Condo Renovation Guide & Costs

Plan your condo renovation around the condition of your unit, the work you need and your development's requirements. Bedroom count alone cannot establish the cost, and another estate's working hours or deposit arrangements may not apply to yours.

Start with a written scope and the current renovation requirements from the management office. This checklist helps you prepare for designer and management discussions; it does not approve any proposed alteration.

1. Get your development's renovation requirements

Ask the management office for the current application process and supporting documents before fixing a start date. Record who will prepare each item and who will confirm that the required approvals are in place.

• Which drawings, descriptions of work and contractor details are needed?
• What working hours and restrictions apply to noisy work?
• Are lift bookings, delivery slots, access registration or protective coverings required?
• Are deposits or fees payable, by whom, and under what conditions are deposits returned or deductions made?
• What inspections, completion documents or arrangements are needed at handover?

Use the answers from your own development when planning. Do not assume a standard deposit amount, approval turnaround or working window. Keep the dated requirements with your quotation and schedule.

2. Check alterations before committing to a design

BCA's condo-owner guidance advises checking renovation restrictions with the developer or MCST and in the Sale and Purchase Agreement. It also identifies restrictions on structural alterations, common property and changes affecting the building's appearance.

A wall drawn on a floorplan is not evidence that it can be removed. Flag proposed changes to walls, windows, balconies and building services for proper assessment before ordering materials or approving demolition.

BCA's building-work guidance distinguishes works exempt from BCA plan submission from other approval requirements. An exemption does not remove the need to check relevant authority clearances and MCST requirements. Consult a Qualified Person about the clearances needed for intended building works.

3. Decide what to retain, repair and replace

List existing finishes, cabinets, fittings and appliances by room. Separate items you want to change from items that need assessment. Ask your renovation team to inspect relevant conditions and confirm measurements; photographs alone may leave important questions unanswered.

For a newly completed unit, document defects and clarify the developer's reporting and rectification process before arranging work that could cover or alter the affected area. For a resale unit, ask what can be assessed before work starts and what remains uncertain.

Illustrative scope comparison: retaining a functioning kitchen while adding storage is different from replacing the kitchen and relocating services. Give firms the same intended scope so their proposals answer the same brief.

4. Build a scope-based condo renovation budget

Nestly does not currently have a verified condo renovation pricing dataset. Ask for quotations based on your unit rather than treating a bedroom-based range as a reliable estimate.

• Work and materials: confirm quantities, specifications, preparation, installation and removal where applicable.
• Site arrangements: identify protection, disposal, access and other requirements that affect the quoted work.
• Professional input and applications: ask which services are required, who engages them and whether their fees are included.
• Owner purchases: keep furniture, appliances and other purchases visible outside the contract where excluded.
• Unresolved items: list assumptions and agree how an allowance becomes a confirmed price.

Separate refundable deposits from expenditure and check the conditions attached to them. Use our renovation budget and quotation checklist to compare inclusions, exclusions and proposed changes.

5. Plan the sequence and handover

Ask your designer to show the dependencies between approvals, final measurements, material selections, orders, site work and inspections. Confirm delivery arrangements before placing bulky orders. Keep move-in plans flexible until the team has resolved important access and approval questions.

Agree how unexpected conditions and changes will be documented, priced and approved. At handover, record outstanding items, the agreed follow-up dates and the documents supplied, including relevant product care instructions and warranty terms. Check the management office's completion process separately.

Prepare for your first designer discussion

Bring your floorplan, development requirements, photographs of relevant conditions, retained-item list, priorities and intended timing. Browse condominium portfolios for ideas and use our designer-selection checklist to assess the proposed team.

Explore concepts with the free AI floorplan design tool or request designer matching. AI images are concept references, not measured construction drawings or approval documents. Review the consent details before submitting contact information for designer follow-up.

Reviewed 1 October 2026. Official BCA references are linked above; confirm requirements for your proposed work and development before proceeding.