Renovation! Perhaps the most talked about word when it comes to properties. When you buy a private property, securing it is one thing, renovating it is a whole new ball game. If you do not control the costing, you will find yourself overspending to create the home of your dreams.
Types of Private Properties
Basically, you are looking at 2 major types of private properties which are:
- Landed
- Non-Landed
Apart from space, there really isn’t a lot of difference between the two. When you buy landed property, you will need to consider spaces like bedrooms, kitchen, living room, store rooms and the porch. At times, you need to consider the backyard as well. On the other hand, when you buy a condominium, an apartment or a flat, you also need to consider such spaces although you need to be too concerned with outside spaces. How much should you allocate when it comes to renovating these spaces then?
Renovation for Landed Properties
Let’s start with the different types of landed properties available. You will, in most cases buy any one of the following:
- Terrace House
- Semi-Detached
- Bungalow or Single Unit
Accordingly, the terrace house is the smallest while semi-detached is mid-sized. Bungalows are large landed homes. Besides the size, the number of rooms in these properties differ as well. Naturally, you will need to allocate more to renovate the larger properties. Factors that need to be considered when it comes to the cost of private properties are:
- Overall Design – For terrace houses, the overall design can be quite straightforward as you would make it look almost identical to the neighbors. The same concept can be applied to semi-d houses as well. However, single units and bungalows would be different as most people will want to create their own identities for every home.
- Furniture – This is one factor that must be considered carefully. It can be as low as RM50,000 per house or goes up to RM1,000,000 depending on the brand and preference. The main idea is to have a consistent set of furniture across the home.
- Plumbing and water works – A very important factor to consider. You must ensure that you use proper water and piping system. They are all concealed within the home and you DO NOT want to hack any part of the property after you move in.
- Electrical and Wiring – this is the same concept applied for water and piping system.
- Designers – This can be seen as an investment. Before you want to decide on any renovation, it would be best to engage an interior designer or a contractor to give you an overall budget and cost. Interior designers usually charge from RM10,000 for a terrace home and up to RM40,000 for a bungalow unit. However, some award-winning designers will definitely charge more.
Renovation Cost for Specific Areas
It would be good if you have a pre-budget in your mind before setting out. Remember that what you want really is to have your place ready to move in after renovation works are completed and you need not have to wait for certain parts to be completed. Below are some guidelines on how much it cost to renovate specific parts of the home.
Rooms and Common Areas
Rooms in the home can usually be divided among large (Master), mid and small rooms. These rooms refer to bedrooms which are places of rest. You will need to consider installing built-in wardrobes here. Apart from that, lighting should be warm and relaxing and air-conditioning units must be properly installed as well. The bed must be placed in a location which is convenient without obstructing anyone. Typically, you should spend about:
- RM15,000 for a small room
- RM20,000 for a mid-sized room
- RM30,000 for a master bedroom
This would not include the wardrobe and furniture involved.
Toilets and Bathrooms
For the renovation of the toilets and bathrooms, you need to be aware that the toilet bowl and the wash basin will come with a new property. It is when you decide to buy new ones that will make it more expensive. A branded toilet bowl will cost you about RM1,000. If you decide to upgrade your bathroom or toilet, all factors including tiling and shower screens will cost you around RM7,000 to RM10,000.
Kitchen and Dining Area
Renovation of the kitchen and dining area involves kitchen cabinets and the island. Typically, the kitchen cabinet will cost you about RM15,000 for a mid-size to a large kitchen. Cooking and dining utensils are not included in this cost. Tiling is important for the kitchen and that usually starts from RM4 per tile (1 square meter). Total renovation for a kitchen would be about RM40,000 depending on the type of material you use.
Garden and Porch
The one important part of the porch would be the flooring. Use tiles that are not prone to stains. Tiling is the same as other parts and it usually is about RM4 per tile. If you can find someone who charges more, then check for the quality of the work. Tiling is very crucial so that there are no leakages in the future. Meanwhile, you might want to install an industrial rack on the porch and a garden area. The industrial rack will cost you about RM250 for a 2×5 shelving system. Another factor that you must consider is the automatic gate. A basic stainless steel gate should not cost more than RM1,500 while those with designs will be more expensive. An automatic gate system will start from RM1,200 for a basic unit.
Putting it all together
Ultimately, you need to combine all the factors above and then derive a certain budget. Depending on the number of rooms you have in the property, you would need to think about the overall cost of renovation. As a rule of thumb, your cost should start from:
- Terrace: Between RM80,000 to RM150,000
- Semi-D: Between RM100,000 to RM200,000
- Bungalows: From RM250,000 onwards
- Single Unit: RM180,000 to RM200,000
