In his first year at Monash Sunway University, undergoing a Bachelor of Commerce, Yong Meng started his own renovation/design & build construction company.Till today, the company is 6 years old and still running.
From the very start, he learnt how there was a general lack of transparency and standards in the renovation industry. It might not be a huge problem to young adults who have just entered the work force, but it would certainly be one when the time comes to purchase their very first home.
Yong Meng expressed to Vulcan Post, “There’s always miscommunication between the homeowners and contractors, even more so when the interior designer is involved in the picture.”
He shared how after hearing so many homeowners complain, where almost everybody would have a nightmare story or know someone who had a bad experience with their home renovation, he decided that enough is enough and he started to come out with a concept and business plan to address the key industry pain points.
Furnishing Homes For Malaysians
That was what sparked the beginning of BuildEasy. The startup provides curated design templates for free to those who are looking to renovate their homes. Using selected design templates, they allow homeowners to customise the colour options of the furniture, flooring, curtains and wallpapers of their dream home.
Upon placing a fully refundable booking fee, BuildEasy’s renovation consultants will then visit their home to get accurate measurements and to run through the project checklist. A final quotation reflective of the changes made, as well as exact measurements will then be issued to a customer’s online account thereafter.
BuildEasy’s ultimate aim is to make the outfitting of one’s property as simple as online shopping, and to leave the hard and messy tasks to the team. This allows homeowners to do away with the hassle and inconvenience of cost overruns, project time delays, shoddy workmanship and unreliable service.
In Beautifying Every Abode
Yong Meng has always had a passion for beautiful homes and especially the process of transformation from an old home to a brand new beautiful one. Joining him in the team are Erwin Soon who has experience as a professional real estate negotiator, as well as Sam Tieh, who has experience as an event manager and sales executive.
Besides that, BuildEasy also has an externally sourced team known as the ‘renovation sidekicks’ who make up the suppliers, vendors and contractors. These are the project managers who will ensure that the project runs smoothly, and to ensure their credibility, they must first go through the BuildEasy academy to ensure that they are fit for the job.
“Basically, everybody who is a part of BuildEasy has to espouse our BuildEasy values: mindfulness, responsibility, innovation, drive & respect,” Yong Meng said.
Importance Of A Home
Yong Meng stressed the importance of BuildEasy by sharing, “Not only is our home our biggest life investment, it’s also our biggest intimacy where memories are born. In saying that, we believe that everybody deserves a beautiful home that we can rightfully call ‘our home’ with pride and love.”
Understandably, homeowners are hesitant initially to engage BuildEasy, due to any past experiences that they may have. After all, furnishing a home is an investment of not just money, but also time and love.
Thus far, BuildEasy has served 15 customers since their inception in April, and the clients have been a mix of Generation Y as well as Baby Boomers, proving how home furnishing is not segregated to a specific age group, but for all who are looking to build a home they feel comfortable in.
“I think the fact that there are customers using BuildEasy currently & the fact that demand is more than supply certainly encourages us. It shows us that there are home owners out there who strongly value transparency and convenience in the market,” Yong Meng concluded.
Feature Image Credit: Buildeasy