The Belcher'sRenovation guide — Layouts · floor plans · renovation budgets · building rules

26 years old: what to check

1. 01

   Rewire and replace the consumer unit

   After 20+ years the original wiring and consumer unit rarely suit today's appliance loads. From our quotes: a new single-phase consumer unit is about HK$6,500–7,000; each 13A socket about HK$800–850.

2. 02

   Replace hot & cold water pipes

   Old pipes sit inside the walls, so the economical moment to renew them in copper is while the walls are open. From our quotes: about HK$14,000 per kitchen or bathroom.

3. 03

   Mandatory Window Inspection (buildings 10+ years old)

   The Buildings Department serves notices on private buildings aged 10+ (except domestic buildings of 3 storeys or less) every 5 years; owners appoint a Qualified Person to inspect every window, with repairs by a registered contractor. Replacing windows during a renovation avoids a second round of scaffolding.Buildings Department — Mandatory Window Inspection Scheme ↗

4. 04

   Redo bathroom waterproofing

   Whenever bathroom tiles are relaid, the floor and wall waterproofing is redone (we use Sika 107) and water-tested before tiling — bathrooms are the most common source of leaks into the flat below.

5. 05

   From our work at The Belcher's

   Standard flats have ceilings of about 3.075 m, higher than most homes — painting, ceilings and full-height cabinets are priced on the real height, and there is room for richer ceiling details and lighting coves.

Before work starts

Statutory rules follow the government sources linked below; estate rules (working hours, deposit, lift protection) follow the management office's latest notice — we confirm them before work starts.

1. 01

   Management-office application

   Most estates require a renovation application, contractor and worker details and a deposit before work starts; working hours, lift protection and debris-removal times follow the management office's notice. We handle and confirm all of it.

2. 02

   Noise: no powered tools at night or on holidays

   Under the Noise Control Ordinance, construction work using powered mechanical equipment — renovation included — between 7pm and 7am, or on Sundays and public holidays, needs a Construction Noise Permit. Works are therefore scheduled Monday to Saturday in daytime, and estates often set narrower hours.GovHK — Construction and renovation noise ↗

3. 03

   Window replacement is a Minor Works item

   Repairing or replacing windows is generally Class III item 3.6 under the Buildings Department's Minor Works Control System: it must be done by a prescribed registered contractor, with documents submitted within 14 days of completion. Our window works follow this route.Buildings Department — Minor works related to windows ↗

4. 04

   Gas work by registered gas installers only

   Under the Gas Safety Ordinance, gas pipes and appliances may only be installed or altered by a registered gas installer of the right class, employed by a registered gas contractor.EMSD — Gas installation work & registered gas contractors ↗

5. 05

   Structural walls and beams stay put

   Before opening up a kitchen or moving walls, confirm whether the wall is structural. Structural alterations need Buildings Department approval; only non-structural partitions can be removed. We check this at the site visit.

How long it takes (our completed projects)

• 372 sq ft3 months
• 430 sq ft2 months
• 430 sq ft2 months
• 517 sq ft3 months
• 650 sq ft3 months
• 680 sq ft3 months
• 700 sq ft3 months
• 790 sq ft4 months
• 820 sq ft4 months
• 846 sq ft4 months
• 850 sq ft4 months
• 850 sq ft4 months
• 1,800 sq ft6 months

Pay only after each stage is signed off

1. 20%Deposit · on signing
2. 20%Plumbing done · you sign off
3. 20%Tiling done · you sign off
4. 20%Furniture approved · you sign off
5. 10%Furniture delivered · you sign off
6. 10%Snagging done · you sign off