Why I Started Deconstruct
Hello guys, my name is Chris, and I’m the founder of Deconstruct!
I realised that we haven’t really shared in detail on how Deconstruct began, so here it goes!
Deconstruct was started in 2022 to help homeowners find genuinely reliable IDs & contractors.
Many might think that it was because of my own poor renovation experience. Not exactly.
I’ve always wanted to start a business, but I also wanted it to solve a real problem.
Y’all know businesses normally got two kinds - One brings happiness like cafes, tiktok, and 1 that solves pain points like Grab and the transport system those kind.
I definitely wanted to do the latter as it suits my character and I get tilted when I see things that are unfair??
And I don’t think there’s many problems bigger than the grey renovation industry in Singapore?
So I quit my corporate job as a banker.
The start was damn hard. I remember knocking on BTO doors every night just to ask whether their ID was good or not. Most said no.
But the hardest part was not the late night crawls, it was realising that many of the IDs are really di*ks, and many of the reno platforms really don’t give a shit.
Everything is transactional. You have leads they respond, and if you don’t their tone changes straight away. Pricing is alibaba af. Platforms write “reliable” I sumpa they just onboard whoever who pays them. Issues during renovation they don’t care.Some platforms are actually just ID firms themselves.
Like that correct meh? No wonder renovation industry faces so many flakes right. It is not only doing a disservice to homeowners, but also to many of the good IDs out there who get dragged into the stereotype.
Thankfully, over these 4 years, with the support of good IDs & homeowners, we grew - slowly, but also steadily.
I always believe it’s all about fairness - you just be fair to homeowners, be fair to the good IDs, say it as it is, people can tell one.
That’s why all the tiktok videos y’all see is really me being me, straightforward.
Of course I’ve made mistakes but over time we can really tell who is genuine and who is full of shit.
My biggest tip to homeowners, and the biggest difference in our due diligence, is to vet the individual ID themselves. The ID firms don’t matter at all.
And then to our home loan cashback.
Because of my background, some of the bankers i know reached out to see if we wanted to refer home loan to them.
In return, the banks will provide the same referral fees that they give mortgage brokers or property agents.
And I realised it is such an easy win for homeowners. You get same direct rates as banks. AND we can give 50% as cashback to you.
$1m loan gives you $750 cashback.
I’m damn sure nowhere else gives that amount, because I see it as a tangible benefit for homeowners, as part of the “Deconstruct” ecosystem.
Buy house → Get cashback from home loan → Find really reliable IDs and be protected during renovation.
This whole renovation & property journey is massive la, with lots of pain points. And we have another exciting solution coming up very shortly in 2H of 2026.
But ultimately as I type this, I must also remind myself to not forget my 初衷, and I hope that you guys will continue to support our endeavour as we bring ethical and beneficial changes to the industry <3
Chris
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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!!