Sentosa Cove homeowner refuses to pay balance of S$55,000 renovation, complains of ‘tombstone-like’ doorway arch

A homeowner in Sentosa Cove has refused to make the final payment for his S$55,000 renovation due to his dissatisfaction with the renovation company's work.

The homeowner, surnamed Luo (transliteration), complained to Shin Min Daily News of asymmetrical cabinets, a strong formaldehyde smell, and an arch in his daughter's bedroom that was planned for an elegant French style but now looks like a “tombstone".

The project is not completed as Luo has not paid the renovation company the balance of S$13,000 that is outstanding.

The planning

Luo's family bought their apartment at Ocean Way in Sentosa Cove in April 2024.

He engaged a Malaysia renovation company after finding them through Facebook in June 2024.

He had always hired Singapore companies in the past, but he later learnt that many local companies subcontract the work to Malaysia contractors, and wanted to engage them directly instead.

The family and the company decided on an interior design plan that included custom cabinets for the entire house.

In addition to the final quote of around S$55,000, Luo said he had to spend S$18,000 to hire someone to do the electrical wiring, and S$22,000 to install the outdoor blinds.

The renovation works started after Chinese New Year in 2025.

Unexpected results

Luo described many problems during the renovation, such as the cabinets not fitting in the lift, and the floor getting damaged.

He claimed that he was assured there would be no formaldehyde noticeable, but the house was filled with a smell.

The biggest problem for Luo was the design flaws.

He said that most of the cabinets were asymmetrical and poorly made, and the upper panel of an altar was also dented.

"I have not moved in yet and there are already problems," he said. "What about after I move in?"

He has since found two other contractors in the hopes to solve the problems as soon as possible.

Advance payment

Luo also said the couple that handled the renovation project tried to get a loan or advance payment from him twice.

Before the project started, the husband told Luo he did not have enough money to pay the workers' salaries.

He borrowed S$2,000 from Luo, and later asked for another S$3,000, but Luo did not lend it to him on the second instance.

When Luo asked for his money back afterwards, the wife said she had divorced from her husband, and the pair were only business partners.

The renovators' response

The wife, Du (transliteration}, told Shin Min that her husband had indeed taken the money, but said Luo agreed to settle it by deducting the sum from the renovation costs.

On the other end, Luo still owes S$13,000 to the company.

Hired debt collectors

Du said they have hired a Singapore debt collection company to recover this balance from Luo, which is roughly 25 per cent of the total payment.

She added that Luo was not accommodating when they tried to discuss the payment.

"We had no choice but to engage a debt collection company," she said. "However, I'm prepared that I might not get my money back."

Du explained that when the renovation works had already gone into the final stage, they had not yet received the final payment.

This made her decide to halt the project.

Responding to Luo's complaints, she said she had never promised him there would be no formaldehyde, and had stated clearly at the start that she could not fulfil such a request.

She also disagreed that the cabinet measurements were incorrect, and claimed that the arch followed the design that Luo had agreed to.

Luo's wife had asked for some changes to the arch, and the company had already made plans to modify it, Du said.

According to her, the project had been delayed from early February to April as there were many details to work on for the large house.

Du told Shin Min that she has received five to six projects in Singapore every year, on which she worked with friendly homeowners.

This is the first time she has encountered such a situation.

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