ultimax

This is true, but with some reinforcement and modification, I think it can hold a lot more. The key is to have all the weight supported by the cord alone, not the attached fixtures. The cord itself is quite strong. For the lamp shade side, I'm guessing a few cable ties might do the trick. Should be quite easy to hide too. The lighting point side is OK because I think it comes with a hook which you're supposed to hang on the ceiling. So no weight on the lighting point itself. Anyway, this IKEA pendant lighting socket is one of my favourites. Cheap ($5+) and very versatile. Can use all types of shades. One of my shades is actually an IKEA flower pot. I got the idea from IKEA hacker http://www.ikeahackers.net/2012/07/lampshades-from-wooden-plant-pots.html

Thanks amyth for your reply. The fancoil unit was not centred over the door. Donno why they didn't centre it. I don't think got issue leh. They already installed the piping mah. Just a matter of positioning And really quite slanted leh. Like it's very noticeable. Other fancoil units look OK. It looks like they didn't even bother to use a level to check if it's straight, then slant it a bit. It looks like they just used their eyes and hantam. I can see why lowest price doesn't mean best haha.

GOt quoted $75 for a single, $85 for a double. Not sure if that's high or low. Actually, if you look at the many reno quotations posted here, I'm sure you'll be able to find a wider range of quotes for installation of wall sockets. It's quite standard in renos.

I have a friend who has the Bosch drawer and he said it'st the best appliance he's bought. Very useful, especially if you da bao a lot of your meals. I hope you find someone willing to co-share!

Crestar fans are quite ex compared to other brands. But the alumi motor is indeed very quiet. Got "life time warranty" for the motor too, but I'm sure there are a 1001 terms and conditions for that. Prices also very quite significantly at different shops. Best thing is even quotations by different employees in the same shop can be different! For one model I asked about, the price difference between 1 shop and another was $130. "best price" somemore! In the end I purchased from Singapore Lighting Mart at Balestier. Most people online say that shop is ex, but for the Crestar fan I was looking for, I found them to be the cheapest by a lot. Look for Anne.

So it was repossessed, but never occupied. Very weird. Just to confirm, the floors are completely bare, just rough concrete. No tiling at all? If so, you have a strong case to HDB to do the cement screeding. I wouldn't go to MP yet. Might be faster to go down to the Branch office and ask who you can speak to to appeal. Or you can email the branch GM and tell him your case. Ask him who you should talk to about this. You can find the GM's address here: http://app.sgdi.gov.sg/listing.asp?agency_subtype=dept&agency_id=0000002449 I find the first-line customer service in HDB not very helpful. They are good at template replies, but rarely listen to the details of each case before answering. They don't even reject you with reference to your case. It's just a general rejection. Very frustrating.

Aircon was installed recently. After completion, I noticed three things. 1. One aircon installed over a door is slanted to the right. It's not slight, but quite noticeable. It's also installed off-centre. 2. Most of the trunking at the aircon ledge that I've seen forms an "L" shape. So it runs down, then to the right, so that as little piping is exposed at the end when the pipes are connected to the compressor My installers only ran a verticle trunking down, and pulled the piping straight to the compressor ie. the most direct route. Is this acceptable? 3. There's no piece of rubber under each of the compressor's legs. So it's placed straight onto the ledge. I've called the company to complain and they are sending someone down to look. #3 can be easily fixed, but I'm worried #1 and #2 will be difficult because the piping has already been cut to length. Anyone had similar problems with their installations?

Great easy to read intro-guide, bumping it up. If you want to calculate the cost savings of using LED over other types, and how long it'll take to break even, this is a very handy calculator: http://www.ledwaves.com/led-calc/index.php

Good link!

You can definitely cement screed over the tiles. That in itself will give your kitchen a new look. However, you will definitely need a counter backsplash, especially at the hob/hood area. Mosaic glazed tiles are a nice way to construct a backsplash, and easy to clean too. But of course, it will be added cost. Alternative, you can do what this couple did and only have a backsplash at the hob where the likelihood of oil splatter (hardest to clean) is highest: See their renoblog here: https://iwantahomenotashowroom.files.wordpress.com/

Hello, Been lurking around here for a while and have benefited from the many tips everyone has shared. Unfortunately, they're usually spread out across many different threads on many different topics. Thought I'd start a new thread that's 100% on advice for those about to begin their renovation journey. So, to all those who have been-there, done-that, what did you wish you knew before you began your renovations? I'll start with one. MISTAKE: Never carefully look into how much exactly ID's lighting proposal would cost. I wish I had paid better attention to my ID's lighting proposal. I had assumed that the price of lighting fixtures was largely affected by design and shop/manufacturer, not so much the technology. A light is a light, right? I can always find something within my budget, right? WRONG! LED lights are very different than PLC lights. They are also a lot more expensive. They are not inter-changeable in many designs. Lighting fixtures are not part of your ID's quotation so it's easy to overlook that when you talk to your ID about your reno budget. You generally will be focused on what he/she is charging you, and that's how their quotation will be broken down. They will also propose lights based on what works for their design, sometimes forgetting about cost. So, make sure you ask your ID what type of lighting he/she is proposing, and how much it'll cost. If the lighting proposal calls for LED lighting, you're typically looking at almost $2000 upwards. If you go for PLC lights, you can do your house for half the price. Actually, this leads to another lesson learnt MISTAKE: Over-budget for ID, under-budget for everything else. Thinking your ID's quotation will take up most of your renovation budget, and setting aside too much money for it alone. After all, most of the discussions here are about comparing ID quotations. In reality, your ID's quotation will probably be only 60-70% of your renovation budget. Items necessary but not included in the ID's quotation, like electrical appliances, aircon, furniture etc, can really add up! Start with your final renovation budget (all things in) in mind, then work backwards. Reverse engineer your renovation. I think most people bust their renovation budget because they don't realise that there are many things which the ID doesn't provide. Appliances and furniture are the obvious examples, but there are many others, from lighting fixtures (see above) to bathroom accessories, curtains to mattresses, which are necessary for the house to be actually liveable.

Re: renovation costs, I highly recommend you work backwards from final cost (reno + appliances + furnishings). It's misleading to talk about renovation budget (ie. what the ID or contractor charges you) first because that's often maybe just 2/3s of the final cost. If you start with the reno budget first, you may find yourself not having much left for furniture and appliances which actually make the house liveable! No point having a nice place with no furniture or appliances, right? Or spoiling the look because your options for furniture were severely limited because you had little $ left. So work backwards. Also, pay attention to your lighting budget. IDs sometimes work fancy light fixtures into their designs which can add $2 - $3K. And lighting's such that you can't always replace it with cheaper options. If the design calls for downlights, track lights etc, you have no choice if you want to stick to their design. I've realise most IDs just design away without thinking about lighting costs. Few actually talk to you about that cost because it's not part of the reno quote, which excludes fixtures. So if you engage an ID or contractor, tell them up front how much you're willing to spend on lights. To save even more money, Ikea kitchen cabinets will work for the look you're going for. Their kitchen systems aren't bad, and the choice of doors are good for the price they charge. I don't think any carpenter can match their price for that type of look. Most custom carpentry designs are the same. The only difference is laminate. Laminate can indeed change the look, but you can't replace cornices or glass panes with laminate! Sometimes, a combination of custom carpentry + Ikea doors works best. As someone mentioned earlier, being able to DIY is very helpful. It helps you save money because you can do quite a lot yourself. More importantly, it gives you an eye for certain things .... it helps with the creative process, and in thinking of solutions. So get involved in your design. Don't just lean on your contractor or ID. Do your homework. IDs / contractors will always take the shortest way to please you. They often don't go out of their way to save you money, especially if they're within budget. I realise (too late, sadly) that if I had been more hands on, I could have achieved a lot more and saved money. Instead, I thought my ID was doing a good job by proposing something I liked that was within my budget. But going through the details, and doing my own work later, I realised while I didn't bust my budget, I wasn't always getting value for money.

Hello! I too am in the midst of renovating a 4 room HDB. My opinion: 1. I'm only having cabinets on one side of the kitchen. And they're bottom cabinets. My rationale is simple. First, it makes a small kitchen bigger. Second, having actually sat down and listed the items I'll be keeping in the kitchen, I realise I don't actually need that much storage space. The key is having the right type of cabinets. Too often I find people going with "standard" configurations which may not suit their needs. Also, although it may seem a bit awkward to use, having fewer bigger drawers gives you more space than having more smaller ones. Although I only have 4 long, big drawers, I think I can store a lot more. I would hack the wall. It really does make the space look a lot bigger. Of course, I've not seen your floorplan so there may be other considerations. But I'm quite happy I did, and I think any occasional inconveniences will be offset by the permanent openness of the space 2. Hacking will increase the possibility of leaks. Nothing to do with stability of the membrane, more to do with the drill bit penetrating and making a hole in it. However, I believe if you hack the tiles, you'll have to apply a new layer of waterproof membrane anyway, so this isn't an issue in the first place. Overlaying is definitely cheaper. BUT if the flat's old, you might want to hack and redo the membrane since you're renovating. Because if there's a leak, and the neighbour below complains, you'll have to lay a new membrane anyway, which means you'll have to hack the floor. Better hack it now, then later when you've already laid a new set of tiles. Talk to your contractor about this. 3. Blinds, in general, are cheaper than curtains. But there are expensive blinds, and cheap curtains, so hard to say. I like blinds better because you can adjust the amount of light entering evenly for all windows, and they allow air to come in. Some say blinds are harder to clean. I say everything's hard to clean so no difference. With a vacuum cleaner, cleaning blinds is OK I feel ... 4. I too am doing a small WIW outside the MBR toilet. It's not really a WIW, more like the wardrobe acts as a divider between the sleep area and the dressing/toilet area. In fact, we're disguising the door into the sleep area as a wardrobe door. The downside of this is the sleep area is small by most standards. But that's OK because my wife and I don't watch TV or do any work in the bedroom. It's just for sleep. You could do something similar with Ikea wardrobes. 2 things to take note. Ikea wardrobes look nice but are not sturdy. Doesn't mean they will fall apart. They just don't feel solid. Second, custom carpentry isn't necessarily more expensive. It depends on what you're doing. Get a quote from a contractor, then compare that with your ikea quotation, and decide based on value for money. This is the one lesson I've learnt - don't look at absolute price, but make your decision based on value for money. If it's cheap, but you don't feel shiok, then that's not value for money because you dont get the satisfaction even though you save $. On the other hand, if it's expensive, but you could get the same effect with a cheaper solution, then that's also not value for money. So put some thought into this.

BTW, what's the difference between the KDK Z60WS (cheaper) and KDK V60WK. The only thing I noticed different in the specs is the "temperature sensor" in the V60WK. What's that anyway? Thanks!

Hello, Thinking of getting the KDK Sensa 5 from JB. Which is the easiest lighting/fan shop to drive to from Singapore? Newbie driving into JB (only driven in a few times), so the easier the route the better Prob will go on weekday. Thanks!

Hi all, At this point, I'm convinced the best way to choose an ID is to go with one already used by someone you trust. That way you know the guy's for real, what type of professional he is, and the quality of his/contractor's work. We've decided to not hunt anymore, but go with the ID a friend recommended several weeks ago. He in turn was recommended by my friend's friend. So should have standard lah. Should have seen him a long time ago. The main reason we didn't was we thought his so-called design style wasn't to our taste. Earlier on, we were searching for one who die die must have done a house exactly to our taste. I now realise good IDs should be quite flexible. After all, good IDs should be exposed to many different styles in order to develop their skill. He told me up front that although his portfolio all shows a particular type, that's because that's the trend now, and most of his clients ask for it. But that doesn't mean that's all he can do. From our discussion with him, it's clear he's good a good eye on design - lots of creative ideas. Styling, on the other hand, I think you need to figure out yourself first. He can help you with colour schemes and so on, but for details, it's best you show him what you want. In that sense, you also need to do homework. I also agree you should see the ID with a rough idea of what you want to do. Don't expect him to give you wonderful ideas at the first meeting. You need to help him help you. So again, do your homework. Read the renovation blogs here to get an idea of what other people are doing. Remember, the ID is not you. Only you know what you want. He is only there to help you make it reality. Finally, vibe is important. We got a good vibe from our friend's ID. Also got real shop. The others we met outside in public places or on-site. Didn't get a good vibe. I mean not like you right away feel they are bad people, but no chemistry and comfort lah. Good luck!

Hello! Am renovating my flat, have seen a couple of IDs. One of them took measurements and gave us 2D floorplan of their proposal. We've decided to not go with them as they charge a design fee that's separate from the contractor's fee. It originally sounded OK, but having thought about it a bit more, because our flat is so small, we feel it's not worth the fee. Would make sense if our flat was bigger and they had more room to play with. With 4 room flats, there's only so much you can do unless you hack the walls down. Anyway, now they're not happy with me, saying they provided the floorplan in good faith because we were recommended by a former client, that that's not industry practice. To be honest, I don't know what is "industry practice." I think it's reasonable for a client to expect to see something first, even if it's just a floor plan, before committing. They didn't even give us a contractor's quote, and how can one make a decision based on the portfolio and discussion about what can be done? What can one expect from an ID in these early stages, before you pay anything? I want to be fair to IDs too ... I really don't want to take them for a ride, even if I don't mean it. Thanks!

Looks like you'll have to DIY a solution. What you need are L-shaped wall brackets like those on the right in this pic: Then you'll need to mount them onto the wall with anchor plugs. The bottom of the plug expands as you tighten the bolt. So all you need to do is to drill a large enough hole, mount the bracket, put the anchor plug through it, and tighten. If the bracket is long enough, and the bottom of the dishwasher is flat, then you can just rest it on the bracket. If the bracket is too short to support the entire base of the dishwasher, you might want to get some wood and make a shelf for it. My neighbourhood hardware store has both the bracket and anchor plugs. Unlike the Ikea shelf brackets, the ones they sell are solid metal and big.

Hi, My parent's master bedroom has a very high ceiling of just over 4m. We're thinking of constructing a small loft with spiral staircase to increase the room's floor area. We hope to make it into a small study. Will we need BCA/URA approval? I've searched both websites and there's no mention of the construction of a loft, only attic. We live in landed property. Thanks!

Hi, We have a large room which we would like to split into 2 smaller ones. There is currently a 12000 BTU single-split aircon system installed. Is it possible to convert the compressor to run 2 airconditioning units (multi-split) for the 2 new rooms? The system is almost new and hardly used. It would be a waste to discard it and buy a new system 2. Any advice will be appreciated! Regards,

Hi, Did you engage an interior design, or are you dealijng with a contractor directly? The internal and external paintworks are definitely expensive, though. That much I can tell you without doubt.