Need Some Advice About Refreshing a Rental Flat in Singapore

[abbby]

Painting the wall should be fine, should be in the same color so as not to give the landlord a heart attack. Minor touch ups and repairs are usually fine. Just do not do any major like hacking the walls or changing the sink design without landlord's permission.

[malcontent]

I am new in Singapore and trying to learn more about daily living here. I recently moved into an older rental flat and the interior looks a little dull, especially the living room walls. I want to make the place feel more comfortable, but I am not sure what is allowed or common practice for tenants.

Do most landlords here allow small upgrades, like repainting the walls or doing a simple refresh? I don’t want to break any rules or cause trouble. Also, if someone did repainting before, how much cost should I expect? I am trying to compare basic painting estimates just to understand the usual range in Singapore, not planning anything big.

If anyone has experience with improving their rental flat in a simple and budget-friendly way, please share. Even small tips are helpful for newcomers like me.

Ah, the dull, stark look of flats in Singapore. It’s not just minimalist, but brutalist… sometimes with a dank, musty twist… an almost prison block feel. I have to admit, it can be a little off-putting at first, polar opposite of the homey/cozy environment that I grew up in. But I got over it eventually… and if you squint real hard, you might forget all that and start to believe you’re in a tropical paradise.

I’ve rarely seen any homes in Singapore with anything but white or near white walls. Even after we bought our own place, my wife wouldn’t allow anything else — it wouldn’t be bright enough otherwise, apparently. Don’t get me started! Ha!

[abbby]

One of the ways to spruce up those boring white walls and plain looking flats is to put nice painting and artwork