Forget haunted resale flats. Some of Singapore's scariest renovation stories begin with two blue ticks on WhatsApp.

 

There are many ghost stories in Singapore. Pontianak. Toyol. The mysterious sound of marbles dropping from the unit upstairs at 2am.

 

But if you're renovating your home, there is another supernatural phenomenon you may encounter.

 

“Ghosting.”

 

One moment, you're happily exchanging floor plans and Pinterest references. The next moment… nothing.

 

“Hi, just following up.”

 

Nothing.

 

“Hello, did you manage to see my message?”

 

Nothing.

 

You check WhatsApp. Two blue ticks. They've seen it. They're alive. But somehow… they have crossed over to the other side.

 

Welcome to the supernatural world of Singapore renovation.

 

Except there's one small twist to this ghost story.

 

Sometimes, the ghost is the interior designer, and sometimes… the ghost is you.

 

The Case of the Disappearing Interior Designer

Let's begin with probably the more familiar renovation ghost story.

 

You enquire with an interior designer and send your floor plan. After which, you tell them what you want. The conversation starts enthusiastically.

 

“Sure! Can!”

 

“No problem!”

 

“Let me work something out for you.”

 

Then suddenly… silence.

 

From the homeowner's perspective, the conclusion is understandable:

 

“Wah, this ID damn unprofessional.”

 

Sometimes, frankly, that's exactly what happened.

 

There is no excuse for simply disappearing in the middle of a professional conversation. Having spent decades in this industry, I also know there can be another side to the story.

 

Sometimes an ID ghosts a homeowner because he doesn't know how to say:

 

“I don't think I can do your project.”

 

When the Budget and the Pinterest Board Don’t Match

“My budget is $30K. I want something like this.”

 

One of the most common problems is the mismatch between expectation and budget.

 

The homeowner says:

 

“My budget is about $30,000.”

 

Okay. Then comes the Pinterest image.

• Full-height carpentry

• Feature ceiling

• Fluted panels

• Island kitchen

• Microcement walls

• Walk-in wardrobe

• Invisible doors

• Designer lighting

And maybe…

 

“Can include electrical and air-con also?”

 

The designer looks at the reference.

Looks at the budget.

 

Looks at the reference again.

 

Suddenly, he sees a ghost.

 

Of course, a professional designer should explain that the budget and expectations need to be recalibrated, but homeowners can also understand what their renovation could realistically cost before entering deeper discussions.

 

Some simply stop responding.

 

Not right. But very human.

 

Sometimes, the Project Just Isn’t the Right Fit

There is another reason IDs disappear. The project may simply not be attractive to them.

 

Perhaps there are too many moving parts, or perhaps the timeline is unrealistic.

 

It could also be that the homeowner wants to remain in the property throughout a major renovation. Perhaps every small decision requires consultation with five family members. Or perhaps the designer senses very early that expectations are going to be extremely difficult to manage.

 

This is something homeowners don't always realise:

 

IDs assess homeowners too.

 

Just as you're deciding:

 

“Do I trust this designer?”

 

The designer is also thinking:

 

“Can I actually work with this homeowner for the next three months?”

 

Because renovation isn't a one-night stand.

 

It's a relationship and sometimes quite a dysfunctional one.

 

Plot Twist: Interior Designers Get Ghosted Too

But before homeowners get angry…

 

Let's turn the mirror around.

 

Because interior designers get ghosted too. More often than you think.

 

A homeowner enquires, and the ID calls.

 

Great conversation. Floor plan sent. Requirements and budget discussed. Maybe even a quotation prepared.

 

Then…

 

“Poof!”

 

Gone.

 

The designer follows up.

 

“Hi, just checking whether you had a chance to review our proposal?”

 

Silence.

 

A few days later:

 

“Hi! Any questions I can help with?”

 

Still nothing.

 

Eventually, the ID reports: “No Response” or “Lapsed” in his sales report.

 

And this is where things become interesting.

 

Because at SIXiDES, we can actually see this behaviour happening.

 

SIXiDES Has Its Own Renovation Ghost Stories

SIXiDES sits in a unique position between homeowners looking for renovation help and interior designers looking for genuine projects.

 

We have something the traditional renovation industry didn't always have:

 

DATA.

 

And the data tells an interesting story.

In one recent snapshot of 61 returned cases documented by SIXiDES, the largest single return reason was:

 

No Response: 32.79%.

 

That's 20 out of 61 returned cases in that dataset.

 

But I wouldn't interpret this as:

 

“Homeowners don't want to renovate.”

 

Nor does it necessarily mean these were “bad leads”.

 

I think it reveals something much more interesting about how people make decisions today.

 

Because the second-largest reason was:

 

ID Chosen: 29.51%.

 

And another:

 

Change of Plans: 21.31%.

 

So behind the word “returned” are actually very different human situations.

 

Someone stopped responding.

 

Another had already selected another designer.

 

Someone else changed their renovation plans.

 

Perhaps their circumstances changed or they discovered their budget wasn't quite ready.

 

And somebody, somewhere, probably asked their spouse:

 

“So… confirm renovate or not?”

 

Then received the most dangerous answer in marriage:

 

“See how first.”

 

So, Why Do Homeowners Disappear?

I don't think most homeowners wake up in the morning and decide:

 

“Today I'm going to ghost three interior designers.”

 

It happens gradually.

 

Most homeowners might start the renovation journey feeling very excited. They contact three designers, then five and then maybe seven.

 

Suddenly, your WhatsApp looks like a renovation convention.

 

Everybody is asking:

 

“What style do you like?”

 

“When are you collecting keys?”

 

“What's your budget?”

 

“Can we meet this weekend?”

 

Then quotations start arriving.

 

$48,000.

 

$56,000.

 

$72,000.

 

$89,000.

 

Suddenly… renovation isn't fun anymore

 

Decision Fatigue Is Real

Renovating a home involves an extraordinary number of decisions.

 

Which designer?

 

Which layout?

 

Which tiles?

 

Which laminate?

 

Which countertop?

 

Which lights?

 

Which toilet bowl?

 

Which tap?

 

Warm white or cool white?

 

600mm tile or 1200mm tile?

 

Quartz or sintered stone?

 

And somehow, before you've even started construction, you're already tired.

 

So homeowners pause. They postpone. They rethink.

 

Sometimes they don't even know what to tell the designer.

 

So they say nothing.

 

And silence slowly becomes…

 

Ghosting.

 

Then There Is the Budget

Sometimes homeowners begin their search before they fully understand what renovation actually costs, and that's perfectly normal.

 

Homeowners don't renovate their homes every year. For many people, this may be their first renovation.

 

Then quotations arrive and reality sets in.

 

Maybe the renovation costs more than expected. Maybe the home purchase already consumed more cash than anticipated. Maybe furniture, appliances and other expenses weren't fully considered.

 

So instead of saying:

 

“Sorry, I think I need to reconsider my budget,”

 

the conversation simply stops.

 

Again, not ideal communication, but very human behaviour.

 

Digital Communication Made Ghosting Incredibly Easy

I think this is the part our industry needs to understand.

 

Twenty years ago, finding an interior designer required considerably more effort.

 

You visited a showroom.

 

You sat down.

 

You shook someone's hand.

 

You spent an hour discussing your home.

 

There was a human relationship before there was a quotation.

 

Today?

 

Click. Submit. WhatsApp. Next.

 

Digital platforms have made discovering designers dramatically easier. That's a good thing, but digital convenience also creates emotional distance.

 

When you haven't met someone, disappearing doesn't feel quite as rude.

 

There is no awkward conversation, no uncomfortable rejection and no need to explain yourself.

 

You simply… stop replying.

 

Technology didn't invent ghosting. It just made becoming a ghost much easier.

 

Maybe the Problem Isn’t Leads. It’s Courtship.

Now that I think about it, the problem isn't leads.

 

It's courtship.

 

This is why I think the renovation industry sometimes misunderstands digital leads.

 

An enquiry isn't a customer. It's the beginning of a conversation.

 

Someone submitting a renovation enquiry today could still be comparing options. They could be six months away from collecting their keys.

 

• They may not understand their budget yet.

• They may be talking to several IDs.

• They may even change their mind.

 

That's not necessarily a defective lead.

 

That's simply how modern consumers behave.

 

And perhaps our industry needs to stop treating every enquiry like someone walking into a showroom holding a cheque.

 

Digital leads need nurturing.

 

They need education.

 

They need follow-up.

 

They need time.

 

And sometimes…

 

They need space.

 

Homeowners Deserve the Same Courtesy

But this works both ways.

 

IDs shouldn't ghost homeowners either.

 

If the budget doesn't work?

 

Tell them.

 

If the timeline is impossible?

 

Explain why.

 

If the project isn't suitable for your company?

 

Say so politely.

 

And homeowners can do exactly the same.

 

Already chosen another ID?

 

Let us know.

 

Changed your plans?

 

Tell us.

 

Budget not ready?

 

Tell us.

 

Need three months to think about it?

 

Tell us.

 

A simple message closes the loop and gives everyone some closure.

 

Because behind every WhatsApp message is still a person.

 

Nobody needs closure therapy.

 

Nobody needs to call a priest.

 

Maybe Renovation Doesn’t Need an Exorcist

Perhaps what Singapore's renovation industry really needs… is better communication.

 

Platforms like SIXiDES can use technology to connect homeowners and designers more efficiently.

 

We can create better matching.

 

We can document outcomes.

 

We can improve qualification.

 

We can help both sides understand expectations earlier.

 

But ultimately, technology can only make the introduction.

 

Humans still have to build the relationship.

 

The best renovation relationships I've seen always have one thing in common:

 

Both sides communicate early.

 

So the next time your ID doesn't reply… before calling the bomoh, send another message.

 

And for the designers…

 

The next time a homeowner disappears after asking you for three quotations, two revisions and “just one more 3D”… don't immediately assume they're gone forever.

 

They might simply be overwhelmed.

 

Because renovation already has enough uncertainty.

 

We don't need ghosts too.

 

Of course, if they've read all five of your WhatsApp messages and haven't replied for three months…

 

Okay.

 

That one might actually be a ghost.

 

H2: Maybe Renovation Doesn’t Need an Exorcist

 

For all the technology we've added to renovation, the thing that keeps projects moving is still remarkably old-fashioned:

 

People talking to each other.

 

A “no” is better than silence.

 

A “not yet” is better than disappearing.

 

And sometimes, “my budget really cannot lah” is probably the most useful message you can send.

 

At least then, everyone knows the ghost is still alive.

 

Frequently Asked Questions About Renovation Ghosting in Singapore

 

Why do interior designers stop replying to homeowners?

There can be different reasons. An interior designer may feel that the homeowner's budget, timeline, expectations or project requirements are not a suitable fit. However, a professional designer should communicate this rather than simply stop responding.

 

Why do homeowners ghost interior designers?

Homeowners may become overwhelmed by too many options, receive quotations beyond their expected renovation budget, change their renovation plans or simply need more time to make a decision. Ghosting does not always mean they are no longer interested in renovating.

 

What should I do if my interior designer stops replying?

Follow up clearly and give the designer a reasonable opportunity to respond. If communication repeatedly breaks down before you've even committed to the project, consider whether that communication style is something you're comfortable with throughout your renovation.

 

How many interior designers should I speak to before choosing one?

There is no fixed number that works for everyone. Speak to enough interior designers to understand the differences in approach, pricing and suitability, but avoid speaking to so many that comparing quotations and proposals becomes difficult to manage.

 

What should I tell an interior designer if I decide not to proceed? 

Keep it simple. Let them know if you've chosen another designer, changed your renovation plans, need more time or realised that the quotation is outside your budget. A short reply is enough to close the conversation respectfully.