{"id":11961,"date":"2017-10-03T03:55:58","date_gmt":"2017-10-02T19:55:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.99.co\/blog\/singapore\/?p=11961"},"modified":"2022-07-01T04:09:35","modified_gmt":"2022-06-30T20:09:35","slug":"renovation-disputes-avoiding-resolving","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.99.co\/singapore\/insider\/renovation-disputes-avoiding-resolving\/","title":{"rendered":"Ask the 99.co expert: Renovation Disputes – Avoiding & Resolving Them"},"content":{"rendered":"
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99.co is pleased to bring to you the <\/span><\/i>Ask the 99.co expert <\/i><\/b>series. Every month, we feature professionals from a selected field to share their knowledge and insights on scenarios commonly faced by our readers. We kick off this series with a spotlight on property-related legal issues, with<\/span><\/i> Asia Law Network<\/i><\/b><\/a> at the helm. Watch the 99.co blog<\/a> in October, for our latest updates on legal information and insights.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Renovation is a key part of getting our dream homes<\/b><\/p>\n

Owning and living in your own home is probably one of the biggest fantasies for any person. Whether you indulge it by haunting the corridors of IKEA, or building your house from scratch in the virtual world of \u2018The Sims\u2019, you\u2019ve probably spent a long time thinking about how it might look! With all these hopes and expectations, it\u2019s not surprising that many homeowners look for contractors who are capable of not only understanding their creative visions but also delivering high-quality workmanship and materials in all the renovation works.<\/span><\/p>\n

And yet, renovation disputes are more common than you think<\/b><\/p>\n

Yet, in the homeowners\u2019 rush to quickly engage the services of their preferred contractor, they may forget to take the appropriate measures to properly protect themselves. Soon, when shoddy workmanship and defects start appearing, renovation disputes between homeowners and contractors can threaten to turn your dream home into a nightmare. Renovations on a new home can cost anywhere up to 20 per cent of the cost of buying your home \u2013 so being embroiled in a dispute like this will not only dramatically increase your financial outlay, but also delay the completion of your home AND lead to a lot of frustration and disappointment.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Renovation<\/p>\n

In fact, according to the<\/span> Straits Times<\/span><\/a>, the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) received 1,447 complaints against renovation contractors in 2015, with the home renovation industry coming in fourth in terms of the number of complaints against it. Among the cases filed with CASE, only slightly over half were resolved in 2015, compared to 78 per cent in 2014.<\/span><\/p>\n

Save your sanity (and wallet) from renovation disputes. Find a good contractor!<\/span><\/p>\n

To minimise the possibility of being involved in renovation disputes, you should first consider an<\/span> accredited contractor<\/span><\/a> which is recognised by both CASE, and the Singapore Renovation Contractors and Material Suppliers Association (RCMA). Such contractors are classified under the<\/span> CASETRUST-RCMA Joint Accreditation scheme<\/span><\/a>. If you are living in an HDB flat, make sure that the contractor is also registered with the Housing and Development Board (HDB). If the contractor is not registered with HDB, no renovation works may be carried out by the contractor at all.<\/span><\/p>\n

Once you\u2019ve chosen a company from the CASETRUST-RCMA list, make sure you sign a contract with the contractor before starting renovation works. This contract should clearly outline and specify the exact terms of the agreement between you (the homeowner), and the contractor.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here are a few more tips to consider when selecting a renovation contractor: <\/b><\/h3>\n
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  1. How did you find out about the contractor? If you were recommended this contractor from friends, what feedback did they give on the contractor?<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. How long has the contractor been in operation?<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Know the difference between a contractor, and an Interior Design (ID) company. A contractor will usually just be the one engaged to perform the work. An ID company would be one that you engage to perform interior design and together with that, they will usually then offer to provide the renovation services as part of their ID package. However, it is not always the case that the ID company has its own in house contractors and the work may actually be sub-contracted to other parties. These are things that prospective home-owners should be aware of. Separately, even contractors will usually sub-contract specialist works like plumbing and electrical works, to other sub-contractors. As such, prospective homeowners should ascertain the scope of the works that will be done by the contractors or the ID company\u2019s own staff, and those that would be sub-contracted. Whilst sub-contracting is not necessarily a bad thing, as it means that the work is usually done by a more specialised contractor, it can also mean that the contractor might not have as much control over the timing and scheduling of the other specialist contractors and that is something that one ought to take into account.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    A few valuable tips on your renovation contract\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n

    Here are a few tips to properly cover your bases that may save you a lot of headaches in the long run.<\/span><\/p>\n