Average Cost of Home Renovation in Singapore
If you are looking to remodel a home, what are the costs you can expect? Will the cost of a remodel also be sky high? For most consumers, there are two reasons they consider a home remodel in the first place:
- They own a home and are looking to improve the quality and value.
- They are interested in buying a depressed home, and want to know how much it will cost to renovate the property. If the renovation will be required, the renovation cost is effectively part of the purchase price from the buyer’s perspective.
Whichever situation you are in, it is a great starting point to understand the average cost of a home renovation within Singapore. Keep reading to find data on the average cost of a home remodel and some questions you should consider before getting started.
Average Cost of Home Renovation for a 4-room HDB Flat
We calculated the average cost of home renovation based on a 4-room HDB flat since it represents the biggest proportion of residences in Singapore (32% of all homes). According to research, the average cost of home renovation for a 4-room HDB resale flat is near to $55,000. This cost includes all of the raw material required and the labour needed to complete the project. In general, there are seven major components you will need to pay for
| Remodelling Area | Average Cost | Note |
| Demolition | S$3000-$5000 | This is based on removing loads of existing built-in items |
| Plumbing | S$800-900 | S$250-S$400 per bathroom & kitchen |
| Electrical | S$2,000-$3500 | If you’re keen to do up many power supplies at each area, you should be looking at a higher cost |
| Flooring and Tiling | S$8000-$20000 | S$8,000-S$20,000 depending on the tiles design you are choosing, also based on the method of laying |
| Plastering Works | $2000 -$3000 | Depending on the condition of the interior unit |
| Paint | S$1,400 | Depending on the amount of colors you choose to use, and also if you were to work on any fancy designs on the walls |
| Carpentry Work | S$8000 – $20000 | If you’re looking at alot of built-ins, then you should be looking at the higher cost |
| Appliance | S$7,500 | A/C, Washing Machines, etc. |
| Total | S$53,800 | |
At any one of these seven steps, your choice of materials can decrease the cost of a remodel substantially. For instance, instead of opting for hacking of the living wall and bedroom floorings, you may opt to use vinyl flooring as an overlay option to save on the hacking cost. For instance, below is a table that shows the range of pricing for each flooring material options. When we are talking about 101-140 sq. meters of floor area, a difference of S$5-10 per square meter could be a huge difference.
| Flooring Material | Low End Cost | Average Cost | High End Cost |
| Marble | S$15 per square foot | S$12.5 per square foot | S$20 per square foot |
| Granite | S$18 per square foot | S$15 per square foot | S$30 per square foot |
| Parquet | S$12 per square foot | S$10.5 per square foot | S$18 per square foot |
| Laminate | S$4 per square foot | S$3.50 per square foot | S$8 per square foot |
| Vinyl | S$5 per square foot | S$6.40 per square foot | S$7.50 per square foot |
| Ceramic/Tiles | S$3.20 per square foot | S$8 per square foot | S$15 per square foot |
| Installation Labour | S$4 per square foot | S$6 per square foot | S$9 per square foot |
If money is an issue, consider the raw material at every step of the process and see if cheaper solutions exist. On top of this raw material cost, completing a portion of the work yourself can be a great way to save on labour.
Average Cost of Home Renovation Depending on Style
Although the average cost of renovating a home is around S$55,000, this cost could actually vary heavily depending on how you redesign your residence. There are largely 9 different style categories that people choose in Singapore. Below, we feature the average cost of home renovation using a HDB resale 4-room flat type to display each design’s costings.
| Style | Average Cost |
| Contemporary | S$82,000 |
| Modern | S$50,000 |
| Traditional | S$71,000 |
| Transitional | S$52,000 |
| Retro | S$60,000 |
| Vintage | S$62,000 |
| Scandinavian | S$40,000 |
| Eclectic | S$60,000 |
| Industrial | S$55,000 |
Other than renovation costs, it is also advisable to factor in furniture so you will get an idea of how much is the total spending for your apartment. We hope this has been a great help to you, feel free to contact us if you have any queries.
