Ouch! Does your head hurt from all the planning and budgeting for renovations?

Are you thinking about renovating your home? Planning for renovations is not easy. It is the source of many disagreements between families and is not cheap.

Recently, you must have heard about the rising cost of living in Malaysia, and that also includes the cost of building and renovation materials.

If you are planning to renovate your home soon, this article details the 8 renovation materials you need to be aware of for sharp rises in costs. It could help you in your planning and discussion with the contractor to optimise your cost of renovation!

Our Data Source

Before we proceed, the data that will be used here originates from the Department of Statistics Malaysia’s Building Cost Index publication here. The March 2023 growth rate data will be used to determine the highest increase in prices from a year ago and consists of the following items:

  1. Cement
  2. Steel & Metal Sections
  3. Bricks and Walls
  4. Glass
  5. Ceiling Materials
  6. Roofing Materials
  7. Timber
  8. Plywood
  9. Sanitary Fittings
  10. Floor & Wall Tiles
  11. Plumbing Materials
  12. Sand
  13. Paints

The publication provides the price indexes for 6 different regions in Peninsular Malaysia, where we have computed an overall overage of these 6 regions to represent Peninsular Malaysia’s overall price index.

#1: Cement

Cement is probably the most important renovation material here. The cement price index increased by 11.7% in March 2023, making this the highest price increase among all the materials here. Furthermore, the price of cement has steadily increased from only 1.4% in October 2022 to about 9.4% in February 2023.

Cement is used for the making of concrete which is the fundamental building blocks of houses and buildings. What does this mean for you? If you are looking to extend your house, it could possibly mean that the cost of doing so could increase by about 12%.

Typically, extensions of your house make up the majority of your renovation budget, as it involves building new structures and pillars for the bedrooms, living room, and kitchen. Hence, you can use this knowledge to help in determining whether your contractor is charging a fair price for the cost of your extensions.

#2: Bricks & Walls

Bricks and walls price index come in second for the highest increase at about 8.3%. What is worrying about this is that it has been registering an average monthly price growth of 8.2% from July 2022 onwards, and this could continue moving forward.

Bricks and walls are mainly used to build the outer walls of your house (if you live in a landed house) or partition the inside of your house to create more rooms and separate spaces.

There are also some instances where bricks are used extensively to build dividing spaces in outdoor gardens to make them look aesthetically pleasing for landscaping.

#3: Glass

Glass comes in at number 3 in this list, with the price index increasing by 7.1% in March 2023. Can you believe it? Glass price growth was even stronger before this at an average of 12.1% from July 2022 to February 2023.

Glass is used very extensively in windows, sliding doors, and mirrors. Windows and sliding doors are important for your house to protect yourself from burglaries while also allowing you to look outside and get some fresh air.

Sliding doors especially could allow you to separate the space between the living room and kitchen, preventing the cooking smell from going to the living room. When you are talking to the contractor, be aware that you are not just paying for the glass windows and sliding doors but also the frame that comes with them. The cost will add up.

#4: Timber and Plywood

Timber and plywood come in at number 4, where their price indexes increased at a range of 6.4% to 7.1%. Plywood prices in particular grew at an average of 11.8% in the past 9 months, while timber prices’ average growth rate was 5.6% equivalently.

Typically, timber and plywood are used for the construction of cabinets (kitchen, bedroom, bathroom) and shelves. For some of the contractors out there, plywood is normally utilised as temporary platforms to do work.

Furthermore, doors in your houses are normally made from wood. That’s one more thing to consider when you are deciding whether to use timber for your renovations.

#5: Floor and Wall Tiles

Ah, everyone loves new tiles. It gives the house a much better aesthetic and vibe. Floor and wall tiles come in at number 5, with prices growing by 6.1% in March 2023. This is considered a low growth rate as it has grown by an average of 11.0% from July 2022 to February 2023.

Tiles are very versatile. You can put them on walls and floors in all spaces of your house and they will still look good. Typically, most bathrooms are fitted with wall-to-wall tiles and even on the floors. The kitchen is also another popular spot to put those sleek-looking modern tiles.

#6: Paint

Oh boy! Paint is also expensive these days. The price index of paint rose by 6.0% in March 2023, where it was growing at an even stronger average rate of 7.6% in the last 8 months.

Don’t underestimate the cost of paint. A Nippon paint bucket could cost upwards to about RM130. For a whole house, you could be looking at about 6 to 7 buckets for both the interior and exterior.

If you are tight on cash, better make the decision to buy slightly cheaper paint. If you want the paint to last longer, invest in more expensive ones. Let’s not forget that you would need to pay people to paint the house for you too.

#7: Ceiling Materials

Ceiling materials come in at number 7 here, with prices rising by 5.8%. Similar to the other materials here also, prices have been rising quite sharply in the past 8 months also at an average of 7.5%.

If  you have heard of “plaster ceiling” being talked about by contractors, this is the one here. Having a good ceiling could make or break the space that you have at home. It helps houses all the lights and fans that need, and make the space feels nicer to the eyes.

For many people, ceiling materials also constitute quite a sizeable portion of the renovation budget as almost all the living spaces would need to have ceilings.

Conclusion

Renovating your house is not easy nor cheap. The more the reason you need to identify which construction materials are getting more expensive now so that you can plan your budget accordingly. Equip yourself with these knowledge when you are negotiating with your contractors.

 

Starting on your renovation already? Let us know in the comments below!

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