RCMA

55 of flooring or even wall coverings. It made the new homeowners wonder how these empty spaces were even liveable. Some quick-thinking individuals decided to eke out a living by turning these cold and bare houses into liveable homes for the individuals. These individuals are therefore present in our discussion panel of speakers today. They will present their own accounts of how renovation was like back in the eighties, such as the expectations of homeowners back then. C.N. Tan: From 1965 to 1975, people who originally lived in the kampong moved into HDB flats. The renovation industry started to flourish, with demands coming from these new flat owners. As compared to today’s modern homeowner whom is well-informed, the homeowners back then did not have a clue on the materials we used for renovation. We needed to educate them on the types of materials utilised for their home renovation and at that time, these materials were commonly used. For instance, the flooring for the two-room flats would be Thai… Lim Ah Bah: Teak C.N. Tan: Yes… teak and terrazzo tiles in the living room and white wall tiles in the kitchen. Renovation for a two- bedroom flat unit cost typically around S$1,500 to S$3,000. There were also four or five-room flats but of course, these were much pricier. The renovation cost for an ordinary four- room flat for instance, can range from S$6,000 to S$8,000. Chua Chwee Cheok: In the 1960s, we earned S$15 a day, and that was considered a lot of money. For a two-bedroom HDB flat unit with mosaic tiles, the renovation cost can range from S$1,200 to S$1,500. Lim Ah Bah: Including the kitchen? Chua Chwee Cheok: Yes. Lim Ah Bah: I remember the kitchen was done by government. Chua Chwee Cheok: The kitchen is also included in the renovation. We just earned some money. At that time, we were not thinking of making big profits from renovation work; it was just an honest living. And our credibility as renovation contractors was very high. Whatever promised was always delivered to our homeowners. Tan Chim Hoon: I specialised in custom carpentry. As spoken earlier, the property market was robust and with so many HDB flats being built, that created a strong demand for carpentry works too. I learned about introducing instalments plans as payment for my carpentry business from my father. However, as soon as I entered the carpentry business, I discovered many repairs were required for the carpentry works. By providing repair services, I was earning a decent monthly income. The majority of my clients were Malays. They engaged me because of word-of-mouth recommendations since everyone knew me well in our community. I soon learned about the trade of renovation from a neighbour who was in the industry. He mentored me while I gave the renovation trade a go, and my first home renovation as a contractor actually incurred losses. I didn’t factor in the skirting cost into my charges and didn’t calculate the full cost based on per square feet. Through this experience, I was able to understand how quotations work in order to turn a profit. In 1985, after the election, the market plummeted. Many contractors ran away with the payment given by the (from left) RCMA Associate Advisors: Mr Chua Chwee Cheok, Mr Lim Ah Bah , Mr Tan Boon Sang, Mr Tan Chim Hoon, RCMA Founding Member: Mr C.N. Tan