shespawn

I bought my dining lights and chair from Taobao before but not table or sofa... please show us the actual table when you receive it. Thank you!

I am interested to know how is your purchase of your to consoles as I am quite sceptical about buying furniture from global. Can you please le me know how is the quality when you receive it? Thanks!

i just bought one clock, two pendant lights from Taobao. not sure how the outcome is, but i seen so many replicas in singapore that are charging over $100 while my light is only30plus and shipping about $12.. so it's worth a gamble. I don't know how its going to be.. so just hope nothing is spoilt.

any picture to show?

anyone has any comments about their sofa? do they provide good quality leather as what they claimed?

hi XTR, I usually can't be bother to read all pages of a person's blog, but I actually did on yours! I guess my new home is along your theme, that's why I started the reading.. but with all your DIY stuffs, I can't help but continue all the way. Good job on your house! I don't think i can get down doing my own DIY stuffs.. unless I am on sabbatical leave. Love your house, and would love to see pictures of your completed kitchen and bathrooms :-) Please continue to post more! Now you made me want to do online shopping again.. (shopaholic me)

any more pics to show? your toilet marble tiles are really nice! which design ID did you engage?

anyone used osim i life air purifier? how's the review so far?

hi, my fridge is only 4years old but the lower compartment is not cold. a repairman came down but wanted to charge me $150 for atimer... i find it ex since the fridge i bgt cost only 600. im wondering anyone has this problem before, if so, did u pay so much to replair?

yes i just came back! very pleasant trip even though we were met with flight cancellations due to strikes. Mykonos seems to be rather expensive compared to Santorini (suprisingly). I'm not a partying type, so only sightsee around and took lots pictures. Paros was great, quiet town, and riding ATV up the Mycenean Acropolis hills is the best! We stayed in the tallest place at firostefani, the view was fantastic! you don't even need to pay alot to go expensive restaurants to have sunset dinners, we had wines and breakfast at our balcony:-) My whole trip cost me 7.7k for 2 (everything inclusive except for shopping lah, and we flew on SQ). Planned everything myself without going through tour agency in greece, because some hotels offer good deals or free transport while agency don't offer that to you. If anyone need advice, feel free to drop a mail :-)

im going this sunday. I booked my tickets in Aug 2009 on SQ. researched for very long before we decide on the hotels we want to stay. Olympic air having promo, so try to get flights to get to mykonos etc. The price difference only about10 euros more than ferries for some promo. I'll be heading to Athens - Mykonos - Paros - Santorini - Athens. We should spend about not more than 8k for everything inclusive of meals (exclude shopping).

hmm.. very obiang look from their website...

eh, dun think this will be a fair survey on the usual time that SG knock off. we all know those who are free and has more time can come and chat on the forums. bankers or senior management, where got time to come and post?

it's not about fengshui. but sometimes coming back late and suddenly you see your own reflections late at night the moment you open the door, can be rather scary.

In the past, read from the AVA websites that 3 dogs are allowed for pte property. Not sure why the website says subject to individual premises now. anyone has more than 1 dog and face any issues staying in condo with this?

anyone has any contact? 4room flat need a fresh coat of paint. can PM me. thanks!

News Highlights Dream home, renovation nightmare LAST year’s unexpected property boom has delivered an unwanted side effect: a spike in complaints against renovation contractors. Already, the Consumers Association of Singapore (Case) has charted a 20 per cent jump in the last year, and it says it expects the situation to worsen further this year. The rise in complaints came on the back of a spike in resale property purchases, which prop up the renovation business. Resale transactions for private homes more than quadrupled between the first and third quarters, while those for Housing Board flats went up by 80 per cent. The number of complaints against renovation contractors rose in tandem, going from 189 in the first quarter of last year to 226 in the third quarter. Although the final figure for the fourth quarter is not yet available, the number of complaints had hit 832 by the end of November. Mr Seah Seng Choon, Case’s executive director, said: ‘We expect the number of complaints to increase as the improving economy results in both the number of home purchases going up and more consumers embarking on renovations.’ He said some cases involved contractors who cheated their customers, while others delivered poor quality work. Whatever the reason, the results were the same: work that fell far short of customers’ expectations. Among last year’s complaints, a number arose out of contractors promising to use quality materials, but settling for inferior fittings instead. One complainant’s doors started warping after a week; another had flimsy wardrobe shelving that collapsed shortly after installation. Other complaints included long delays in renovation, failure to honour contract terms and, in a few cases, contractors making off with their clients’ money midway through the works. Mr Seah warned that as the renovation business hots up, contractors would stretch whatever resources they have, which may make matters worse. They will also find it hard to hire and keep their good workers. ‘Because of the high turnover in workers, the skills won’t be there,’ he added. Air-conditioner installer Brendan Tay said finding skilled workers was part of the problem. ‘The local ones don’t want to do this kind of work any more, and those from China want to go back after earning enough money,’ he said. But some homeowners feel that contractors are choosing to hire cheap labour rather than pay for skilled workers, with predictable results. One homeowner, who wanted to be known only as Mr Woo as he is planning legal action against his contractor over a botched job, said: ‘Comparing my latest renovation to the previous one 10 years ago, the quality has really dropped because of cheaper workers from China. Their work is not so good.’ One recent victim is marine manager Michael Chong, who bought a semi-detached house in Seletar Hills and had planned to move in by September last year. First, his contractor demolished more than what was agreed upon, causing a legal headache for Mr Chong as his permit allowed for only alterations and additions. Then the project was mired in delays, and the contractor became uncontactable. By then, Mr Chong had already paid out $55,000. The house remains unfinished. Mr Chong, 50, said he intends to take the contractor to the Small Claims Tribunal. ‘I shouldn’t have trusted him so much,’ he said. Case’s Mr Seah noted that the renovation business has consistently been among the industries attracting the most complaints. Hoodwinked homeowners interviewed by The Straits Times called for tighter legislation, such as requiring renovation contracts to follow a basic template and drawing up a blacklist of dishonest contractors. But Mr Seah said: ‘Regulation will not stop people from shutting down and popping up under another name. ‘At the end of the day, it must be the consumer who ensures the contractor complies with requirements.’ Straits Times – 7 Jan 2010 Renovation: What precautions homeowners can take THE Consumers Association of Singapore (Case) suggests that those about to renovate their homes: ~ Check the licences, accreditation and credentials of the firms they have hired. ~ Request quotations from more than one design firm. ~ Discuss proposed designs and project schedules with the designer. ~ Vet thoroughly not only the colour schemes, but also the materials to be used and the dimensions. ~ Note the capabilities of the contractor engaged by the interior designers to execute the proposed designs. ~ Check that the contract lists the products and services and that the bill is itemised. ~ Set up a schedule with clear deadlines. ~ Set up a progressive payment schedule. Payment should not be made in full upfront. ~ Document and take photos of outstanding defects in case of disputes. ~ Refer to the list of accredited CaseTrust contractors available at http://www.casetrust.org.sg/ ~ Use a model agreement on home renovation, which can be found at www.case.org.sg/model_agreements.html ~ Refer to the Building and Construction Authority’s guides on good industry practices. The website can be found at http://www.blogger.com/www.bca.gov.sg/Publ..._series%20.html ~ Seek the assistance of Case or file a claim with the Small Claims Tribunal if a dispute is unresolved. Straits Times – 7 Jan 2010

i think jaskel in the first place should have just kept mum abt the whole thing. now what did she invite herself into? if she want to keep this as profit, she wouldn't have voice this out in the first place. find the right person to tackle the problem, no point squabbling here.

did you go through a local agency there to get all your ferry tickets and accomodation? where do you stay in Athens and Santorini?

mine still a long way to go.. my 2nd home will only be ready in 2012, so i am just browsing blogs for ideas.

i paid 1311 sgd nett for SQ direct to athens. their domestic flights is having a promotion. usually the ferry ticket prices abt 40euros to mykonos, u can get flight ticket at 50 euros. im going in May. As what DKCh has mentioned, no point going in Jan when there is no ferry heading there. DKCH, you heading there this year?

just be careful, you should check out other blogs to know more. don't be foolish to pay and not receive work.

Can someone please post his big picture here so that there won't be another prey to fall for this Ah-Soon become Ah-Beng situation? I read earlier post of Ah Soon and even check out his facebook, so I recommended AS to my friend. Luckily my friend didn't like his design, or I will feel bad.

hi im kinda inactive to posting. but after reading trevor and yours, i must say you are really unlucky to have these suai incidents happen to you. paint problem, granite problem and electrical wiring problems. i guess it's all due to just one person giving you all the headache. thanks for posting all ur experiences so that i know what to watch out in engaging my contractor next time. Now when i looked back, my reno contractor in 2002 was really good (lourve design). I have always thought he did not do a good job in liaising with the workers, but he did my house in 1.5mths. I didn't even know painters can cheat with the paint. I didn't bother to even ask for the paint cans but they gave it to me. take care and looking forward to your picture posting soon!

any feedback on the LG washer cum dryer?