Published 18 August 2026 · JIYU SDN BHD
IN SHORT
A realistic full-home customization project in Malaysia runs about three months, but that clock normally starts the day you have the keys and the building management has approved works to begin. It usually excludes public holidays, weekends, and time spent on owner-requested design changes. Get the start date written into the contract before you sign.
Almost every renovation company says "three months". The real question is not whether three months is enough — it is which day the counting starts.
Homeowners rarely complain that a project took long. They complain that it had no visible end. The cause is usually not the site — it is that the start date was never defined. Some contracts count from signing, some from deposit, some from the day the crew first walks in. Same wording, two months of difference.
A normal project moves like this: (1) requirements and rough budget, about a week; (2) on-site measurement, one day, but only after you hold the keys; (3) 3D rendering and revisions, one to two weeks, driven almost entirely by how many rounds of changes you request; (4) quotation confirmation and signing, a few days to a week; (5) factory production, roughly three to four weeks; (6) installation and handover inspection, roughly two to three weeks. Time on site is shorter than most people expect. The front half is where projects slip.
First, repeated design changes — every dimension change sends the cabinet back into the production queue. Second, starting before the building management has issued the renovation permit, which is effectively impossible to skip in stratified property. Third, upstream trades: if wiring, plumbing or ceiling work is unfinished, cabinetry cannot go in. Only the third is fully within the contractor''s control, which is exactly why the contract should state who owns which stage.
If you own a condominium or serviced apartment, works normally require a renovation permit from the JMB or management corporation before anything starts. Expect to submit contractor details, insurance and a work schedule, and possibly a deposit. Requirements differ building to building and processing can take days to weeks. Starting this early is the cheapest time you will ever save.
One: which date does the three months start from — please put it in the contract. Two: if I change the design midway, how many days does the schedule extend by? Three: how will I know the progress during construction — how often, and in what form? The third question is the one almost nobody asks, and it decides whether you spend the next three months chasing someone. A company that sends you progress without being asked is a very different experience from one that does not.
Does the three months start from the contract signing date?
Usually not. A reasonable definition starts from the day you have the keys and management has approved works, excluding public holidays, weekends and delays caused by owner-requested changes. Whichever definition is used, what matters is that it is written down and both sides read it the same way.
Will design changes affect the schedule?
Yes, and dimension changes affect it most. Once cabinets enter the production queue, a size change means re-queuing. Settle changes during the 3D stage and avoid changes after production starts.
Is the timeline different for condos and landed homes?
Construction itself is similar. The difference is upstream: stratified property needs a management renovation permit first, and may restrict working hours and lift access. Build those constraints into the schedule.
How do I know the work is on schedule?
Ask for progress updates at a fixed frequency — for example weekly site photos plus next week''s plan. Putting the frequency in the contract is worth more than any verbal assurance.
Want to know how long your unit will take? Send us your floor plan and we will give you a timeline with the start date written in.
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