timothyng27

Hi Suspender, Thanks! Donald has contacted me through renotalk already. I'll say you recommended me to get a better price Where did you get the Haiku fan from and how much did you pay? Do you have any pictures after installing it?

Hi boyblunder, where do you go in m'sia to get your fans? Which part of JB? If you do happen to come across those that I like can you let me know the price and address of the shop? Thanks in advance

Hi boyblunder, I don't know why the image can't load - tried it a few times already. Here's the official website: http://haikufan.com/pages/kotuku.php Enjoy!

Hi all, After trying out a few different brands from the 3S's (Serta, Sealy and Simmons), I find Serta to be the best mattress for me. I tried out the Field of Dreams at the Taka showroom and straight after lying down a short while, both me and my gf started smiling. It really did feel much different from the other mattreses. However, good things don't come easy - the prices was about $5K+ (if I remember correctly). We tried out some other Serta models at the IMM outlet, and were impressed with the Willow Spring mattress. The salesman explained that the latex in the mattress would make modulate the temperature, so the mattress felt very cooling and nice when I tried it out. The support was also very good. The salesman jumped on the other side of the bed while I was lying down and I didn't feel a thing. I think the price quoted was about $3.7K for the Willow Spring King-sized mattress with freebies included. Just this weekend, I went to the Singapore Expo for Asia Furniture Fair, and came across a Serta booth. They had a "spin the wheel" promotion where you could win a separate single mattress. However the price quoted for the Willow Spring mattress was about $4.3K. Does anyone know which outlet / salesperson gives the best price? If necessary, I'll be happy to organize a group buy too

Here's a couple of fans I like: G Squared Gyrette - Price / Local availability unknown KDK Yuragi - $380 Tai Yong @ Jln Besar Haiku Kotuku - $595 Relite Speciality Sycamore fan - $1388 at Elmark All in all, I think I like the Haiku Kotuku fan the most, although somehow the image can't be displayed. How about you?

Hi schiz0id, I think a 80k COV is astronomical considering its in Yishun, not near MRT stations and near the hospital. How old is the flat? If it's pretty new, less than 15 years old still alright. Do you already know the current valuation and how recently it was done? From what you mentioned, it seems like the owner / agent is a bit dodgy. What I would suggest (if you're really set on the place) is to agree on a flat fee, and re-do the valuation upon agreeing. This might be helpful to reduce the COV, but keep in mind this might be a bit risky especially if the valuation goes down. My advice is look at the next 2-3 best matches for what you require, and find out more about what COV and asking price they're looking for. See if you're willing to trade off some of your requirements for a lower price / COV. Otherwise, I think you're better off looking elsewhere. Hope this helps! Regards, Timothy

Hi schiz0id, I too am a first time homeowner; my first appointment was just last week. My GF and me viewed about 40-50 units before our agent managed to find a unit for us within our COV budget. There's no standard guideline on how much COV a unit is worth - it really all boils down to demand and supply. We've made $20k - $30k COV offers for units we liked only to be turned down almost immediately. A lot of it is greed on the seller's part. There are a lot of sellers who are not really motivated to sell, but are just trying their luck and looking out for buyers who can shell out a high COV. I guess the area you're looking at should be pretty prime for a seller to ask for a $80k COV? I think it's ok for a high floor with reno / touch-up done, but definitely not for low floor and original condition. Which area are you looking at? We were lucky - our agent got a new exclusive listing direct from the seller who let it go to us a very reasonable COV (but the sellers time to move out was to 2 extra months). My advice to you is: - Don't be disheartened and keep looking for other units - Have a detailed list of requirements that you'd like and don't mind paying for - Have a ceiling for the COV you're willing to pay and stick to it - Try to negotiate on other factors (eg, time you can allow for them to find a new unit and move out, furniture etc) Generally, don't be too over-enthusiastic about one particular unit. There are other units for sale out there. Be patient and take your time to view as many units as you can (find out the asking COV too) before shortlisting and deciding. This is just my 2 cents If you're interested you can PM me, and I can introduce my agent to you. Hope you find a new place soon! Regards, Timothy

Here's a few dining tables I like (budget and local availability notwithstanding): Maruni Hiroshima table: Scandinavian design wood table frame by Tapio Wirkkala - Airtek Branch table by Maurizio Marconato and Terry Zappa Some other table (can't remember where I got this image from) I also like one wooden table I saw at Cellini Sungei Kadut (about 700+) which was quite nice. Like these tables very much, but if I take into consideration pricing again, probably either out of budget or burst a small hole in my pocket (again :S) Anyone has similiar furniture to recommend at better prices? Hehe

Dining chairs - Maruni Hiroshima I love the simplicity and the simple clean lines of this dining chair - 2 different versions of the same series. It's available at the Mandarin Gallery, but it pretty ex though. Will burn a small hole in my pocket

Hi hafiizh, I'm not a big fan of "normal" wood and brown myself, but I do like some of the scandinavian ashen / bleached wood effect. I'm still looking out for a contractor / ID though. Do you have any to reccomend? Will be posting more pictures / details about what I WTB soon!

Thanks potatoes! Hopefully I can find an ID (within budget) that can achieve this look for me I'll be posting some pictures of furniture I like shortly. Stay tuned!

Hi indira, Have yet to find an ID, but I'm still in the process. Met May from 3D Innovative Design at Vertex building. She seems very nice, hardworking and accomodating. Has anyone worked with her before? I've also been contacted by Donald from 9 Lives, and Jena from D'Trenzo. Anyone can share their experience working with them?

Thanks jaskel! Here's some more inspirations / looks that I like

Hi there, I like the fan! Really nice-looking. Is it strong?

Ok here's my floor plan! Just Signed up with photobucket. What we'd like to do: 1. Hack down the wall between BR3 and MBR to combine the rooms 2. Hack down the kitchen walls and replace with sliding / folding glass doors 3. Seal up the original MBR door, and use the BR3 door as the MBR door 4. Build a walk-in wardrobe which enters Bath / WC1 5. Concrete screed or brick feature wall at the living room behind the TV 6. Customized shelving for the TV console 6. Fill up the recess areas at the pillars between BR3 and MBR (becomes very unsightly after hacking) with: - Bookshelf - Built in bench with storage below - Other ideas These are just some ideas I have that I'd like to discuss with an ID. Let me know if you have recommendations. More inspiration / design posts and pictures to come soon!

Hi everyone, I've just gone for my first HDB appointment, and am extremely excited about transforming it into my dream home. I've gotten the floorplan for my unit, and am now in the process of looking for an ID / contractor for this job. I'll share my floor plan and inspirations shortly in a separate post once I find out how to upload images. Regards, Timothy