1.    Oh No! Not Again!

Image extracted from Stomp Article. Source: Stomp 

We stumbled upon yet another tale of woe in the renovation realm, and this one takes the cake for audacity. A pregnant woman wrote in a recent STOMP article that she had hired a Design and Build firm to transform her home, only to be left high and dry with 96% of the payment already swiped from her pockets. Seriously, it seems like the good guys in the industry must deal with the nonsense of the bad hats.

“A company hired by a pregnant woman to renovate her home left the work unfinished after receiving most of the payment.

The Stomper has since found others who were similarly left in the lurch by the company, R3 Design and Build.

She recounted: "I engaged them when I was in the third trimester of my pregnancy last September. They hacked my house, left it and were gone after taking about 96 per cent of the payment."

She told Stomp the full amount was $58,000 and she had paid $55,608.”

She added, "I've approached my MP for help, but they said it was not a scam as work did start though not completed. Hence, it was a 'dispute'.”

Homeowners facing rogue interior design and renovation firms are caught in a tough spot, burdened with proving scams. They often realize too late they've been deceived, lacking a strong audit trail to hold these errant renovators accountable. Let's empower homeowners with knowledge to outsmart these crafty culprits!

2.    So It falls Onto The Homeowners To Do Their Homework.

Homeowners facing rogue interior design and renovation firms are caught in a tough spot, burdened with proving scams. They often realize too late they've been deceived, lacking a strong audit trail to hold these errant renovators accountable. Let's empower homeowners with knowledge to outsmart these crafty culprits!

• Licenses and Accreditations - Make sure they have gotten their green lights with HDB, BCA or accredited by RCMA CASETRUST or SIDAC. We had written an earlier article about these accreditations and you can read more here (Guide to all interior design renovation verification and accreditation schemes in Singapore) 

• Portfolios - If their Company is new, make sure to check on the founders’ backgrounds and portfolios. The tell-tale sign of a ‘fly by night’ operation is the lack of credible portfolios. 

• Peek At Ongoing Projects – Don your Sherlock caps and ask to see their ongoing projects on site. A legitimate firm will always have ongoing projects at any given time. Once you visit the site, make sure to check on the HDB permit, or Condo renovation permit stuck on the entrance of the apartment. Red flags if the company on the paperwork does not match. In most circumstances the homeowners of the ongoing site will not mind a visit since they would be happy to share experiences if the experience with the designer/renovator is good.

• Comparison is Key – It is an absolute must for homeowners to research, meet (5 reasons to meet multiple interior designers for your dream home)  and compare at least 3 firms’ pricing to get a good sense of how much your renovation will cost. It helps that you confirm on a certain look, theme, and use of materials. If you would like some help on this, try our EQuote.

• Too Good to Be True – Normally a responsible renovator will spell out all the deliverables in the renovation quotation. This will include the area of work, item description, quantity, unit rate and subtotal of the cost. If there are lots of generic descriptions of the scope of works, “lump sums” and estimates, or even crazy rock bottom pricing between the competitors for the same scope of work, then this is where you need to be logical, and not be tempted by the cheaper rates. 

• Variation Orders Vigilance – Keep an eagle eye on the Vos during the renovation process. Sneaky, rouge renovators will try to exploit ambiguous descriptions and terms. An example of a sketchy description is, “to supply and install kitchen cabinet 10ftr”, the ideal way to describe this would be, “to supply and install top and bottom kitchen cabinet in laminate finish 10ftr”.

• Recommended payment terms – as a guide and this depends on each case, we recommend that payment for your project be split into 4 payments:

1st payment – 10-15% (commencement of design and preliminary work)

2nd payment – 30 -40% (commencement of physical work and upon successful application of permits)

3rd payment – 40% (progressive claim upon completion of all site works, such as demolition, wetworks, doors and windows and carpentry confirmation)

4th and last payment – 5 - 20% upon satisfactory completion of all said works including VOs and defects.

3.    Research and Research

I’ll be absolutely frank with you, renovations will cause headaches, but that doesn't mean we'll let the rogues run rampant. Embrace the art of research! Arm yourself with knowledge about industry lingo, materials, timelines, and budget planning. It's the best way to safeguard your interests. So, dive into the vast ocean of information available online – visit social pages, peruse portfolios, and check out the designer directory. Become an informed homeowner and be the hero of your renovation tale! Better still, you can find out more of our verified designers listed in or our designer directory (Professional Interior Designers). 

Let's banish these renovator rogues to the past! United, we'll raise the standards and make sure these 'cowboys' won't get a chance to pull off their disappearing act anymore. Happy renovating, savvy homeowners!

Posted on 21st July 2023

Written by Astley Ng – the Designerd.

SIXIDES Editorial Team