S'pore man, 40s, spends 1 year & S$12,000 on DIY 3-room BTO renovation

After getting the keys to his three-room Build-to-Order (BTO) Housing Development Board (HDB) flat, a man decided to renovate the new house himself instead of turning to designers and contractors.

A year and about S$12,000 later, the new home was done up, complete with motorised storage lifts, a walk-in wardrobe and a retractable projector in the living room.

The man, who goes by "Den", documented the DIY home renovation process in a series of YouTube videos.

Cheaper way to build 'childhood dream'

Speaking to Mothership, Den, who is in his 40s, shared that he decided to do the home renovation himself for a few reasons.

For one, he wanted to "clock a milestone" and accumulate "more skills and experience".

He also wanted to build the home from his "childhood dream" and implement his "unconventional" ideas.

The more conventional approach was to hire a skilled contractor to do it for him, but that, he said, is an "impossible task without an insane budget."

Worked on project whenever he could

So, with sleeves rolled up, Den got to work.

Nail by nail and tile by tile, Den put the home of his dreams together.

"The design was not intended to replicate the aesthetics of any specific themes," he shared.

Instead, his priority was practicality, where "minimal maintenance" is required without sacrificing "warmth and cosiness".

He also focused on using "quality and durable" materials to create a "healthy home" while avoiding harmful chemicals such as formaldehyde in the carpentry.

This, it seems, wasn't Den's first rodeo with DIY home renovations.

The 40-something works as a "solopreneur" in the creative industry, and he shared that his years of experience doing DIY home repairs, maintenance and visual merchandising came in useful for the project.

He also learned from and observed various tradesmen during a past home renovation project, which he "self-designed" and managed alongside his contractor.

Online research also aided him, he pointed out.

Different processes, one man

Throughout the project, he juggled multiple processes himself, including designing, sourcing, procurement, preparation and installation.

He would work on the home renovation whenever he had time off from work, whether it be doing the handiwork on-site, coming up with designs or procuring materials off-site.

Some interesting aspects of the home include converting a bathroom into a walk-in wardrobe and installing storage lifts along the corridor to add storage space.

Mostly DIY

To be clear, Den did get some help from contractors.

"It wasn't 100 per cent DIY, with the base screed, stainless steel kitchen counter-top, aircon and storage heater installed by others for warranty purposes and minimising risks," he revealed.

However, in some cases, he had to step in to correct some imperfections.

One of his videos showed him laying down self-levelling screed across his living room floor after the work of an engineering company fell short of expectations.

Indescribable feeling

Through it all, he had the blessing of his wife, who gave him "free rein" over the renovation and her full confidence.

She also helped out where she could, such as with moving bulky items.

His mother, whom they stayed with while the renovation was ongoing, was also "very supportive".

"So, there was no rush to finish the project," Den said.

After about a year and around S$12,000, Den's "childhood dream" was ready.

He revealed that he and his wife have actually moved into the home for a few years, and everything has been working out exactly as planned.

"Compared to our old home, much less time, effort and money are spent on cleaning and maintenance," he said.

"The satisfaction of living in a self-renovated home is certainly indescribable," he commented.

Den's feat has won him praise from commenters, with many applauding his skill and effort.

On his home tour video, one commenter wrote, "I could watch this all day… love the ingenuity! Well done!"

You can check out his DIY home renovation series here.

Top image via DenDenDIY, The Simple, Not Simple Home / YouTube