taichizi

Yup.... I am an oldie in this forum.... and also "semi-retire" from this forum as I seldom do posting these days in this forum... Considering after moving in for more than 1.5 years.... I still find Ho Bee's workmanship more than satisfactory - with no complain and was glad that I've engaged him for my reno. I can even add one more plus point for Ho Bee which was not in my blog. Less than a year after I moved in, the glass panel behind my kitchen stove, that was done by a different company which I've engaged to do my kitchen cabinet before I met up with Ho Bee, started to cracked and after 1 month of initial crack... the crack line extended to almost the whole glass panel. In the end, no choice had to change... Ask Ho Bee to help.... No problem.... The glass panel was replaced in 1-2 weeks and this time Ah Keong said that the glass won't crack as it is a glass that is processed to resist heat. I can't remember what the term for this kind of glass. But, the point is.... Ho Bee came to the rescue... and help to "fix" other's incompetency. This event took place in June 2007. And, I will remember to send him greeting card during CNY and thank him for his work. If I ever need to do a second reno, he is still my preferred choice.

I hope u have a good experience with ur ID from CD... Wish you good luck!

Well, well... finally heard some "unhappiness" on Ho Bee... but, is this the end of the world? Doing reno is not only about the lowest quote, it involves the "click" between you and your "renovator". It's good that we have some positive and negative views on the topic. Otherwise, some people may think that Ho Bee is too perfect to believe.... and the expectation is so high that it may work against Ho Bee... Indeed, Patrick is super busy... sometimes he doesn't answer your calls.... sometimes it takes him days to get back to us... sometimes we juz have to chase him up or remind him a number of times... and some say his quotes are too expensive for a contractor.... However, one thing I'm quite sure that won't change... Patrick is forever super busy due to his honesty & humbleness, being a responsible contractor as well as most of his teams' workmanship and dedication. Patrick is a businessman. He understands doing a good job and keeping good reputation helps to keep in him in the business. Ultimately, we pay for what we get - honesty, commitment & workmanship ==> a peace of mind. No matter how long after he has completed my reno... I will always remember Ho Bee workmanship and dedication. Kudos to Patrick and his team. Happy Lunar New year, everyone...

the one we bought is for cold tap only.... we use airpot for hot water...

I'm using the OSIM tap water filter... the filtered outlet is different from the unfiltered outlet... the filter water goes thru the filter and out from another outlet.... so.... the water filter has two outlets... My parents are using Diamond water filter system... it seems that the "diamond-ed" water can rid off the smell... so... the vege lost its fragrance once u wash it with "diamond-ed" water....

The simplest solution... Don't use NETS... Use Cash or CREDIT/DEBIT cards

For the private properties, it is supposed to be a free market.... that means prices are determined by demand and supply forces... therefore it is not always good to have govt intervention all the time.... in fact, there should be lesser govt intervention the better...

Maybe the rules have changed? IMO, it is better to call and ask Patrick to explain. Then, you could feedback to us in this thread for further discussion. When I changed my common bathroom window and the service area window during my reno one year ago... there wasn't any PE fees.

I have two fans fitted with four lights. No problem at all. The lights are fitted under the fan and shining downwards so no chance of shadow.

Kudos to Patrick... I can tell u he is as cool as cucumber when we start to get anxious... I was a bit worried when I was supposed to move out from my old place to new place when some of the reno work not completed yet...

the most time consuming portiong of reno is the carpentry.... especially kitchen... So, hang in there and let Patrick know that u will have to sleep on the road if the reno can't finish by that time... ask him if he can provide lodging at his place or not... Seriously, the installation of the carpentry work is really fast... only the building part is time consuming... don't worry too much... btw, u ought to buffer 1 week after the deadline... I think u r "JIT" on this... which is kinda risky...

what do u mean by Christian wooden cross? Is it a crucifix?

basically, it's the colour scheme and product ID in paper format. no fancy report one.... that one within a few days.... u can ask Patrick for a package for electrical works....

the result is on the spot.... if u wanna the jpg files, then u need to ask him to email u when he go back to office.

I think getting multiple sub cons to do your project may present some coordination problem for you and you make need to put in more effort to do the coordination. Probably, it is better to get Patrick to do everything. the guy will suggest some colour scheme for your flat... check out my blog. I have posted the computer graphics of the colour scheme the guy suggested. Also, the guy will ask what kind of colour you have in mind then he will propose the colours available from the catalogue and put it on computer graphics. on laminate/wardrobe colours, u probably can ask Ah Keong. He is quite good with that as well.

We used ICI colour consultant, and Patrick helped to arrange for it. As for the payment, I think you should ask Patrick and see if the colour consultant cost is covered in your quotation or not.

Congrats! Enjoy your reno experience... I'm sure you are in good hands... do get more involved in the reno as u get great satisfaction at the end of reno... Also, it will help to ensure that the plumber/electrician/tiler do their job according to your preference...

Yeah.... in Ho Bee's case, what we pay is what we get... I think it's worthwhile paying for that little bit of premium if the work is delivered timely and with quality even for a contractor...

I juz wanna say that... Patrick and Ah Keong are very consistent in their work and attitude because they showed these good qualities when doing my reno as well... I would vouch for their good work anytime...

PM'ed u...

Congrats on getting ur keys.... I recall the day I received my keys from my agent... Very excited too... it was the same time, Patrick came down with a slim lady to show her where to hack... and hacking kicked off the next day... Where is your new place?

Wow... u lucky ppl gonna stay in the new estate... Congrats! That's a great place! New and near to everything! Great value for money!

Oh... this may take a week of waiting for the permit to be approved. I juz wonder if she is able to get the storeroom hacked in time for the WiW to be fixed by Ikea... Should postpone the fixing of WiW to a later date....

If he gave you the second quote (which is the same as first quote), does it mean that it is the final quote for your job? Anyway, this thing sure will happen once in a blue moon. It is unfortunate for you. I guess one can't please everybody. My experience with him is great, I can only sing praises on him. So, have you finished your reno? Sometimes it is better to give yourself more lead time when coordinating more than one contractor or supplier for your project, otherwise you will have heart attack everyday throughout the whole project. Good luck in your current reno... One more for Patrick is that even though with some many referrals from old customers and forums, and many projects on hand; he is still so humble and does not show any hot air. This is one important lesson we can learn from him.

How much is your project?