starblume

Oh I see... Abt sms-ing right, I do notice that contractors don't really have the habit of sms-ing... especially if they are those "old school" types from older generation. They prefer to call direct and talk face-to-face if anything, sms is something they are not quite comfortable with. Also, it could be possible that they are not literate right? As in, they read and write in Chinese, not English. I know this because my mom & my aunts are like that, they cant really understand if I send them smses in english, but in chinese is fine... perhaps u can consider this? I think it's best to always talk to your id/contractor and be direct with them. I would imagine that since I cannot read their minds, neither can they read mine... so best to clear the air and tell them exactly what you want...lesser headaches later Agreed... searching for ID / Contractor is a very sian thing to do...

welcome Do post ur experiences and tips please, I welcome them! Would love to hear about the joys and pains u went through during the process... Which contractor/ID u are using? Ho Bee?

Good luck with Patrick! Excited for you also... Just saw him today and yesterday lol What's ur budget? Simple reno only right?

Thanks Believe that if we all share more info, then perhaps can lessen all the horror stories about IDs/contractors that don't do a good job... After all, a more informed person/customer is less likely to be taken for a quick ride la in my opinion. I will post on both sides cos the community blog is easier to reading if just strictly wanna read without having to chat. The T-blog will be useful if people have questions. Are u also using Patrick now? Or ur house finished already?

Sent already, good luck

hehehe thanks babe! Paisei sooo new to all this but yet interested to try lol

Hi all, Decided to take the advice of Worldangel and create a blog on my renovation process. So thought about it, and decided it will be more than just pictures and updates on my renovation, but also the lessons and pains I went through in the process. I hope this would help all the Newbies out there who are completely lost on how to start, who to go to, what to buy etc... If you find this long winded, then this blog is not for you because you OBVIOUSLY know more already. This is for those who are 1st timers at renovation, just like me Hope this helps! Renovation Lesson #1 - The very Beginning. So...gotten my house keys (Middle March) and realize that now have house, but it's in dire state of mess, like post-war...looks bad and everything is depressing. Know for certain need renovation, but where to go? Step 1: Look for contractors or interior designers (ID) ~ Contractors are to my knowledge less ex than IDs, simply because they are not sketching or planning or designing for you ~ So here u need to ask yourself 3 questions - (1) What's my budget? (2) Do I have the time to monitor almost everyday? (3) Do I know know roughly what design I want? IF you have money but NO time, get a ID, save your time and effort and don't have to crack ur head. IF no money but HAVE time, get a contractor. Be prepared to come out with ur designs, sketches or magazine cuttings. IF no money & no time, then you better have relatives that are kind enough to help you monitor sometimes. Contractor might be more budget friendly. Main point: Decide soon. Step 2: Research ~ Try Renotalk or SingaporeBrides forum. Ask for tips, talk to people. That's how I started, you'll be surprised by how many nice Sporeans there are out there ~ Read on which contractors / ID is good, you can tell the popular ones by those that have many pages lar, good companies have alot of people wanting to hire them. Of course bad ones sometimes also have alot of pages ~ Narrow down to a list of 5-6 companies, more if you are kiasu. I only narrowed to 3 because I didnt want to waste time on too much research because for each day wasted without renovation, my bank loan is wasted. Plus I am currently renting a place as well, so double cost. Step 3: Renovation for what items? ~ Do a VERY THROUGH inspection of your place. Jot down on a list the things you want to renovate on, be realistic - everybody wants to live in a perfect home, but few have that kind of money. If budget is pressing, focus on the most basic stuff like flooring, toilets, kitchen. ~ Remember, all the little things will add up even if you don't see them immediately. ~ Decide on the type of flooring u want : parquet, ceramic tiles, laminated flooring, granite etc? Consider as a big picture, ur tiles should reflect the theme u want, for me I wanted a bright spacious but cozy feel. So the current dark granite flooring had to go... ~ Take measurements of your house, I find this helps later on in planning. *Optional for those using IDs* Step 4: Research on big items (write down the prices, model type etc) saves time later ~ These include ur air con; floor tiles (colour, brand, type, texture & for which room); toilet bowls (if u are changing); bath tub ~ I went to Liang Seng Hin Trading (568-A Balestier Road) and Harary Pte Ltd (560 Balestier Road) for tiles. They are few stores from each other ~ Collect tile samples from the stores ~ General guideline for tiles @ $3 if you want simple renovation ~ Air con - what system? How many compressors? What brand? Invertor or non-invertor? Mine is System 2 with 2 compressors, Mitsubishi non-invertor. ~ Bath tub I went to Poh Joo (389 Jalan Besar - Ms Emilene); Toilet Bowls Nam Wah @ 4 Changi South Lane 7th floor Step 5: Send emails to your 5-6 companies asking for quotation for the list of items you have decided on to renovate. ~ Be specific eg. laminated flooring for master room, common room and living room. ~ Remember to chase them for replies if you are time pressed (like me), because the popular ones have a very busy schedule Step 6: Compare quotation ~ This one is straightforward la ~ ~ Just highlight the areas u are unclear of, don't be afraid to ask ur contractor / ID about the renovation terms. Eg. I didnt know what was skirting The more familiar u are with the terms, the less likely u will face hidden costs for items that u thought were included. Step 7: Site inspection ~ Arrange for a site inspection, this should be FOC in my opinion, but best u check hor ~ Go through things in ur quotation u are unclear on, ASK questions. This is not a time to be shy ok? Step 8: Go with your observation and gut ~ I went with Ho Bee because Patrick was very prompt, honest and seemed to know his stuff. For me, I appreciate contractors who are certain of their work and not those who are unclear or keep forgetting stuff. Patrick was the most on-the-ball. Step 9: Arrange for 2nd inspection ~ Here u should really decide which company you like already, because you really don't wanna waste time being wishy washy la. If you are really worried on renovation, my advise is to pay a bit more for a more established company and get it over and done with. That was my rational because I am a first-timer on renovation. So I really didn't want to screw this up. ~ Go through in detail any changes u wish to add, ask for discounts & negotiate. Here is really up to your communication skills Step 10: Commencement? ~ My place is a condo so I wont know about HDBs procedures. ~ Your contractor needs to inform condo management about the job scope and all these he should settle for you. ~ Ask when he can begin and how long it takes. Let him know if you have a time frame. More lessons next post!

Here u go...I'm still working on it...haven't quite figure out how the t-blog works hahaa pls be patient with me, i'm not that great with IT lol http://www.renotalk.com/forum/index.php?au...;showentry=5485

Yes the pipes are concealed. Patrick hacked the wall prior to the air con guy coming today. Then I believe Patrick patch back the wall but I was not on site when that happened. When I was there, the air con guys came and Patrick was there as well, he went to ask the air con guys how they plan to run the pipes and worked on the same page with them After this there will be a false ceiling built to conceal the piping again... So it wont be so ugly Update on renovation with Patrick (Ho Bee): - air con pipes done up for entire house - all tiles have arrived (kitchen floor & bath room wall + floor tiles) - removal of master room built-in wardrobe - removal of all the lighting in the house - skirting all removed in living room Tmr Patrick has informed me tiling commences.

ok I see... My place has been hacked already because renovation started on the 12th I believe... The contractor by default should know how to hack la, this is something I felt I had to trust my contractor with since I wont know how hacking should be done right? But Patrick definitely seems to know what's going on at my place because my air con at first look he saw say immediately got problem, it was THAT obvious lol No headache, u just have to decide whether u want contractor or ID... Btw, started a blog (Starblume) describing all my pains and experiences. Go take a look, maybe it'll provide some insights

Hey Perfecthouse, You're welcome, hope it helps On my part, it was cheaper to get from the retailers then getting contractor to buy. Simply because firstly Patrick does not do aircon, so u need to make sure ur contractor does that service. 2ndly, although Patrick did help me to get a quote from his friend, it was more expensive than what I was quoted from Gain City. Definitely if u get ur contractor to do aircon for u, u will have lesser headache, but like in my case, I arranged for contractor and aircon guy to meet on same day to discuss with each other what they have to do. So this way there will be consistency in information updates la. The aircon man is supposed to know how to run the pipes, but again mine starts tmr only so I cant say much now, can update u tmr... tiling can only commence after u sort out ur air con. I'm also changing the pipes because the previous air con has problems... but I'm not changing the location of the aircons, just the pipe and fan coils. Best advice is to do ur research on the type of air con u need, u can get a free site inspection from Gain city and see what the guy says. Like for my place it's system 2 with 2 compressors. Yours may be different. After u know this, u can compare prices already and decide which is the cheapest and more comfortable way u prefer ba... But all my friends tell me same thing - GET your aircon guy & contractor in same room to talk. Because if contractor waterproof ur floor then air con guy come and hack floor for the pipes, u will end up paying extra. Plus ur contractor will be upset also lol Good luck!

Sure, kindly pm me ur email please

Hey everybody! Here's another update on my reno progress, today I went to order the following items - Nam Wah: WC x 2 (Cotto) basins x 2 towel rack x 2 towel ring x 1 mirror x 1 lighting x 1 Total = S$95X (including GST) less 20% warehouse discount Gain City: Mitsubishi System 2 non inverter (total 4 units) Total = S$42XX including GST & installation charges Poh Joo: basin taps x 2 bath tub x 1 rain shower x 1 normal shower spray x 1 shower mixer x 1 storage heater x 1 (15 gallon) toilet roll holder x 2 glass shelf for toiletries x 1 corner rack for toiletries x 2 hand sprays x 2 moveable shower holder x 1 bath mixer x 1 Total = S$19XX At Poh Joo, the lady who helped me was really professional and non pushy, name was Emeline. Service was excellent and although there wasn't much discount, we walked away feeling like royalty haha And also, I mentioned previously I had problems with my air con, turns out today I got a call from Gain City to confirm that I got a slot for plumbing and installation this Monday!! Omg... Now I can finally sleep this weekend knowing my renovation can finally progress smoothly... Not sure whether they were bullsh!t-ing about the packed schedule but nevertheless happy la, so I'm not complaining ok? Hope the numbers help you all to gauge roughly how much u will need to set aside for the items! Will update again on Monday when my air con guy and contractor meet Oh, Patrick was sooo nice lar, I told him Monday air con guy going down to install, and he immediately say he'll be there also. But the original plan was that on Tuesday I'm meeting him cos my other items like WC and bathtub are arriving, then he also say he will be there Today has been a good day

Hey Perfecthouse, Sent you quotation liao... Good luck with ur reno!

Yup agree with worldangel, it's very important to do all your research (like prices, model number, order from where) prior to agreeing to quotation. It will really save u alot of time & stress! Regret not doing that earlier, now pulling hair out and rushing about to get all the materials... Btw, there is a 20% discount at Nan Wah (Jalan Besar) if you are looking for basins, WC and lightings. Not sure if the one at Changi South have, but was told personally by the guy in the store (Jeffrey) that it started today(19/03) and lasts for one week. Hope this helps

Hi Perfecthouse, I got another quote from an ID recommended by my current neighbour, says the ID is her friend. The quotation turned out slightly cheaper than Ho Bee's, approx. $1-1.5k cheaper only. BUT I decided to go with Patrick because he was more on-the-ball; honest; flexible ; and he understood what I wanted. I didnt really approach IDs because I had a tight budget and I roughly know what designs I wanted. For Patrick right, u need to show him pictures or sketch for him if u want a design...otherwise it is gonna be simple basic reno ok? The other ID was not as professional, kept forgetting to include this and that in the quotation, and even a newbie like me could pick those "mistakes" out, so it must mean either I'm really observant or she is really forgetful / pulling a fast one. Do go through everything in detail in ur quotation! If budget is not a problem but timing is, I def suggest an ID. However be prepared to pay more because ID's will charge for services rendered. So it really depends on what you want actually. PM me ur email for quotation

Hi all, Sorry have been mia lately... renov is really taking up alot of time! And on top of that I have been scouting for materials for home such as taps, sinks, cabinets etc... Those who want quotation, pm me ur email please, I will email u the quotation. I CANNOT POST quotation here la...not nice So far Patrick has been really prompt still with everything, the only problem I am facing is my air con, which has drainage problems and the piping seems to be screwed up. So Patrick has been rushing me to get my air con done (he does not do air con) so that he can start tiling and doing other stuff. He did rec a guy for air con but the price was a bit high, so I went to do my research on this forum and went to Gain City(Marina) and turns out price was cheaper by approx. S$400 Problem with Gain City - their schedule is super packed. Installation is next available in 3 weeks time which I cannot wait but the guy who did site inspection today promised me he will try his best to fit me into Monday to do the piping so at least my tiling can continue. Keeping fingers crossed. So ONE BIG Tip folks, especially if u are a newbie like me for renov - GET your aircon quotation FIRST & liase with ur contractor, make sure they both understand each other and work together. Without air con piping up, u cannot do any of your toilet tiling or kitchen tiling (esp. if your air con unit is linked to Kitchen like those in condos) Also, another thing, get your contractor to tell u exactly what needs to come in first, second and so on... Patrick was patient enough with me to keep reminding me ".... please lar, ur aircon must come in can? Otherwise I cannot do tiling u know..." LOL

Aha thanks mate hopefully will get some up soon! So how abt for you? Engaging Patrick as well?

Hi all, Just wanted to share that I decided to go with Patrick, for a few reasons - (1) He was very professional & patient with my endless string of questions (i'm a newbie at renovation) (2) He was very prompt with quotation updates despite his schedule, shows sincerity (3) Good feedback on this forum So far today marks 1st day of renovation work, and Patrick told me that he will be doing the hacking for 2 days. When I went down to inspect at the day's end, my jaw dropped... He finished hacking - - ENTIRE kitchen (wall, floor tiles, 2 cabinets, even open up the ceiling to check, door frame and door) - 2 toilets (wall, floor tiles, cabinets, shower screens, bath tub, WC, false ceiling) - all the iron grills in entire house (living room, master, common room, both toilet grills) The best part? He's only left with removing one wardrobe in the common room & living room skirting only lol Talk about being fast! Still keeping fingers crossed and hopefully all goes smoothly But so far I'm very pleased with what I saw and his service *thumbs up* One tip I learnt is to go pick ur tiles early, then he can order quickly and do everything one shot. Like he's gonna order my tiles next tues/wed and by next week should be up. Aircon also coming on wed. Good stuff!

Hi surecords, Sure please pm me ur email so I'll send to you Starblume

Ah I see, yes read some reviews that he doesnt quite entertain discounts...but that u would definitely get things done as promised. Yar I think most likely I will go with him for reno ba Thanks for advice!

Got my quotation from Patrick and it seems that if staying at condo the prices will be higher... However I believe some reasons could be because my ceiling height is higher but there were other sections that showed a real price difference But my gut feeling still tells me to stick with Ho Bee, Patrick seems like a nice guy who has integrity...not to mention all the good comments about him here. Anybody knows if it's possible to ask for discount from him?

Thanks Worldangel got it!

Hi Worldangel, Mind pm me your quotation please? I'm thinking of getting Patrick to reno my place, heard only good stuff about him so far thanks!

Hi Summer Forever, Can pm me your contact for the hacking co. please? thanks