Saturday Mornings: HomeMatch Wants to Fix Singapore’s Most Stressful Industry

🌍MoneyFM 89.3’s Home Brew segment, Saturday Mornings Show host Glenn van Zutphen speaks with HomeMatch Co-founder Mervin Foo about a problem that's tormenting many Singaporeans... bad building and renovation contractors and the ensuing nightmares. From disappearing contractors to unfinished homes and ballooning delays, renovation disputes have surged — with CASE reporting 1,300 complaints in 2021, nearly S$2 million in losses last year, and 97% involving non‑accredited firms.

Foo believes the industry’s trust problem is systemic and solvable. HomeMatch is Singapore’s first renovation‑matching platform built like a “dating app,” pairing homeowners with interior designers based not just on budget and style, but communication habits, personality, lifestyle, and family needs.

And the game‑changer: a S$1 million HomeMatch Protection Fund, contributed by renovation firms and HomeMatch itself, covering up to S$150,000 if a contractor collapses, disappears, or abandons a project. No escrow fees. No insurance add‑ons.

Mervin explains why traditional accreditation schemes aren’t enough, why scams keep happening, and how compatibility‑based matching reduces disputes before they begin.

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