Whenever I visit a Beautiful house of my friends, neighbor or relatives it makes me want to exchange our houses, what about you? I mean some houses are really breathtaking nowadays. I remember that there was a show MTV Cribs, it was amazing to watch where you would get to see houses of different celebrities. That show made me want to renovate my house. I almost did accordingly.
Hong Kong has become of the most expensive country in the world when it comes to housing. It was estimated that new apartment blocks usually have HK$ 50,000 monthly, these new apartment blocks are quite high in demand, these new apartment blocks have all the modern necessary facilities such as hot and cold pools, ATMs, playgroups, pools, activity clubs, and modern bathrooms and kitchens, etc. In this post, I will give you an idea about the cost of renovating a house in Hong Kong.
All Good! But Why Renovating?
Renovation is usually done for a number of reasons.
- The owner of the houses wants to sell the house, so the owner wants to make changes and to get a good value from the house.
- The house was in pretty bad shape and it needed remodeling. Let’s not forget that everything needs maintenance.
- Some people make renovations because they want to upgrade their comfort standards.
- Some people renovate their houses because they want to upgrade their living standards.
- Some people might want to renovate their house, by adding essential things like insulation or new windows, etc.
- Some people want to renovate their house to ensure the safety of their house.
So, how much does it cost when it comes to renovating a house/apartment/ penthouse in Hong Kong? Renovating cost depends on the type of house, type of area and the things that will be added.
Types of Renovations You might need in Hong Kong
First of all, you need to keep in mind that there is several sections of your house that you might need to consider for renovation.
| Renovation Type | Details |
| Interior | Lighting, drywall, plaster, flooring, kitchens, baths, etc. |
| Roofing | Roofs may be flat or sloped. Cedar shingles, PVC, TPO, slates, asphalt shingles, etc. |
| Siding | Installation or replacement. |
| Other Exterior | Decks, gutters, fences, door installation, etc. |
| Mechanical | Solar panels, HVAC, plumbing, etc. |
This was some information about the types of renovation. Now let’s talk about how much does the renovation cost? According to some other renovation site renovation in Hong Kong can cost from a minimum of HK$ 850 to a maximum HK$ 2,070/ square meter, this is just an estimate it can cost more than this as it depends on various factors. This estimate provided is based on the statistics based on the Hong Kong population. As mostly, people there renovate their kitchen, bathroom and a couple of interior changes that are without any fancy additions.
How much will it cost to renovate a bathroom in Hong Kong?
If you are going to renovate your bathroom then, you must consider a couple of things. When renovating a bathroom, different types of materials are used. Ceramic is much cheaper as compared to iron, which is why people in Hong Kong most commonly use ceramic tubs than iron tubs.
Moreover, ceramic tubs are light in weight and can be easily carried, whereas, the iron tubs are heavy and bigger in the size you will have to hire another vehicle just to drop it over your house, adding more cost. Bathrooms in Hong Kong are of about 17 to 19 inches, renovation for these kinds of the bathroom depends on the type of model.
For example, if you want to settle for a comfortable toilet model, it will cost from HK$ 1500 to HK$ 4000. But if you settle for a gravity toilet model that is a little cheap as compared to the other one and it will cost from HK$ 1000 to HK$ 2200, this was a little about the essentials. Let’s not forget tiles, tiling is also a very important factor in a bathroom renovation.
Tiles have different types such as ceramic, terracotta, vinyl, stone, granite, etc. These are some tiles that are most commonly used in bathrooms, and people mostly go for durable and low maintenance tiles. A tile Hong Kong costs from HK$ 18 to HK$ 40. When it comes to sinks/ washbasins are preferred in white, it has become almost like a worldwide culture to have white washbasins. So, the overall renovation cost in Hong Kong for bathroom ranges between 9 to 20k HK$.
Well! If you want to estimate in feet then consider a range of 200 to 300 HK$/ square meter, again this is also just an estimate, you can still remodel your bathroom in less if you are only going to change let’s says tiles but you are going for a complete remodel then it is likely to take more. So, far we have discussed the pricing, now let us talk about time duration, if there are some minor changes then it may take a week at most but if there are major changes then it takes from weeks to months.
How much will it cost to renovate a kitchen in Hong Kong?
When it comes to the kitchen, there are several things to change from. Things that can be changed in the kitchen are.
- Tiles
- Countertop
- Cabinets
- Large appliances
- Small appliances
- Lighting
- Stools
- Washbasins
- Glass cabinets
In the kitchen, renovation ranges between mild to moderate or moderate to major. You can save some extra money if you do the renovation yourself, the only thing is that it will take more time but you can have 100% satisfaction. But if you are going to take help from contractors or renovators, then you are likely to go broke for a while. A kitchen can cost between 10 to 50k HK$, depending on the type of remodeling. It can cost more, as the market price is never the same, it can rise and fall according to the seasons.
What to keep in mind when renovating the living room in Hong Kong?
If you are going to make changes in your living room, then you will have to consider things that most likely to be changed.
- Lighting
- Paints
- Ceiling
- Flooring
- Entertainment system
- Air conditioner/ heater/ Central units
- Furniture
All of the above-mentioned things are found in living rooms for houses but if someone lives in the studio then there is not much to renovate, as it is a huge room with everything. Similarly, if you live in a shared apartment, your renovation cost will decrease. Houses, apartments, and penthouses require a lot when renovating. The big fish when in the living room is the lighting, ceiling, flooring, etc. Lighting includes lamps, ceiling lights, lights can cost depending on their usage.
Although lights are not expensive every once in a while you need to change them, and if you are going for fancy lights like chandeliers or modern tech lights then they can cost. Another most important thing to ponder over is the air conditioning unit or a heater. These are things that are essential in every home, as the weather in Hong Kong fluctuates in seasons, it can be really hot during summers or the other way round. People install central units to avoid buying and maintaining ACs and heaters separately. But central units are comparatively expensive. We will give you a rough estimate so that you can plan your living room renovation accordingly.
| Items | Price |
| Couches | 200 to 10,000 HK$ |
| Tables/Coffee tables | 80 to 2,000 HK$ |
| Air conditioners | 4,000 to 11,000 HK$ |
| Central Units | 12,000 to 25,000 HK$ |
What to expect when renovating your house in Hong Kong?
Until now we were talking about renovating different parts of a house/ flat but in this part, we will discuss what to expect when you have planned on renovating your complete house. For that, we would first like to give you a little preview of the types of houses in Hong Kong. As we have previously mentioned, different types of houses have different types of renovation plans. Mind that you will be looking at a lot of expenses here because you probably going to a major renovation. Small houses like apartments, studios or shared apartments will not cost much. While the bigger houses will cost a lot.
| Area (Sq. ft) | 300-480 sq.ft house with kitchen and 1 bathroom | 480-600 sq.ft house with kitchen and 1 bathroom house | 600-800 sq.ft house with kitchen and 2 bathroom house | 800-1200 sq.ft house with kitchen and 2 bathroom house |
| Time Duration | 10-20 days | 12-25 days | 20-30 days | 25-45 days |
| Basic Renovation (with electrical installation) | 15000 to 26,000 HK$ | 18,000 to 30,000 HK$ | 20,000 to 34,000 HK$ | 22,000 to 38,000 HK$ |
| Furniture | 20 to 40k HK$ | 30 to 50K HK$ | 35 to 60k HK$ | 40 to 80k HK$ |
This table is just a rough estimate of the complete house renovation in Hong Kong 2020. You can still cut down this amount or save at least some money when renovating your home. As we know that designers and contractors charge a lot, the materials are charged separately and then you get a burden of service charges separately. But if you want to save yourself from some hassle then you can do it yourself, at least designing the renovation structure. Most of the things mentioned here have not added painting and all that.
What you will have to do is make a profile first, no one can understand the usage of living space in your house better than you. Make a list of things that you usually do in each room. For instance, if your kitchen is a place where you have most of your lunches or dinner, then keep it in your priority, think of additions you want to make to your kitchen. Maybe you would want to make more space in the kitchen, then you can install semi-attached stools to your countertop, with that you will not have to add a separate dining table in the kitchen and it will give you a lot of space to move around in the kitchen. Moreover, it makes your house look bigger. Secondly, if there is a room in your house that is not used that much let’s say the guest room then, you can come up with a much minimalistic idea like, add an L-couch and medium-sized coffee table and one or two chairs.
By this time, you have finally made your mind about renovation then make a complete plan first that what changes do you really need in the house. Set them as the top priority then you go for less urgent things. You can also buy things in bulk from the wholesale market, that can save you some of your hard-earned money. Also, if you want to save money you can install some of the things yourself, like kitchen cabinets. They are easy to install or maybe if your cabinets are in good shape then you can repaint them yourself. But of course, you cannot do all of the renovations by yourself, some if it needs an expert as discussed above.
Now that you have created a design, then you can start possessing what kind of furniture will go into each room. To make things simple, you can always make a board with pictures and notes on it, it will help you in finalizing a complete layout. Keep looking for some smart ideas to renovate your house, that I mean there are always some methods that are really smart, they do not only save your money but time too. And one last thing, if you are renting an apartment or a house then consider rent expenditure if you are going to renovate. You can finally congratulate yourself now that you have saved some of your finances.
