- What is the difference between a contractor and an interior designer?
- Is engaging a contractor cheaper than an interior designer?
- I just got my new house and wanted to find out more about renovation. What should I do next?
- Does PRDT provide in house installment plans for renovation?
- What is usually the timeline for a whole house renovation?
- When is the best time to contact PRDT for my home renovation?
- What are the modes of payment available in PRDT?
- Can I save money by engaging a contractor instead of an interior designer for my home renovation?
- Why is engaging CaseTrust accredited firms like PRDT so important?
- How long is the warranty provided by PRDT? Are there any risks after I paid the deposit?
- What is progressive payment and why does PRDT use progressive payment in renovation?
- What can I expect after the first consultation with a PRDT interior designer?
- What does PRDT interior design services include?
- How much is a whole house renovation going to cost me nowadays?
- How should I choose an interior designer for my renovation?
- I still have some more questions about my home renovation and would like to find out more. What should I do next?
1. What is the difference between a contractor and an interior designer?
Interior designers are professionals who have an eye for the aesthetics of a space and can plan out what furniture, colors, textures and lighting will work best. They often work with contractors to ensure that the renovation is completed on time and within budget.
Contractors are professionals who specialize in home construction. They are skilled in various building techniques like carpentry, plumbing, electrical and more.
Contractors and interior designers are both professionals who help with the renovation of a house or office. But they differ in their skill sets, expertise, and approach.
Contractors focus on the practical aspects of the renovation while interior designers focus on both aesthetics and functionality.
2. Is engaging a contractor cheaper than an interior designer?
This will depend greatly on the scope of work required. A contractor usually provides a specialized professional service like plumbing, carpentry or wiring. If you require only 1 or 2 services it will be cheaper to engage a contractor instead of interior designer.
However, a contractor is not trained to provide advice on the latest design trends, aesthetics and practicality of the designs. As most homeowners are not professional interior designers, renovation mistakes and regrets are made during the renovation period, resulting in delays of move-in timing and reworks. In this case, more money and time are wasted engaging a contractor as compared to engaging an interior designer from the start for the renovation.
3. I just got my new house and wanted to find out more about renovation. What should I do next?
Congratulations on buying your new home and the next thing is how to make it into your dream home.
You can start by filling up your details in our contact us page or simply whatsapp to +65 87207807. Our friendly designer will get back to you as soon as possible to arrange either a face to face appointment in our showroom @ 509 Balestier Road or a zoom meeting or a site visit at your convenience.
Before or during the meeting, please provide our designers with an original floor plan so that the quotation can be calculated more accurately. After the meeting, you will be provided with a non obligatory quotation customized to your needs together with a design proposal that will further assist you in making a right decision.
4. Does PRDT provide in house installment plans for renovation?
Currently we do not have this option available for our clients. However, we are partners with some reputable banks that offer renovation loans at very low and attractive rates and we will assist you to get the best renovation loan deals available after you meet up with our designers.
5. What is usually the timeline for a whole house renovation?
The timeline for a whole house renovation is usually at least 1-3 months. This is usually the time it takes to execute the project excluding the planning and design part.
There are also many factors affecting the timeline for renovation too.
The length of the renovation depends on the scope of the renovation works, the size of your home, what needs to be done and how quickly you can confirm the interior design details like material selection. Meeting your preferred move-in date is essential to us and at PRDT, we strive ourselves to hand over your dream home on time.
6. When is the best time to contact PRDT for my home renovation?
If you have just bought a new house, it would be ideal to contact us 2-3 months in advance before key collection. This will allow us to have ample time to discuss and fine-tune the designs for your dream home before execution.
However, if your key collection date is more than 3 months, feel free to contact us too and we will be glad to assist you.
7. What are the modes of payment available in PRDT?
We accept cheques, PAYNOW, bank transfer and cash.
We also accept payment from GRAB where our customers can earn points to redeem food and shopping vouchers (Terms and conditions apply).
8. Can I save money by engaging a contractor instead of an interior designer for my home renovation?
In general, contractors don’t offer value added services like discussions about your home’s requirements, preparation of design sketches, and advice on materials and colors. They will not manage the project progress for you and you will be responsible for the coordination of different contractors for the renovation works in your house. In short you will be doing what an interior designer does.
You will need to spend more time and effort to coordinate the many moving parts of the renovation process. Also, going without the guidance of a knowledgeable interior designer runs the risk of a disunified theme in your home and also many renovation mistakes that might result in delays and money lost due to reworks.
Interior designers like PRDT provide services for preparation of design sketches, and advice on materials and colors and coordination for the renovation to make sure you have a unified theme in your home and you will be moving into your dream home on time.
9. Why is engaging CaseTrust accredited firms like PRDT so important?
Established by the Singapore Renovation Contractors and Material Suppliers Association (RCMA), the CASETRUST-RCMA Joint Accreditation scheme requires companies to protect a customer’s deposit payment through the purchase of a deposit performance bond. This ensures that homeowners’ monies are safe in the face of the firm’s closure or liquidation.
Interior design firms like PRDT (Productions Pte Ltd) accredited under this scheme are also recognised for their cost transparency, accountability, and general good business practices. Customers can expect documented policies on fees and refunds, clearly defined dispute resolution mechanisms, and ethical sales staff.
In conclusion, you get a peace of mind for your renovation when engaging CaseTrust accredited interior design firms like PRDT (Productions Pte Ltd) instead of countless sleepless nights having to worry about what might go wrong next.
10. How long is the warranty provided by PRDT? Are there any risks after I paid the deposit?
We provide 12 months home warranty and also AXA deposit performance bond to ensure 100% money back guarantee in the face of the firm’s closure or liquidation. We also have a 3rd party liability insurance policy covering up to 1 million SGD to protect homeowners who sign up with us against unforeseen situations and accidents on the job. Extended warranties are also available and you may find out more from our designers when you meet up with them.
11. What is progressive payment and why does PRDT use progressive payment in renovation?
Progressive payment is paying in sections of the total amount of the renovation contract, 20% upon confirmation, 45% upon commencement of work, 30% upon carpentry installation, 5% upon handover and completion. 20% as the first deposit will kickstart the designing and planning process with 3D perspective drawings, and the subsequent payments are for ordering materials and installation of materials. In PRDT, we use progressive payment to ensure you are paying exactly for what is needed in every part of the renovation and to provide transparency in the renovation process. This will also give homeowners like yourself more assurance when engaging PRDT for your renovation.
12. What can I expect after the first consultation with a PRDT interior designer?
The interior designer will generally come back to you within a week with a quotation for the renovation and a design proposal that can be in hand sketch or 2D drawing or sketch up of your future home. You may discuss with the designers on the designs that need to be adjusted and the quotation will be adjusted accordingly.
As part of our company policy, we encourage homeowners to meet up with our designers face to face for quotation discussion. This is to prevent any misunderstanding of requirements and materials quoted. Our designers will provide a full explanation on the items quoted so that you have a better understanding of what you are paying for.
13. What does PRDT interior design services include?
At PRDT, we provide holistic one-stop home renovation solutions which include:
- Design consultation
- Site measurement and assessment
- 3D perspective drawings
- Space planning and design proposal
- Material selection and color proposal
- Sourcing, purchasing or procurement of furnishings
- Project management with planned schedules
- Site supervision with regular updates on site conditions
14. How much is a whole house renovation going to cost me nowadays?
As inflation is picking up in Singapore and around the world, renovation costs are also going up year after year. It would be ideal to work around a budget that is suitable for yourself and your family when renovating your dream home. Below is a rough estimation of renovation costs for different types of home in Singapore. It serves as a guide and depending on scope of work and materials, prices might vary.
| Type Of Residential Home | Estimated Cost |
| HDB BTO 3 room | $10,000 – $30,000 |
| HDB BTO 4 room | $15,000 – $40,000 |
| HDB BTO 5 room | $25,000 – $50,000 |
| HDB Resale 3 room | $25,000 – $50,000 |
| HDB Resale 4 room | $30,000 – $60,000 |
| HDB Resale 5 room | $40,000 – $80,000 |
| HDB Resale Executive | $80,000 – $120,000 |
| Newly T.O.P Condominium | $10,000 – $25,000 |
| Resale Condominium | Depends on size |
| Landed | Depends on size |
If you already know what you want for the renovation, it would be best if you can sign the renovation contract early to lock-in the cost to avoid additional inflation. In PRDT, we honor the contract signed even if the price goes up when your renovation starts.
15. How should I choose an interior designer for my renovation?
Before engaging an interior designer, you should do some research on the interior design companies that are available in the market. Look out for their activities on social media like Facebook and Instagram and review their company portfolios to see if their designs are to your liking. Check for their reviews on Google to confirm their trustworthiness. Also do check if the company has any accreditation like CaseTrust and relevant licenses like HDB license to minimize chances of encountering a fraudulent interior designer.
After shortlisting the companies that are trustworthy and genuine, make an appointment with a few interior designers to get different quotations and opinions. Do not spend too much time meeting more than 3 interior designers because it is repetitive and a waste of your precious time.
When it comes to choosing an interior designer suitable for yourself, always remember that this is a service industry and you should find someone that you are comfortable to work with. Renovation is a tedious process and having someone whom you can communicate effectively is extremely important. This will minimize the chances of errors, reworks and delays which translates into cost savings and time savings.
16. I still have some more questions about my home renovation and would like to find out more. What should I do next?
We understand that renovation is not an easy feat for homeowners like yourself and we are always here to help. You may start by filling up our contact form in Contact Us page by clicking the link below:
You can also drop us a message on our official whatsapp number +65 87207807
Or email us at enquiry@prdt.com.sg