Umaisarah

oh, was it part of yr carpentry works or u went to a shop to custom make it? Mind sharing how much u paid n whr u made?

Wow, Pinkydot! I really, really like your house, so spacious, clean and classy. I really like your use of glass doors for the balcony entrances from living room and kitchen and also at the sink area. May I know what you intend to do with the space at the kitchen where the two chandeliers are? It looks empty now. That cabinet in your master toilet - where did u get it from? I'm looking for one my own house. Is it from Howards Storage World? Congratulations on a beautiful home!

The floor plan looks a lot like my current flat's floor plan but it's a 5-room. This is an EA? Where is it located, if I may ask? My only comment, is that the living/dining/play area will look kind of dark because there are limited windows. So there's ltd natural light streaming in. That's what happening to my living/dining area. It's cosy but you need to on the light almost the whole day to make it bright enough.

that's a good idea. I support. As long as we nvr mention lawyer name or firm okay mah. This is 1st time I evr nd to use lawyers n had nobody to advise wats the procedure. My agent fren oso not sure. They asked us to sign so many docs I feel like I'm selling my soul to e devil

For my case, I didn't hv a choice cuz the bank insisted that we take this particular lawyer. And because we needed a bridging loan and time was not on our side, bo pian, have to follow along mbe because the seller (which was a company, not an individual) was using big shot lawyer Khattar Wong, the banker also wanted a big shot lawyer, and so I have to pay big shot fees

No updates on renovation but just got an email from the lawyers handling my purchase to sign some mortgage documents which i dunnoe head or tail about. They just say 'we enclose herewith letter and documents, which are self-explanatory'. Excuse me, I go to normal school, not law school so pls dun tell me its self-explanatory. Sigh...just having some problems with the (non)service that this law firm is giving me. Chase them for 3 weeks for reply to my question, then when they reply, they never even answer my questions, instead ask me to sign some documents and return by end of the week. Wah liau!

But we don't get a choice on our lawyers do we? The bank where we get loan from dictate which lawyer to use. For me I am stuck with this law firm with a nice fancy office at Cecil Road, but their service sucks. I was supposed to hv appt with a senior member of the firm, but the one who served me was this new kid who gave me wrong info on the penalty I hv to pay for paying stamp duty late. And the one who was actually very helpful and has the right answers is the secretary! I am kept in the dark on the status, and when I ask them for updates, never reply even after reminders, and when they do reply, its to ask me to sign some papers and give me 4 days notice to do it! Wah, like my hubby and I can just take time off to go down their office anytime issit??? Talking abt fees, I never did get an official 'quote' from them how much this is going to cost me. The bank only give subsidy up to $2,000. I no choice also hv to appoint them as my lawyer for my HDB transaction and tt's going to cost me $1K I better ask them to tell me in black and white how much this is going to cost.

LOL. I hv a friend who complained abt this oso. She's oso an agent and she get real p****ed off by agents who state high selling prices in their junk ad, when in fact they never even sold those units. The purchase of my condo was oso a nightmare. I was shown the unit (that I eventually bought) by agent A who was co-broking with Agent B who is the exclusive seller agent. On the same day, Agent C also arranged some viewings for me at the same devt, including this unit, but since I already saw it, he didn't bring me to see it again. Then a few days later, Agent C called me to say seller was willing to let go of the unit at such-and-such a price. Later in the day, Agent A called me up very angry that Agent C had undercut him cuz he was the original one who showed me the unit. He angry at Agent C but he shouted at me. I buyer dunnoe anything, I just go with the agent who can negotiate good price for me. To make matters worse, I actually oso hv my own agent (not the agent who sold my flat). I need to work with her cuz she's my financial planner and will be handling all my financing (CPF, bank loan etc etc). We wanted to get rid of Agent C cuz he's just a middleman but since we dun hv the contact for Agent B, we had to go thru him anyway. In the end, my agent had to deal with Agent C to give him a small cut of the commission, since he was the so-call link with the exclusive agent (even tho he did nothing except make a few calls). Aiyah, I am just glad that whole episode is behind me.

Just wanted to share my experience when I sold my HDB flat and was looking for a new condo. I had put out a posting on property****.com telling of my interest to look for flats in my current estate. After some time, an agent contacted me, offering his services. By that time, I had a change of plans and wanted to upgrade to pte property. I was sooo goondu, I told this agent X, that I was trying to sell my flat and told him if he has potential buyers maybe can bring them down to see my flat. I oso told him that I already hv exclusive agent. He said never mind, he can help bring down his clients, so he asked for my block, unit no. valuation, etc etc. So, as I said I was a goondu, so I told him my block no, what flat type, floor area, valuation. He asked me what was my ask price but I never reply him. So he called my agent and got info from her (mbe pretending to be a buyer agent). So, weeks passed and I happen to surf the property****.com website again. For fun, I did a search on flats being marketed in my area just to check what was the market asking price. To my surprise and shock, I saw a posting for my very own unit, posted by this Agent X!!!! He 'stole' the info that I gave him on good faith so that he can tell his buyers. He pretended to be helpful but actually he was trying to dig for info so that he can market my unit himself. So unscrupulous. Good thing I never told him my actual unit no. I never told my agent cuz scared kena scolding Other bad experiences I had: 1. One agent whom I had contacted to view a condo unit he was marketing, also tried to be 'helpful' when he said he got ready buyer for my unit. I gv him some info about my unit then gave my agent's number to him so he can arrange for viewing. After that, he called my agent and told her that I ASKED HIM TO MARKET MY FLAT ALSO. Which is an outright lie! Thank goodness, my agent very experienced, told him to go fly kite. 2. You know those junk mail from pple who say they are desperate for a unit in your estate (want to stay near parents lah, or near their workplace etc etc) and they have good $$ to pay? And they always say 'No Agents Please' at the end? Well, I got 'conned' by such junk mail. I called up the number given in the paper cuz I thought I want to help them. I got a flat to sell, mah, and they want a flat to buy, right? Turns out, the pple who write these sob stories are actually agents themselves. And they will only deal with sellers who dun hv agents yet. When I told them I already hv exclusive agent, they won't give me the time of day. Sigh, I was soooo innocent back then. Now, more experienced and battle-scarred, Know how to spot a fishy agent from the genuine ones. Just sharing battle stories to help those who may need it.

Hi Polly. Just one question, does the installation include installing the light point? because from what I found out, there are 2 costs, first is to install the lighting point, then its to install the light itself. $25 for installing the light alone is expensive, but if it includes the lighting point too, then it's quite reasonable leh. You may want to check with the electrician. Anyway, hv PMed you an electrician contact you may want to try. I'm using him, but hvn't actually started work yet, so can't really vouch for his workmanship. Right now, I'm chasing him for some quotes but it's still early days so I'll give him another chance. I hv Ah Keong's number but he nvr responded to me so dun noe if it's the rt nbr or not.

Hi Gals. Mbe the problem with R & R is an isolated incident? We only know 1 side of the story, mah? If you're comfortable with the ID and can click with him/her, then can still consider lah. Mbe can ask them for references and u can talk to their previous clients.

Hi Muesli Reno hvn't started yet. Only getting my keys in April. Wow, 19 more days actually! Yippeee. Supposed to get my 3D drawings this week. Will post them once they're in. I'm hoping the problems R & R are giving their clients will not spillover to Inner Room (cross fingers).

This one

I thought the bigger worry abt buying resale flat is whether the previous owner got owe money to loan shark or not! Anyway, it's an interesting topic cuz I've had a few personal encounters myself. The first house my family (ie parents and siblings) ever lived in was like Ghost Central. There were many supernatural beings in that flat. Won't go into details but amazingly, my family tahan in that house for more than 20 years before we decided to move out cuz it was too small. Even now, whenever I have nightmares of being chased by ghosts, I always ended up in the house, or in the block. Whenever I pass by there, it still gives me the creeps. Then when I got married and moved into my own home in Bt Batok, I later found out that the house I bought, the teenage son committed suicide by jumping off the parapet! We didn't really feel the spirit of the boy but my hubby who likes to stay up late if he works the afternoon shift, sometimes can feel presence around the house, especially at the back bedroom. And my oldest daughter - who was about 2 years old that time - used to cry for no reason at night. At that time we thought she was just being fussy, but now we realised that mbe she was 'disturbed'. We didn't stay in this house for long, not because of the spirit, but because it was too far away from our parents. So far, in our current (soon to be ex) house, we've had no problems. I think what kellog said about young children has some truth, but who's going to lend you their child to test for ghosts in the flat It's good also to talk to neighbours, but not sure how you going to do it before you even buy the place? I actually found out abt the Bt Batok flat from someone who used to be the next door neighbour. She was actually selling me some insurance over the phone and when I gave my address to her, she said, 'Hey, you bought the flat next to where I used to live! Did you know that the son jump off the building?" I was like 'Whaaaaaaatttt?????' Very surreal..... Anyway just sharing my story...not sure if it will help the OP.

Aack! Just found out from other posts that some forummers got issues with ID's sister company, Rezt and Relax - delays, defects, etc. Now I very scared Hope my ID will not screw me over. Next time I see her, I must gv her warning dun play2 with me, or else!

Sorry if this is a noob question or hv been asked before, but how do you measure the size of the fan? eg if the fan is 60", does that mean the blade length is 60 inches? That's like very big, right? I got this info. from Relite's webpage. Does it sound right to you all? What ceiling fan size should I buy? Following are the recommended sizes – For rooms up to 21 sq m / 225 square feet (15' x 15'), use a fan with a blade span of 52", 56" or 60". For rooms up to 13 sq m / 144 square feet (12' x 12') we recommend fans with blade spans of 44” or 48". Smaller rooms up to 6 sq m / 64 square feet (8' x 8') should use a fan with a 36" blade span. Ultimately, the right size fan for a room is not determined by the size of the room alone. You must also consider the furnishings in the room, ambient room temperature, how the walls and ceiling are treated, how high the ceiling is, as well as how much air you want to feel. My living room is about 10 sqm which means that I shd buy only 48" fan, but looks to be small, leh. And not so many fans that I like come in tt size. Also wooden vs aluminium blade - which gives stronger wind? Appreciate any comments and advice!

For anyone who's interested, besides Star Bamboo, there's also this company called Styleline who does bamboo flooring. Website www.styleline.com.sg. I'm doing my balcony decking with them. Can't comment of their quality or workmanship cuz hvn't installed yet. Will only do so in May. Their show room is at Kitchener Road. I found them thru internet search.

Ouch! Zippy - not sure how much you can bargain with the ID and the electrician on the total cost, but just to help you compare, here I give you two prices from two different sources when I was looking for an electrician. Quote A is from ID which is the Ouch price. Quote B is direct from an Electrician recommended to me by a forummer which is the Okay Lah price. Electrician say he give me special price, mbe he bluff me but anyway I take him at face value lah. All prices are for concealed wiring Quote A aka Ouch Price Supply & Install lighting point - $43/point Install light fittings - $12/point Supply & install 1 x 13A SSO - $80/point Supply & install 2 x 13A SSO - $90/point Supply & install SCV point - $150/point Supply & install heater point - $150/point Supply & install 1 x 15A SSO - $150/point Supply & install tel point - $75/point Supply & install cooker hood point with heater switch - $85/point Supply & install cooker hob with heater switch - $85/point Install ceiling fan - $55/fan Install wall fan - $35/fan To connect water heater with new casing - $30 point Install 2 way switch wiring - $45/point To install DB board - TBA Quote B aka Okay Lah Price Supply & Install New Lighting Point - $28/point Install Downlight - $6/point Install Ceiling Fan w light - $20/fan Install Ceiling Fan w/o light - $15/fan Install pendant/hanging light - $25/light Install lights - $5/light Install 13A SSO - $50/point (he gv me same price for single or double) Install new switches - $12-$15 depend on what type of switch Dun hv prices for the other services cuz I dun need them. I hv no idea what is this lighting loop, mbe its to do with 2-way switch wiring? You better ask, man. Looks like you were quoted ID Electrician price. But even then, it is really on the high side. $90 for concealed switch?! what type of switches they give you? Made of gold is it?? Mbe you can go and complain to your ID for 'misrepresentation'. On good faith, you had went ahead with the electrical works with him/her because you had trusted him when he said it will cost about $2K plus. He should have been responsible enough to ask the electrician for a breakdown of the electrical works and alert you when the cost exceeded the $2K plus he had earlier told you. I dun think you can negotiate down to the direct electrician price, but at least you have my ID prices here to compare which I think is really quite high already. Eg, mbe you can negotiate for the SCV price to go down from $200 to $150. Or you can negotiate for lower prices for the big quantity items, like the lighting points and lighting loops whatever it is. Btw, you have a lot of lighting points for a 958 sq ft house! My place is 143sqm and I think I hv only 43 lighting points at last count.

Hv reserved a room at Pulai Desaru Beach Resort for Friday-Sunday, yeah! Surprise for the kids. Loooong time never been to Desaru. Hope to find some inspiration from hotel decor

LOL, we have very good taste

Aiyo, u dun hv much time left leh....only 11 weekends left to go before June! Patsy - i work in TP lah, so cannot join u but lemme know if got good bargains. I'm eyeing the resin cabinets, bamboo bathroom caddy and make-up organisers Song Cho - I think I bought my bathroom accessories from them. They hv a shop at IMM right? and their logo is a chicken??

More to do list :wacko:: - look for new school for 3rd daughter (v impt, how can forget!!!!) - look for plants to 'landscape' new place - activate power n water supply for new place - Transfer phone n scv services - cancel newspaper subscription (condo can hv newspaper delivery or not ) - and oh yeah, move sure hv forgotten some things. Nvm, will update this list as I remember them.

To do list: - visit lighting.com, Lighting Enterprise n Silic Lighting Centre et al to buy lighting n fans - visit Choo Chiang to look at switches - cfm curtain n blind material - look for movers - look for wood varnishers to varnish dining table, chairs n sideboard - do major housekeeping n inventory check - look for wood shop to buy plywood for bunkie board - visit ikea to look for matching kitchen cabinet for abv washer, shoe cab, tv console for MBR, bathroom furn n other stuff - visit hoe kee or sim siang choon to look at pull-out ss drawers for pantry - visit OM n Comfort Furniture to chk out outdoor furn - look for sofabed for maid room - design wall decal for MBR at winkplay.com - visit Howards Storage World for look-see - buy underwear organizer at gmarket (hee hee) - PACK!!!! - remember to breathe while thinking n doing all this

LOL! That was my DH said too! But good news is that my electrician said he can get the Eubiq system at contractor prices, so he's going to let me know how much it will cost to do it up for my kitchen. Keeping my fingers crossed that the price will be reasonable.

Thanks for the tip and photos Jaskel! In the end, we're still going to have a pelmet for the living and balcony cuz of the ceiling plan, but for the bedroom, I've taken it out. So save about $600+. Sorry have not updated my blog for a while. Was down with stomach flu for the past week. Also not much updates, except last weekend when we saw the ID again to confirm materials and colours. Next week, she's going to email me the 3D drawings and the work schedule. Can't wait! Went to the IT show last Sunday! Man, I think the whole of Singapore was there. Madness Managed to elbow myself to the Eubiq booth, was quite excited to see the actual thing, but was really dejected with the price. They were selling the starter package at $1799, you get a 3m SH1 track, the home office track, the vertical track, 10 British adaptors, and about 5 int'l adaptors. DH was not too keen, called it 'not practical' (!). After nearly 2 hours of body mashing, we got away with a Canon wireless printer for $279. Also met up with the electrician to discuss wiring plan on paper. So far so good. Yesterday, discussed with DH in detail on the numbers and type of lighting we want for the whole house. When we totalled up the cost, it came up to about $2k (including 5 ceiling fans)! Both of us were quite depressed after that..... So expensive, so expensive! Maybe we'll have all-day and all-year round Earth hour at our new place Am planning to take a short break in M'sia this weekend. This is more to reward my kids who have been very patient with their parents, who have been spending almost every weekend since Dec last year, traipsing around Singapore looking at condos, condos and more condos and then recently ID and furniture shops! My poor darlings