Behind every finished home is a group of people you rarely see.

Renovation isn’t just about design, materials, or budgets. It’s about the people on site, the ones who build, fix, adjust, and solve problems every single day.

In this Labour Day special episode of The SIXiDER Show, Astley Ng aka The Designerd sits down with contractors from different trades, Wesley and Ah Keong from Cowboy, Siang Seng from Wallstan Pte Ltd to talk about what really happens behind the scenes of a renovation.

From common misconceptions about hacking, tiling, and painting, to the realities of working on site, this episode brings together perspectives that homeowners don’t usually hear.

Whether you are:

• planning your first home renovation
• currently working with contractors on site
• trying to better understand renovation costs and processes
• or simply curious about how homes are actually built

This episode offers a perspective that is often overlooked.

Topics Covered in This Episode

• What contractors actually do on site (beyond what homeowners see)
• Why hacking, tiling, and painting are often misunderstood
• The real reasons behind renovation costs
• Common mistakes that affect the entire renovation process
• Payment challenges and trust issues in the industry
• Safety risks and physical demands of site work
• Miscommunication between homeowners, designers, and contractors
• What seems simple but is actually complex in renovation work
• Advice for homeowners before and during renovation