5-Room HDB Resale Renovation Bukit Merah 2026: Cost Guide

Short answer: a whole-house renovation of a 5-room HDB resale flat in Bukit Merah costs $24,990 with RCS's 5rm Whole House BTO Resale Package (Vinyl) for a younger flat. An older flat starts at $31,290 with the 5rm Whole House Resale Package (Vinyl) and reaches $41,590 for the Premium (Hacking) package. Add carpentry and air-conditioning, and RCS's sample budgets land between $61,590 and $96,090. This guide shows what each package covers, what 5-room flats in Bukit Merah actually sell for, and the HDB rules you must follow.

Correction (25 October 2026): an earlier version of this guide described 5-room Prime BTO flats at Redhill Peaks. Redhill Peaks did not offer 5-room flats. The October 2025 launch offered only 2-room Flexi and 4-room flats (HDB). The February 2026 re-offer added 3-room flats, but still no 5-room flats (HDB). This guide now covers 5-room resale flats in Bukit Merah. If you booked a Redhill Peaks 4-room flat, read our 4-room BTO renovation guide for Bukit Merah or the Berlayar Residences and Redhill Peaks guide.

How much does a 5-room resale renovation in Bukit Merah cost in 2026?

RCS's 5-room resale packages cost $7,490 to $41,590, depending on how much you hack. The prices below are RCS's live package prices on 25 October 2026. They are RCS prices, not market averages.

Each whole-house package includes project management, on-site supervision, 3D rendering and technical drawings. Each also includes 10 ft of top and bottom kitchen cabinets with a quartz countertop, two toilets fitted out, whole-house painting and debris disposal. Open each product page for the full scope of works and its limits, such as tile area caps and tile price caps.

What do 5-room resale flats in Bukit Merah sell for?

The median 5-room resale price in Bukit Merah was $1,065,000 over the 12 months from October 2025 to September 2026. That figure comes from 175 transactions in HDB's resale flat prices dataset on data.gov.sg (data.gov.sg). We computed it ourselves on 25 October 2026.

• Lowest price: $610,000 (Block 116 Bukit Merah Central, lease from 1977, July 2026)
• Highest price: $1,728,000 (Block 96A Henderson Road, lease from 2019, April 2026)
• Floor area: 110 sqm to 153 sqm; median 115 sqm
• Transactions at $1,000,000 or more: 98 of 175

Lease age drives most of the spread. Older blocks sell for less, but they usually need more work.

Method: we filtered the dataset for town "BUKIT MERAH" and flat type "5 ROOM", then kept registrations dated October 2025 to September 2026. We left out October 2026 because that month was still incomplete. Figures are exact, not rounded. Medians for bands with an even count are the midpoint of the two middle prices.

Which package fits your flat's age?

Match the package to the condition of the wet areas, not to your budget alone. Kitchens and toilets in older flats often need hacking and fresh waterproofing. Younger flats can usually take an overlay.

• Lease from 2000 onwards, tiles intact: start with a Whole House BTO Resale (Vinyl) package. It overlays kitchen and toilet tiles and lays 5 mm LVT vinyl in the living room and bedrooms.
• Older flat, or signs of leaks or hollow tiles: choose a Whole House Resale (Vinyl) package. It hacks the kitchen and both toilets, lays a waterproofing membrane and re-tiles them.
• Old floor tiles you want gone: choose a Whole House Resale (Hacking) package. It also hacks the living, dining and bedroom floors and lays 600 x 600 tiles, up to 900 sq ft.

Ask your contractor to inspect the flat before you commit. A site check is the only reliable way to decide between overlay and hacking. Our HDB resale renovation guide covers the inspection checklist.

Can you renovate only the kitchen and toilets?

Yes. RCS sells kitchen and toilet packages for resale flats from $5,590. This suits buyers whose seller has already redone the floors.

For design ideas by room, see our Bukit Merah kitchen renovation guide and Bukit Merah toilet renovation guide.

What costs sit outside the package?

Carpentry and air-conditioning are the two biggest extras. The ranges below are RCS estimates from our own project quotes. They are not market data, and your quote depends on design, materials and site conditions.

Custom carpentry (RCS estimates)

• Master bedroom wardrobe system: $4,500–$6,500, including built-in vanity and shoe storage
• Common bedroom wardrobe with study desk: $3,000–$4,500 per room
• Living room entertainment wall: $5,000–$8,000 for a full-height TV console with concealed storage
• Dining built-ins: $3,000–$5,000 for display cabinets and a buffet counter
• Study conversion: $4,000–$6,000 for a built-in desk, overhead cabinets and shelving

Air-conditioning (RCS estimates)

• System 4, budget brands (Midea, Gree): $7,500–$8,500
• System 4, premium brands (Daikin, Mitsubishi): $9,000–$11,500
• System 5, premium brands (Daikin, Mitsubishi): $11,000–$13,500

Older resale flats may need new trunking or a new electrical point for the condenser. Ask for this to be quoted separately.

Smart home and soundproofing (RCS estimates)

• Smart lighting across all rooms: $1,200–$2,500
• Digital door lock: $600–$1,000
• Smart air-con control: $1,200–$1,800
• Smart home hub set-up: $800–$1,500
• Indoor and outdoor cameras: $800–$1,500
• Laminated glass window upgrades: $2,500–$4,500
• Bedroom door seals and acoustic insulation: $1,500–$2,500

Three sample budgets for a 5-room resale flat

These budgets combine RCS's live package prices with the RCS estimates above. Each line shows the figure we used, so you can swap items in or out.

Practical budget: $61,590

For a younger flat where the wet areas still need re-doing.

• 5rm Whole House Resale – Most Popular (Vinyl): $31,290
• System 4 air-conditioning, premium brand: $9,000
• Master bedroom wardrobe: $4,500
• Two common bedroom wardrobes: $6,000 ($3,000 each)
• Living room TV console: $4,500
• Additional electrical and data points: $1,800
• Curtains and blinds: $2,500
• Smart home basics: $2,000
• Total: $31,290 + $9,000 + $4,500 + $6,000 + $4,500 + $1,800 + $2,500 + $2,000 = $61,590

Balanced budget: $74,490

For families who want full built-ins and better fittings.

• 5rm Whole House Resale – Premium (Vinyl): $32,990
• System 4 air-conditioning, premium brand: $10,500
• Master bedroom wardrobe system: $6,000
• Two common bedroom wardrobes with study desks: $7,000 ($3,500 each)
• Living room entertainment wall: $6,500
• Dining built-ins: $3,500
• Smart home system: $4,000
• Soundproofing: $4,000
• Total: $32,990 + $10,500 + $6,000 + $7,000 + $6,500 + $3,500 + $4,000 + $4,000 = $74,490

Full strip-out budget: $96,090

For an older flat that needs every floor and wet area replaced.

• 5rm Whole House Resale – Premium (Hacking): $41,590
• System 4 air-conditioning, premium brand: $11,500
• Master bedroom wardrobe system: $6,500
• Two common bedroom wardrobes with study desks: $9,000 ($4,500 each)
• Living room entertainment wall: $8,000
• Dining built-ins: $5,000
• Smart home system: $8,500
• Soundproofing: $6,000
• Total: $41,590 + $11,500 + $6,500 + $9,000 + $8,000 + $5,000 + $8,500 + $6,000 = $96,090

Set aside a contingency of 10–15% for surprises found after hacking. For more ways to protect your budget, read 7 HDB renovation budget mistakes and our complete HDB renovation cost guide.

What HDB rules apply when you renovate a resale flat?

HDB limits when you can renovate, who can do the work and how long approved works may take. Breaking these rules can delay your move-in.

Renovation hours

• General works: 9:00am to 6:00pm on weekdays and Saturdays (HDB).
• Noisy works (demolishing walls, removing wall or floor finishes, cutting tiles, heavy drilling): 9:00am to 5:00pm on weekdays only (HDB).
• No noisy works on Saturdays, Sundays, public holidays, or the eves of New Year's Day, Chinese New Year, Deepavali, Hari Raya Puasa and Christmas Day.
• No renovation at all on Sundays and public holidays.
• DIY works: limited to 7:00am to 10:30pm.

Work limits and completion periods

• Contractors may use at most two HDB-approved handheld power tools at a time (HDB).
• Demolition and removal of finishes must be done within three consecutive days.
• In existing blocks, approved works must be completed within one month of the permit date. Window-only works must be completed within two weeks (HDB).

Plan your hacking and tiling to fit inside that one-month window. Fabricate carpentry off-site while the wet works run.

Contractors and permits

• You must engage a contractor listed in HDB's Directory of Renovation Contractors, under the Housing & Development (Renovation Control) Rules 2006 (HDB).
• You do not need an HDB permit for false ceilings, cornices or pelmets. Keep at least 2.4 m clearance from the finished floor (toilets excepted), use non-combustible materials and do not enclose gas pipes (HDB).

Our HDB renovation rules guide and Singapore renovation laws guide explain the wider rules. To check a contractor, see our HDB-licensed contractors guide.

How do grants and loan limits affect your renovation budget?

Grants reduce the cash you need for the flat, which can leave more for renovation. Loan limits work the other way.

• Enhanced CPF Housing Grant: up to $120,000 for eligible first-timer families buying a resale flat, and up to $60,000 for eligible first-timer singles. The maximum applies only at household income of $1,500 a month or less; it tapers as income rises (MND).
• Income ceiling: the family income ceiling for a resale flat with a CPF Housing Grant, and for an HDB housing loan, rose from $14,000 to $16,000 a month in August 2026 (HDB).
• Loan-to-value limit: the HDB housing loan limit fell from 80% to 75% from 20 August 2024. Bank loans are also capped at 75% (HDB).

At the median price of $1,065,000, a loan at the full 75% leaves 25%, or $266,250, to fund from CPF and cash before renovation starts. Budget your renovation after you know that figure.

How long does a 5-room resale renovation take?

Allow about six to eight weeks for a whole-house package. This is an RCS estimate, and older flats needing full hacking sit at the longer end.

• Before completion of your purchase: book a site inspection, confirm the package and finalise the layout.
• Weeks 1–4: hacking, waterproofing, tiling and plumbing. Keep these inside HDB's one-month completion period for approved works.
• Weeks 4–6: carpentry installation, electrical finishing and air-conditioning.
• Weeks 6–8: painting, cleaning, defect checks and handover.

For a wider planning view, see our Singapore home renovation guide and HDB renovation tips. Still waiting for a BTO key instead? Use our BTO completion date tracker.

How do you choose a contractor for a 5-room resale flat?

Pick a contractor who is on HDB's Directory of Renovation Contractors and who quotes against a written scope. Then compare at least three quotes line by line.

• Check the contractor's listing in HDB's Directory of Renovation Contractors.
• Ask for the full scope of works, including tile area limits and tile price caps.
• Ask whether the quote assumes overlay or hacking in the kitchen and toilets.
• Ask how the contractor will fit approved works into HDB's one-month completion period.
• Ask who your project manager is and how change orders are priced.

Our top HDB renovation contractors list helps you build a shortlist. To compare against other flat sizes, see the 5-room HDB renovation cost guide, the 4-room resale cost guide and the 3-room renovation guide.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to renovate a 5-room resale flat in Bukit Merah?

RCS whole-house packages for 5-room resale flats cost $24,990 to $41,590. With carpentry, air-conditioning and extras, RCS's sample budgets run from $61,590 to $96,090. The extras are RCS estimates, not market data.

Were 5-room BTO flats offered at Redhill Peaks?

No. Redhill Peaks offered 2-room Flexi and 4-room flats in October 2025 (HDB). The February 2026 re-offer added 3-room flats, but no 5-room flats (HDB).

What is the median resale price of a 5-room flat in Bukit Merah?

$1,065,000, based on 175 transactions from October 2025 to September 2026 in HDB's resale dataset on data.gov.sg. Prices ranged from $610,000 to $1,728,000.

Can I renovate my HDB flat on a Saturday?

Yes, for general works from 9:00am to 6:00pm. Noisy works such as hacking, tile cutting and heavy drilling are allowed only from 9:00am to 5:00pm on weekdays (HDB).

Do I need a permit for a false ceiling in my resale flat?

No. HDB does not require a permit for false ceilings, cornices or pelmets. You must keep at least 2.4 m clearance from the finished floor, except in toilets, and use non-combustible materials (HDB).

Sources

• HDB resale flat prices (from January 2017), data.gov.sg: data.gov.sg/datasets/d_8b84c4ee58e3cfc0ece0d773c8ca6abc (retrieved 25 October 2026)
• HDB, October 2025 BTO sales exercise, Annex A: hdb.gov.sg
• HDB, February 2026 BTO and SBF exercises, Annex A: hdb.gov.sg
• HDB, Important Information on Renovations: hdb.gov.sg
• HDB, Renovation Guidelines for Building Works: hdb.gov.sg
• HDB, Increase in income ceilings (August 2026), Annex A: hdb.gov.sg
• HDB, Measures to cool the HDB resale market (letter to KEOs): hdb.gov.sg
• MND, Measures to cool the HDB resale market and provide more support for first-time home buyers: mnd.gov.sg
• RCS package prices: RCS online store product pages linked above (checked 25 October 2026)