stoutkid

reload72 > That's realy really strange cos Mr Tan was telling me that Corian (I din mention to him about granite) is v.good for worktop and he recommended me when we were discussing into details. Was it cos he din try to get what you are looking at for tabletop? Did you tell him about your expectations and budget? Many of his clients go to him cos of price & quality...of course cheap doesn't mean good. In my case, it would deem fit so long the price justifies the quality. Would be a bonus if he throws in some FOC toilet accessories (which I think he did).

Still the same old "saying"...need to work with someone you feel confortable with. Boonpin85 > I din sign up with them in the end so wont get cheated by them ah. =D

Hi iltheas, it's okay to question Mr Tan on your queries seriously cos I wouldnt feel comfortable if working a unlicensed contractor either. But because I know Mr Tan is a responsible contractor plus I have spoken to his clients personally, I am assured. You can get Mr Tan to bring you around to see his clients' flats more before settling down on the contract terms with him. Below was what I wrote in an email to a forumer. Dun think it's a prob bugging Mr Tan everyday too. Lately, I have been laising alot with him and his team of tilers too. Pick up some knowledge here and there....hee.. Went to my new house yesterday and met up with Uncle Tan to see my tiling process. He actually pointed out to me that the kitchen wall tiles (done by preivous group of HDB) were uneven hence he suggested me to send a defect list detailing the problem to HDB. Get them to hack and redo the wall tiles again. Then previously I got them (HDB workers) to replace the wall tiles in the common toilet too cos found many hollow tiles. The HDB workers actually broken many tiles along the perimeter of the toilet door (think for their ease of work w/o door ?) and we also found some unenven laying of the tiles at the perimeter. It was nice of Mr Tan to help me find "similar tiles" to touch up the area w/o additional material costs but advise me to "complain" to HDB about this defect too. MR Tan mentioned that since I need to re-do the entire kitchen walls might as well get the HDB contractors to mend the area around broken tiles too (need to hack away all kitchen wall tiles anyway). Not saying Mr Tan is very nice, at least he initiated to offer help in mending the horrible work left by the HDB contractor...kinda long story too laising with the HDB contractor. *headache* The HDB contractor is coming to my unit to look at the prob (got Uncle Tan's tiler to help me point out the defected areas). I'm still not sure if the HDB contractor is willing to redo the entire flat or not else will go back to MR Tan for help already. !! Met another forumer (din know that she and bf is meeting MR Tan after meeting me). They are visitng another client house nearby and I was told that she feels Mr Tan's quotes was the cheapest too. Prolly sign up with him too?? Sidenote > Uncle Tan goes extra miles by offering to buy bamboo poles (for clothes drying) and deliver to my mum's house cos I stay in landed house nearby to my new unit...no transport to carry few poles from the shop to home. So sweet of him. Haha... My hubby is not in town (will be back end August) and I need to handle all reno stuffs myself. I shall post up some pics once more work is done.

Yah, though that amount can be offset from the total price to pay, I dun really like the idea of paying a nominal fee for seeing the design first. Perhaps each designing company had their way of doing biz...unfortunately they cant buy us over.

Actually, can feel Vin's sincerity but somehow it's the team of ppl whom they might engage for my project made me think twice. Admit that he's quite inexperienced but ppl need to learn from their mistakes thus he always get Johnson's approval before sending me the quotes. 2nd visit with Vin was meeting up with Johnson too and I got to see Johnson's 2D drawings. Quite impressed already then told them their quotes too high so came the 2nd quotes. Told them I need to add this minus that...then came 3rd quotes. 3rd quotes was quite competitve compared to the other contractor whom I had signed up with. In fact, Vin forgotten to add in quotes for doing up a shower kerb for me then he need to give me FOC for that. Then in the final quotes, Andrew ran thru the quotation again with me then realised that Vin had forgotten to add in the haulage cost for sand then FOC for me again. Due to his lack of experience, reckon my quotations should be charged higher than stated. Even Andrew was telling me that he knew they are not going to earn more than 3K with my project eh. Hmm..come to think of that, I wonder if they be much happier dealing nothing with me. Think they are aiming at bigger projects (note: higher profits). Anyway, glad that the screening part was over for us. Hoping our reno to go smooth smooth eh.

I was contacted by Vin from DG. I had 3 quotes from him and it went as high as 35K to 25K. In fact, hubby and I had shortlisted them with another contractor of mine as both give competitive package to me. Their director, Andrew Loh even brought us to see his client's unit. I would say their workmanship is good if it's just the only unit we saw. Cant comment much cos din see many units. We din chose them as we find the other contractor seems more like a one-stop service company to us as they got their own team of tilers, electricians, plumbers etc. Me & hubby lazy to source around comparing for cheaper items and we were told that DG dont have their own team of electricians thus we rejected them. Do PM me if you like to see the items they have quoted me.

Do talk to Uncle Tan about your doubts too. Im sure he's the best person to answer your queries. If anyone had worked with him before, would know that he dont mark up his price, better still he gives FOC for some material cost and charge client with a nominal fees only. Rem he told me he won't charge very high on his quotes so long he dun suffer alot of loses. Marginal profit is still acceptable. I guess he's trying to earn a little by selling his services more. I won't recommend him to you cos of cheap quotes but highlighting to forumers here of his existence. His price are pretty standard else an "old" uncle like him cant remember so many prices to all his clients for the same item. He keeps telling me he's old...cant remember much hence calling him "old" here. Heh! I sincerely hope that ppl here could find their right contractor and be a happy customer.

Hi iltheas, Not sure if I have "spoken" to you before in one of the local brides forum on Mr Tan's quotes and company info. Should you not feel safe, should advise you to get Mr Tan to prove you some evidence on the relationship between the 2 companies (personally I dont have a worry with that thou =) ). I think it's rather fair to ask Mr Tan to show some the proof so solve the query of your sense of "insecurity" signing up with Eagle Design. I just signed up wtih Uncle Tan and my reno has just started couple of days ago. Saw his team of tilers and insofar, quite happy to see a good job done at a commendable workmanship level for my living hall. I have been laising with him closely for the past few weeks. It took hubby and I some times before we finally settle for him cos hubby was not in town for couple of weeks too. Like some others, we get Uncle Tan to bring us to see some of his client's on-going reno process units and finished reno houses. I even spoken to his clients personally when Mr Tan brought us to view their flats. One of them even told me he had his Pasir Ris flat renovated 10yrs ago and then currently recommended his newly-wed bro to Uncle Tan. Uncle Tan dun usually promote his biz alot thru the media, what he does is via words-of-mouth and that's why ppl do not usually know about their existence. He would be doing this line for coming 30th-year in 2008. After being thru couple of weeks with him on the quotes, I realiased he does his work quite traditionally. He doesn't have a webpage for his company (imagine an uncle in his age still running biz in an old-fashioned way but somehow I have priortised experience when doing my shortlist). I feedback to him too on designing a webpage since most young couples would prefer to view his works online before deciding to give him a call or not. Thus, currently, he has engaged someone to do up a webpage for him already. I was so glad that a forumer of the local bride recommended him to me. Do PM me if you like to know more of Uncle Tan. Fret not if you still dubious of his workmanship, get him to bring you around to see more designs before signing up with him. Also suggest you to compare more prices before sign up. You must feel comfortable working with your contractor. All in all, we all want to find the right contractor with a right price, yah? Good luck to you~!