mike2013

(When I wanted to do my house reno & searching for NW Int reviews, I couldn't find any either. So here goes with the sharing of my 'long overdue' review and hope others will also start sharing) Did my reno early this year. NW Int. quote was one of the lower ones and I decided to give the ID an opportunity eventhough he was relatively new. Also mainly because was recommended by a friend and the reno works were up to standard at my friend's place. Btw, I requested my ID that I didnot want any so-called 'free' stuffs as in reality, those costs are factored in also. So probably that was why quote was lower too. My reno works included the following (Ard $32K. Took approx. 7 weeks in total when estimation was 6 weeks. So still not too bad): - Kitchen & 2 toilets (hacking + tiling + kitchen cabinet) - Replastering of entire house walls + ceiling - Electrical wiring (whole house) - Plumbing - Painting of whole house (Standard matt type paint) - Whole house windows & bedrm doors replacement - Additional wall hacking and floor leveling (this caused some delays due to getting approval from authority) Cost excludes toilet and electrical fittings as I bought on my own. Pros: - This ID was diligent & responsible, as in he ensured work was carried out almost everyday and he came to check regularly - Workers are also quite experienced (Usually from across the causeway so rest assured) - If any mismatch or issues (based on agreed quote), he would rectify promptly Cons: - Being new, I had to propose numerous solutions to him to get the work done as per my requirements. - He showed the standard tiling shop and not keen to bring to other shops (probably due to 'internal' arrangements). We then went to other tiling shops on our own and gave him the tile info. for him to order, provided its within the tile budget quoted. - As usual, any additional work (no matter how minor) meant a 'top-up' (Btw, I made sure 'almost' every detail was captured in the final quote as any additional work meant additional $$.) In general, quite satisfied with the work done and ID's responsibility in coordinating between the different works. From own experience, I would highly suggest to check the work done everyday so that any mismatch can be rectified quickly. Also, do some readup on your own on how certain reno works are done so you know if its standard regulation or not. This is really critical to avoid getting conned when ID say certain things are 'standard' or if something cannot be done. Ofcourse make sure every detail is captured in the final quote. Hope this helps. Cheers

Looking for the quarter round ceramic tiles for edge finishing. Anyone can suggest shops selling quarter round ceramic tiles? Thks. Image reference here: http://www.homedepot.com/catalog/productImages/400/dd/dd2ea241-fc93-414f-8fe9-93cced576de3_400.jpg