Yes, I am a Quantity Surveyor.
In total I approached 14 IDs. Yes FOURTEEN DIFFERENT COMPANIES! Till now I still wonder how did I manage to do so in a span of six weeks. My weekends were burnt. I rushed by taxi to some ID firms to get quotes after work. I was totally burnt out. Perhaps I wanted to assure I could get the best quote.
I will like to share with you readers on my selection process and some tips which may be useful to you in your search.
1. Which ID should I approach to get a quote?
There are various sources which you can consider. They are as follows:
Local Interior Design Magazines
Check out local magazines. Various design themes are usually explored and showcased. If you have a design theme in your mind, keep an eye out for IDs whose designs are within your theme. Likewise if you do not have a design theme yet, you can find which is to your liking and move on from there.
One word of caution though: generally if the ID firm is in the magazine, they usually charge a premium (i believe). That's the word in the forums. I do not know the validity of this statement though as I heard from another ID that he submits his completed work to magazines. No fees are charged by the magazine.
Harnessing the power of the Internet, find the contact number of the ID firm and make an appointment. You can also scour their websites (most ID firms have some flashy websites which unfortunately won't work on ur iPhone or iPad) and check out their portfolio.
Forums
Numerous local forums on renovation could be found. The most famous portal is Renotalk.com. I have also seen forums at singaporebrides.com and at housing estates portals for Duxton Pinnacle and Punggol where there are often active discussions ongoing about renovations. There are also bulk buys for appliances which may appeal to the cash strapped. Renotalk also has a mini-blog section where proud owners showcased their newly renovated homes. Ideas are indeed plentiful!
However, when viewing for ID recommendations by other forum users, please throw wind to caution. I have seen plenty of rave reviews of certain ID firms by posters with only one post. Call me over-zealous, but how can I gauge the authenticity of the recommendation? Certainly no way.
Interior Design Exhibitions at Singapore Expo and IMM/ TradeHub21
Singapore Expo has regular home exhibitions which are usually held monthly by various exhibitors. ID firms pay a fee (usually the cost of about $10,000 plus) to exhibit their services for a week or two.
It is noted there are always a few regular firms that always appeared in such exhibitions.
As for IMM and tradehub21, the situation is similar to Singapore Expo except that the ID firms are usually paying a fixed rent only. Expo exhibitors, on the other hand, are paying rental for exhibition space on top of their rental costs. As such the latter's expenditure has to be claimed from someone else ( yes! From you! the client!)
Other than the concerns raised above, these places are still good to go for quotations if you:
A) lazy to check the forums for recommendations; or
B) lazy to scour for designs and IDs in magazines
C) do check the forums, read home ID magazines from cover to end, but still kiasu and want more quotations (just like me!)
IMHO, these places may be a gem. Their services may come cheaper if u are lucky. Simply walk in and request for a quotation. And pray hard the IDs know what u are looking for.
Social media
Social media has certainly evolved over the years. I have seen ID firms setting up Facebook accounts and showcasing their portfolio. Facebook uses cookies,I think, and was able to accurately show me adverts of ID firms on facebook during my hunt for IDs. I am certainly impressed by some of the portfolio shown but do take it with a pinch of salt. Defects or poor workmanship can only be viewed at actual sites. The photos generally won't tell a thousand words in this case.
Word of mouth
This remains the most reliable method in getting an ID. Get your relatives and friends whom have done up their homes. Through recommendations, you can perhaps even get cheaper quotations. Or if you have relatives or friends whom are IDs, even better! They will not let you down (maybe) and you may end up with even cheaper quotations!
However, there may be some disadvantages:
1. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Your relatives/friends may think the design and workmanship is good. But it may be otherwise to you. Go down and view them then. Query on the attitudes of the ID/Contractor.
2. It may be hard if the ID/contractor is a friend/relative. Poor workmanship? You may be embarrassed to ask him to rectify.
From these, you should be able to draft a list of potential ID/contractors. Good Luck!
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