Hiring a home renovation contractor usually comes with a lot of excitement and expectations on the part of home owners. However, it could also end up in nightmares as it has been with most families in Singapore. In fact, the Consumers Association of Singapore say last year, the body received more than 1, 000 complaints against home refurbishment contractors.
According to reliable sources, home renovation contractors are ranked fourth among the most complained about industries. What is even more worrying is the fact that of all the over 1, 000 complaints filed with CASE, they were able to resolve only over half. This is a clear gesture that you should never rush into hiring just any contractor to renovate your home.
The Consumers Association of Singapore says most of the complaints that they receive are about the failure by contractors to honour the terms of the contracts and sub standard services. Most home owners believe the companies knowingly ignore the terms of the contracts on the assumption that clients will not pursue costly legal actions against them.
Between January and July this year, CASE received more than 800 complaints against home refurbishment contractors. Although most of the complaints still touch on failure by contractors to honour their pledges, there is a significant increase in cases of delays, which leave clients with huge financial obligations than what they had initially planned for.
There is even a case whereby after hiring an interior design company, they asked for an extension of the schedule for the project citing a few hitches. However, even after the extension, the company did not provide the services and, only sent a text message to the clients later indicating they will not be able to do the job due to financial constraints. As if that was not enough trouble already, the interior designers are yet to refund the initial payments made by the clients.
Other families also complain some home renovation contractors usually do a shoddy job and, go into hiding as soon as they complete the projects. One family says that besides just being forced to pay rent due to delays by contractors, they had to raise an additional $50,000 just to find another contractor to complete their project.
Stay Safe from Fraudulent Home Renovation and Interior Design Contractors
Going by the statistics of complaints against home renovation and interior design contractors in Singapore over the years, it is no secret there are several fraudulent companies in the industry. Without knowing the right company to hire for your renovation project, you can easily end up with regrets and huge losses like some of the families discussed above.
Considering the high number of sites for home renovation and decoration in Singapore, finding the right entity for the job can be challenging. Apart from seeking recommendations from people who have hired the services before, you should also do some research on the highly rated local home renovation and interior design companies.
One of the best contractors with a track record of reliable and professional residential renovation and interior design services that you should engage while planning to revamp your living spaces is Renovation Service Singapore.
HDB Registered Contractor
License Number: HB-09-5474D