Keys in hand and a bare unit: what to do first, what to leave alone, and the order that avoids paying twice.
📍 We serve KL, Selangor & Putrajaya.
For a new condo, the first renovation follows a set order: inspect and report defects, get the management's renovation approval and pay the deposit, then do the hidden work first (extra sockets, lighting points, aircon piping and any ceiling), followed by carpentry such as the kitchen and wardrobes, and finally the loose finishes. Keep the developer's tiles and sanitaryware unless you have a reason to replace them, because hacking new finishes costs money and can complicate defect claims. ClickBina's condo cost guide puts kitchen cabinets and worktop at RM12,000–RM30,000, often the biggest single item.
A new condo arrives with tiled floors, bathrooms fitted, a basic kitchen or an empty kitchen space, and bare walls and ceilings. Unlike an old unit, nothing is worn out, so the job is not to repair but to fit the unit out for how you will live: storage, lighting, aircon, a usable kitchen and some character.
Two things make it different from renovating an older condo. The developer is still responsible for defects for a period after vacant possession, so your work must not bury or confuse a defect. And the building is new, so management is often strict and many owners renovate at the same time, which affects lift bookings and working hours. Owners of landed homes have a separate guide: ClickBina's first renovation guide for new terrace houses covers extensions and council rules that do not apply in a condo.
Before a single hole is drilled, inspect the unit and report every defect to the developer in writing. ClickBina's new condo VP inspection checklist goes room by room, from ponding tests in the bathrooms to the electrical points and the aircon ledge.
Then decide what can start while the developer is still fixing things. ClickBina's guide to renovating during the defect liability period explains why renovating early can weaken a claim and which works can go ahead safely. As a rule, anything that covers the developer's work, such as new flooring over tiles, cabinets over a wall with a suspected crack or a false ceiling under a leaking slab, waits until that defect is fixed.
In a new building, the developer or the joint management body usually runs the building at first, and every renovation needs its written approval. Expect a renovation application with a floor plan and scope, the contractor's details, a refundable renovation deposit and a set of house rules. ClickBina's condo cost guide puts the renovation deposit at usually RM1,000–RM5,000, refundable if there is no common-area damage.
Read the rules before you design anything, because they shape the scope. Many buildings fix the design of window grilles and balcony enclosures so the facade stays uniform, control where aircon condensers may sit and restrict hacking and working hours. ClickBina's condo renovation hours guide explains how working hours and deposits are set and enforced.
New tiles, bathrooms and doors are rarely worth hacking out on day one. Replacing them costs money, creates noise and debris in a building where everyone is renovating, and can make it harder to claim for a defect the developer should have fixed. Most owners keep the floors and bathrooms and spend on the things the developer did not provide.
| Developer item | Usual approach | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Floor tiles | Keep; add rugs or overlay later if needed | New, under defect cover, costly to hack |
| Bathrooms and sanitaryware | Keep; upgrade taps, mirrors and accessories | Waterproofing is under defect cover |
| Basic kitchen or empty kitchen space | Replace or fit new cabinets and worktop | Usually the biggest upgrade |
| Bare walls and ceilings | Add lighting points, optional plaster ceiling, paint | Hidden work must come first |
| Doors and windows | Keep; add grilles to the approved design | Facade rules often apply |
If you bought with a developer upgrade package, check what it already covers before you plan. ClickBina's developer package vs own contractor guide compares the two routes.
With the rules known, most first renovations in a new condo cover the same short list:
The order matters more than the list, because each stage hides the one before it:
ClickBina's kitchen renovation step-by-step guide shows the same logic inside the kitchen, where the hob and sink positions are fixed before any cabinet is drawn.
Aircon is the item most often planned too late in a new condo. The condenser position is usually fixed by the building's ledge, so the question is how the refrigerant pipes and drain run from each room to it. Concealed piping looks tidy but has to go in before the ceiling and carpentry; surface trunking can be added later but shows on the wall. If the developer pre-installed piping, ClickBina's guide to checking pre-installed aircon piping explains what to test before relying on it.
Decide the number and position of the indoor units at the design stage, and mark the routes on the drawing. A wardrobe built across the only pipe route, or a ceiling closed before the drain was laid to fall, is an expensive fix.
Carpentry is usually the largest share of a new condo's first renovation. The kitchen comes first in most budgets, followed by wardrobes and a TV console. Because the floor and walls are new and level, installation is usually straightforward, but measure after any defect repairs, so the cabinets fit the walls as they finally stand.
For design ideas suited to compact units, ClickBina's condo interior design guide covers layouts, storage and lighting for new condos.
The figures below are quoted unchanged from ClickBina's condo renovation cost guide. They are the items most new condo owners spend on first:
| Item | Indicative cost (Klang Valley, 2026) | What moves the number |
|---|---|---|
| Kitchen cabinets and worktop | RM12,000–RM30,000 | Laminate vs quartz top; run length |
| Built-in wardrobes and TV console | RM8,000–RM22,000 | Feet run of carpentry, door type |
| Plaster ceiling, cornice and cove lighting | RM6,000–RM14,000 | Area covered, design complexity |
| Electrical add-ons | RM3,000–RM10,000 | Number of new points |
| Aircon supply and install | RM4,000–RM12,000 | Number of units, piping runs |
| Renovation deposit (refundable) | RM1,000–RM5,000 | Building's house rules |
WhatsApp us your job details for a quote — we reply within the hour. We serve KL, Selangor & Putrajaya.
💬 WhatsApp for a quoteBecause the floors and bathrooms are usually kept, a new condo's first renovation often costs less than a full renovation of an older unit of the same size: the money goes into carpentry, lighting and aircon rather than hacking and wet works.
Many owners cannot or do not want to do everything at once. That is fine, as long as the hidden work comes first. Run the extra electrical points and aircon piping, and decide on the ceiling, in the first round, even if the wardrobes and feature walls wait. Adding wiring after a ceiling is closed or after carpentry is built means opening finished work.
A sensible split is: round one, defects, grilles, wiring, aircon piping, ceiling and kitchen; round two, wardrobes and TV console; round three, decorative extras. Each round needs its own management approval, so keep the drawings from round one.
ClickBina is an experienced KL & Selangor contractor for whole-house refurbishment and trade coordination, so a new condo's first fit-out can be planned and sequenced as one job around the management's rules. WhatsApp us your job details for a quote: area or project, unit size and the work you have in mind. We reply within the hour, and the price we agree is a flat price with no hidden charges.
How we price: every figure is quoted unchanged from the ClickBina guide named above; they are indicative Klang Valley ranges, not quotes. Building rules differ, so check your own management's house rules before designing.
WhatsApp us your job details for a quote — we reply within the hour. We serve KL, Selangor & Putrajaya.
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