time, install incorrectly, lack of response, lack of follow-up, lack of weekly checks.”

“This industry seriously needs to be regulated…  They know a few things, put it all together, package the damn thing, then overpromise and underdeliver! Worst case, run with your money and never deliver! They will always ignore your input because they will never admit that they only know less than half of what they should know in the first place,” a netizen concluded. 

While every renovation experience is different, the stories shared show how issues such as poor communication, missed deadlines and workmanship problems remain common frustrations for homeowners.