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Here are some pictures of the suction fan which I installed. One in each bathroom. This is the six inch version of the fan, which strangely is more expensive than the 8 inch one. Comes with a shutter than can be controlled with a pull string inside. If the shutter is closed(which it should when not in use), the fan will not operate. Shutter will keep the rain out on rainy days. And its a bit of a pain the get the permit, had to wait like 2-3 weeks for HDB to approve...sianz....

Go to Sim LIm Tower Basement 1, #B1-27, I think. Cannot remember the name of the shop, but they have various HDMI cables of various lengths hanging from a rack. I find that they are generally good value for money. I bought a 12m one for about $65 only. Alternatively, you may want to check out [url="http://www.monoprice.com"]http://www.monoprice.com[/url] . They offer many types audio/video cables and other types of accessories as well as HDMI switches. Btw, you might want to check if the cable is compatible with HDMI 1.3 so as to future proof your set up. That will depend on what kind of equipment you are using...care to share your set up? Generally speaking, if you don't have any pre-exisitng equipment and are buying new stuff, these days almost everything is HD ready and that means you need a HDMI cable to take advantage of that. As for how many, that will depend on the number of devices you have.

How did you guess it was modern minimalist? Was the title of the thread a give away? Definately will post more pics....keep watching this space

Wah! So many people asking me to keep the retro tiles arh! I had no idea that retro tiles were so popular. At some point, I was entertaining some idea about having some retro and tasteful looking grills for either the door or window. But it never crossed my mind to have retro tiles, cos the tiles were kinda old and grimy. Hopefully, my flat will look younger than it really is after the reno.

Not sure if they are all the same layout. I believe there are some slight variation even between point blocks in the same estate. For example, my unit is 119sqm even though the layout is the same. Not sure how it works. Careful..you just revealed your age.

Ang Mo Kio

Ok...last few pictures for today. Will post more tomorrow...maybe. Thanks and yes, we had to go for a total makeover. The original owner was the one and only owner during those 27 years. It was fortunate that we bought before the prices started heading north. Otherwise, we might not even be able to afford the renovation.

Glad you like it. Retro styling will always have its fans. We had opted for a more modern look for our renovations. Will try to post up more pictures progressively.

We bought a resale 5 room flat in the middle of June this year. Our renovation started in early July and it has been a very hectic 3 months co-ordinating with the id/contractor and sourcing for fittings and furnitures. Now that things are more settled down, we finally found some time to sort out the photos and share some of them here. More Pictures showing what the flat looked like before renovation. As the flat was 27 years old and had minimal renovation done, we had decided to go with a complete makeover.

sorry...can't help you there..cos the cost for me was bundled up together with the rest of my windows installation.

I had just installed 2 six inch KDK ventilation fans. One for each bathroom cum toilet. So I am surprised to hear that HDB has a rule against installation of ventilation fan given that HDB had approved the permit for mine. I think HDB only impose that the suction fan be installed on a pane of wire-mesh reinforced glass to ensure proper support and that it would not fall out backwards and hurt someone downstairs. The fans themselves are quite affordable. Costs like $58 for a 8 inch kdk suction fan. Comes with a shutter to keep out the rain as well.

They were recommended to me by a friend who recently moved into a new house. My friend said 1) The curtain fabrics were good and modern looking. They had imported fabrics as well. 2) Their prices were almost 3/4 of local curtain shops, presumably because they are located in JB 3) They will visit your house to measure on the first trip and install the curtains on the second trip. 4) No need to go into JB to visit the shop as they are frequently in Singapore over the weekends to install for other house owners and they will bring fabric samples with them. Can arrange to meet up at house. Has anybody tried them before? Can give reviews? I am a bit scared of buying from a retailer in JB even though they might be cheaper. Might be difficult if I have issues with the curtains. Alternatively, has anyone had experiences with buying home furnishings or curtains from retailers in JB? Do share.

Thanks, people. Good information so far. Let's keep this going also for the sake of those who have bought old resale flats. I was recently advised to go for a Toshiba aircon at 2 aircon shops. Recommendation: 1 X Compressor: RAS4M30YACV 34K BTU 2 X RAS-M10NKCV 9K BTU 1 X RAS-M13NKCV 12K BTU 1 X RAS22NKCV 22K BTU 1) Is this configuration within the 8.5A limit? Yes, I am aware I cannot turn on all the fancoils at once, but I want to know if this will trip the circuit if I turn on the 12k and 22k BTU fancoil at the same time 2) Is $3,465/w GST a good price to pay for this? (Excludes S/S bracket) 3) Any comments about this brand/model? Anything I should know before I decide on this? Thanks in advance and happy searching to all.

If you can stretch your budget a little to $289, you can get this: http://www.oppodigital.com/dv970hd/dv970hd.html There are regular mass orders for this player over at the Xtreme place forums. You might want to take a look.

I wrote to HDB and even spoke with their technical officer. Their response: "...if you are installing the air-conditioner using existing approved 15 Amps power point provided by flat owner or HDB, the maximum total running current allowed is 8.5 Amps & the Aircon condensing unit maximum weight allowed is 80 Kg." "....However, if there is no existing 15 Amps power point in the unit that you are going to purchase, you may need to submit the SP Services Ltd (SPSL) Form CS/5 to our Branch Office for endorsement and arrange with SPSL to test the new wiring. Flat owners or their licensed electrical contractors can submit the application for electrical work permits electronically via the HDB InfoWeb at http://www.hdb/gov.sg" I gathered that the most, if not all, aircons require the 15A power point. Not because they really require up to 15A but thats the way they are constructed. So I will have to apply for one if the previous owner did not install(forgot to check that when I was viewing the house). On the bright side, as Earth and Genesis had pointed out earlier, we can get a system 4 with a current limiting switch so that we won't trip the circuit when we turn on the aircon. It won't be as powerful as we like it to be but I don't have a choice. My research turned up 3 compressors that fit the bill: Fujitsu AOY36(most powerful) Fujitsu AOAA32J Mitsubishi MXY3A28VA Anybody can give feedback regarding these 3 compressors? Or brands?

I asked the Salesman at GXXncity and he said that it is no use to upgrade to 15A because it is just the type of socket or connector that change...not the underlying current...that still remains at 8A... I went like....HUH?! Then what is the point? Somemore, have to pay to upgrade! Can anyone help to explain? I suspect that either he did not explain properly or I misunderstood him...I mean ...why would anyone pay for this so called upgrade to 15A?

Ooh...ok. Maybe my friend bought the wrong type. Please PM me. Thanks.

Am looking for bamboo blinds too but not very keen on Ikea. Recently a friend of mine bought and installed a bamboo roller blind from Ikea at his balcony, but after a few days of rain and humid weather....the entire blind was covered with splotches of fungus or mould or mildew(not sure which is which). In the end, the threw it away. So I am left wondering if this is due to the quality of the bamboo blinds or its simply a bad idea to put bamboo blinds outdoors? Anybody?

Did a bit of reading up on Ahnaiz's Singapore Aircon Blogspot. The site is quite informative and there was an article dated Saturday, July 16, 2005 which answered some of my questions. Have realised from there that: 1) Yes, I cannot use the full potential of more powerful compressors. 2) I would probably get up to 24,000BTU rather than 21,000BTU. 3) There are only a few brands that offer current limit switches and they are all inverter type. 4) Nowadays, most inverter types use R410A refrigerant, which means more expensive refrigerant top-ups and have to ensure that the installer is qualified. However, I am still looking for answers for my questions 1-3....anybody? I think I will send my floor plan to Ahnaiz to take a look.

I just bought an old 5-room resale flat that is about 27 years old. I am thinking of possibly installing an aircon system that might cool 3 bedrooms and the hall. Was informed by an aircon salesman that for old flats with 8.5 Ampere limit can only use a System 3. Even if I install a more powerful compressor, I will not be able to make full use of it as 8.5 Amperes can only allow compressors to churn out a maximum of about 21,000 BTU. He went on to recommend that I should consider an invertor type system 3 with a current limit switch(to be set at 8.5A for safety). May I have your views on this? Anybody with the same experience? Anyway around this? However, I checked http://www.hdb.gov.sg/bn25/isos119p.nsf/Search?OpenForm and discovered that "Your block has not been provided with higher electrical loading. You will need to apply for an HDB permit to install new 15 Amps power points for air-conditioners or other higher capacity equipment/appliances (e.g. high powered IT equipment). " 1) Does this mean that I can upgrade from 8.5 to 15 Amperes? 2) Has anyone done this? If so, how much does it costs to upgrade? 3) Will this upgrade mean that I can fully use the 15 Amp and therefore a system 4, perhaps? Am feeling quite frustrated with this as I wasn't aware of this restriction when I bought the house. Will be grateful for any ideas. Thanks