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Hi, I want to share my experience with all. Last year Feb 2013, I started my house reconstruction project. Its a inter corner terrace and I did a complete tear down and rebuild. It cost me about $275 psf based on GFA. Its 2.5 levels, 20m by1.8M swimming pool, with widening of gate entrance. Cost includes, central aircon, kitchen, sanitary ware, auto gate, flooring, plumbing works, staircase, security cctv and intercom. My house is TOP already but many things are left unfinished. The defects are many, water leaking at windows due to no waterproofing, windows seals broken, auto gate broken, painting only done 1 coat, bathrooms leaking, water heater burned, 3 years old water heater installed instead of brand new, no warranty documents provided, no verification from architect, architect / engineer caught lying on contract costing supporting contractor, ....... and the list goes on. I am now in the process of taking legal action against my architect / engineer and main contractor. I also just found out that my main contractor has been sued before in Jan this year by another client of his. Things I learnt the very very painful way. 1 MAKE SURE ARCHITECT/ CONTRACTOR and MAIN CONTRACTOR do not know each other. Its better that you find both parties yourselves. 2 When architect / engineer tenders out the project, you should on your own source for contractors to bid and if the contractors you do not know bid a lower price, you must check carefully and understand why. 3 make sure the quotations are easy to compare, meaning the scope of supply and pricing are presented in the exactly the same format. This will help you as the layman to make comparisons on the price variance. 4 read the contract prepared by the architect / engineer carefully and thoroughly. Points to note: - late completion penalty per day should be $1,000 as per industry standard. - start date may not be the contract sign date. Start date is the date whereby BCA issues the approval for project to start work. - whats is the definition of completion date. This is important because penalty starts from completion date. As much as possible, avoid certificate of practical completion as completion date. Instead use TOP, or use a fixed date based on your completion date requirement. - define what is the definition of PC sum. If PC sum is not used or 100% used up, will balance be deducted from the contract lump sum value. - if you buy PC sum items by yourself and deduct this against the contract sum, will the contractor charge you a time and attendance fee and how much. Industry practice is 5%. This is to cover the contractor to take over delivery of items and be responsible for damages if any. 5 You will need to have close supervision when the building structure is finished and the contractor starts to do the tiling. From here on, you need to be at site everyday if possible. 6 if your house already has singtel fibre optic (open net) connection in place, inform architect / engineer and contractor to protect and maintain the connection when doing the construction. This will cost you at least $5K to be paid to singtel if you asked them to come and relay the fibre. 7 make sure you are on site to check the materials being used for your house are as per contract specifications. Ask for certificates of authenticity or quality as this should be included in the contract requirements. 8 Make sure your architect / engineer present to you the certification of the progress works, material authenticity and quality is in accordance to the work schedule and contract specifications. MAKE SURE you keep a copy of this certification. 9 MAKE SURE YOU KEEP SOLID DOCUMENTATION ON ALL CORRESPONDENCES WITH ALL PARTIES INCLUDING BCA, NEA, URA, LTA. 10 When communicating with architect / engineer and main contractor, always document, especially changes against drawings, contract, costing...etc 11 Make sure your main contractor has good coordination and control over his sub contractors. This is very important and critical to your completion time and quality of finish because the house construction works according to the various trades coordination. For example, plumbing works before tiling, sanitary ware after tiling, aircon before ceiling and flooring, ceiling before wood flooring.... You will be able to know how good your main contractor is by being on site to see the sub contractors present. 12 the following sub contractors are usually involved in a reconstruct project. civil and building works, tiling, plumbing, wood flooring, staircase, windows and doors and glass, painting, auto gate, security, swimming pool, swimming pool system, aircon, kitchen, and electrician. On separate topic, renovation vs A&A vs Reconstruct. 1 Renovate is cheapest. No change in structure outside. Reshape internal of house. 2 A&A. Change in house structure but no change to super structure meaning foundation, pillar and floor remains the same. 3 tear down everything and rebuild. Differences A&A cannot change height of ceiling, and GFA remains largely the same. Cost is about 70% of reconstruct. Time to completion is faster. Reconstruct means major GFA. You can maximise this in accordance to BCA. Height of ceiling changes. More costs involved and more submissions to BCA, URA and NEA and LTA also involved if changes to gate and boundary walls. Also you will need to build a bomb shelter. If you want the names of architect / engineer and main contractor NOT TO ENGAGE, pm me.