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Hi, i notice many houses have a back door in their kitchen. I intend to have an access to the back yard just in front of the kitchen where my dining area is. Im considering not having an access to the back inside the kitchen itself. Any thoughts about that？ what would i miss out by not having this door inside the kitchen？

Why does Npark need to approve your own tree removal? Does the 1.6k include the removal itself?

Just heard from a contractor I cannot keep the meter insider the house and must move it out so the SP/ PUB can access it freely ... anyone heard about such a thing? Apparently it is because some of the components (pipes?) belong to SP/ PUB. I always thought it is your choice whether to move the meter out to face outside but not the law requiring me to do so. If SP/ PUB wants to check, they can ring my bell and I let them enter .... is that actually not allowed by law?

For re-building, assuming S$300 psf of built in space, can I check what items below would be included in the $300 psf calculation and what would not? 1. Landscaping/ garden 2. Perimeter fence & front gate 3. Electrical/ Water connections 4. Carpentry works (kitchen cabinets/ wardrobes) 5. Air con 6. Sanitary wares 7. Swimming pool 8. Meter box re-location 9. Lighting 10. Tiles (wall and floor) Also, is there anything that I should be be mindful of that is not in the $300 psf, when considering re-building? I'm aware of the following: 1. Architect and Engineer's fees 2. Submission fees 3. Soil test/ Topo survey 4. R.T.O Would like to have a sense of total cost of a re-building exercise. Thanks!

Hi, can check when someone says 300 psf of built in space, is it referring to GFA (ie. is built in space same as GFA?)? Would things like car porch (without balcony above) our double volume ceiling be counted as built in/ GFA? Also, why would the cost of rebuilding a house be tagged to psf of built in space? Does it mean that figure does not include doing the garden and space outside the built up area and we would need to add in cost of garden/ pool/ gate/ perimeter fence separately?

Would the attic floor slab feel different or sound different if being made of steel compared to concrete?

Thanks - may just submit my own once in 2 months... and save tens of thousands of dollars relocating the meter box. Hopefully there would also be a smart meter for water soon.

Would like to revive this old topic. i understand that there are smart meters now. Does it mean t is no longer necessary to move the meter box out to the front gate?

Free fall will prob lead to staining of the tiles on the ground floor? Oh dear... how to avoid? Build a drain right below the edge of the roof to capture the rainfall probably... not very nice to see a drain in the garden area though.

I see.... I'm no electric car expect but assume charging such cars won't cause my electricity supply to the rest of the house to be cut/ tripped etc?

Hi, I like the idea of catering for the possibility of charging electric cars in the front porch. If i don't use solar panels, is there anything i need to ask the electrician to do to prepare for this possibility in the future?

Snoozee, is your metal So where would roof water go to? Straight down the tip of the roof? For houses with open balcony on their top floors... means there will be a waterfall "feature" down onto the balcony. Hmmm...

Thanks Snoozee. Did you consider the tiled roof option before deciding on metal? Was tiled roof more expensive? i found this pic online, which seems to suggest this is metal roofing. Looks like a compromise if so. I find tiled roof nicer looking but the slope means i got to compromise on ceiling height inside. But can i decide how much to slope?

Looking at new roof options... I have been told metal roofs are common now. They are lighter. But I'm concerned about durability (eg rust). Aesthetics is also not great. Also does rainfall sound louder compared to a tiled roof? Any one has any idea ... which roof options require least maintenance and is more cost efficient in the long run?

Hi, pls pm me his contacts.

Would the cost of doing A&A (actual building work itself) be cheaper going through an architect and the tender process, than using a D&B builder? Since there is a competitive process in the tender process, you know ...

Hi, can I check how much would these marble tiles (looks like 60cmx60cm?) cost? Including labour? Also, someone told me marble tiles on ground floor will run into moisture issues (from underground) causing stains. Then why do so many houses do it? Do they use a specific type of marble?

Hi, can you share with me please?

Are they cheaper because we don't need to pay architect/ ID fees or because they are builders and can build in-house cheaper (than if you go through architect and third party builders)? Would their work quality be worse than if you have an independent architect to supervise?

I just come across "design and build" firms... are these guys architects or builders? Would they be cheaper? Any dangers in using such firms?

Hi, what can one do in rebuilding a house that you cannot do if you just do a reconstruction? What are the restrictions for reconstruction? Understand the cost is about 30% more for rebuild.

From what I hear, cockroaches would climb out of IC ... so indoor ICs will have to deal with this . Maybe have to put something to block up the gaps of the IC covers...

Thanks Snoozee. So the difference due to classification as reconstruction is $3210. Which is not that bad, considering the total cost of the project. Not sure why some builders go like, oh no no... like that it becomes reconstruction... as if the costs will really rocket up. Does the approval from authorities take a longer time.... maybe that’s why they want to avoid classifying as reconstruction. And actually, is there a benefit to reclassifying as reconstruction - can I now fall under envelope control and extend the attic to reach the max height permitted for such houses? Any idea if I still have to keep my new roof sloping?

Hi, any idea how much it costs to replace the roof of a semi d? Current is old sloping roof. Also, I was told if I replace the roof, I cannot increase the height .... so still have to be sloping. True? Would it amount to reconstruction? Can someone pls explain what impact it would be if a project is considered reconstruction vs A&A in terms of costs? How much more costs would I have to pay if a particular change to the house causes everything to be considered reconstruction. Thanks,

Sorry, inbox was full. Cleared now... pls pm me? Thanks!