Before key collection: make a useful brief
- Gather the available floor plan and identify essential furniture and appliances.
- List household routines, storage needs, work-from-home needs and privacy priorities.
- Separate required work from optional upgrades.
- Record what finishes or fittings are expected to be provided, then verify them on site.
- Set your budget constraint without treating an unverified package price as a complete scope.
- Keep desired delivery and move-in dates as planning constraints, not promised completion dates.
After keys: inspect and record before altering
Follow HDB MyNiceHome’s renovation guidance and the defect-reporting process provided for your development. Photograph and locate concerns before new finishes or cabinetry cover them. Coordinate rectification access with the responsible party before renovation affects the same area.
Keep inspection evidence private and factual. A defect record should describe the observation, room and date, rather than assume a cause or allocate blame without assessment.
Confirm layout and scope in the actual flat
Check dimensions, openings, service positions and the work that will remain. Test furniture and door swings together. Resolve kitchen appliances, storage and air-conditioning before final drawings and carpentry measurements.
| Area | Confirm |
|---|---|
| Layout | Furniture, circulation, privacy and feasible wall changes. |
| Services | Electrical demand, plumbing connections, air-conditioning routes and trade roles. |
| Materials | Actual codes, samples, permitted installation and care requirements. |
| Contract | Scope, exclusions, payment milestones and variation procedure. |
| Permissions | DRC contractor, required approvals and applicable work conditions. |
Check HDB requirements for a new flat
Use HDB’s renovation responsibilities and permit guidance. An interior-design appointment is not a substitute for the required registered contractor or licensed trades.
The new-flat bathroom restriction is particularly relevant: do not assume the original bathroom wall or floor finishes can be removed immediately. Check the block’s applicable conditions before specifying work there. Household shelters and structural elements also require careful compliance checks.
Coordinate the start and deliveries
- Agree the scope and required permissions.
- Resolve defects that overlap planned work and confirm access.
- Confirm materials, appliance information and trade availability.
- Plan protection, removal where approved, services and finishes.
- Schedule deliveries against actual site readiness rather than optimistic dates.
- Allow for checks, rectification and cleaning before final move-in arrangements.
At handover: close the loop
Use the handover checklist to inspect normal operation and compare the installation with the agreed scope. Collect product care information, relevant trade records and warranties actually supplied. Keep an outstanding-item list with the responsible person and next action.
Essentia’s process moves from understanding your space to design, scope, quotation, scheduling and construction coordination. Your BTO checklist should make each of those stages reviewable rather than compress everything into a single start date.
Sources and scope
Guidance checked on 22 September 2026. Follow the linked authority guidance and the instructions for the products you select.