{"id":44319,"date":"2021-10-15T14:40:47","date_gmt":"2021-10-15T06:40:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.99.co\/singapore\/insider\/?p=44319"},"modified":"2022-09-14T14:17:20","modified_gmt":"2022-09-14T06:17:20","slug":"rezt-relax-boss-wilson-teh-rebuilt-3-5-storey-semi-d-home-shares-experience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.99.co\/singapore\/insider\/rezt-relax-boss-wilson-teh-rebuilt-3-5-storey-semi-d-home-shares-experience\/","title":{"rendered":"Rezt+Relax boss Wilson Teh, rebuilt his own 3.5-storey semi-D home and shares his experience"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Mr. Wilson Teh, the co-founder of renowned ID design-and-build solution company Rezt+Relax is more than happy to open his new home – a three-and-half-storey semi-detached house in Sembawang<\/a> – for genuine and interested customers to preview.<\/p>\n

For someone who bought the property and rebuilt it himself, what he shares is extremely insightful – especially if you’re a first-time or would-be landed homeowner (or you happen to strike it big and decide to buy a GCB bungalow or terrace house as a potential store of wealth).<\/p>\n

\"Living<\/a>
Wilson’s living room in his new home. (Image supplied by Rezt+Relax<\/a>, taken by Renoking)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

1. For anyone who doesn’t know, tell us what Rezt+Relax does.<\/strong><\/p>\n

We’re a multi-award-winning interior design company established in 2000 with 20,000+ customers. We also have a certified General Builder Class 2 License. This means we can rebuild, reconstruct and do additions and alterations for landed homes, be they terrace, semi-detached, bungalow or detached houses.<\/p>\n

2. You’ve done home interior designs for several celebrities, right?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yes, local celebrities like Mediacorp Artiste Chen Xiuhuan (\u9648\u79c0\u73af), singer-songwriter Ling Kai (\u94c3\u51ef) and Aiken Chua from Night Owl Cinematics (NOC), among others.<\/p>\n

\"Car<\/a>
Wilson’s car porch at his new home. Note the wall-hugging black shoe rack to the far right and the laminated tempered glass roof shelter. (Image supplied by Rezt+Relax<\/a>, taken by Renoking)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

3. Wilson, you bought a semi-detached house at Jalan Lengkok, Sembawang. Tell us what you’ve done with it after you bought it.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I bought the semi-detached single-storey property for S$2.75m in 2018. With a built-up area of only 1,500 sqft, it sat on 3,228 sqft of land, which translates to about S$852 psf at the time. Before I rebuilt it, it had three bedrooms and three bathrooms. Today, the house is valued at about S$5.2m.<\/p>\n

When I first bought the house, I had three options:<\/p>\n

a. Rebuild or new erection<\/a>:<\/strong> This means to demolish the existing structure and build everything new. This is the most popular for homeowners who want to stay and invest. For this particular Jalan Lengkok house, if I want to rebuild it to a 3.5-storey fully furnished house, it would cost about S$1.1m to S$1.5m.<\/p>\n

b. Reconstruction:<\/strong> This changes the existing structure, gross floor area (GFA) or elevation by more than 50%. For example, if I feel that the house has sufficient space and I want to save on cost, I can just add an additional storey, for between S$900k to S$1.3m.<\/p>\n

c. Additions and Alterations:<\/strong> This is the opposite of reconstruction, where changes are less than 50% of the existing structure, GFA or elevation<\/a>. For the same house, I may just want to add an attic or an additional bathroom or bedroom, which would cost between S$600k to S$800k.<\/p>\n

So for the Jalan Lengkok house, because it’s for my family and myself over the long-term, I went with option A – tear down and rebuild into a 3.5-storey house.<\/p>\n

\"Before<\/a>
Here’s a before and after of the prior semi-detached house and the 3.5-storey rebuild version. The arrows show an entrance extension, which was subjected to authorities’ approval. (Image credit: Rezt+Relax<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

4. What went into your rebuild and how long did it take?<\/strong><\/p>\n

To rebuild the single-storey semi-detached to a 3.5-storey house, the duration roughly took between 13 to 15 months.<\/p>\n

First, there are zoning requirements you must check and comply with. Second, the proposal, which includes extending the house’s entranceway from the porch or trenching works for the sewer line – which is subject to authorities’ approval like BCA, LTA, NParks and PUB.<\/p>\n

Across a land size of 3,300 sqft, the eventual built-up area is 6,500 sqft.<\/p>\n

The first floor (1,492 sqft) has a 6-metre-high ceiling. It’s where the living, dining, dry and wet kitchen areas are. There’s also the powder room, helper’s room and her bathroom. The external compound includes a car porch, sunken swimming pool and laundry area.<\/p>\n

\"Rezt+Relax<\/a>
The sunken swimming pool. (Image supplied by Rezt+Relax<\/a>, taken by Renoking)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A lift and the main stairway traverse all 3.5 floors, but a second circular stairway connects the dining area to the mezzanine floor.<\/p>\n

This stairway leads to a fully remote-controlled entertainment room with a projection screen and hidden surround sound system.<\/p>\n

\"Master<\/a>
The living room is a continuous flow that leads into the dining area and kitchen. Notice the circular staircase that leads up to the mezzanine where the entertainment room can be partially seen. (Image supplied by Rezt+Relax<\/a>, taken by Renoking)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The second floor (1,556 sqft) is for my family – large enough to fit three bedrooms, each with its own walk-in closet and en-suite bathroom – with one part converted into a computer room for my son. A new balcony overlooks a laminated tempered glass roof sheltering the car porch.<\/p>\n

\"Rezt+Relax<\/a>
For his son’s room, Wilson designed a balcony that connects to his adjacent computer room. (Image supplied by Rezt+Relax<\/a>, taken by Renoking)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The third floor (1,481 sqft) is also for my children, including my daughter’s. Similar to the second floor, it is also large enough to fit three bedrooms with walk-in closets and bathrooms. I’ve converted one section into a study area for five of my kids.<\/p>\n

\"Rezt+Relax<\/a>
The study area on the 3rd floor, which is next to the main stairway, is designed for all of his five children to be able to sit together, have conversations and share ideas. (Image supplied by Rezt+Relax<\/a>, taken by Renoking)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The uppermost floor, which I call the attic (1,022 sqft), is where the master bedroom and bathroom are, with a personal collections display, indoor pantry and a balcony.<\/p>\n

5. What are the costs, if broken down?<\/strong><\/p>\n

There are typically six different types of costs. They are (estimated):<\/p>\n

a. Submission (S$80k-120k):<\/strong> These are for your architect, professional engineer, soil test, topographical survey and any permits or licenses to the various authorities.<\/p>\n

b. Mechanical & Electrical (M&E):<\/strong> These are for your electrical (S$30k-80k), plumbing (S$25k-45k), air-conditioning (S$20k-40k), relocation of the sewer line, if applicable (S$80k-120k) and so on.<\/p>\n

c. Structural:<\/strong> These cover items like windows, staircase, glasswork, pillar\/beams, floor slab\/wall construction, painting, labour. In total, they can range between S$160-190 per square foot. If you install a passenger lift, that may cost an additional S$40k-80k, depending on the type and height.<\/p>\n

d. Material:<\/strong> Marble, homogenous tiles, parquet, timber. They range between S$150k-300k.<\/p>\n

e. Interior Design:<\/strong> Carpentry, feature walls, kitchen cabinetry, wardrobe and design. This usually ranges between S$180k-300k.<\/p>\n

f. Essential Material:<\/strong> These cover hardware, toilet, lights, sofa, curtains and so on. Their costs depend on where they are sourced from.<\/p>\n

\"Rezt+Relax<\/a>
Among the many furnishings and fixtures that decorate Wilson’s home, a splendid chandelier stretches down all the way from the top floor, complementing the main stairway. (Image supplied by Rezt+Relax<\/a>, taken by Renoking)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

6. For landed home-buyers like yourself, what sort of insights did you gain when you started house-hunting before settling on your current place?<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s important to look at different houses so that you can list out and see which one suits your family. Some houses have a good land size, but the built-up area doesn\u2019t fit your family needs. Others may have a fantastic built-up area but not the land size.<\/p>\n

The good thing about rebuild is, you can design and customise how you want it to be – number of rooms, bathrooms, etc. In the end, the rebuild will bring up the value of the house.<\/p>\n

If you’re eyeing a particular landed house for sale, visit the neighbourhood during different timings. Is the neighbour good? During peak periods, how is the traffic like? How is the parking situation like during weekends?<\/p>\n

For instance, I had a landed homeowner who shared with me that his neighbour parks all 4 cars outside the house as there\u2019s no restriction. Apparently, they don\u2019t park inside the car porch as it\u2019s for their dog to roam around freely.<\/p>\n

\"Master<\/a>
On the attic level, within the master bedroom, Wilson carved out an island counter and display area for his family’s collection of luxury items. (Image supplied by Rezt+Relax<\/a>, taken by Renoking)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

7. You’ve done addition and rebuild solutions for landed homeowners. What are the usual challenges or interesting requests you’ve gotten?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The usual challenge from customers is the budget. We usually work with them on their built-up area and space-plan the layout. Material-wise, instead of marble, for instance, we can look at cheaper or more practical tiles.<\/p>\n

Some homeowners who paid a lot for 3-storey houses in good, expensive locations may just want to do additions and alterations, while those who bought single or 2.5-storey houses want to reconstruct or even rebuild.<\/p>\n

Other challenges include the road being too narrow, houses sun-facing west or lack of space for additions.<\/p>\n

Common requests are to build basements and swimming pools, but one unique request was to have a roller skating rink for family bonding. Another one was to have a swimming pool that sees-through down into the basement. The intent was to give at least 1 metre of sunlight penetration, which will light up the basement in the day.<\/p>\n

\"Master<\/a>
The master bathroom of Wilson’s home occupies almost one-third of the entire 1,022 sqft floor space of the top floor. It includes his and her wardrobe areas, toilets, sinks and shower stalls (Image supplied by Rezt+Relax<\/a>, taken by Renoking)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

8. With COVID-19 and hopefully a recovery soon, what has changed in areas like the cost for rebuilding, reconstruction and interior design for landed homes?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Overall costing has been up by 15% to 20% mainly due to shortage of manpower<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This means there’s not enough labour to work on the raw material, which in turn leads to material costs going up. Shipping costs have also increased.<\/p>\n

Timelines are also delayed given these shortfalls, including tighter restrictions from BCA, where a limited number of workers can be on-site at any one time and need to undergo mandatory swab tests.<\/p>\n

Site workers also have to take extra precautions to keep construction noise levels low due to neighbouring residents working from home, or there’ll be complaints.<\/p>\n

In terms of getting paperwork approvals (submission, construction, zoning, building, etc.), the usual timeline has changed too:<\/p>\n

Usual timeline:<\/strong>
\nSubmission:<\/em> Around 3 months
\nConstruction:<\/em> Around 1 year<\/p>\n

Timeline during COVID-19 period:<\/strong>
\nSubmission:<\/em> 3 to 6 months
\nConstruction:<\/em> 14 to 18 months<\/p>\n

To avoid further delays, owners can work on all the paperwork first before the exercise. They can also talk to the seller to see if they can help to do all the submissions first.<\/p>\n

They can work with the ID to order the material beforehand. Basically, this means we’ll have to work in advance so that there is no cause for further delay.<\/p>\n

\"Master<\/a>
The front balcony from Wilson’s master bedroom overlooks the Sembawang area. (Image supplied by Rezt+Relax<\/a>, taken by Renoking)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

9. For first-time landed homeowners or buyers, there are quite a few regulatory items they need to study and be aware of before embarking on any rebuilding or alteration works. What would be your advice?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A. Road Reserve Lines<\/strong><\/span>
\nFirst, identify the current Line of Road Reserves<\/strong><\/a> in the area. As the Land Transport Authority (LTA) safeguards land as a road reserve to construct new roads or improve existing roads, we’ll need to ensure, if we’re rebuilding, that we don’t overstep these intersections.<\/p>\n

\"SLA<\/a>
Here’s how a line of road reserve looks like from the SLA site. The red line indicates that the property structure marked red will need to free up the road area up to the line if it’s ever rebuilt. (Image credit: SLA and LTA)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

B. House Zoning<\/strong><\/span>
\nSecond, check URA for the safeguarded landed housing estate<\/strong><\/a> zones, especially permissible housing type and building height.<\/p>\n

\"URA<\/a>
Here’s an example of the type of permitted housing type and height for different landed housing zones. (Image credit: URA)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

C. TOPO Survey<\/strong><\/span>
\nOne of the things necessary is to have a topography surveyor<\/strong>, who will survey the land and determine the actual buildable size of the property.<\/p>\n

These include the soil test,<\/strong> where checks are made for strength, density, compaction, contamination, organics and sand content. This will allow the builder to justify if the land needs piling works.<\/p>\n

After that, there’s the need to identify where the house’s wastewater pipes, inspection chamber (IC) and sewer drain line<\/strong>\u00a0are, as they connect to the main public sewer line<\/a> for the estate. If you want to relocate your inspection chamber or sewer line, you need to build a proper trench and maintain a specific depth for it.<\/p>\n

Of course, there’s also submission of the detailed and special plans<\/strong>\u00a0to BCA for approval. There is a list of works which is exempted from BCA approval:<\/p>\n