Minimising Inconvenience To Building Occupants During Renovation Projects

Abstract

It is not uncommon to expect inconveniences during the course of a renovation. In view of the growing number of ageing building stock and renovation projects, minimising inconvenience to building occupants has become increasingly important. Noticeably in residential renovation, relentless efforts towards minimising the inconveniences have been demonstrated by Housing and Development Board of Singapore (HDB) which has led to high resident’s satisfaction rate. Embracing the idea of early consideration of the needs and expectations of residents, this study aims to explore additional ways to further maximise convenience to residents in the Home Improvement Programme (HIP). An interview was carried out to capture the nature of inconveniences from the perspective of the residents. Meanwhile, both HDB and contractors were also interviewed to find out their perceptions on further minimising inconvenience to residents during renovation. In conjunction with the findings, the standard of reasonable care was used to evaluate effectiveness of the current measures undertaken. Thereafter, several recommendations have been proposed with the aim of improving the effectiveness on reducing inconvenience to residents during renovation.