Tips on how to filter out "black sheep" in the renovation industry
Are you planning to renovate your home? It is, after all, a great way to breathe life into your home, or perhaps even, to fix up any existing issues in your home. But if you are, you must first know how to filter out the “black sheep” in the renovation industry. This is an extremely crucial step in your renovation journey because having terrible designers and contractors is an absolute recipe for disaster. From unresponsive project managers, and delayed projects, to poor quality workmanship, or even an outright different renovation result from your expectations, these are just some of the many alarming issues that you can face if you were to engage such “black sheep” in the renovation industry. This is why it is so crucial to get a reputable and trustable renovation firm.
And, unfortunately, it can be rather confusing for many people to differentiate between a good renovation firm and a bad one. After all, some of the worst renovation companies may even try to fool you with beautiful (but fake) renovation pictures or a seemingly great website. So then, how can you tell them apart? Do not worry because we can help you with just that. Here are some tips to filter out the “black sheep” in the renovation industry, and ensure the very best renovation journey for your home!
Interior Designers VS. Contractors
Before we dive into the various tips, you have to understand the difference between interior designers and contractors first. Theoretically, interior designers are the ones that help design the overall renovation plans, whereas contractors are the ones that carry out the plans. Therefore, some interior designers may claim it is not their responsibility for any poor renovation works, because it is the contractors’ fault and responsibility. This is because they may have no control over whom the contractor hires as subcontractors such as electricians, carpenters, and painters to name a few. Similarly, the contractor should not be held responsible for any mediocre design decisions because they are only following the instructions of interior designers.
However, in reality, there is actually a lot of overlap between contractors and interior designers. For instance, some contractors have interior designers on staff, and vice versa. In fact, some bigger companies can even help you design and build at once. Essentially, because of the varying responsibilities, you need to clarify all these details before choosing the company, interior designer, or contractor of your choice.
Proper Accreditations
One of the key things that differentiate a good and bad renovation firm (or interior designer and contractor) is its accreditation. Take note, however, that interior designers and contractors in Singapore have different sets of proper accreditations.
In Singapore, there is a Singapore Interior Design Accreditation Scheme that can help you differentiate between a bad interior designer and a good interior designer with the proper license and knowledge.
· Class 1: The interior designer has at least 24 months of professional working experience, and possesses a recognized degree in interior architecture or interior design.
· Class 2: The interior designer has at least 18 months of professional working experience, and possesses a work-study or diploma in interior architecture or interior design.
· Class 3: The interior designer has at least 12 months of professional working experience, and possesses a Nitec in Spatial Design.
Essentially, if you want the most professional and reliable interior designer, you need to find one with a Class 1 Singapore Interior Design Accreditation. On the other hand, you need to filter out those that do not show any proper accreditations as they are the “black sheep” of the renovation industry.
For contractors, on the other hand, you need to check if they are licensed under the Registered Renovation Contractors' Scheme (RRCS). Specifically, you may check if they are licensed on the HDB website. This is crucial not only because a contractor with no accreditation is likely to cause several renovation issues, but it is also illegal in Singapore and can cost you a fine of up to $5,000. And while this law is only for HDB flats, it is still important for you to check because every established contractor would have this proper HDB accreditation under the RRCS.
And one of the best ways to check the accreditation of an interior designer, contractor, or interior designer firm in Singapore is to check on Renodots. On Renodot’s website, we have included various client listing with their accreditations. Thus, simplifying the process of searching for each individual interior designer, contractor, or interior designer firm, and placing it on Renodot’s website in a clear and transparent manner.
Insurance and Warranties
Apart from checking for proper accreditations, you need to check if the interior designer company (or interior designer and contractor) offers insurance and warranties for their work. And why is this important? This is because it is proof of their confidence in their work. On the other hand, a company that does not offer any form of warranty simply suggests that they do not believe that their work can last long due to poor quality materials used or poor workmanship.
Even if they do not give any warranty, the fixtures or materials they employ should have some kind of warranty. For instance, a trustable interior designer firm may provide a warranty from the manufacturer of the light fixtures. Such warranties indicate that you are receiving genuine and good-quality furniture and renovation items from things from the manufacturer rather than knock-offs.
It is also critical to ensure that the renovation company of your choice provides proper insurance. This is because remodelling damage is not covered by your home content insurance. Therefore, you need to ensure that the renovation company, contractor, or designer provides insurance to protect you from such damages.
With that said, you should also inquire about how the renovation company, contractor, or interior designer would deal with any issues that are found after the renovation. For instance, what happens if you were to find electrical problems due to their renovation sometime later? The “black sheep” in the renovation industry would be unlikely to provide you with any after-renovation service or help, nor have any policy in place to assist you after their poorly done renovation. As such, you need to ask them to ensure they have a clear policy to protect and assist you, even after the renovation is completed. At the same time, be wary of exaggerated claims that seem too good to be true. While they may appear to be wonderful on paper, no companies can genuinely honour such statements. Thus, likely to be a false claim filled with numerous hidden terms and conditions.
Internal VS. External Subcontractors
If you are seeking a good interior design company, you need to find out if they use internal (also known as in-house) subcontractors, or engage them externally. Typically, the larger and more reputable interior design firms in Singapore have their team of subcontractors. And while they tend to be more expensive usually, you can rest assured of a smaller risk of delays and more cohesive renovation work.
However, take note that it does not mean that an interior design company that makes use of external subcontractors is not reliable or professional. As long as the interior design firm is able to prove the credentials and past work experiences of the external subcontractors, instead of randomly assigning no-named external subcontractors to your renovation work, it is a sign that it is a trustable and professional firm. Not to mention, such companies that engage external sub-contractors tend to cost less, but you need to do the extra work of ensuring the accreditation of the external subcontractors.
Past Interior Design Projects
Next, you need to browse through their past interior design projects to filter out the “black sheep” in the renovation industry. Interior firms that are unable to show you their past interior design projects, or show projects with questionable quality are not ones that you should trust or engage. Even if they are able to show past ID projects, you need to ensure they have done renovation works on similar sized and similar type flats. This is because certain styles and renovation work may work for an HDB, but it does not look as good on landed property.
Therefore, it is crucial to not only browse through their past interior design projects, but you need to ensure they are experienced in renovating similar property types. For instance, you can look at the portfolio page of Renodot to browse through the numerous ID projects done by various ID firms before deciding which company you want to engage. At the same time, looking through all the ID projects is also a great way to get innovative ideas for your home.
Reviews
Checking the reviews of the interior design firm (or contractor or interior designer) is another important step to choosing the “right” one for a smooth renovation journey. And you can do so with a fast Google search or on Renodot’s website. And while we are not suggesting you should believe everything you read online, you should keep in mind that most individuals will not bother creating an account to write a bad review unless there had been a severe problem. Should you come across any bad reviews, you can even ask the ID firm contractor about it. A good designer or contractor would gladly explain things to you without becoming defensive. However, if they are unable to explain themselves, or become dismissive, you should steer clear of these kinds of unprofessional and undependable firms – the “black sheep” of the renovation industry.
Contract Terms and Payment Plans
Lastly, you need to check the contract terms and payment plans when picking an interior design company, contractor, or interior designer. This is important because some fraudsters have asked for 80 to 90% of the total amount in the first week of the project with the promise of extra reductions. Instead, you should seek companies that allow payment in stages of completion. In fact, this also encourages them to work more effectively, an additional benefit! At the same time, you can also negotiate a payment plan that works best for you and your contractor or ID firm.
With that said, the final contract should have easily comprehendible terms and conditions. Any contract that has excessive variable expenses, unclear itemisation (such as different titles for the same type of work of material – implying you are charged twice), or ridiculous terms and conditions is a contract you need to avoid at all costs. In terms of finance, we recommend that you stick to renovation loans from reputable lenders such as banks. And while everyone would love to renovate their homes at a cheap cost and quickly, realistically, it is an expensive and rather long journey. This is especially so during the current covid-19 pandemic, so do keep that in mind when looking at the contract terms and payment plans.
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