Q: The tiles are popping out in parts of the living room in my new home, while the kitchen cabinets are infested with termites. I can’t afford a major renovation. What should i do?

A: The most important thing to do when moving into a new home is to ensure the building basics are sound. A termite-infested home must be professionally treated so you can be certain that the nest has been destroyed. You cannot get rid of these pests just by replacing the infested cabinets – they are already burrowing inside the walls behind. They’ll simply start on your new cabinets and floors after you install them!

Popping tiles are a sign of poor workmanship and hollow or uneven floors. In this case, you can’t save money by simply replacing a few tiles and hoping for the best. The underlying problems will still be there and will come back to haunt you. Instead, have your contractor hack up the whole floor, and do a properly levelled cement base before laying your new tiles.

Making all these repairs will dent your reno budget considerably, but they are essential and must be done before anything else. After all, no one is going to appreciate your home, however attractive, if they notice protruding tiles and the mouldy smell of termites in the woodwork! You can do up the decor slowly, room by room, when you have more funds.

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Design: Intent