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How to Save On Renovation Costs in Singapore (2026)
Published 21 August 2025
TL;DR / Summary:
– Carpentry usually takes up the biggest chunk of your reno budget, so prioritise your must-haves and fill the rest with loose furniture.
– Vinyl flooring over tile overlay can save you significantly, costing around $5 per sqft compared to up to $20 per sqft for hardwood or marble.
– Sourcing your own materials like handles and doorknobs directly from suppliers can cut out the sourcing fees your interior designer would otherwise charge.
– Always budget to 85% of your total and keep the remaining 15% aside for unexpected costs.
Buying your first home is exciting. Then comes the renovation budget, and suddenly it’s not so fun anymore. Costs add up fast, and before you know it, you’re staring at a spreadsheet wondering where all your CPF housing grants went.
So how can you save on renovation costs and boost your property’s value without having to compromise on the home you envisioned? Let’s break it down:
Table of Contents:
- Understanding the Different Types of Home Renovation
- Breakdown of Renovation Costs for a 4-Room HDB Flat
- 5 Ways to Save On Your Renovation Costs
- Renovations Are Fun and Don't Have to Cost Too Much
- Frequently Asked Questions
Understanding the Different Types of Home Renovation
Saving on renovation costs starts with knowing what you’re paying for in the first place. A home renovation is made up of different work types, each priced differently depending on materials, labour, and complexity.
Once you know what drives the cost, it’s much easier to figure out where you can cut and where it’s worth spending.
Carpentry
Carpentry covers all the built-in pieces in your home, and it’s usually the biggest cost in any reno. That includes your wardrobe, kitchen cabinets, TV console, and study desk. What affects the price most is your choice of material and how custom the design is. Solid wood will cost more than MDF, and a full-height, floor-to-ceiling wardrېobe will cost more than a basic built-in.
Masonry
Masonry covers your flooring, tiling, wall patching, and any hacking work. Costs go up based on surface area, material choice, and labour. One thing worth knowing: the tile you pick matters as much as the size of the space. A large-format marble-look tile will cost more to lay than a standard homogeneous tile, even for the same floor area.
Hacking
Hacking covers all wall-related work in your renovation, from tearing down partitions to rebuilding and patching.
The cost breaks down into three parts: labour, endorsement, and hauling.
For labour, the price depends on the size and thickness of the wall, since thicker and larger walls naturally take more time and effort to bring down. Before any of that can happen though, you need an endorsement, which is a mandatory sign-off from a licensed professional that HDB requires before hacking can begin.
Once the work is done, hauling comes in, which covers the cost of clearing all the debris, and the price scales depending on how much material needs to be removed.
Other Common Works
Apart from the above-stated renovation works, remember to set aside a budget for:
- Electrical works, such as installing lights, power outlets, and water heaters
- Plumbing works, including basins, taps, showerheads, and toilet bowls
- Ceiling, partition, windows, doors, and grilles
- Painting of walls and ceilings
- Clean-up works, covering post-renovation cleaning and debris disposal
Breakdown of Renovation Costs for a 4-Room HDB Flat
Renovation work
Light Renovation
Moderate Renovation
Extensive Renovation
Hacking
$1,200
$2,800
$11,350
Masonry
$3,000
$10,400
$37,500
Carpentry
$7,000
$17,950
$53,450
Plumbing
$1,200
$2,800
$8,700
Electrical
$1,000
$2,450
$5,450
Painting
$800
$1,600
$2,950
Glass & Aluminium
$1,500
$3,850
$9,450
Cleaning and Polishing
$700
$1,400
$7,800
Total
$17,600
$46,050
$148,000
*Data obtained from Qanvast’s renovation calculator
This is a rough breakdown of the renovation cost for a 4-room HDB flat (90 sqm/ 968.7 sqft) based on the market average. While the renovation cost averages $64,000 (as of 2025), it varies between households and heavily depends on the respective budgets, personal preferences, and whether the flat is new or a resale.
5 Ways to Save On Your Renovation Costs
Now that you have a clearer understanding of what makes up your total renovation cost, here are some tips on how you can stay within your home renovation budget:
1. Opt for Fewer Built-ins
One of the best ways to cut down your renovation costs is to have fewer built-ins. Having a built-in wardrobe or customised furniture may seem like a great way to increase storage space, given the small size of HDB flats, but it’s often pricey due to the workmanship that goes into creating a personalised piece.
Furthermore, some carpentry work requires hacking, which may result in a more premium price. Moderate carpentry work can cost up to $10,000.
Prioritise the small handful of your carpentry must-haves, like kitchen cabinets. This list of carpentry should be custom solutions that require design work from professionals. The rest can be loose pieces of furniture or small organisation products that can be easily purchased to fully utilise your home’s space.
2. Choosing Vinyl Flooring Over Tiles
Another quick way to save is to overlay existing floor tiling with vinyl instead of tile replacement. Flooring materials like hardwood and marble can easily cost up to $20 per square foot. On top of the cost of materials, hacking may be required. This can easily take up a significant portion of your budget.
On the contrary, vinyl or laminate flooring generally costs around $5 per square foot. For an average 4-room flat with 90 sqm, this difference in cost adds up. Modern vinyl flooring looks as realistic as tile finishes, and if taken care of, can last up to 25 years.
3. Paint Your Walls
Painting your walls instead of using wallpaper or building a feature wall is also a great way to save on renovation costs. You can even save on labour if you paint the walls yourself or get the help of your friends or family. Buying them a meal is still cheaper than hiring someone to get your walls painted.
Painting your walls is also a practical choice, as you can easily change the look of your home by giving it a fresh coat of paint. This is more cost-efficient when compared to wallpaper or a feature wall that needs new materials and another set of renovations.
4. Plan Your Electricity Plugs
While this may not reduce your initial renovation cost, it minimises the need to engage in rewiring in the future. Planning out the placement of electricity plugs is often overlooked during home renovations.
Homeowners often find themselves having to deal with obstructed power plugs or limited electrical outlets in rooms that have more electric appliances. Installing new or separate electrical outlets after the initial home renovation would cost a few hundred dollars of unnecessary spending.
5. Source for Your Materials
If you engage an interior designer, they will usually have a list of preferred contractors for required materials already. This means that they will charge you sourcing and purchasing fees on top of the cost of the materials.
To save, you can ask if the materials or accessories, such as handles and doorknobs, are included in the final renovation quote. If they are, you can request to source them yourself and purchase directly from industrial warehouses. Likewise, you can find suppliers online.
Renovations Are Fun and Don’t Have to Cost Too Much
Renovating a house may come with its own set of challenges, but it’s still a fun and fulfilling process where you get to add your personal touch to your home.
Bonus tip: Work within 85% of your initial budget for renovation and set aside the remaining 15% for any unexpected payments so you don’t run out so soon.
Worst-case scenario: You use up 100% of your budget. Best-case scenario: You save 15%.
Having a clear goal and a robust budget for any unforeseen circumstances goes a long way in making this process less stressful and more enjoyable.
If you’re looking to start your home renovation soon, you can speak to our experienced team of interior designers and contractors via any of the contact options below. But if you’re renovating to sell your flat in the future, you can schedule a call with any of Ohmyhome’s Super Agents to get the ball rolling.
Have any questions? WhatsApp us today to get started.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is it worth renovating before selling my HDB flat in Singapore?
Small, targeted renovations before selling your HDB flat can help you fetch a better price, but it depends on the extent of the work. Minor touch-ups like repainting walls or fixing worn fixtures make your flat look well-maintained and easier to sell. A full renovation, however, rarely guarantees a higher return since most buyers prefer to reno to their own taste anyway. Focus on presentation over transformation.
2. What’s the most overbudgeted item in a typical HDB renovation?
Carpentry is the most overbudgeted item in most HDB renovations. Most people go all-in on built-ins during the excitement of planning, then realise halfway through that a floor-to-ceiling wardrobe in every room wasn’t necessary. Start with your non-negotiables like kitchen cabinets, and fill the rest of your space with loose furniture you can swap out over time.
3. Can I renovate in phases to manage costs better?
Renovating in phases is a practical way to manage your budget without putting everything on hold. Prioritise structural and electrical work first since these are the hardest to redo later. Carpentry and decor can come in phases as your budget allows. Just make sure your interior designer or contractor knows the plan upfront so the sequencing makes sense.