$55k dream renovation turns into nightmare; contractor borrows money from homeowner

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What was meant to be a dream "French cream style" makeover for a Sentosa flat has turned into a costly nightmare for a homeowner.
Mr Luo now finds himself dealing with uneven cabinetry, long delays, the lingering smell of formaldehyde and his daughter's bedroom looking like what he describes as "tombstone style".
He told Shin Min Daily News he paid $55,000 to a Malaysian contractor he found on Facebook to renovate the unit at Ocean Way. He also spent an additional $18,000 on electrical wiring and $22,000 on Ziptrak blinds.
His decision to go with a Malaysian company stemmed from previous experiences with Singapore-based firms that outsourced work across the Causeway.
"I thought it would be more straightforward to deal with them directly," he said.
Instead, the project dragged on for nearly a year and remains incomplete. Construction officially began only after Chinese New Year this year, despite an original move-in date set for November.
"There was delay after delay," he said. "Once, we agreed to meet at 10am and I waited until 5pm. He didn't show up."
Things didn't get better once work started. Mr Luo said there were repeated issues: damaged flooring, cabinets that couldn't fit in the lift, misaligned fittings, and an overpowering chemical odour despite promises of "zero formaldehyde".
Mr Luo was disappointed that his daughter's envisioned 'French style' room ended up looking more like a 'tombstone style' design. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
The most jarring result was the treatment of his daughter's room, designed around a romantic arched entrance, which he says now resembles a grave marker.
To make matters worse, Mr Luo said the contractor, a husband-and-wife team, borrowed $2,000 before starting work. The husband claimed it was to pay workers' wages. A second request for $3,000 was rejected.
Later, when Mr Luo asked to be repaid, the wife claimed they had divorced and were merely 'business partners'.
In a text message, the woman wrote: "I never borrowed money from you. I hate borrowing money from people.
"Sky is no longer my husband. We divorced at the end of last year and have to continue the business, but I'm no longer tied to him by marriage.
"That sum of money you lent out is not my responsibility. My responsibility is to help you do up your house nicely so that you can move in smoothly."
Ms Du, the contractor, confirmed that the money was borrowed, but insisted it was agreed to be deducted from the renovation costs.
She also said most major items had been installed, and blamed the homeowner's lack of cooperation for the delays.
"We received 75 per cent of the payment, but the progress exceeded what we were paid for," she said, adding that she decided to halt work until the $13,000 balance was paid.
In a surprising turn, she hired a debt collection agency to chase Mr Luo for the outstanding payment even though the work remains unfinished.
Mr Luo said the cabinets were misaligned due to a measurement error. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
Ms Du insisted that there was never a guarantee of "zero formaldehyde" and that the arched wall design, which Mr Luo's family now calls a "tombstone", had been approved by him.
She also explained that a 15cm gap left in the cabinetry was intentional to accommodate later installations, not an error.
"Yes, there was a delay from February to April, but it was a big unit and there were many details," she said.
Mr Luo has since engaged two other contractors to fix the problems. He said the whole experience has been draining financially and emotionally.
"I haven't even moved in and it's already a mess. What's going to happen after?"