How to renovate your home without blowing the budget
From through construction techniques to economising on fixtures and making simple changes, there are myriad ways to cut costs
"Here lies Walter Fielding: he bought a house, and it killed him." Hahaha. One of Tom Hanks' character's great lines from the 1986 home renovation spoof, , is both amusing and poignant. For there are few fixer-uppers anywhere who cannot relate to the movie's depiction of interminable delays, unforeseen problems and umpteen changes of mind.
Beyond mere annoyance, cost blowout is decidedly unfunny. And yet, it is an oft-repeated tale.
Nirender Lehar - director of Leehar Home, a Hong Kong design, drafting and renovation company - recounts every homeowner's nightmare: a builder who simply walks off a job. The hapless homeowner's flat has already been demolished when a dispute about costs results in the contractor packing up his tools and leaving, never to return. Lehar says his company is engaged for such "renovation rescues" two or three times every year.
However, there are ways to cut one's renovation budget to keep blowouts at bay.
One, says Lehar - which he recommends as the "safest route" - is to engage a reputable designer. Many renovators already have a good idea of what they want, and think they can save money by going straight to the contractor. But if they are expatriates who do not speak Cantonese, communication problems inevitably occur.
