Whether you’ve just bought a new home and are planning to renovate it to look exactly how you want it to be, or simply wish to spruce up the interior of your existing home to match your current needs and lifestyle, interior renovation can be a daunting and challenging task to undertake by yourself. Which is why many Singaporean homeowners will prefer to seek out an interior design firm to oversee and execute the entire renovation process.

Unfortunately, we’ve all read articles and stories of homeowners stuck with half-done renovations when the home interior design firms they had hired end up absconding with their money. Not only will this cause the homeowners to lose a large chunk of money, but they’ll also need to go through the hassle of seeking out another interior design firm to finish up the half-completed work – thus incurring additional time and costs! Therefore, to prevent you from being a victim, here is our advice on how to determine if you’ve chosen the right interior renovation firm for your home. Below are 5 factors to consider before you sign on the dotted line of the renovation contract.

HDB Licence

This is actually one of the most important precautionary steps that an HDB owner should take before they commit to an interior designer. Having an HDB license means that the firm has received an acknowledgement by the Singapore Government that they have undergone training and have the proper skill sets of renovating HDB flats. Checking whether an interior design firm has an HDB licence helps to reduce the risk of you being scammed by a rogue interior design firm that is just out for your money. You can easily check if the renovation firm you are planning to engage in has an HDB license here.

Interior Design Firm’s Area of Expertise

Not all interior design firms are equal; each has its strengths and expertise when it comes to the services they provide. For example, some interior design firms specialise in more contemporary and modern designs, hence they might not be the best choice if you’re going for a more classical design for your home. It’s best to have an idea of your preferences and how you envision your home to look like when you approach a renovation firm as this will help the interior designers to advise you better.