Just bought a new home? Read this guide to help you decide if you should hire a professional interior designer, hire a contractor or DIY your home renovation.
Getting your new home: Hire a Professional or DIY
You are getting the keys to your new home, and it feels exciting and a little scary at the same time. If you are feeling slightly lost and overwhelmed about the number of decisions to make for your new home, this guide will help make this initial decision making process easier for you.
First, choose whether to have a professional designer/ renovation contractor do everything or most of the home renovation for you. If you are gung-ho enough, then do as much as possible on your own. Her are the basic 3 main options:
- Hire a professional interior designer and have everything done for you
- Design the home yourself and hire a main contractor to renovate your home
- DIY your home renovation project from the start to the end
1. Hire a professional interior designer and have everything done for you
Hiring an interior designer is almost certainly the most hassle-free way forward. However, choosing the right designer can be time-consuming because the standard of design work can vary greatly from designer to designer.
Pros:
- Hassle free as your interior designer will carry out all the coordination work.
- Great result (if you choose the right designer).
Cons:
- Cookie cutter look. This is a common trick that some firms use is to recycle almost 100% ideas they use in other projects.
- Higher cost than of hiring a regular renovation contractor.
Ideal for people who:
- Have not decided on a definitive look for their home.
- Do not have the time to spare to do any coordination work.
- Simply want a surer way of having a great look at the end of it all.
If that is you:
- Shortlist a few designers and have a chat with them.
- Find the one who you’re most comfortable with, in terms of communication and his/her presentation of design ideas.
2. Design the home yourself and hire a main contractor to renovate your home
Pros:
- Hassle free as your renovation contractor will be in-charge of the renovation works. You only need to decide on the design of the home and then pass on the instructions to the contractor.
- Lower cost than of a design firm if contractor is trustworthy.
- Peace of mind. If there’s any quality issue, your contractor will resolve it with the relevant craftsmen.
Cons:
- Look that doesn’t work out. If this is your first time designing a home, there is the risk of your home not looking as good as you first envisioned it.
Ideal for people who:
- Have a clear idea of the design direction for their home.
- Have some design experience or hobby that deals with art.
- Are on a tighter budget.
- Expect a fuss-free experience.
If that is you:
- Compare some quotations for all your renovation items.
- Beware of contractors who use substandard materials or workmanship.
- Choose the contractor you can trust the most.
3. DIY your home renovation project from the start to the end
Pros:
- A sense of ownership to feel more connected with your home when the home renovation project was a success.
- A personal touch.
- Lower cost (bearing in mind the time spent on the project as time is money too)
Cons:
- Time consuming because you will need at least one person to be fully available during the renovation period of 2 weeks to 2 months to coordinate the entire renovation project.
- May not be cost effective when the project is complex
- Shoddy workmanship, for example doing paintworks yourself. It is quite unlikely that your work will be as good as the craftsmen as they have practised their trades for years, day in and day out to become skilful.
- Danger of quality dispute because you are likely to work with the respective craftsmen only once, you might not be able to assess the quality of materials or workmanship provided for your home. If there is a dispute about quality, there is a high chance that it would not be resolved easily and you might have to pay someone else to rectify a huge matter, for example uneven flooring.
Ideal for people who:
- Are truly adventurous and want to experience the process.
- Have some design skills or renovation experience.
- Have the time and resources available to complete the project e.g. from sourcing for different sub-contractors to do more specialised work to supervising and coordinating the works.
- Have a small scope of renovation works.
If that is you:
- Plan and research the project (scope, materials and cost).
- Create a project schedule, including start and end dates.
- Ensure regulations are followed and apply for permits required for your renovation. For HDB homeowners, here is a clear step-by-step guide on HDB renovation guidelines: https://www.mynicehome.gov.sg/hdb-how-to/renovate-your-flat/a-guide-to-home-renovation-for-your-hdb-flat/
If you are still feeling unsure, do speak to a professional to understand the scope, nature and complexity of your home renovation.
What you can expect from One Stop Builders
We can design and manage your project from start to finish, matching you with the most suitable designer for your needs and styles as we have a group of professional interior designers covering a variety of design styles for you to choose from.
Alternatively, you can tell us your design and we will work with you into bringing it into fruition. You can either give us guidelines or detailed drawings to follow.
During the course of the project, we will also update you about the progress of the project so that you are always kept in the loop. We always strive to be on time for the delivery of your project.
Quality of materials and workmanship is assured as we only use trustworthy suppliers and experienced craftsmen. On project completion day, we will do a final check of the finished work before we hand it over to you.
Feel free to contact for a free consultation, we would love to hear your home design ideas and speak with you about your home renovation needs.
If you designing a colour theme for your home , be sure to read our article, How to Design Your Home Colour Theme?
