PointZero

Can anyone recommend a good place to go to look for Classic style study desk that is in white, e.g. like the LIATORP desk from IKEA or the LEKSVIK desk (but in white) Thanks!

We bought an HDB EM this year and installed a bathtub in one of the upper level toilets. The toilet was completely renovated. In the supporting frame that the bathtub sits on, our ID left one of the pieces of vertical tiles removable, so that it can be removed to provide access to the area underneath the bathtub. Initially when we moved in to the flat, we found the area underneath moist after we used the bathtub. We reflected it to the ID, and the contractors came to apply additional silicone around the bathtub. After that, we monitored for a few consecutive days and noticed that the area stopped being moist and became quite dry. After about three months, we checked again and noticed that the area became quite moist again, the floor was darkened (see the previous picture) and we can see obvious water droplets on the pipes. We again reflected it to the ID and was told that this is normal, i.e. the area underneath the bathtub cannot be completely dry. We asked him whether in the long-run the moisture could cause seepage into the ceiling of the lower level and caused damage, and he said it would not, since the flooring underneath the bathtub is waterproof, and there is an opening to also let bigger quantity of water pass through, if somehow they appear. Is what he said correct, and we should just let it be? If we are being over-paranoid, please let us know! Thanks!

We recently had renovation done to a resale flat that we have purchased. The renovation is carried out through a ID firm and it has come to a tail-end with most of the items completed. We like to ask for opinions on what is considered reasonable for the acceptance of carpentry work. We have many built-in cabinets done under the renovation, e.g. for kitchen, living room, bedrooms, toilets. The exterior of the cabinets look okay but many of the interior have quite a number of scratches and dents here and there. This is because the main person who came and install and work on the cabinets is quite 'rough' and he seems to be not skillful, the several times we happened to be around and saw him do his work. As our cabinets are all in white, we can see quite obviously that liquid paper and white silicone has been used to touch up and conceal many of the scratches and dents, although there are still some scratches and dents not concealed yet. These are on the shelving panel and the interior of the vertical panels, i.e. you will only see them when the cabinet doors are opened. As we have asked for the height of the shelves to be adjustable, a number of holes have been drilled along the vertical edges for repositioning of the shelves support. Many of holes are not drilled cleanly and still have a lot of wooden splinters coming out from them. They look very unprofessional. For some of our cabinets we have magnetic catch system for the opening and closing of the doors and we see that the person had trial-and-error with the positions for the catch system, because we can see holes left behind from positions that probably did not work. Some he left them as they are, and some he tried to fill up with silicone but left a very unprofessional look. Should we consider these as defects and if we do, are we being unreasonable? FYI, the total cost of the carpentary work is close to S$30K (e.g. a six-door-panel three-compartment bedroom cabinet with shelves for one compartment is S$2,700). This ID firm seems quite reputable, and what they are charging us for our renovation is comparable to other firms that we have approached for quotations, which are all not the cheapest-quote type. Some other things that we have observed are: - The ID in-charged of our project did not come down very often to monitor the renovation work. - During the renovation period, there have been several few mis-communications between the ID and the contractor in-charged of the carpentry work, e.g. measurement not correct so things don't fit together, things not built according to design (e.g. no opening when there must be one). When we spotted these functional errors and highlighted to the ID, they are rectified, though often trade-offs have to be made in terms of the design. - The contractor has workers that are skillful, but they only came in for a small part of the work. Most of the work is done by the not skillful person. And is the finishing on IKEA cabinet a reasonable benchmark to use for comparison? E.g. if I buy IKEA cabinets, I don't expect the panels and boards to come with scratches and dents. I understand (or have been told) that more inferior type of wood is used for IKEA cabinets so I am not expecting the price to be comparable. But what about workmanship? Thanks for any advice.

I called Mega in June and now to get price for Bosch WAS28444 but was recommended to get Brandt WFK1248A. Anyone encountered the same experience? Just wondering if the Brandt washer is better? The salesman told me it's cheaper and better. Any expert can advise?

Does anyone know where I can get cheapest Elmark and Fanco ceiling fans? Thanks in advance.

I saw it at Centerpoint, level 5, in a shop that sells Electrolux, Blomberg, etc. Let me know how do you find the oven I have not decided. Not much info on it as yet. Which showflat did you see it in?

HI, I am new to this forum. I read about built-in oven recommendations and kind of decided to get the Brandt FP867XS1. I chanced upon Blomberg (I have never heard of it) and apparently this brand is from Germany and it also has a pyrolytic oven (BEO 1690X). Price is cheaper than the Brandt. Googled on this brand and it seems that their dish washer is very good but not sure about the oven. Anyone has any insight? BTW, how different is a De Dietrich oven compared to a Brandt? I do knead and bake breakfast spread very regularly, also pizzas, and occasionally some baked dinner mains and cakes. My concern is quality of the food and value for money. Comparing the price of around $1800 and $4000+, is it justifiable for me to get the De Dietrich since I am only baking for the family? Appreciate some advice. Thanks.

Hi, I was shopping for a pyrolytic oven and a sales lady asked me if I was staying in a private or HDB apartment. She told me that many people don't know that HDB cannot install pyrolytic oven. Over time, the electric wire will melt if I use the self-cleaning function (500 degrees celsius). She also mentioned that using more than one induction ring on the hob will also cause electric meter to trip if it is in a HDB flat. Is this true? I know nothing about such so hope the experts can clarify and what I can do if I really want to have a pyrolytic oven in my EM. I am going to have gas hob but it may be helpful for some other readers if this is also addressed. Thanks in advance!

Hi, I am new to this forum and we have just got our keys to our EM. We were told by some contractors who have seen our unit that the existing air conditioning system is a good one and it may last a few more years and we should just re-coil and change the piping. I don't know anything about air-cons and from what I observed, we have a Toshiba inverter multi-split system with 4 units in each bedroom (RAS M10UKCV Hybrid Inverter). Our designer says we should contact Gain city or Best Denki to have them do a chemical cleaning and advise what are the parts that needs to be changed, and to have the air-con guy coordinate with him on the re-running of the pipes in the house. My in-laws have an air-con guy to service their air-cons and they say maybe I should contact him. Before I do anything, appreciate if the experts here can advise me on the procedure and also recommend someone reliable that can handle this at a reasonable price. Thanks in advance.

Does anyone has experience to share about air conditioning the living room and the area next to the staircase on the first floor in an HDB EM? In particular for the area next to the staircase, must the air-cond work very hard in order to cool it reasonably, because the open space extends up to the second floor? Thanks!

I concur. I find the design shows in 'Square Rooms' usually quite nice and not too out-landish. If you want to go through many issues in one sitting, one good place to go is the reference section of National Library (Lee Kong Chian Reference Library).

If the overall selling price of a flat has been fixed and agreed upon between the seller and buyer, and a second valuation is done which results in a higher valuation price, what will be the impact on the seller and buyer? I am the buyer and currently the only thing that I can think of is that I need to pay a lower COV, but is there anything that will be negative, e.g. higher stamp fee? Some background: Seller is currently servicing the flat through a bank loan. I will be getting a HDB loan. If the pros outweigh the cons, I am paying for the second valuation. The buyer needs around 6 months (from now) to move out. So I guess doing a second valuation will not really delay things any further. Am I right? Thanks for any advice!

Thanks!

Thanks. I found the answer to my second question, and it says that all the available CPF savings must be used up. However, I cannot find anything about the minimum period before one is allowed to buy a private property. Can you pinpoint me to the part that addresses that? Thanks.

I have two questions regarding buying of a HDB resale flat using the HDB loan (without any housing grant). They are: - If I have purchased a HDB resale flat using the HDB loan (without any housing grant), is there any minimum period I must wait before I can buy a private residental property? - Will HDB wipe out all the amount I have in my CPF account before granting me the HDB loan for the balance? Or do they just wipe out 20% of the purchase price of the resale flat? Thanks!