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ELSIndependent Design & Specification Studio
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Sibu · Sarawak · Full house

A full house, planned before it's built.

Full-house renovation goes wrong in the gaps between trades — when the cabinet maker, the wet works, the wiring and the flooring each follow a different drawing. ELS sets one approved scope for the whole home, specifies every material by moisture zone, coordinates the trades, recommends the order of the work and checks the hand-offs set in the commissioned scope. ALUMAX supplies and installs the products.

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Best for

Full-house coordination is for homes where multiple rooms and trades run at once — and where one missed detail becomes ten.

New-key handover unitsWhole-home re-renovationTerrace & semi-D homesOwners coordinating remotelyWet-zone-heavy layoutsTight handover deadlines
Quick decision rules

How to read a full-house decision

Quick rules we apply before any quotation is locked.

IfThen
The kitchen base, bathroom vanity or laundry sits in a wet zoneSpecify ACP or honeycomb aluminium for wet zones — not a merely moisture-rated board. A moisture rating resists humidity, not standing water; it is a different axis from the board's E1/E0/ENF emission grade, and a dry grade like P6 is specified for dry runs.
Multiple trades will work the same weekLock one approved scope first so wiring, plumbing, carpentry and flooring follow the same drawing.
You're buying products from ALUMAX (cabinets, wardrobes, doors, windows)ELS specifies the package level and details; ALUMAX supplies the products, and installation is carried out by the appointed service team — supply and each service quoted as its own line.
The home is in a flood- or termite-prone areaRaise wet-zone bases, specify aluminium carcasses, and plan service routing above expected water lines.
Scope includes waterproofing, drainage, façade or ventilationThese are ELS project-basis, multi-trade items — coordinated, not an ALUMAX product.
You're unsure where the budget should go firstChoose materials by moisture zone, not by budget — wet zones get the spend, dry zones can use moisture-resistant board.
Scope

What a full-house scope covers

One drawing, room by room — so the gaps between trades are on paper.

Kitchen & wet kitchenLayout, base material by zone, water routing, and the dry/wet split planned together.ELS checks: Wet-kitchen bases specified in ACP or honeycomb aluminium; under the kitchen sink, protected P6 only with ALUMAX's listed protections and where ALUMAX's site measurement finds P6 suitable.
Bedrooms & wardrobesWardrobe spec, internal fittings, and the lighting/M&E points behind them.ELS checks: Board emission grade (E0/ENF) and ventilation behind built-ins.
BathroomsVanity material, waterproofing coordination, falls to drain, and fixture points.ELS checks: Vanity in aluminium for the wet zone; waterproofing is project-basis.
Living & diningWall panels, feature joinery, flooring transitions and lighting layers.ELS checks: SPC flooring (ELS+ installation scope) vs project-basis flooring systems.
Doors & windowsAluminium doors and windows specified for Sarawak heat, rain and security.ELS checks: Glazing, seals and frame spec matched to monsoon exposure.
M&E & lightingPower, data and lighting points set against the furniture plan, not after.ELS checks: Points coordinated to cabinet and wardrobe positions before wiring.
Climate

Sarawak risks across the whole house

The same home, four climate problems — handled by zone.

Humidity & heatPersistent humidity swells the wrong board and warps poorly sealed joinery over time.ELS checks: Material and ventilation specified per room, not one spec for the house.
Monsoon rainDriving rain tests window seals, façade junctions and drainage falls hard.ELS checks: Window spec, seals and external water routing reviewed together.
Flood exposureLow-lying areas put kitchen and laundry bases at the waterline first.ELS checks: Raised aluminium bases and service routing above expected levels.
TermitesUntreated timber substructure and skirting are a long-term termite path.ELS checks: Aluminium carcasses where termite pressure or moisture is high.
What's included

What ELS does — and what it doesn't

ELS is the planning, specification and coordination layer. Product supply and trade labour sit elsewhere.

Included (ELS)
  • One approved full-house scope and drawing set
  • Material specification by moisture zone, room by room
  • Lighting and M&E point specification against the furniture plan
  • Trade coordination to one scope (carpentry, wet works, wiring, flooring)
  • A recommended order of work, and checks of the hand-offs set in the commissioned scope
  • ALUMAX package-level selection (Essential / Signature / Bespoke)
Not included
  • Trade labour itself (carried out by the trades, coordinated by ELS)
  • Product supply unless purchased through ALUMAX
  • Authority submission, approvals and statutory drawings
  • Structural, civil or engineering certification
  • Furniture, soft furnishing and loose decor sourcing
What drives the price

What drives a full-house price

Full house is project-basis — these factors shape the quotation after measurement.

Wet-zone shareMore wet kitchens, bathrooms and laundry means more aluminium and waterproofing coordination.
Package levelEssential (core spec), Signature (upgraded finishes), or Bespoke (fully custom / heavy-duty).
Number of tradesWaterproofing, façade, drainage, CCTV or ventilation each add multi-trade coordination.
Scope complexityCustom joinery, specialty detail and bespoke runs move spec toward Signature or Bespoke.
Site & accessOutstation sites, tight access and condition of the existing unit affect coordination effort.
Indicative ceilingWet zones sit at Signature in ACP or honeycomb aluminium — product pricing confirmed by ALUMAX after measurement.

Indicative only — the final quotation follows site measurement, material selection and approved scope. Prices exclude SST.

How to prepare

Before your full-house Pre-Check

A few things make the first conversation far more useful.

  • Floor plan or key dimensions of the unit, if you have them
  • A list of rooms in scope and any you want phased later
  • Photos of wet areas — kitchen, bathrooms, laundry
  • Whether the area floods or has had termite issues
  • Your indicative budget range and handover deadline
  • Reference images of finishes or layouts you like
  • Which products you'd prefer to source via ALUMAX
  • Note that the ELS technical site survey is from RM300 in Sibu (RM500 outstation). Credited in full against a qualifying confirmation within 60 days — conditions apply.
Where ELS works

Based in Sibu — elsewhere in Sarawak by quotation.

Sibu as standard. Elsewhere in Sarawak by quotation, subject to schedule and capacity.

SibuKuchingBintuluMiriMukahKapit
Full-house questions

Common questions

Is ELS an interior design firm?

No. ELS is the risk-control, specification and coordination layer. We plan the full-house scope, specify materials and M&E, coordinate the trades' information to one approved scope, recommend the order of the work, and check the hand-offs set in the commissioned scope. ALUMAX supplies the products; installation and site coordination are carried out by the appointed service team and quoted as separate services.

How much does a full-house renovation cost?

Full house is quoted on a project basis — there's no fixed price — because it depends on wet-zone share, package level (Essential / Signature / Bespoke), number of trades and scope complexity. A firm quotation follows site measurement and an approved scope. All prices exclude SST.

What's the difference between ELS services and ALUMAX packages?

They're different things. ELS services are the planning work, priced per room — Style Adaptation from RM800 (Four rooms RM2,800. Each room beyond the fourth is RM800.), Design & Specification from RM1,600 (Four rooms RM5,600. Each room beyond the fourth is RM1,600.), and ELS+ Renovation Delivery on a project basis. ALUMAX package levels (Essential, Signature, Bespoke) describe the product spec level you buy from ALUMAX. A full house uses both.

Why does material need to be chosen by moisture zone?

Because Sarawak's humidity, rain and flood risk attack wet zones first. Two different questions decide the board: substrate performance (a board's moisture rating — a moisture-rated board resists humidity but is not waterproof, and a dry grade like P6 is specified for dry runs) and emission performance (E1/E0/ENF — formaldehyde/air quality). They are not the same rating. Dry zones can use a dry-zone board; wet zones — wet-kitchen bases, bathroom vanities, laundry — should be ACP or honeycomb aluminium, and under a kitchen sink protected P6 is allowed only with ALUMAX's listed protections and where ALUMAX's site measurement finds P6 suitable. Choosing by zone, not by budget, is what protects the home.

Does ELS handle authority submission and approvals?

No. Authority submission, statutory drawings and approvals sit outside ELS scope, as do structural and engineering certification. ELS focuses on scope, specification and trade coordination. We can flag when a scope item needs separate authority or engineering input.

Is flooring included in a full house?

It depends on the scope. Flooring, including SPC, is ELS+ installation scope, assessed case by case, and specified by ELS; materials can be quoted by ELS Source, subject to suitability and quotation. Broader flooring systems, waterproofing, façade, drainage, CCTV, landscaping and ventilation are ELS project-basis items — coordinated across multiple trades rather than supplied as a product.

Do you work outside Sibu?

Yes. ELS is based in Sibu: Sibu as standard, elsewhere in Sarawak by quotation, subject to schedule and capacity. The ELS technical site survey is from RM300 in Sibu and from RM500 outstation. Credited in full against a qualifying confirmation within 60 days — conditions apply. Prices exclude SST.

Can the renovation be done in phases?

Yes. The full-house scope can be planned as one approved drawing and then executed in phases — for example, wet zones first, then the rest. Planning the whole home up front means later phases still follow the same coordinated scope instead of starting from scratch.

What happens after I start the Pre-Check?

The free Renovation Pre-Check captures your unit, rooms in scope, wet areas and risks. From there we recommend an ELS service and ALUMAX package level, arrange site measurement, and move toward one approved full-house scope before any work or firm quotation is locked.

Prepared by George Wong — Founder, ELSFormer senior research engineer, Fortune 500 · Based in Sibu, Sarawak
Keep planning with ELS

Related ELS services

Every path starts the same way — the free Pre-Check tells you which one your project needs.

Renovation Design, Sibu

Style, layout and material direction settled before specification begins.

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Renovation Coordination, Sibu

One approved scope and a recommended trade sequence — the seams held together.

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Wet Kitchen Renovation, Sarawak

Aluminium bases, ducting and drainage specified for Sarawak humidity and heat.

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Site Readiness

What must be true on site before ALUMAX supplies and installs.

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Renovation Specification Service

Room-by-room specs and a zone-correct material schedule trades can build to.

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Not sure which you need? Start with the free Pre-Check: about two minutes, and it suggests which service to ask about.

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One approved scope, before work starts

Plan the whole house before the first trade arrives.