ayazumi

Congrats in getting your new home. Must be a tough decision for both of you to decide on the downgrade. Nevertheless, it is also a wise choice. Always plan ahead of your financial before you make any purchase, especially on house, something that you will need to stay for long term. Having six people squeezing in a 3I might consider small for now, but we all know that kids will never stay with us for long. If we get a big house now, and stay for another 20yrs, when the kids grow up, they want to move out and stay on their own. By that time, we are old and have no more energy to do renovation and moving house. That is why most elderly will still continue to stay in big and lonely homes because they find that moving house is a hassle to them. You both have made the right decision. 3I is almost similar to 4-room flat. With the extra utility room, you can make that as a spare room for the kids. And you chose somemore near your mum's place, which is a wise choice. At least there is someone helping you to take of your children. I also stay 2 blocks away from my parents. Daugthers always prefer to stay near their parents. Good luck for your renovation. Do update more renovation progress.

It doesn't look like crack lines. From the picture, the lines look very straight. Could it be intentionally?

Oh oh... that is the table. I complaint that the table is expensive, but forgot that total length is 2.46mtr = $225. Still expensive than the normal ikea table $59 per 1.26mtr length. I didn't know that table was solid wood. Looks nice, I will consider as I really need a long table along that wall. I see. My mum also keeps telling me to rent out one room to earn some extra cash. At least with the spare cash, can pay bills and such. We will think about this.

Thanks piknik. I think you and me are the same. We want to use minimal costs to maximize our creativity and create a lovely future home. You too, 加油！

DAY TWENTY-NINE Today, we have the painters and electrician concurrently doing their work. I am surprised with the painter's plastering skill. Initially I was worried that I have to live with the dented holes after I moved in, but the painter patched the dented holes so well, I could not see the dented holes anymore. I am very satisfied with his plastering skill. Now my wall is as smooth as before. What you see is the first coat of paint. Tomorrow they will continue to apply second coat, so the colors will be more even. This is the living room: View from study room View from Arts room We have also chosen our curtain maker and materials this evening. We are doing timber wood blinds for living room, roller blinds for study and Arts room, and roman blinds for MBR. They are supposed to be ready in 2-3 weeks' time, but we told them to expedite the delivery on 23rd April week. Hopefully they can install the blinds before our furnitures' delivery date.

I think so too. Just that it is different sellers, so that's why prices are different too.

Be careful when you install the wall bracket for TV. heard many cases TV drop down from the wall bracket due to owners install the bracket themselves.

Oh. I prefer to have full length curtain if I got long window panels. Find a few more curtain makers and compare the price loh

I don't like door bell too. Don't want sales man knock my door

Did you tell them your window not full length? It's better to come to site and measure. I spent one hour listening, choosing, thinking. Haven't agree to sign. Later this evening they coming over again to meet my hubby. Actually I'm quite okay to sign, just that need his approval first. Later 4pm meeting another curtain maker. Make price comparison

The battery operated door bell should come in a set. If I'm not wrong, there is a wireless mechanism. The HDB door bell can remove. I removed mine.

Different stories. My contractor, hubby and my father said apply too thick plaster will crack. Hopefully your contractor uncle don't apply too think and able to cover the kitchen tiles. Otherwise crack until siao. Why he don't cover the floor and apply cement screed? Plastering not cheap leh

Really depend if the contractor willing to change or not. High chances is bear with it and live with it

Today I met a curtain maker. They came to my house with bags of curtains, and quoted me $1280 for two roller blinds for study and living room, 1 pvc timber look alike blind for 3 window panel arts room, and roman blinds for 2 window panel MBR. I changed the living room to pvc timber look alike, add abit more for the difference only.

Buy battery operated door bell. My electrician asked me want door bell or not, I told him I want battery operated one, don't want electrical door bell.

It is best to cement screed the kitchen wall tiles. At least the wall tiles are covered nicely. I don't think can apply too much plaster on the wall tiles. Otherwise will crack

But come to think of it, if the contractor removes the window frames, the whole piece of metal cannot be reused for another home already, though they can still reuse the same window panels. I doubt contractor will change the window for you.

Yes. Ship direct from Korea. I saw Korea Gmarket selling near $40, so the price that they are selling in SIN Gmarket is already inclusive of shipment, that's why they are selling at $79. Sales gimmicks to make people believe that it is free EMS shipment. Luckily Gmarket has coupons, so we can use the coupons to add in the additional discounts. It is still cheaper than the retail outlets selling this chair.

How much did you buy?

Yeah! Renovation gonna start very soon. Charge!

We saw that worktop in Ikea too. It was quite expensive, I think. I think the table top need to drill and fix to the wall. Not sure if I buy the leg stands, can I make the worktop as free-standing table? Why you don't use the other room as guest room? Your parents or in-laws staying with you?

Oh no. Another bad seller. Wonder whats wrong with these people?

So nice of him! I asked my contractor to do handle bars for my kitchen cabinet, he said must top up. Even we proposed buying the handles outside and requested the carpenter to help us, the contractor said got to pay for labor costs. So stingy!

Thank you. This afternoon I browsed online of this plasmacluster thingy. Looks like something I would like to get one for my house too. I am allergy to dust and smell, it is good that this machine can detect dust and odor smell, and cleanse the air. Good buy!

I didn't really match item by item from the contractor and ID quote as per your post. But looking at the ID quote, the value of the tile psf is reduced to 2.50-2.80 psf. You will have very very limited choices of tiles to choose. You will end up choosing the colors which you don't really like, but no choice, you need to stick to $2.80 psf unless you want to top up the difference. This will end up increase additional costs to your renovation. Compared with the contractor's quote, he quoted you $3.80 psf, which you can or cannot negotiate to $4 psf. Actually, $3.80 psf tiles have more designs than $3.20 below. Whoever quote you $3, you can tell them to go away. Normally the tiles prices are $2.50, $2.80, $3.20, $3.80, $4 and so on. There is no $3 or maybe 1-2 tiles which is $3 psf. And you also added false ceiling in the ID quote, naturally, ID quote will be more expensive than the contractor because under the contractor quote, you asked for L-box, not false ceiling. You can't compare an apple to an orange.