8 Places You Might Have Missed Out During the Renovation of Your 1st Property

Don’t forget to spend some time planning for these places, when you embark on your dream abode renovation journey!

#1. Location of the mobile device charging station

Image from Define bottle

Charging your mobile devices can be a rather chaotic affair, with messy charging cords running all over the table. In addition, the multiple devices for the entire family will take up precious space and clutter the table while they are being charged.

What this means to you

Setting up a simple charging station will eliminate such unsightly scattered, mismatched tangled cords and utilise the space more effectively. Although there are many simple DIY tutorials for you to setup a homemade charging station to keep battery life high, fabricating a customised charging station will be a better solution if you want it to blend into the rest of the home interior design.

#2. Location of the smart vacuum robot docking station

Image from Samsung Singapore

Smart robot vacuum robots have become ubiquitous cleaning partners in modern homes. This is because having an intelligent machine like this means one less household chore for you to worry about. Some models can be controlled through the Smart Home Assistant; Amazon’s Alexa and Google Assistant. Others can even double up as mobile home security cameras. Unfortunately, most homeowners decide on the placement of the docking station as an afterthought, and this often results in a suboptimal location of the vacuum robot.

What this means to you

The best placement for the vacuum robot docking station is at one corner of the room, where it uses the base to triangulate its relative position, to calculate its starting and ending cleaning routine. In addition, make sure that there is an electrical socket next to the docking station, so that the wire does not sprawl over the floor. Furthermore, there must be plenty of room for the vacuum robot to manoeuvre, while it lines up with the base when it re-docks to recharge. Lastly, set aside at least 1.5 to 3 feet of clearance space on either side of the docking station. If you want to hide the docking station beneath a customized cabinet, make sure that there is enough vertical clearance too.

#3. Placement of the mesh Wi-fi system

Image from Drumitloud.com

Wi-fi routers are now a part and parcel of most households. However, most homeowners experience poor Wi-fi signals when they decide the locations of their wi-fi routers as an afterthought, since most will resort to chunking the messy-looking Wi-fi router at a convenient dark hidden nook. A mesh Wi-fi system consists of the main router, that connects directly to your modem and links up with a series of satellite nodes, which are distributed throughout the house. Nevertheless a mesh Wi-fi system offers a significantly better coverage over the traditional Wi-fi router and eliminates dead zones, and is a better option than a traditional Wi-fi router.

What this means to you

The optimal location of the mesh Wi-fi system is more tricky, since its nodes are to be placed throughout the house for optimal Wi-fi coverage. The main router node should be setup centrally away from the walls, in close physical proximity to the cable modem or an existing router, preferably next to an electrical socket. Since the setup of these IT equipment might clash with the aesthetic design, they are usually hidden inside a customized cabinet or on the topmost shelf, to maximize coverage. The satellite nodes should also be placed out in the open, away from the concrete walls, big metal obstacles such as a refrigerator or steel cabinets.

 #4. Approval for a kitchen exhaust duct

Images from Carousell

The kitchen hood’s main function is to keep the cooking fumes away from the kitchen so that it is clean and odour-free. The kitchen hood comes in a wide variety of styles and there are 2 types of kitchen hoods; ductless (or recirculating) kitchen hoods and ducted (or ventilating) hoods. Traditionally, only ductless models are allowed in HDB apartments since the unfiltered fumes will affect the neighbouring units.

What this means to you

Since ductless kitchen hood recirculates air instead of venting the warm and stale outside of the kitchen, the kitchen will become hot and humid over time. In addition, the ductless hood is nosier since more fan power is required to suck in and recirculate the warm air. Hence, you may want to consider seeking HDB’s approval, to install the specially designed ducting system for your kitchen hood system, to keep your kitchen cooler and cleaner.

 #5. Installation of a dishwasher

Design: Ovon Design

Dishwashers have gained much popularity over the years because contrary to popular beliefs, dishwashers are not electricity and water wasting machines. In fact, dishwashers have proven to be energy efficient, game-changer appliances for time-strapped homeowners. Furthermore, due to technological advancements, dishwashers have become more compact and affordable too.

What this means to you

 Ideally the dishwasher should be located somewhere where there are minimal plumbing works, for an easier and cheaper renovation. In addition, the dishwasher should be located near the sink, where it is easy for you to load the soiled dishes into the dishwasher drawers after a quick rinse. Due to human ergonomics considerations, it is easier for you to load the dishes into the dishwasher, which is installed to the left of the sink if you are right-handed and vice versa. The placement of the dishwasher also affects where your cutlery drawers or crockery cabinets are located, since they should be near or next to your dishwasher to make it easier for you to offload the clean cutlery or crockery after they have dried.

 #6. Setting aside space for an automated laundry rack

Image from Steigen’s instagram

Singapore’s tropical humid climate poses a great challenge for homeowners, especially if they rely on the laundry racks during the monsoon months. Thanks to the technology advancements, aside from the dryers, fully automated laundry racks also allow your laundry to be dried safely indoors. The automated models are getting more sophisticated, and can be controlled with smartphone apps. Some even come equipped with solar tubes (to simulate the sunlight), air circulators (to mimic the wind) to shorten the drying duration, and disinfects the clothes with a combination of heaters and ionisers.

What this means to you

The size and orientation of the automated laundry rack might affect the placement of the washing machine, wall mounted cabinets (if you are looking to optimize the space vertically) and the location of the service yard light. To choose the most suitable automated laundry rack for the service yard, the size matters since certain brands and models might be more suitable for a smaller, compact service yard. Unless you are living in a loft apartment, most brands are suitable for ceiling height of around 2.6m – 3m.

 #7. Having a steam closet system

Image from Lg Singapore

In recent years, big electronic brands such as LG and Samsung have come up with a steam closet system, designed to be installed in the space-challenged laundry room. It is extremely useful if you are looking to effortlessly refresh your clothes such as jackets, suits and jeans in between weekly washes, by minimizing wrinkles and deodorize with hot steam. In addition, it is useful for steam-refreshing and sanitizing other household items by removing allergens such as pollen, bacteria, dust and dander from the beddings, and plush soft toys!

What this means to you

The steam closet offerings from LG and Samsung are freestanding models and does not require a separate water pipeline or plumbing for its water reservoir. This means that you have a flexible option of placing the steam closet at the service yard or even in your bedroom, just next to your wardrobe! Just make sure that an electrical socket is installed next to the steam closet system.

#8. Approval for installation of an air ventilation system

Design: DISTINCTidENTITY

Poorly ventilated bathrooms are vulnerable to mould and mildew and they cause the walls and floor to be stained. Hence, exhausting moist, warm air, which is created during showers will help to keep out the humidity at bay. In addition, air ventilators help to remove nasty odours from a bathroom more easily.

What this means to you

There are mainly 2 types of exhaust fans: ceiling mounted and window mounted. The ceiling mounted air ventilators have to be installed with a false ceiling and the window mounted air ventilators will require some modifications to the bathroom window. As the window might need to cut a hole for the air ventilator to be installed, or the louvered window panes have to be changed to a top-hung casement window, this might require approval from the HDB authorities.