mummymantras

Interesting layout! In most of the floorplans I've seen so far, the positions of the master bedroom and bedroom 3 would be swopped. So, are you planning on making any substantial changes to your place?

Very nice! So, what exactly are you planning to do to the place?

I agree with therat. As long as you are legally married in Singapore, I'm pretty sure that the HDB will find out eventually. I believe that their records are tied to the ICA's Registry of Births and Deaths, as well as the MOM's Registry of Marriages. Because, when I went to buy my new flat, the HDB knew that I have two young daughters, who they listed as "occupants of the flat", even though that was not something that I had told them about. But if you chose to undergo a customary union (i.e. one that is not legally recognised in Singapore) or if you simply moved in with your girlfriend / boyfriend (and do not legally marry), then it doesn't matter what you choose to do.

I suppose it depends how good your contractor is... One option to get around this is to get flooring that looks like concrete screed but isn't (here's an example: Rustic Screed™ by ADMIRA). Some companies do produce laminates that look remarkably like concrete screed and if you get a halfway decent ID or contractor, he should be able to source some for you quite easily.

Love the clock!

Thanks, kunxeno! Anyway, I finally found one who does do office cabling as well (it seems like they are the only kind of electricians who understand what structured cabling is and how to set it up). I'm keeping my fingers crossed that he does a good job! Thanks anyway!

Very nice! If you don't mind second-hand stuff (i.e. things that probably really are relics from the 70s), you could try Hock Siong - they are second-hand furniture dealers and do have some pretty nice stuff. They deal mostly in furniture from offices and hotels, and some of their stuff is really of good quality and cheap too. In fact, a lot of vintage furniture dealers get their stuff from there, clean up the pieces and sell them at 10 times more to unsuspecting buyers! I got some very nice Toto toilet fittings (formerly from the Shangri-La, which recently underwent an overhaul and they sold all their old toilet fittings, crockery and some of their old furniture to Hock Siong) from them. Their condition was still excellent (a credit to the very capable chambermaids at the Shangri-La, I'm sure!) and the price very wallet-friendly (a mere fraction of what brand-new Toto toilet fittings would have cost!). Their furniture is also very sturdy (it was made for hotel use, so it was made to survive countless hours of use and abuse!) but usually a little musty. Nothing a good cleaning and perhaps new upholstery can't fix though...

You could also try Goodhill (they sell a Korean vinyl flooring that doesn't look too bad). Or Formica itself (they have an excellent selection that comes in 'plank' sizes, for a more genuine appearance). In either case, vinyl makes a good alternative to tiles- it's hardy, waterproof, and more wood-like in appearance and feel than tiles or laminate. I'll be getting it in my own home. BTW, you can also see vinyl flooring in all Levi's stores. So, go to your nearest Levi's and walk around to get an idea of what vinyl flooring is like.

Hmmm... $100 per fan point is a little bit pricey. My electrician is charging me $85 per point ($50 to run the electrical point on the ceiling and $35 to install the actual fan). But he's also giving me a further 10% discount on my entire bill, so overall it's less than $85 per point really.

Nice cove lighting! Very cosy! And I like your colour scheme too!

That's terrible! But are you going to keep all of your marble flooring? According to your floorplan above, your bedrooms will have parquet flooring. So, would it even matter then they'd have to hack away the marble to install a door to the study?

Regarding Point 2, I'd say that if your budget permits, you really should put a ceiling fan in all your rooms. It frees up floor place (which is important as you are going to have a lot of people, and consequently, a lot of furniture, in your home) and it keeps fan blades out of the way of naughty little fingers (unless, that is, your kids are already 2m tall...). Also, ceiling fans provide better overall ventilation (in my opinion anyway) than standing floor fans or wall-mounted fans. Regarding Point 3, I'm not so sure that they'd allow something like this. They're rather anal about the position of front doors, and I remember reading in a much older RT t-blog that another Renotalker also tried to alter the position of his main door (because of feng shui reasons) and HDB turned down his request. I can't recall how he resolved the matter... or indeed whether he ever did in the end...

Welcome to RT! Your new place still looks pretty good... much better than most of the pre-reno pics we usually get to see! The wood-framed folding doors that open to the balcony and the wooden treads and banisters on your stairway also look fairly decent. Best of luck on your reno!

I work from home and I need an electrician who can rewire the flat I've just purchased. In addition to all the usual requirements (lights, ceiling fans, power sockets, etc.), I also need him to be able to set up structured cabling (Cat 6 cables) for a home computer network (the flat is 13 years old and doesn't have it currently). Does anyone know of a good electrician who can help me with this? Thanks!

Wow! If I had one of these, I'd never move out...