The Tampines Street 82 Couple Who Renovated Their Entire 5-Room for $35K (With Photos)

"Confirm cannot one. 5-room for $35K? What you do, just paint only ah?" That's what everyone said when Marcus and Stephanie shared their renovation cost.

But walking into their home, you'd guess they spent $70K minimum. Vinyl flooring throughout, built-in cabinets in every room, modern kitchen, two bathrooms completely redone. Their secret? They treated renovation like a military operation.

The Real Story

Marcus, an ex-SAF regular, and Stephanie, a procurement manager, collected their keys in January 2024. While their neighbors rushed into renovation, they spent six weeks planning. Excel sheets, supplier visits, YouTube University.

"Everyone thinks renovation is about finding a good contractor. Wrong. It's about knowing exactly what you want before anyone quotes," Marcus told me, showing his 47-page renovation bible.

They divided their flat into zones, each with a budget:

• Flooring (whole unit): $4,500
• Kitchen: $7,000
• Master bedroom: $5,000
• Common bedroom: $3,000
• Living room: $6,000
• Both bathrooms: $6,500
• Electrical/Plumbing: $3,000

Total: $35,000, not a cent more.

The game-changer? They bought materials themselves, hired contractors for labor only. That $4,500 flooring? Would've been $8,000 through a contractor. They spent three weekends at Floor Depot, waited for a sale, bought directly. Saved $3,500 just on floors.

Their kitchen tells the whole story. Cabinets from a Woodlands supplier who usually only sells to contractors. "Uncle initially didn't want to sell to us. We showed him cash, measurements, even helped load the lorry. He gave us contractor price," Stephanie laughs.

Countertop? Quartz remnants from Tradehub 21. "People think remnants means lousy pieces. No lah. It's just leftover from big projects. Our 'remnant' was 3 meters of perfect white quartz. Original owner ordered too much." Price: $800 instead of $2,500.

What Most People Don't Know

The couple discovered what contractors don't want you to know: the real markup structure.

Materials Markup: Contractors typically add 30-50% to material costs. That $100/sqm tile they quote? It's $65 at the supplier. They pocket the difference as "sourcing fee."

The Taobao Revolution: 40% of their fixtures came from Taobao:

• Bathroom accessories set: $120 (vs $400 locally)
• Kitchen sink: $180 (vs $500 locally)
• All door handles: $150 (vs $400 locally)
• Ceiling lights: $300 (vs $900 locally)
• Total Taobao spend: $2,000. Local equivalent: $5,500.

"Shipping was $300, took 3 weeks via sea freight. Even with shipping, saved $3,000," Marcus calculated.

The Direct Contractor Approach: Instead of one main contractor, they hired specialists directly:

• Tiler: $2,500 (labor only)
• Electrician: $1,800 (including materials)
• Plumber: $1,200 (labor only)
• Carpenter: $4,000 (labor only)
• Painter: $1,500 (labor only)

Total labor: $11,000. A main contractor quoted $25,000 for the same scope.

The Overlay Decision: Most controversial choice? No hacking except for one kitchen wall. "Everyone said must hack flooring. Why? Our tiles were perfect. Overlay saved us $5,000 and two weeks of dust," Stephanie explains.

Six months later, no issues. The vinyl flooring specialist they hired guaranteed 10 years warranty for overlay installation.

The Supply Chain Hack

Their biggest discovery happened at Kim San Leng coffee shop in Bishan. Stephanie overheard contractors discussing suppliers. She noted every name, every location.

"Contractors have their lobang. We just went to the same places," she reveals. Their supplier list:

• Tiles: Soon Bee Huat Trading (Tradehub 21)
• Sanitary: Hoe Kee (Jalan Besar)
• Lights: Sin Lee Heng (Balestier)
• Wood: Sin Joo Lee (Sungei Kadut)
• Paint: Tan Seng Huat (Boat Quay)

"First time, suppliers suspicious. 'You contractor ah?' When we said homeowner, some tried to chase us away. We persisted, showed cash, exact measurements. Eventually, they sold to us at contractor rates."

One supplier even taught them industry tricks: "Order on Monday mornings (contractors busy on-site), pay cash (5-10% extra discount), buy end-lots (perfectly good, just last pieces)."

The couple's master spreadsheet tracked everything: supplier contacts, prices, delivery dates, payment records. "My colleagues joke I should start a renovation consultancy. Actually considering it," Marcus admits.

Your Action Plan

• First call: Don't call contractors yet. List exactly what you want, room by room, item by item. Knowledge is bargaining power.
• This weekend: Visit Tradehub 21, walk around, listen to contractors, note supplier names. It's free market research.
• Before contractors arrive: Get material prices yourself. When contractors quote, you'll know their markup immediately.
• Red flag to watch: Contractors who insist you must buy through them. They're hiding massive markups.
• Budget hack: Combine Taobao (fixtures), direct suppliers (materials), and specialist labor. Save 40-50% minimum.

The Bottom Line

$35K for a 5-room isn't magic—it's methodology. While others rely on one contractor for everything, smart homeowners become their own project managers. Yes, it's more work. But for $35,000 savings, that's $1,000 per hour of extra effort. Best hourly rate you'll ever earn.

Conversation Starters

Would you DIY project-manage to save $35K, or is convenience worth the cost?

What's your best direct-supplier lobang others should know?

Anyone else done the Taobao route? Share your hits and misses!