When Should You Start Finding IDs?
When it comes to renovation, one common mistake especially among BTO homeowners is rushing to find an ID wayyy too early.
Especially for BTOs, you see your friends and family hunting for IDs one or two years before key collection, and peer pressure kicks in.
Watch our tiktok channel if you lazy to read.
But the truth is that your Singaporean kiasu spirit here will NOT help you.
Why Early ID Hunting Backfires
If you approach IDs too early, here’s what usually happens to you:
You will be ghosted: IDs know that homeowners are unlikely to sign so early, especially 1 or 2 years in advance. Thus, they will prioritise projects that are closer. This is understandable. But from homeowners’ POV, it will feel like their time is wasted. They spend time to meet the IDs but they don’t even get a quote. And now the renovation experience is bad.
Your quotes will be slightly inflated: Even if they do give you a quotation, it’ll likely be marked up slightly more. Reason being nobody knows how much the material & labour costs will increase 1 year down the road.
Your ID might quit, and be replaced with someone unsuitable: This is arguably the most important reason. It is damn common for IDs to quit. Yes, the ID that you can vibe so well with. But your project is tagged to the company. This means you run the risk of being paired with a totally incapable dude. How do you think your 6 months of renovation collaboration will go?
The Right Timing
On average, homeowners spend 2 months to lock down an ID. So if you count backwards, this is when you should aga aga start.
BTO or New Launch Condo: Earliest 6 months before keys. In fact, 3 months is ideal.
Resale: Upon OTP - completion normally takes 2-5 months, perfect.
Landed (Internal Reno): 6 months
Landed (Rebuild / A&A): 1 year
Too early you will be inundated by decision paralysis and the lack of “deadline”, and just sua.
That’s why we say 3 months before is actually ideal.
Focus, find the right person in 2 months, and spend the final month on project and design preparation.
But I Need The Rough Price to Budget?
If you just want to agar the prices, go see our blog we help you dig and research liao, prices wont be that far off one.
TLDR
Don’t find IDs too early, especially for BTO peeps.
You run the risk of getting ghosted or your ID quitting.
Generally, 6 months before key collection is good.
Ideally, we’ll even say 3 months is the best.
If you are looking to shortlist reliable IDs/contractors for your reno, feel free to enquire here, or check out our blog for other important tips!!