HDB BTO & resale homes
HDB Interior Design in Singapore
Most of the homes we design are HDB flats. They are the projects where design actually earns its fee — the footprint is fixed, the rules are real, and the difference between a flat that feels tight and one that feels generous comes down to decisions made before anything is built.
This page covers what shapes an HDB layout in practice: the rules HDB enforces, how a BTO differs from a resale flat, and what we need from you to quote the work.
BTO or resale
Two different projects wearing the same name.
The single most useful thing you can tell us at first contact is which of these you have. It changes the sequence, the risk and the quotation.
A new BTO flat
- A known starting point — nothing to strip out
- Design time is usually available before key collection
- Carpentry and storage planning dominate the scope
- Layout changes are limited but predictable
- Lead times, not demolition, set the critical path
- Defects checking against the handover happens first
A resale flat
- An existing renovation has to come out before anything goes in
- What sits behind it cannot be priced until it is seen
- Older wet areas often need waterproofing redone
- Electrical capacity may need upgrading for how you live now
- Layouts are frequently reconfigured, not just refinished
- A site visit before quoting is not optional here
The rules that shape the layout
What HDB permits, and what it will not.
An HDB flat is not a blank floor plate. A number of constraints apply to every unit, and they are better designed around than discovered:
- Renovation works require a permit, held in the contractor’s name
- Structural walls, columns and reinforced concrete may not be removed
- Works are restricted to permitted hours, with noisy works narrower still
- Wet areas carry waterproofing requirements when floors are opened up
- Flooring, ceiling and window works each carry their own conditions
- Common corridors and the lift lobby must stay clear and protected
- Debris has to be removed to an approved disposal point
- Some works in older flats require additional checks before approval
Conditions differ by flat age, block type and the specific work involved, so we confirm the ones that apply to your unit rather than quoting a general list at you.
How we work
Design first, then the number.
We plan the flat around how you actually live in it — where you drop your keys, where the laundry really goes, whether the dining table ever gets used. That sounds soft; it is the part that decides whether the storage you paid for gets used.
Bring these
- Flat type and the HDB floor plan if you have it
- Whether it is a BTO or a resale flat
- Key collection date, or your intended start
- Which rooms are in scope, and any that are out
- References for what you like — and what you do not
- A budget range you are comfortable working within
Then we
- Measure on site rather than working from the plan alone
- Set the layout around your daily routine, not a showroom
- Tell you plainly what HDB will and will not permit
- Quote line by line so it is comparable with anything else
- Hold the permit and coordinate the trade sequence
- Stay reachable after handover — after-sales support is a studio principle
For how the pricing is structured by flat type, see BTO renovation packages.
Who you are hiring
Built on trust, backed by standards.
Renovating an HDB flat legally means using a contractor HDB recognises — the permit is issued in the contractor’s name, not the homeowner’s. These are the registrations and accreditations we hold:
- HDB Registered Licensed Contractor
- BCA Registered Contractor & Licensed Builder
- CaseTrust/RCMA Joint Accreditation
- BizSAFE 3 Certified
- SIDAC – Interior Designer Practitioner Class 3 (ID3)
- Top Executive WSH Programme (TEWP)
- Qanvast Super Trust Award 2023
- SIXSIDES Verified Certificate 2025/2026
Dots ’N’ Tots Interior Group Pte Ltd · the full list of our accreditations sits on our About page.
Selected work
HDB homes we have completed.
Real flats across BTO and resale, photographed finished. Open any project for the full set of images and the thinking behind the layout.
Common questions
Before you ask for a quote
Do I need an interior designer for an HDB flat?
You need a contractor HDB recognises — that part is not optional, because the renovation permit is issued in the contractor’s name. A designer is optional, and worth it when the layout is the problem rather than the finishes. If you already know exactly what you want built, say so; you will get a more honest conversation.
Can I hack walls in an HDB flat?
Some, never all. Structural walls, columns and reinforced concrete cannot be removed, and other works carry their own conditions depending on the flat’s age and block type. We confirm what applies to your specific unit before the layout is settled, not after.
How long does an HDB renovation take?
It depends far more on scope than on flat size — hacking, wet works and carpentry lead times are what stretch a programme. We give you a dated schedule with the quotation rather than a generic number of weeks, because a generic number is the one that gets broken.
Is a resale flat harder to renovate than a BTO?
Different, and usually less predictable. A BTO is a known starting point. A resale flat has an existing renovation to remove, and what is behind it — old waterproofing, tired wiring, screed condition — cannot be priced until it is opened up. That is why we visit before quoting a resale unit.
Do you work with a fixed style?
No. Our portfolio runs from Japandi and Scandinavian through to modern, minimalist and farmhouse, because the house should look like the people in it. We will push back if something will not wear well, and we will tell you why rather than just saying no.
What happens after the renovation is finished?
A home only really starts once it is lived in, and small things surface in the first months. After-sales support is a studio principle rather than a service tier — you contact the same people you dealt with during the build.
Also worth reading
Renovating a condo instead?
Private units are governed by your management corporation rather than by HDB, and the constraints are different enough to be worth reading separately: condo interior design in Singapore.
Tell us about your flat.
Flat type, BTO or resale, and what you want done. We will come back with what HDB permits, what we would do with the layout, and a quotation broken down line by line.