Pre-and post-renovation inspections are mandatory. While the former primes the house for its transformation, the latter ensures the home is free of defects and ready for its occupants.
Pre-reno checklist
- Timeworn resale apartments are notorious for concealing faults. Before renovating yours, go on a lookout for defects such as leakages or cracked floors. And try to spot signs of damage especially in places that are constantly being used. Resolve all defects before you begin.
- BTO flats might be new, but that doesn’t mean they’re free of flaws. Perform a thorough check on your property immediately after you have collected your keys. If there are any issues, note these down on the defect feedback form that you’re provided with and submit it fast within a week.
- Floors should be checked as soon as after they have been installed. Don’t wait until the end of the entire renovation because if you spot issues after the kitchen cabinets or storage systems have been built in, rectifying them would be tough.
Post-reno review
- Inspect all carpentry works by opening and closing all doors and cabinets to ensure the hinge and mechanism run smoothly. Same goes with the drawers – test the tracks to make sure the soft closing system operates.
- Check that your bathrooms have been properly waterproofed by turning the tap on and letting water gush out onto the floors. Alert your contractor if it doesn’t seep down the drainage and instead forms a puddle.
- Leon Luo of Free Space Intent explains that some of the important areas that tend to be overlooked during the post-renovation check include drainage outlets, the gradient of fall at wet areas, windows and doors’ ironmongery (in layman’s term, the locks), and any obvious unevenness of tiles. So, keep an eagle-eye out for these as well.
This was adapted from an article originally written by Fidz Azmin published in the August 2018 issue of SquareRooms. Photo credit: Free Space Intent
