blueocean

ok ... happy polishing !

Oh ok ... I was wondering what was the best way to "shine" the door handles, door keyholes etc as i suppose they should be stainless steel .... I didnt realise they had those ones specifically for stainless steel. I remembered "brasso" from my secondary school days when we had to polish some stuff ....

Hi Sff, Oh .. that's interesting. Would it have been cheaper to use the bank's lawyer to discharge the loan ? How much were the fees ? Generally, it is usually safer to negotiate for many small progressive payments as defined by stages : 1. Immediately on signing of agreement - 10% 2. On practical completion of each stage of works including all finishes etc. If the Works are of the specified standard, payment is made Stages - a. Commencement of work and start of hacking - 5% b. Arrival of materials and start of flooring work c. Satisfactory completion of flooring work c. Arrival of materials and start electrical work etc etc 3. Satisfactory completion of all works - last 10% The contractor would of course love to have the bulk of their money deposited into their account first. But note that the more you have paid out vs the amount of actual work done ... the risk becomes higher. It is harder to get back hard earned money once paid out ...

Can i ask whether the steel cleaner you all bought is similar to Brasso ? Or is it something different ?

I was reading about daydream's case. It gets complicated everyday ... Still watching TV without the table ? I remembered you had some dented furniture ? When are they going to deliver the remaining set ? I have an interesting question ... how does one choose a hairdresser/barber ? Do we go and look at the different prices before deciding ? Or based on referral ? We normally sit down and tell the hairdresser what we want (just like renovation). But at the end, its a matter of luck whether the hairdresser does a good or bad job to our hair But fortunately, our hair can self-grow back spontaneously. Just an interesting though !

Choosing a contractor is always a leap of faith Price isnt everything as there are still the other "C"s to consider besides costs - capacity (does the contractor have time for your project?), credibility (is contractor trustworthy with your money and reliable ?) and capability (workmanship ?). Quotations can hide (material cost varies) and promises can be broken if they are not inked in the contract. Therefore you need to evaluate carefully all these 4 Cs (Cost, Capacity, Credibility, Capability) !

Oh dear ... sorry to hear about this. Hmm ... letters from SP Services for power supply ? Was the "Direct Transfer Service (DTS) or change of ownership utility account transfer" form completed on the 2nd appointment ? The banks also needs to be informed that they do not live in this current address anymore. Do you still have the previous owner's NRIC and name ? You can do a credit search/ACRA/bankruptcy search to check if there are any debtors that have started legal action or any of their companies they own are involved are being wound up.

what a transformation of your kitchen. nice ! are you adding roller blinds for your kitchen window ?

string is to check floor is level har ?

Freebies are a form of sales/marketing tactic. It is already worked into the marked-up pricing when they quote you

Hmm ... i didnt know non-glavanised wrought iron will rust so quickily ... fencer ... you apartment faces the ocean har ? so rust so quickily

The information kit is available from the SCT website. You can fax the form in but have to post the cheque to them. You will then receive a call from SCT if there are missing items. Subsequently, they will post you the hearing date and time. Note that if your renovation contract value is above $10K ($20k if both parties agree), SCT cannot hear your case.

I just extracted relevant sections of the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act which is relevant for consumers. Burden of proof If in any proceedings taken in any court between a consumer and a supplier in relation to a consumer transaction, any dispute arises as to whether the supplier has complied with any specified requirement of this Act or the regulations made thereunder, the burden of proving that the supplier has so complied shall be on the supplier. Second Schedule - Specific Unfair practices 1. Representing that goods or services have sponsorship, approval, performance characteristics, accessories, ingredients, components, qualities, uses or benefits that they do not have. 2. Representing that goods or services are of a particular standard, quality, grade, style, model, origin or method of manufacture if they are not. 3. Representing that goods are new or unused if they are not or if they have deteriorated or been altered, reconditioned or reclaimed. 4. Representing that goods have been used to an extent different from the fact or that they have a particular history or use if the supplier knows it is not so. 5. Representing that goods or services are available or are available for a particular reason, for a particular price, in particular quantities or at a particular time if the supplier knows or can reasonably be expected to know it is not so, unless the representation clearly states any limitation. 6. Representing that a service, part, repair or replacement is needed or desirable if that is not so, or that a service has been provided, a part has been installed, a repair has been made or a replacement has been provided, if that is not so. 7. Representing that a price benefit or advantage exists respecting goods or services where the price benefit or advantage does not exist. 8. Charging a price for goods or services that is substantially higher than an estimate provided to the consumer, except where the consumer has expressly agreed to the higher price in advance. 9. Representing that a transaction involving goods or services involves or does not involve rights, remedies or obligations where that representation is deceptive or misleading. 10. Representing that a person has or does not have the authority to negotiate the final terms of an agreement involving goods or services if the representation is different from the fact. 11. Taking advantage of a consumer by including in an agreement terms or conditions that are harsh, oppressive or excessively one-sided so as to be unconscionable. 12. Taking advantage of a consumer by exerting undue pressure or undue influence on the consumer to enter into a transaction involving goods or services. 13. Representing in relation to a voucher that another supplier will provide goods or services at a discounted or reduced price if the supplier making the representation knows or ought to know that the other supplier will not do so. 14. Making a representation that appears in an objective form such as an editorial, documentary or scientific report when the representation is primarily made to sell goods or services, unless the representation states that it is an advertisement or a promotion. 15. Representing that a particular person has offered or agreed to acquire goods or services whether or not at a stated price if he has not. 16. Representing the availability of facilities for repair of goods or of spare parts for goods if that is not the case. 17. Offering gifts, prizes or other free items in connection with the supply of goods or services if the supplier knows or ought to know that the items will not be provided or provided as offered. 18. Representing that goods or services are available at a discounted price for a stated period of time if the supplier knows or ought to know that the goods or services will continue to be so available for a substantially longer period. 19. Representing that goods or services are available at a discounted price for a particular reason that is different from the fact. 20. Using small print to conceal a material fact from the consumer or to mislead a consumer as to a material fact, in connection with the supply of goods or services.

Stamp duty is a tax on executed documents relating to properties. These documents include a lease. Liability arises once the document is executed. Hence, even if the transaction has been aborted, stamp duty is still payable on the document. There is a penalty for omission or late stamping. Anyway, if the lease is not stamped, you may have a problem in having it recognized in the courts if problems arise later ....

You are referring to the rust on the S/S lockset ? Cos i cant see clearly on the picture ...

Misinformation and disinformation can occur from any source. Rumour is defined as "a currently circulating story or report of unverified or doubtful truth". I think the concern is about libel which is the publication of a false statement that is damaging to a person’s reputation. However, libel will be hard to claim if the statements that were made were written in good faith and there were reasonable belief they were true.

Passion makes us alive. For without passion there is no life ....

I got them from IMM - that big shop that sells lots of accessories. I think it is called Hoe Kee. In the initial design features, some people think of whether the cabinets or furniture will prevent wheelchair access in the future ... but that is only if you have parents around.

Oh ok ... You could consider countertop lights cos if you are cooking in the evenings ... it will get dim and the top hung cabinets will usually block the light out and cause shadows. I forgot to add lights to my sink area ... and its a bit dim in the evenings. Have you purchased all your toilet accessories alreadie ? I remember having to buy the S/S towel rack, rack to put liquid soap/shampoo etc and to figure out where to put them and at what height. Can also consider those grab holders if you have elderly persons visiting your unit or if staying with parents - helpful to prevent falling ...

And yeah ... the stock market is in free fall again ...

I agree !

I just wonder if it is common for contractors not to reply for request for quotations ... Personally, I dont think it is surprising because renovations are quite labour intensive and most sole proprietorships or small companies cannot scale up their resources. So, in the end, you just need to obtain many requests for renovation work and just "cherry pick" the best one to do - One that has the highest profit margin to make or the most extensive renovation to do. And also time it such that you are able to jump to the next project so that you can minimize the days where there is no work. It also means that if there is some delays that occurs in one's home renovations, it will affects their project work downstream. I like it when contractors say they are starting work, it just means shifting materials and stuff into your house without anything else being done. And then they start the following week ... There are the 3 "C"s in choosing the right contractor : 1. Credibility eg credit and trust worthiness 2. Capacity eg are they so busy that they dont have the manpower to work on extra projects 3. Capability eg their workmanship No point having a capable contractor but has no credibility or capacity ...

Have you all been following this trend regarding U&B renovation at : http://www.renotalk.com/forum/index.php?sh...c=23378&hl= Interesting as it chronicles the rise and fall. From contractors' promises, more promises, apologies, threats and abandonment. From homeowners' dreams, hopes, despair and finally anger.

Financial remuneration comes with legal liability mah ... No remuneration means that it is done on a goodwill and "information" basis with the caveat that they will not be liable for wrong advice ...

Anger management issues ? Hmm ... How different would this be from road rage where car drivers bash each other ? In the end, both party loses - either one gets bashed up and gets physically hurt, the other gets arrested for bashing the other person up. Both suffers.