New House Renovation Checklist Malaysia: From Key Collection to Move-In
Renovating a new home in Malaysia goes wrong in a predictable way: works start before the developer has fixed defects, the management office stops the job for missing paperwork, or the carpenter arrives before the ceiling is done. This checklist puts every step in the order it should happen, from the day you collect your keys to the day you move in, so nothing is paid for twice.
Before you collect the keys
Most of the decisions that decide your renovation budget can be made before the unit is yours. Use the wait.
- Get the floor plan. Ask the developer for the as-built plan in PDF, not the marketing brochure. You will need it for the management office, for your designer and for pricing.
- Decide the scope in writing. List the rooms, and for each room whether it gets built-in carpentry, new flooring, a plaster ceiling or just paint. A scope on paper is what turns three vague quotes into three comparable ones.
- Price the scope, not the square footage. A per-square-foot figure hides the choices that actually move the total — how much carpentry, whether bathrooms are hacked, how many electrical points. Get an estimate against your real scope first, then shortlist designers.
- Check the management house rules early. Most joint management bodies publish renovation guidelines: working hours, permitted days, deposit amount, whether hacking is allowed and which contractors are blacklisted. Reading them now avoids a stop-work notice later.
Key collection day: the defect check comes first
Do not let anyone start work until the defect liability period has done its job. Walk the unit with a torch, a spirit level and your phone.
| Check | What to look for | Why it matters before renovation |
|---|---|---|
| Walls and ceiling | Hairline cracks, hollow plaster (tap it), water stains | Once your contractor paints or hacks, the developer will not rectify |
| Floor tiles | Hollow sound, lippage between tiles, chipped edges | Hollow tiles crack under new carpentry loads |
| Windows and doors | Alignment, locks, water ingress at the frame | Fixing these after built-ins are installed means dismantling |
| Wet areas | Run every tap, flush, fill and drain the bathroom floor | Waterproofing defects are the developer's problem now, yours later |
| Electrical | Test every socket and switch, check the distribution board labels | Rewiring scope depends on what already works |
| Aircon points and trunking | Location and number of points, condensate drain | Moving a point after the ceiling is closed is a ceiling job again |
Submit the defect list to the developer in writing, keep the acknowledgement, and let them rectify before any renovation work begins. Photograph everything on the day: those photos are also your evidence when you claim the renovation deposit back from the management office.
Week zero: paperwork, deposits and approvals
Every condo and most gated landed developments require a renovation permit. The list is longer than most first-time owners expect.
- Renovation application form from the management office, with the scope of works and the floor plan attached.
- Contractor's details: company registration, a copy of the person-in-charge's identity card, and often the workers' permits.
- Renovation deposit, refundable after a joint inspection of the common areas once works are complete.
- Insurance: some managements ask for the contractor's public liability cover.
- Working hours and days, printed on the permit. Typically weekdays and Saturday mornings; no work on Sundays and public holidays.
- Lift booking and protection for material deliveries, and the route the debris goes out by.
- Utility accounts in your name: electricity and water must be live before wet works start.
- Hacking approval, separately, if you intend to remove any wall. Structural walls need an engineer's letter; the management will tell you which walls those are.
Hand a copy of the permit to your contractor and keep one on site. A stop-work notice for missing paperwork costs you the crew's day and your place in their schedule.
The order of works, and what to decide before each stage
This is the sequence a competent contractor follows. Each stage locks in decisions for the stages after it, so the "decide before" column is the real checklist.
| Stage | What happens | Decide before it starts |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Hacking and demolition | Remove walls, old tiles, unwanted fittings | Final layout; which walls go; where the debris exits |
| 2. Wet works and plumbing | New pipework, waterproofing, bathroom and kitchen tiling | Tile choice and layout; sanitary ware positions; water heater type |
| 3. Wiring and points | New points, rewiring, distribution board upgrade | Exact position of every socket, switch, light, fan and aircon point, marked on the plan |
| 4. Ceiling | Plaster ceiling, cove, box-ups, downlight holes | Lighting layout; where the aircon trunking runs; curtain pelmet or track |
| 5. Carpentry installation | Kitchen cabinets, wardrobes, feature walls, TV console | Appliance sizes; sink and hob models; internal layout of every cabinet |
| 6. Painting | Sealer, two coats, touch-ups after carpentry | Colour per room; feature wall finishes |
| 7. Flooring | Vinyl, laminate or tiles over existing floor | Direction of planks; skirting type |
| 8. Fittings and fixtures | Lights, fans, sanitary ware, glass, grilles, curtains | Everything bought and on site before the installer's date |
| 9. Cleaning and handover | Deep clean, defects walk-through with the contractor | Your handover checklist, room by room |
Two stages cause most of the re-work. Wiring before the ceiling: every point you add after the ceiling is closed means opening it again. Carpentry before appliances are chosen: a cabinet built for a 60 cm hob does not take a 90 cm one.
The loose items that stall move-in
Renovation quotes cover the works. Move-in day gets delayed by the things that are nobody's line item. Order these while the carpentry is being made, so they arrive before stage 8.
- Curtains or blinds, measured after the pelmet or track is in
- Window grilles and the main door grille, which need management approval too
- Water heaters and the shower screen
- Air-conditioning units, if not already installed, and the service booking
- Internet and fibre installation, which has its own waiting list
- Kitchen appliances, so the carpenter has the real dimensions
- Post-renovation deep cleaning, separate from the contractor's site clean
- Renovation deposit refund: book the joint inspection with the management office
What this means for your budget
The checklist above is also the input your quotation should be built from. If you already have the floor plan, mark it up: drag in the kitchen, the wardrobes and the ceiling you want, and the Planner gives you an itemised list that a Renoox designer prices by hand within one working day. That list, not a square-foot figure, is what you take to contractors.
Your next step
Collect the keys, do the defect walk, and send us the floor plan with your room-by-room scope. We will tell you which stage of the sequence carries most of your budget and what to decide first.
Frequently asked questions
Should I renovate before or after the defect liability period?
Report defects and let the developer rectify them first, before any hacking or tiling. Once your contractor has worked on a wall or floor, the developer will treat further defects there as caused by the renovation.
Do I need permission from the condo management to renovate?
Yes, for almost every condo and apartment in Malaysia. The management office issues a renovation permit, sets working hours and usually holds a refundable deposit against damage to common areas.
What is the correct order of renovation works?
Hacking and demolition first, then wet works and plumbing, then wiring and ceiling, then carpentry installation, painting, flooring and finally fittings, cleaning and handover. Doing carpentry before the ceiling, or painting before wiring, means paying twice.