A $500k renovation bill for a 5-room HDB? Here’s what it paid for
Most homeowners prioritise keeping costs low when renovating their flats.
For one Singaporean couple, the focus was something else entirely — creating their dream home, no matter how much it cost.
The result? A five-room resale HDB flat that underwent a year-long transformation and ended up with a renovation bill of around $500,000 — roughly the price of a brand-new BTO flat in some locations.
According to Stomper Zebelle, the homeowners, Hengky, 39, and Alyssa, 34, spent a year turning their five-room resale flat into a space that feels more like a luxury showroom than public housing.
“They were so ridiculously meticulous that they fired three different groups of drafters and changed the 3D drawings 40 times before starting work,” Zebelle told Stomp.
“We wanted to make it as unique and wow as possible,” Hengky and Alyssa said.
No painted walls in the entire flat
One of the more unusual aspects of the home is what is missing — visible painted walls.
Instead, surfaces throughout the flat are covered with stone slabs, textured finishes, custom carpentry, and decorative panels. Even air-conditioning units have been concealed within built-in features to maintain a seamless look.
The homeowners said the decision was driven by both aesthetics and practicality.
“Painted walls can be prone to stains, scratches, cracks, and discolouration over time,” they explained. “We wanted a more premium, seamless, and long-lasting finish.”
Unconventional decisions, rooms for show
The couple consider the most eye-catching space in the home to be their futuristic gaming room featuring custom geometric wall panels, integrated LED lighting, and a starry-sky ceiling.
Hengky no longer games much, but built the room to fulfil a childhood dream.
“As my husband was an avid and competitive gamer when he was younger, he always dreamed of having his own dedicated gaming room one day,” Alyssa said.
Although it may not see daily use, the couple say guests are most impressed by the room whenever they visit.
The couple also made an unconventional decision by removing an entire common bedroom.
Rather than retaining the original layout, they merged the space with the master bedroom to create an oversized walk-in wardrobe complete with glass doors, open-display storage, and rose-gold mirrored backing.
The aim, they said, was to create a home that felt more like a high-end condominium or landed property than a typical HDB flat.
Despite the extensive investment, not every room was designed around daily practicality.
The kitchen was finished in glossy, reflective surfaces and premium materials — because they are often too busy to cook.
Instead, the kitchen serves “strictly as a showroom to look nice”.
Where did the $500,000 go?
The biggest single expense was the home’s extensive stone slab installation, which cost around $40,000.
Other major renovation costs included:
- Full hacking, tiling, and flooring works: $115,000
- Electrical rewiring, smart home systems, and lighting: $80,000
- Carpentry works: $60,000
- Starry-sky ceilings and partitions: $35,000
- Premium laminates and tiles: up to $20,000
- Stainless steel gold-capped trimmings: up to $18,000
The total project took exactly one year to complete, from May 15, 2025 to May 15, 2026.
The homeowners acknowledge that many Singaporeans may view spending half a million dollars on an HDB renovation as excessive.
“Some people invest in cars, luxury watches or frequent overseas travel,” they said. “For us, our home is where we spend most of our time and where we wanted to create something truly special.”
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