New Condo Renovation and Move-In Checklist: From Key Collection to Moving Day

Collecting the keys to a new home is exciting, and many buyers want to start their condo renovation the same week. A little planning makes the difference between moving in smoothly and living with a half-finished flat. This checklist is for anyone buying a new launch condo, including future owners at LinkTown Residences (Hougang Central Residences), which is expected to complete around 2030 to 2031.

The ideas are general. Every development has its own specifications, by-laws and handover process, so always check the details for your own project.

Step 1: Understand the handover timeline

When the project obtains its Temporary Occupation Permit (TOP), the developer sends a notice of vacant possession. You pay the TOP instalment, collect your keys and receive a defects form. The defects liability period, usually 12 months from vacant possession, is when the developer must fix defects you report. Our TOP, CSC and key collection guide walks through this sequence and what to inspect.

What matters for renovation is the order of events:

1. Collect keys.
2. Carry out the defects inspection, ideally within the first few days.
3. Submit the defects list and let the developer’s team rectify the major items.
4. Only then start hacking, drilling, carpentry or flooring work.

Step 2: Check what the developer provides

New condos in Singapore are usually handed over move-in ready at a basic level. What exactly is included differs from project to project. Items that are commonly provided include:

• Kitchen cabinets, countertop, hob, hood and oven.
• Bathroom sanitary fittings, vanity and mirrors.
• Flooring throughout, often tiles in wet areas and a different finish in bedrooms.
• Wardrobes in some or all bedrooms.
• Air-conditioning in living and bedrooms.
• Smart-home or digital lock features in some newer projects.

Items that owners usually add themselves include lighting, curtains or blinds, extra storage, a study nook, feature walls, furniture and a washer-dryer where not provided. Get the official specifications list at the showflat and keep it. It is part of your sale documents, and it tells you what you are entitled to at handover. For LinkTown Residences, the specifications and fittings have not been announced. Our showflat checklist lists questions to ask when they are.

Step 3: Learn the MCST’s condo renovation rules

Condos control renovation work closely because hundreds of neighbours share lifts, corridors and walls. Before the MCST is formed, the developer’s managing agent runs the building and sets the rules. Expect most of the following:

• 01Renovation applicationA form listing the works, your contractor’s details and, for some works, drawings.
• 02Refundable depositPlaced with management to cover damage to common property. Refunded after a final check.
• 03Permitted hoursNoisy work is usually limited to weekdays and set hours, with no work on Sundays and public holidays.
• 04Lift and corridor protectionContractors must protect lifts and common areas and remove debris daily.

Some works need more than MCST approval. Changing the façade, enclosing balconies, altering the household shelter or touching structural elements are generally restricted or need authority approval. The household shelter must stay as built. Ask your contractor to confirm what is allowed before signing a quotation.

In an integrated development such as LinkTown Residences, the residential lifts, loading bays and delivery routes may be shared or coordinated with the mall. Check early how contractors and movers access the building and whether they need to book a time slot.

Step 4: Plan your budget the right way

We do not quote renovation costs here because they vary widely with scope and finish. The approach is more useful than a number:

1. List needs, then wants. Lighting, curtains and storage come before feature walls.
2. Get at least three quotations for the same scope, itemised so you can compare line by line.
3. Keep a contingency for surprises, such as extra electrical points or changes you decide on mid-way.
4. Remember timing. The TOP instalment, and later the CSC instalment, fall due around the same period under the progressive payment scheme. Renovation money usually has to come from cash or a renovation loan, so plan it alongside those payments.
5. Add running costs. Maintenance fees start from vacant possession. Our maintenance fees guide explains how they are calculated, and our guide to property tax for condos covers the other annual bill.

Pay contractors in stages tied to completed work rather than a large upfront sum. Keep every agreement and variation in writing. If you plan to rent the unit out later, favour durable, neutral finishes that suit a wide range of tenants.

Step 5: Choose and manage your contractor

• Check that the firm is registered and has done condo projects before. Condo rules are stricter than landed or HDB work.
• Ask for a written timeline and who is responsible for submitting the MCST application.
• Agree how defects in their work will be handled after completion.
• Visit the site regularly, especially before surfaces are covered, to check wiring and plumbing positions.

Plan your layout around the actual unit, not the showflat. Showflats often remove walls or use custom furniture. Our guide on how to read a condo floor plan helps you spot column positions, window lines and storage before you commit to built-ins.

Step 6: Moving-day checklist

Four to six weeks before

• Book movers and check if the condo needs a moving deposit or a lift booking.
• Open utility accounts and arrange internet installation.
• Update your address with banks, CPF, IRAS, your employer and schools.
• Order curtains and large furniture early; lead times can be long.

One week before

• Arrange post-renovation cleaning, including air-conditioner servicing.
• Register car details and collect access cards and car park decals from management.
• Test all appliances, lights, water heaters and taps.

Moving day and first month

• Protect lifts and corridors as required, and keep receipts from the movers.
• Photograph the unit again once furniture is in.
• Keep reporting any new defects within the defects liability period.
• Read the MCST by-laws on items such as window grilles, air-conditioner ledges, laundry racks and pets, so your final touches comply.
• Collect your renovation deposit once management has done its final check.

What this means for LinkTown Residences buyers

For a project expected around 2030 to 2031, renovation is years away. The useful thing to do now is to understand layouts and budget in advance. When the Hougang Central integrated development reveals its floor plans and specifications, compare the unit you want against the checklist above, noting what is included and what you will need to add.

Want the floor plans and specifications as soon as they are out? Register your interest and we will send them to you.

General information only. Renovation rules are set by each MCST and by the relevant authorities, and specifications are set by each developer. Verify with your managing agent and contractor.