power. Even worse, it is possible that
they might change their mind and
purchase the neighbouring property
themselves. However, should they
realise your intentions, keep calm
and make sure your calculations
are correct. Does the higher price
they might demand jeopardize the
entire purchase? Is the cost of both
apartments together with renovations
and all related costs still less than
the cost of an already combined
apartment or similarly sized
apartment? If your answer is yes, this
is good news.
You may be wondering, how does
a home-owning novice learn how
to estimate the cost of a renovation
project? Before you panic about the
forthcoming major plans, take a deep
breath and ask yourself: What is the
first thing you do when you need
a dentist? Call all your friends for
recommendations. Everyone has a
friend – or a friend of a friend – who
knows a contractor. Post on Facebook
forums, and ask your real estate
agent (who is about to gain double
commission from the apartments you
will buy) to give you the floor plan
and to recommend a contractor who
has carried out such a project in that
building before. The estimation, even
if inaccurate, will give you a good idea
on how to close the purchasing deals.
Get set
When the mortgages are processed
and the contracts signed, it is time to
turn the apartments into one. Both
need to be vacant in order for the
construction work to start. With your
highly recommended
si fu
(common
term for contractor in Cantonese),
examine the floor plan in depth and
tell him the ideas you have in mind.
Local si fus don’t usually speak
a lot of English or, simply put, the
amount of English they speak is
usually proportional to the fees you
will be charged. Challenging as it
may appear, working with the super
local si fus is when you may find
a real bargain. While contractors
may not be able to provide fancy 3D
presentations for you to visualize
your dream home, working directly
with them will save you a lot of
money and you will get to view
almost every single tile which goes
into your living space. If you or your
partner don’t speak Cantonese (or
even a bit of Mandarin), ask your
Hong Kong friends or colleagues for
help. Language aside, read a lot of
interior design books or magazines
for inspiration, and save the photos.
Visuals are a great help for your si
fu to comprehend your ideas and
source lower-cost equivalents to
construct your dream apartment.
After you have had your preliminary
discussions, it’s time to go shopping!
Combining two apartments takes
at least three months, although a
period of six months is more realistic
considering the extra work to be
done after the adjoining walls are
demolished, such as installing new
flooring, salt and fresh water pipes,
electricity and wiring. Before you
undertake any of these you need to
go to your management office and
complete the tedious procedure of
legalities. Most management offices
require you to leave a building
construction deposit (times two for
two apartments), fill in forms detailing
who your authorized contractor is
and submit updated floor plans which
reflect your project.
As with any major undertaking,
it is practical to plan in advance a
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