zihui

You're absolutely right. the repairs aren't going to cost a bomb - certainly much less than yours did when you found out the tiles in your place were hollow and were popping out one by one. however, we're operating on a tight budget so everytime something unexpected like this pops up that requires our monetary attention, i can't help but think, "There goes a chaise lounge" or "There goes a painting" *sad* But I agree with you - no point being sad about this. It's always much better to find out now than after we move in! I bet Greg's also happy that he found out about the gas leak now and not after he moves in!

No she didn't. *angry* We asked her if an inspection was necessary but she just took advantage of our naivety and said that the HDB will inspect once before the handover. I'm just trying to console myself by telling myself that if we had done the inspection prior to handover, the only thing we would have been able to spot was the fact that the water feature / fish pond was still there so we might have been able to insist on them removing it. The drainage pipe chokage issue would not have surfaced unless it rains during our inspection or if we spray water onto the ground floor toilet's floor. *sad*

And the hiccups have started.... This was how the balcony used to look like - Over at the balcony, the previous owner had a huge water feature cum fish pond (with lots of fish) erected. When we bought over the place, the previous owner 'A' asked us if we wanted the water feature / fish pond. We told him no and to please remove it. He told us, "No problem." So when we took over the keys and opened the door to our unit, needless to say, we were disappointed to see the huge built in water feature still there. We had to pay extra for our workers to clear the water bucket by bucket, hack it and remove it. I don't know if this is our responsibility, but why are we being made to pay for this? Never mind, we didn't want this to ruin our reno process so we just went ahead and paid for the removal. However, yesterday JT informed us that the drainage pipe at the balcony was entirely choked up with the little decorative pebbles and marbles that came from the water feature / fish pond. So during the heavy rain yesterday, there was quite severe ponding going on at the balcony. Therefore, we now have no choice but to bring in someone to clear the drainage pipe chokage in order to prevent further issues from happening in the future. In addition, the drainage pipe in the ground floor toilet is also choked up so we'll also have to pay to get that cleared. Now, I am not happy at all with the previous owner 'A".

Thanks my dear.... How's been living in your new place like? I'm betting that you're loving the extra space but the extra housework is giving you a headache right? Thankfully you have 3 princesses to assist you

I agree with everyone else - your place is awesome! Really looking forward to watching the transformation taking place

Super exciting times ahead for you! Once the carpentry is in, the house is ALMOST there. can't wait to see the photos!

Cheers Vanessa! Still far from being as nice as yours - yours is so open, airy and cheerful! Think Scout's gonna have a whale of a time

Nice!

Cheers oldskool! Thanks for the well wishes!

JT's Daily Update (26th Sept '13) Received the daily update earlier: 1) Cement has gone up on the balcony walls and floor: 2) The windows guy coming down to install our new windows. YAY! Go Go Go!

Thanks Greg! I'm a huge fan of your place so am looking forward to meeting you in the flesh at vanessa's cooking classes in the future *grin* I agree with the rest that it's a good thing your gas leak was discovered early on. I've also heard the story about the young boy who got poisoned and died because of an undetected gas leak.... maybe i read it here in an old blog or something hahahahaha

hahahahaha that's true! *evil grin* he's been in this line for a very long time so we feel very blessed to be able to leave almost everything in his experienced, capable hands

Hi June Technically neither - he's a relative of my HTB's

Actually we didn't buy anything special. For the first batch, we only bought the fundamental stuff that will be required for the reno - 3 basins & taps for the 3 toilets 2 rainshower sets for the 2 toilets upstairs Kitchen sink and tap Track lights & tracks for the kitchen 40 'white light' LED downlights 15 'warm light' LED downlights Dining Table ceiling lights Floor lamp for the living room Floor lamp for the recreation room Floor lamp for the MBR Very boring right? haha According to peeka, all the items have arrived at Peeka's China Receiving Center so I assume they're now checking the items and repackaging them before providing us with the shipping quotation... ... The 2nd batch of orders from TB will be more fun and whimsical because that'll be where we can start hunting for the rugs, the decorative items, the clocks etc Looking forward to it!

Hi soonliew, havn't chatted with you in a while, my future neighbour! Thanks for the kind words. Because of our overwhelming schedule, we havn't been to the unit in a couple of days. We're just relying on the contractor's daily updates and whatsapp messages to be kept in the loop. Btw on a totally unrelated note, you HAVE to try the mee soto at the shop closer to the playground (the first restaurant in the 7-11 row). I think it's outstanding! Hi Pokz1981, Thanks for the kind words and for reading my blog! I'm going to keep posting pics so that in the future even when the reno is done, I can look back at the process (hopefully fondly) and laugh about the stress. I think waterproofing is going to take place today....if memory serves me right. I don't know if it's age or if I'm just overwhelmed but I'm starting to have difficulties remembering what is supposed to happen when....

Not my credit - my contractor's credit. Don't forget to update your blog hor

JT's Daily Update (25th Sept '13): This time, he only sent us 2 photos with the caption, "There goes the staircase railing haha" View from the 2nd floor without any railings: Is it just me or does it look pretty dangerous now that the staircase railings are out? Reminder to self - No more climbing the stairs while wearing high heels when doing site visits.... Luckily I havn't bought life insurance yet or else the HTB might be tempted to push me off

hahahahha you must be quite talented at the DIY even though you say that you're not because if it were me, the DIY project will take FOREVER to complete.

yup the timeline is about there to be honest, i can absolutely understand your rationale behind targeting a housewarming in dec. your little DIY projects are so time consuming but they add so much character to your place. I've referred to your t-blog numerous times for inspiration and I'm not being polite. I honestly think that by the time dec rolls about, your bachelorette pad will be more or less to your absolute liking and you'll finally open the doors to invite your guests in.

Hi Lili, Welcome to RT! Actually, this place is a treasure trove of renovation-related information and the other members are very generous with their advice. I've learnt so much from them! You can scour other members' t-blogs for ideas / design inspirations. Technically, with a contractor the costs are generally lower but you'll need a rough design of your house in mind. I said generally because these days, many contractors are happy to provide you with the design input as well. With an ID, the costs are generally higher but they will provide you with some design input. However, as the one who has to live inside it, it would be better for you to have at least an idea of what it is that you and your family like. You're going to have a great time doing up your dream home!

Wow - very colorful indeed! I inwardly chuckled when I saw the multi colored rug in the last 3D drawing. I always love seeing how the 3D drawings slowly come to life!

Hey sarah *waves enthusiastically* Credit to the workers - we arrived at the unit around 8 pm yesterday and the workers were just packing up. JT (the head contractor) was still there and he told us that plastering will continue today with waterproofing being carried out most probably on Thursday. He's gonna bring the plumber down to Sim Siang Choon to look over our purchases because there's some issue with the ground floor toilet WC that we bought. Something to do with 'old model' P trap and the 'new model' P trap's different shapes or something like that. No firm plan for moving in as yet. JT is trying to complete the reno by the end of Oct, but we've told him that there's no need to rush things. So conservatively, I would guess that the move will probably take place sometime in November with the housewarming party to be held in mid-Dec.

I'm definitely going to sign up as well!! Singapore's own version of Nigella Lawson is gonna be my teacher *grin*

LOL actually the worst part comes when we're comparing similar models. We look at Model A (the cheapest one in the range) and then look at Model B and go, "Hey, Model B is so much nicer than Model A and costs only $50 more...." And once you start having this mindset, in pops Model C where we go, "Since we're already willing to pay $50 for Model B, why not pay an additional $80 on top of that for the droolworthy Model C? After all, this cost is split up amongst the item's lifespan so we're paying just a little bit more for something we actually like instead of just getting the cheapest one" Next thing you know, all the "just a little bit more"s add up very quickly into a scary monster. *sweat*

hahahahahah HIGH FIVE i think all of us are experiencing the same pangs and involuntary twitches when it comes time to sign the credit card chits, particularly for the big-ticket purchases!