The RednaxelaRenovation guide — Layouts · floor plans · renovation budgets · building rules

28 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 Rednaxela

   In our project the windows were added after opening up — 10 windows plus external scaffolding, about HK$84k. If the frames are tired, put them in the quote before signing for a clearer budget.

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