One night, I encountered a blackout for my entire 4-room resale flat. Upon stepping out of my house, I was aghast to realise that this blackout had happened to my dwelling only. My trusty electrician investigated the cause; it turned out that the DB board and circuit breakers were charred. Thus, I needed to replace the electrical wiring.

My wife and I decided to transform this mishap into an opportunity and renovate the entire flat. This was my first time renovating my flat, so I was clueless about how much money I needed to fork out.

So, since I kept track of my expenses, I thought I would share them unreservedly. Your situation will be different because you may not need to renovate the entire flat (and remodel it differently - this is a not-so-subtle reference to my wife.) But I thought you may find these prices useful as a reference.

Interior Designer ($7500)

• phase 1: concept development (3D illustrations, 1-2 design revisions)
• phase 2: design documentation (layout plan, electrical wiring plan)
• phase 3: construction period (coordination with main contractor and electrician, provision of vendor contacts for lighting, insect mesh, painting)

Contractor (~$75,000, paid in 3 installments that comprised 20%, 40% & 40% of total cost respectively)

• demolition & hacking of existing walls & floors
• fabrication and installation of countertops and cabinets
• construction of false ceilings and partition works
• installation of vinyl flooring and skirting
• installation of new water point, faucet and sink
• dismantling and installing of new casement, sliding and top-hung windows
• plastering over wall tiles
• securing HDB Reno Permit, doing general cleaning & Site protection works.

Electrical Works(~$9700)

• Installation of downlights, ceiling lights, pendant lights, and LED strip lights
• Installation of light switches (including 2-way switches)
• Installation of single and double power points
• Installation of a 22-way DB board with circuit breakers

Benjamin Moore ($3000)

• basic painting ($2500)
• upgrade to Aura paint for all interior walls ($400)
• painting of 2x toilet pipes inclusive of application of anti-fungus solution ($100)

Shalom Movers ($2750)

• removal service ($1470)
• one-time handling fee ($150)
• storage charge for two months ($500)
• redelivery fee ($630)