Turning Renovation Stress into Dream Homes

SGAG co-founder Xiao Ming and his wife overhauled three units together

- Yamini Chinnuswamy

Home renovations are a challenging experience. There is no shortage of decisions to make, from the colour of wall paint to the choice of cabinetry hardware—not to mention myriad contractors to deal with.

The scenario becomes even more fraught for married couples.

A survey conducted by United States-based interior design platform Houzz in 2018 reported that a third of its 1,300 respondents found the renovation process with their significant other "frustrating".

It was even more extreme for 7 per cent of the respondents, who said they considered separation or divorce during the process.

Yet, more than half of those surveyed considered the experience to be collaborative, fulfilling or both.

So, what is the secret to surviving a renovation without entertaining thoughts of divorce?

THREE HOMES, THREE RENOVATION PROJECTS

Hepmil Media Group co-founder and chief creative officer Adrian Ang—also known as SGAG's Xiao Ming on social media—and his wife Goh Xin Lei might have some idea.

After all, the couple have survived three major renovation projects in three homes, two of which occurred in the last four years.

They did some minor works in their first home, an executive condominium unit in Tampines, in 2016.

The renovation for their second home—a three-bedroom, 1,087 sq ft condominium unit in East Coast—began in mid-2021 and was completed half a year later.

The most recent project for their third home had a much tighter timeline—just eight weeks, excluding two weeks of intensive designing and planning, from mid-November 2024 to early January 2025.

"We love to torture ourselves," quips Mr Ang, 38. "But the truth is, we found out we were expecting a second child in mid-2024 and quickly realised we would need a much bigger space."