firstly you need to know what you want to do with your house- check out ID sites, magazines, forums. then it's important to prioritize the renovation items

e.g.
1. kitchen
2. wardrobe
3. plaster ceiling
4. retiling bathroom
etc

then look for a contractor (best to get recommendation from friends). make sure you get the full quote form the contractor and ensure no hidden cost before he begins work for you

it's important to be flexible and suggest other alternatives because most of the time, when the quote hits you, it could be overbudget so you'll need to tweak your requirements a little (std tradeoff- forego renovation item for money savings)

try to control your contractor i.e. suggest things to him, dont let him suggest to you. whatever he suggest is usually something he can do with less effort and many of them may not be updated with the latest trends from europe and america. i suggest you get pictures/photos off the net/mags to show your contractor else whatever you describe could be very wrongly interpreted (trust me, this happens all the time)

some tips on where to get what:
bathroom fittings: jln ipoh
lighting: far east esteem, sri kembangan
tiles: apex tiles, jln ipoh
furniture: lorenzo, cavenzi, rozel, g.d.o (make sure you go only during sale which is 9 mths in a year anyway. these brand names are always trying to clear stock or sell off their display items and you could get really good deals)

if you're interested in home furnishing, you could check out my new blog about interior design and home decoration ideas. i'm also a recent homeowner and therefore would like to share ideas and findings with the rest of you in my blog.