creme.haus
cosy & creamy 93sqft bto in the northeast | cream and oak with hint of pastels
Why we spent an additional $5K on our home reno must-haves ✨
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Welcome back to our cosy space! Here’s a look at the non-negotiable reno items we happily spent on, because they made all the difference in our home living. 
One key splurge was retractable insect/cat meshes from Oneko! 🐾 We are not fans of bugs and with Milky’s safety in mind - this was a must-have. We spent $1.7K for the main windows across the house, while opting for DIY Shopee meshes for the toilets to save costs. 
Another splurge was a $450 curved pelmet in the living room ✨ It softens the look and keeps to our curved theme. Bonus: pelmets help create a seamless finish + block unwanted light. For the rooms, we decided to skip them to save costs and installed blackout curtains right to the edge for max coverage. 
Another enhancement was upgrading the skirting in the living, kitchen, and dining spaces. Though it cost $1.6K, it was well worth it, far better than the default HDB skirting and a subtle detail that elevated our home’s creamy, woody aesthetic. To save costs, we decided to keep the HDB skirting for the rooms as it thankfully fit the look of the original HDB vinyl. 
Switching things up with Legrand! We spent just over $300 on their switches and sockets, opting for the sleek design over the standard bulky HDB ones. It’s a small detail, but it definitely elevated the overall look of our home. 💡 Cost-saving tip: Skip replacing switches and sockets that will be hidden behind carpentry — they’re out of sight, so they won’t affect the look and feel. 
Another splurge was the curved corners in our carpentry — a $1K top-up. While it did cost a bit more, we felt it was worth it for both safety at home and the added aesthetic appeal. 
Another top-up we felt was essential: heavy-duty kitchen drawers. 💪 We spent just over $400 to ensure they could handle the weight of all our kitchenware, pots, and pans. 
Last but not least, solar films! While this was kindly sponsored by the Winspiray team, it’s an add-on we believe every homeowner should consider, especially if your home faces direct sun or sits close to neighbors. Solar films help reduce heat and UV rays while maintaining privacy. ☀️ --- We hope you guys enjoyed this little post of how much we spent on our reno must-haves and gotten some cost-saving tips out of this!
23 August
