jackychun

It looks really cool your place! So spacious!!!

DAY 2: 01 SEPTEMBER 2011: CLEARING OF DEMOLITION DEBRIS. MATERIAL IS READY ON SITE. After work today, I went to my flat to see how is the progress. It was impressive that all the debris yesterday was cleared and the house looked so neat now. I am happy with the works in order from contractor. Most of the materials have been delivered to site and seem ready for tiling works coming up next. The rubbish chute was taken out. That's all for today. Now it is time to take some rest and planning for the next steps.

Yeah! It is really great feeling, potatoes! I want to visit the house every day to see the progress... !

Hi BuyNow7, Thank you. I try to post the progress everyday. My flat is 26 years old. For the first time opening your door after receiving keys, it is quite simple. I refer to this website: http://services.spservices.sg/cs_lifestyle_features_fengshui.htm - Be well prepared. - Do not be late for the appointed time. - Do not enter the house empty-handed. - Bring some fruits such as apples (for safety and peace), bananas (to attract wealth), pineapples and oranges (for prosperity). Entering and leaving the new house empty-handed is considered inauspicious. If you had forgotten to bring the fruits, buy them from the nearest fruit stall. - Upon entering the house, open all doors and windows to let the sunlight in, ushering in the Yang energy. Also, turn on the tap to invite wealth into your home. - Place two oranges at every corner, and the pineapple right in the middle of your house. Try not to kill insects or any other living things. - Other than that, I also lighten some incense sticks and put three **** rooms and one each for every room. When you bring the incense stick to the room, draw on the air the infinity shape (horizontal of 8 shape). It is believed that this shape is really good to bring lucks to your home. Together with that, whisper all the best wishes for your home. Go to do it for every corner of your house to make your house "warm" with incense stick... Most important I think is you do it with all your heart. Then you will feel piece in mind... All the best!

Rubbish chute is now exposed. Going to replace by the new one soon. Kitchen sink is now alone. Kitchen is totally hacked: Common toilet and MBR toilet: That's all for today. Hacking works will be continued tomorrow with the three bedrooms. Wait and see. Stay tuned...

I used to wonder whether my store room can be hacked off during renovation works previously. As I heard from some people that if the wall indicated as "SOLID BLACK", this wall cannot be hacked as it is Reinforced Concrete Wall (RC). After got the approval from HDB, they said: RC Wall cannot be hacked, only "sandwich polyfoam wall" can be hacked. I had big question mark again: WTH is the "Sandwich Polyfoam Wall"?! I asked my ID and he said no worries, he has gone through many cases like this, and the wall can be hacked. I have a bit piece in mind and until today I am totally satisfied. After hacking, you can see what is the "SANDWICH POLYFOAM WALL" already. Here you go: Now I know why the HDB room can limit some noise due to this structure. Further than that, this kind of wall structure also make lighter load overall. The kitchen wall is now ready for tiling works. The contractor has made a rough surface for it.

DAY 1 (31 August 2011): HACKING WORKS I could not wait to see the results of hacking works today. So I came to my house immediately after work to see how's the works going. I have been there around 6:30pm and the workers already demobilized. Look at what I have seen, so incredible! Haha! Here is the living room: Store room has been hacked off. The space look much larger now without this room.

Thanks rottenrammone and potatoes! Actually I am not so interested in classic style and that is why the house going to be overhauled. I try to keep the design as simple and basic as possible to save $$$ No choice. Hehe. Marbel flooring is very durable that you should keep then, potatoes...

30 August 2011: - Notification of renovation works is in order. I have visited my neighbour next door to do some PR works before renovation started. - The same day, electrical wires/points are removed. Notifications:

SP Services staff came to activate Power and Water services for my home: Same day on 13 August 2011.

MBR Toilet: Bedroom 2: From outside:

Living Room: photo taken after I had done 1st time opening door "ceremony". Hehe. Bedroom 3, near the corridor: Master bedroom:

Some of the photos show the original condition of the house. It is really really original HDB flat! Photo was taken on 13 August 2011, after the day I received keys from HDB. Common Bathroom: Terrible condition Kitchen

Thanks Nobel, please update more on your T-blog. @Potatoes: It seems like a really peaceful place compare to Toa Payoh where I am living now.

Hi All, Finally decided to have my own t-Blog to record my memorable journey of house renovation. I have spent about 1.5 months for ID selection. It was really interesting and exciting process that I have gone through. A lot of ideas, experience can be achieved during this time I would say. The IDs have given me their points of view on renovation works which are really useful for me to build up the most suitable layout suitable for our home. After so many rounds of meeting and discussion I even can roughly do the quotation by myself However, I can only choose ONE of them for my renovation works. So from 10 IDs, shortlisted down to 5, then 3, then 2 and finally, my ID is Mr. Toh Wee Kuang from WaWe Design. I may talk about my ID shortlisting process later. Hehe. It may take a lot of time but quite useful for those "blur guy" like me jumping in the mess of renovation work scopes. Firstly, here is my floor plan. Pretty small...

Seem like we have the same ID then, Nobel & Lemontee. I think I am going to have my own T-blog soon. )

Thanks a lot, ben263! My ID said that it can be hacked even it is solid black line as HDB already approved.

Hi All, I have applied permit to hacking the Store Room wall to have more space for living room and kitchen. This is what HDB has replied: Demolition of internal walls at (a) KITCHEN and (b) STORE ROOM marked RED on plan. HDB answer: - All existing reinforced concrete structures are not allowed to be tampered with in the course of the works. The lessee shall be responsible for the proper installation, stability and safety of the proposed works. - Demolition of sandwich polyfoam wall is allowable up to the underside of the RC structures only. Hacking of sandwich polyfoam wall should commence from top down. Lessee shall be responsible for any subsequent leakage or seepage which may arise due to the proposed work.. Please can you let me know how to define the store room is RC or sandwich polyfoam wall? If we hack it wrongly, what is the consequences? Thanks a lot for your advice. Cheers

D5 Studio Image is one of the firm has very good customer service I would say. I have shortlisted them to the last round and it was very difficult decision not to choose them as my ID. Sharon from D5 is very friendly, give you a lot of suggestions and she willing to do all the perspective drawings/3D drawings for you without any obligation and she work it out really fast. She brought me and my wife to one of her completed project in Seng Kang and the workmenship is good. Even I chose another ID and informed her, she was very professional says it would be OK and hope to cooperate in the future. That is it. I think you can take a try contact them. No harm to do some homework right? If you need Sharon's contact, let me know.

All the best for your renovation works...