BlueFly

Hi Fanguojun, My ID charged me $1,300 to replace all the old iron windows in the 4R resale flat, without any grills as I didn't want to feel "locked-in". The price included installation of the vent fans in the bathroom and toilet. I had also obtained a quote from Panggiap for the same work scope. They quoted me about $2,300 via email after coming to my place to take measurements. Installation of vent fan will be charged extra. I also called other windows fty from the classifieds and generally got quotes of $1,800-$2,200 !! You should call yourself to get a feel of the unhealthy market practice -- most suppliers charge what the consumer can bear, not what is reasonable. Most flat owners (like myself) thought going with a ID costs more than directly sourcing from the market place. My experience has been otherwise because the ID's firm has good contacts and long relations with the suppliers, so was able to get good pricing and pass the savings to the customer.

Has anybody used Ikea dioder lights before? I intend to install, maybe 2 or 3 sets of the white round ones, about $75 per set, in the kitchen and bathroom, as a sort of low intensity general lighting on the wall to complement the kitchen ceiling lights using CFLs. Owing to long lifespan and low electricity cost (hmm, set of 4 lights estimated to cost $8 per year for electricity, i.e. 24x7, 365 days @ $0.25 est per kilowatt!) could simply leave the lights on through the night for the kids. Also saves the trouble of switching on/off the kitchen lights when using the kitchen in the evening. Anybody can share their experience of using these LED lights from Ikea or other brands? !!

You mean something like that below? !! That was the original sink / chute installation when the previous owner bought the flat from the HDB, very practical, space-saving and functional. However, I decided to put our washer there and place the new kitchen sink somewhere else. At first hesitated to change the old rubbish chute, so the ID changed it for us -- FOC. What a nice gesture! The new chute is stainless steel, has a rubber lining to shut out smell, and a locking device (supposed to prevent burglars from using the chute to enter the flat, as had happened before).

Some IDs don't like to do extra work, so they always find excuses. You paid good money for yr ID, so tell yr ID you will only believe if you see HDB's reply, even if yr request is not approved. FYI, if HDB approved my request, which was (1) for a change from lourve window to casement window and (2) for the installation of vent fan, I don't see why your request should not be similarly approved ! Yes, KDK has a model (costs about $150) that uses a plastic panel to cover the entire window, then the vent fan is installed onto the plastic panel. But I don't like that approach because it means the entire window is covered up permanently, leaving only the small vent fan opening. Instead, I installed the other KDK model (costs about $52 with GST) that requires the window pane to be cut to attach the vent fan. Then, after someone has used the toilet, the vent fan is switched off, and the window can be opened to air the toilet. The vent fan is used to prevent the smell from getting into the kitchen or bedroom when someone is doing his business. So this way I have the flexibility: open the casement window if I want to, or use the vent fan if needed. And did I mention it is much cheaper too?

My blog showcases some nice toilets, featuring Bellavista from SSC, Toto from Fullsun, American Standard from Hoe Kee, and Oxo from Indulge @ Balestier. Take a look before you go shopping for a toilet, saves you time.

Coolserve gave me the most exp quote amongst several a/c dealers. I contacted Coolserve, GainCity, Natural Cool, and also from the ST classifieds and was surprised at the different prices for the same exact configuration of a/c I was looking for Finally settled for GC as they offered the 2nd lowest quote for my Mit Starmex (26k, 10k, 10k) inverter using R410. But even with GC, different branches can give you different prices for the same units ! But before you start getting quotes, you should first short-list the a/c models that are rated 4 stars for energy efficiency (to reduce yr monthly electricity bill) , then find out what configuration / cooling power you need for yr flat, and then shop around. Don't listen to the sales guy as I found there is a lot of misinformation / misconception floating around. If you don't know the sales guy will "ko-tok" you. There are different "formulas" to calculate the cooling capacity you need to cool yr flat but the one I used is from the Coolserve website as it is more conservative than the others i.e. the formula results in higher BTU required to cool flat. There is also misinformation on this thread (unintentional, I believe), such as the aircon should blow at the passage way instead of the room it is intended to cool ! That may be true in previous years but a/c today are better designed to resolve the issue of "cold" spots. The usual complaints after a/c installation e.g. (1) the a/c is not cold enough (2) the trunking drips water on the wall (3) poor service / installation, etc can be avoided if you research first before you put down the money on your purchase order. Will share my experience in all of the above and what I learnt on a/c installation on my blog later.

Most shops will do free delivery if you purchase $300 worth of goods from them. Sanitary ware cannot take hard knocks, can crack, so be extra careful if you decide to carry yourself. In fact, even tightening screws too much may crack the sink -- check the instruction leaflet that comes with the sink.

You need to call a plumber. Installing a bidet / spray requires a stop-valve to turn on /off the water spray. The plumber needs to cut the piping to the WC bowl for the bidet, just like in my case. I bought a bidet / valve from Poo Joo just last week. Actually my intention is to use the bidet to wash the toilet bowl, and for emergency purposes (oh dear, no toilet paper #3*@ arrggh) oh, pm me if you need my plumber.

The windows fabricator applied on my behalf -- seemed that HDB required the licensed fabricator to apply for approval -- when I replaced all the windows in my flat. My ID told me that ever since some windows fell and drop to the ground floor owing to corroded aluminum rivets, the HDB has been stringent in their approval for windows replacement. So I decided to email the reasons for my window replacement request to my ID and his firm then sent the written request to the HDB. Thus everybody was involved

QUOTE: Hi, Would like to find out how you managed to get HDB approval for the installation of the ventilation fan in the toilet? My flat is exactly the same layout as yours and I am also using Summit. But my ID said that installation of ventilation fan will most likely not be approved by HDB UNQUOTE Been asked above question by Fanguojun (and other forumers) when photos were posted on my blog showing the ventilation fan installed in my toilet window. Fanguojun, I am not surprised by the response of yr ID. In fact, 2 prospective IDs and a few window fabricators I had approached were also uncertain whether they cld get HDB's approval for the change from louvre to top-hung casement windows, and also for the installation of the ventilation fan. One fabricator even told me to go ahead to replace without seeking HDB approval, and they will do the installation for me! Obviously that wouldn't do, as the onus (and penalty) is on the flat owner and not on the fabricator or ID. I think it helped that my ID's window fabricator has many years' experience in the industry and has been approved by the BCA for window installation. In my written request we explained to the HDB that the toilet was situated in the kitchen, and if the toilet had no vent fan, it wld be nauseating to cook or have meals in the kitchen when someone does his business in the toilet. I also pointed out that HDB had previously approved vent fans in bathrooms & toilets for other HDB owners, so a precedent had already been set. After a week HDB sent me the approval letter with a long list of conditions!! You can see from the photos on my blog that laminated glass for the casement window in the toilet and bathroom was used instead of frosted glass. This was a requirement of the approval. Cutting a hole in the laminated safety glass was another story. Hope that answers yr question.

A staff at GainCity told me Toshiba air con is better than Mit because he and his colleagues received less servicing complaints from buyers of Toshiba (and Panasonic) than for Mit. This was after I had placed my deposit for a Mit Starmex System 3. I am just passing on what I was told -- but please don't read too much into the salesman's comment. If more ppl buy Mit Starmex than Toshiba or Panasonic, obviously there will be proportionately more servicing complaints for Starmex. Or maybe the commission on Starmex products is less than for Toshiba / Panasonic, so the salesman is trying to promote products which will earn him higher commission? Maybe aircon buyers should check with their friends on product reliability and cooling experience before they commit. I had previously used several Daikin units (1 to 1 systems) in my previous apartment and was very satisfied with them, but now have to change to Mit because Daikin Sys 3 (fancoil) did not have the 26K BTU that I needed for my living room.

How do you protect yourself against unscrupulous ID/Contractor? Visiting an ID's work at his on-going project site(s) and seeing for yourself the quality of the work done is at best a comfort, but not a guarantee, that he will produce good workmanship for your renovation, for the foll reasons: (1) the sub-con team he used for the work you have just seen may not be available for your renovation, (2) most IDs / Contractors have a (bad) tendency to accept more jobs than they can comfortably handle, leading to "rushed job" for your flat. [ Hint: now you know why I don't recommend too much my ID while my renovation is still not completed!] So, how do you protect yourself against shoddy work and unscrupulous IDs/ Contractors, as well as against the possibility that an ID may not produce good work foir your renovation despite having shown you good work done at his other project sites? Simple -- don't pay a cent until you see evidence of the work done for your renovation!! Let me rephrase that: pay only for work done i.e. use the progress payment method to control your ID / Contractor. That is, if he has detailed his quotation, pay hm according to the work done e.g. suppose he quoted $1,500 for replacing the windows, pay him that amount on completion of that job, after you are satisfied with the work done. Most IDs / contractors ask for 10-30% down payment on first signing the renovation contract. I told my ID, not in a harsh tone but using a gentle, persuasive tone: "Why should I pay you when work has not started? I have more to lose than you. In my case, I cannot run away since you know where my flat is, but if you produce shoddy work, or turn out to be a cheat, you can simply disappear and I would be left with a headache! I want to trust you but I have to be careful lah." Any reputable and experienced ID / design firm (which is what you should get) will have good relations with suppliers. These suppliers don't ask for immediate payment upfront whenever the ID brings his client to select materials but allow the ID firm to pay 1-2 months later, depending on their business relationship. Therefore there is no good reason why you should pay upfront 10-30% of the contract price on first signing the contract. The only reason the ID asks for down payment is in case you change your mind and don't proceed on the renovation with him. That is a lame excuse, because you have signed the contract already! So I told my ID his interests are already (legally) protected when I signed on the dotted line. Of course, as my renovation progressed and I saw that my ID was responsible and did his best for me, I relaxed the payment control and began to trust him more. In other words, instead of you trusting the ID, turn it around and make the ID trust you for payment! Second: insisting on progress payment gives you control. If the work is shoddy or unacceptable, you withhold payment until the problem is rectified. Now, if the ID is responsible and fair, you don't even have to resort to withhold payment. Usually a responsible ID will instruct the sub-con to correct the mistake(s) once he has seen the problem, or when you pointed out such mistakes to him. On your part, you have to be responsible too. If you change your mind about a specific job or you want something done in another way AFTER you have agreed with the ID initially on what you want done, that is NOT the ID's mistake but additional work and is your mistake. Gracefully accept your mistake and be fair to pay the ID for the additional work. If you treat the ID fairly and with respect, he will likewise reciprocate if he is a fair and reasonable guy, like in my case. As my experience of my ID grew, my respect for him grew too. Not that he is totally blameless or perfect, but I found him to be responsible and he has access to sub-cons that produce really good work, as you can see for yourself on my blog. Now, assuming you got an unscrupulous ID / Contractor, what do you do? Well, simply withhold further payment and stop all work. That will cut your loss. Take photos of the work done as proof of the poor workmanship. Unscrupulous IDs / Contractors always shun publicity and you don't need to worry about any legal suits. If any, your photos will usually clinch the case for you. Flat owners should learn how to protect themselves, and help stamp out unscrupulous IDs / Contractors using the method I advocate. === Proposal -- Consumer Registry of Contractors I was disheartened to read on this forum sad and unhappy experiences that some owners have had with unscrupulous contractors. So this is a proposal: Responsible contractors have an organization such as RADAC which has a code of business ethics and rules that member contractors must abide with. Whether RADAC best serves the interests of consumers or contractors is for each individual to decide, although common sense would dictate it is difficult for any organization to represent both oposing parties in a dispute, isn't it? Nevertheless I have a healthy regard for RADAC and applaud its good efforts to improve overall construction standards and to weed out unscrupulous contractors. Maybe we should have our own consumer's registry or organization to table consumers' experience with their contractors, both good and bad experiences i.e. a registry to serve best interests of consumers -- along the foll lines: ID or Contractor name: xxx No of Consumers who have used the firm : e.g. 10 No of complaints of poor workmanship: e.g. 3 No of good recommendations: e.g. 7 Forumers who have completed their renovation would be sent a questionnaire and encouraged to submit their judgment / conclusion on the work of the ID / Contractor engaged, and the results tabulated in the above registry, and linked to the relevant thread(s) for the details / blogs. Obviously, the contractors wld have the right of reply to complaints filed by a flat owner, and then it is up to the forumer to judge for himself the complaint. If the contractor concerned don't respond after the registry contacted him for feedback, that also wld be telling. Lots of administration work, yes, but RenoTalk is the ideal forum to handle such a registry. Obviously in this preliminary post the registry proposal is bare and many details need to be flushed out. Let's see first if there is support. Many owners are simply too busy and are only keen while doing their renovation. Once that is completed, interest would vanish, so the registry idea may not take root at all. So, what do you think of the proposal? Would you support it? And would you volunteer your services for such a registry?

Aiyo, Skyrren, I just saw yr post today 16-Mar-08 -- alamak -- because I didn't check back on the thread. A thousand apologies PM sent on ID's contact. Give me some time to share more thoughts / impressions on my renovation as I ran into problems recently, - with the movers (had to use 3 different movers), - was locked in for 6 hrs in my MBR and had to call police / civil defence for help (not a fault of the contractor but the lockset, more on that story later), - waited for several weeks for the windows contractor to change the old iron windows in my toilet & bathroom, without which tilers and plumber could not complete their works. I will put up my format, checklist, etc (and maybe this post) on my blog later, and to ensure I don't lose track of it! Let me know if you need other assistance.

You're absolutely right, Tulips. We think alike. Tiling work is probably the most important part of the entire renovation process, and the tiling quality (to me) will make or break the interior design. So too are works related to the doors, windows and plumbing, because these interior elements have to be undertaken concurrently with the floor & wall tiling in order to produce a good & acceptable fit and finish. For instance, my ID instructed the tiler not to complete the tiling of the wall area around the windows as those old iron windows in my flat have to be removed and new aluminum windows installed. It is difficult to remove old iron windows -- I've seen it -- brute force had to be used to hack off my old iron window frame. In the process pieces of concrete cracked and fell from the window ledge as well as from the perimeter of the window frame. Hence it is necessary to wait until the new window is installed before finishing the wall area tiling around the new window frame. That explains why on my blog the photos show the windows not tiled yet -- I'm still waiting for the toilet / bathroom windows to be replaced, subject to HDB approval. As to whether luck played a part in getting good tilers -- well, I have to point out I checked out several IDs' work first (and shortlisted 2) before signing the contract with the eventual choice. So there is a bit of work and due diligence involved. However, even after seeing the work done at some project sites, I still harbored some reservation: would / could my ID get the same team of tilers (tilers always work together as a team) that produced the good work I saw? My anxieties were laid to rest when the tilers started work, so perhaps luck did play a part after all

Hi teacubet, Email on ID's contact sent as requested. Hope to see photos on yr renov soon.

Sorry to hear of your unhappy experience; I can understand yr pain coz I cannot tolerate poor workmanship too. I don't know if this will help: best way is "show and tell" on this forum, as a warning to other IDs/contractors that owners now have a platform to complain legally i.e. if you show pictures of the poor work done and identify the ID/contractor who did yr renovation, that is within yr rights and you are protected as long as you stick to "facts" and not insinuate or defame the ID in any way. Conversely, show pictures and praise if you are happy with the work done by the ID. If yr contractor thinks his work meets the standard, let forumers be the judge: show pictures and name the contractor, and tell him he is on the forum. If he is honest he will realize the folly of short-changing his customers all the time. If he gets upset to be named that only proves his guilt. Obviously this does nothing for yr renovation, but it is a legal way of getting back at the contractor who does shoddy work. Take care, and be well.

You're welcome, ppoil. One toilet is sufficient for my wife and I, as our son is working overseas. We moved in at end-Feb as we were required to surrender our apartment to the buyer-developer on 10-Feb, later extended to 29-Feb at our request by the gracious buyer-developer -- altho' renovation was, and still has, not been completed yet. So far the wet works have been completed, doors changed, windows changed (except for toilet & bathroom windows, waiting for HDB approval), rewiring and plumbing half-way through because our ID wants to get the toilet/bathroom window replaced first before installing the WC. This is so that the WC will not be damaged by the window works. So, yes, the toilet hopefully will be finished soon and I can then put the photo on my blog. Dunno if our flat is "beautifullly done up". We were more concerned with workmanship than design, our thinking being that good workmanship adds to what we feel is a rather simple design -- as long as it feels like home, nice and cosy, we are happy. We get irked by poor workmanship more than anything else!! PM sent on painter contact -- cavaet: please read my post on negotiation with the painter in order not to have misunderstanding/miscomm. Think I'll put the post on my blog later for easier reference. Let me know if you need any other assistance.

Don't fall for the trick. Any ID who gives this sort of answer should be suspect. In fact, I found the price variation between IDs/contractors for the same job so huge that I wld advise all to get different quotes as much as possible. Otherwise it is easy to get slaughtered. And get rid of IDs who give ridiculous reasons to justify their pricing! As an example: I got a separate windows quote by email (from PG, recommended by a forumer) to compare against another quote from my ID. I needed only to replace the windows minus the grills, as I decided window grills made me feel "locked-in" . Surprise, surprise -- PG quoted me $2,334 vs $1,300 from my ID's contractor (plus ID markup) for the same exact job!! I expect to see a difference, but not that huge! I was outraged! PM me if you wish to see the PG email quote and my ID's pricing. Oh yes, PG will justify its higher price with the usual "our aluminum is thicker, our glass is superior, etc", blah, blah, as if all customers are born suckers. There is the rubbish/myth I read on this forum that you get what you pay for, meaning higher price equates to better quality! Where is the logic? We get good quality and workmanship only if we get good workers. Materials play a part in some respect, sure, to a limited extent, but their role have been inflated/distorted by dishonest salesmen. Good workers who take pride in their work will not cheat by using inferior materials -- that has been my experience. Anybody who still doubt on the materials' role can see the windows made by my ID contractor: well made, materials as specified by HDB/BCD, even with thick felt (??) and rubber lining to give a good seal against dust and air draft from outside the flat. I have more examples (eg granite flooring $2,800 from one ID vs my ID's $5,000, later cut down to $3,800 which I accepted, but that is another story), but do not wish to detract from the original poster's query.

Hello FrancisJunie ! Email sent. I'm not sure but you sure can try. In my case, originally I had wanted to do a full renovation, but as time was against me -- I had to move out of my apartment by 10 Feb 08 -- I contracted with my ID to do only the essentials ie wet works, plumbing, windows, and doors, and do the rest (ie kitchen cabi, wardrobe, study, etc) after I had moved into the flat. I therefore think if he was prepared to do my smaller job he should have no problem doing yours.

Mine is a 4R resale flat. Spent $1,100 for laminated floor for 2 bedrooms (I hacked away 1 bedroom wall for a bigger living /dining area) and $5,200 for enlarged living /dining room area. I decided on granite flooring for the living /dining area. Homogeneous tiles should be slightly cheaper than granite. Cost i/c hacking off existing floor tiles/skirting in br, lr, dining areas. Workmanship can be seen on my blog. PM me if you want my id's contact.

Check out my blog. If you like the workmanship, pm me for the id / contractor's contact.

If you want to know what is an acceptable level of workmanship, or to show your ID / contractor what is an acceptable standard of work, head to this post: Workmanship - Doors. You can see closeups of the work done. I also intend to show in subsequent postings unacceptable workmanship, if and when they arise, as my renovation is still in progress. P.S. If any forummer has any photos of workmanship (examples of good or unacceptable workmanship) they like to feature on my blog, they may send them to me by email. I shall use my discretion to decide if the submissions are appropriate or suitable. Thanks in advance !

Seems you got a flat similar to mine. Check my blog photos to see if it is similar, in which case the answer to yr question is No, not possible to have another WC for 2 reasons: thickness of floor (and you wld involve the flat below i.e. no possible), sewage hole is already fixed. I had also wanted to hack the wall separating the standalone WC from the shower room so as to get a large space all-in-one bathroom. That was not possible because of the pipes standing in the way of the wall. Then I decided to change and re-orient the squat to a sitting pedestal type. I could change the squat WC but not re-orient it because the sewage hole in the floor cannot be moved. To get a low quote, first use the ID's "promotional" pricing as a starting point to negotiate what you want done. Without that promotional pricing as a benchmark most IDs / contractors will quote you a much higher figure. Hope that helps and good luck.

You are welcomed. Let me know how it goes. I had all the old cast-iron pipes in the kitchen replaced to uPVC ones. Although the uPVC pipes still look big to me, somehow they look neater. I had them replaced not because of aesthetics but for practicality, as I was afraid the cast-iron pipes may start leaking as the flat is already 29-yr old. The kitchen iron pipes leaked so badly the previous owner had them replaced and his kitchen cabinet was sacrificed to access the pipes, as you can see from the photo. The leakage issue was important to me because I have asked my ID to box up the piping in the shower and the kitchen. Few ppl realized this, but you can additionally apply silicon around the pipe joints externally to doubly prevent leakage. On replacement cost, my ID charged me $1200 to change the cast iron pipes and $300 to replace the squat WC to a sitting pedestal type. I felt the $1200 was on the high side but $300 was lower than what others quoted (one ID -- $480 and one plumber $520 from NTUC agency). There seems to be no "standard" pricing and everyone seems to charge pricing based on their whim and fancy (so it seems to me). I was in fact shocked when I learnt that HDB has a price checklist for changing pipes, and the indicated price range was much lower than those quoted to me. Since I had decided to trust the ID for my renovation, I went ahead because on balance his overall quote was comparable to the others (after much pressure!). He was also quite reasonable because some things I did not ask for, he provided without charge e.g. initially I wanted to retain the existing rubbish chute as it seemed ok to me, but he hacked it and put in a new one that you can see on my blog photo. One other ID had quoted $300 to replace the chute. But what really impressed me was that all his subs are skilled and responsible, and so far I have had no issue with any of them. == It is not advisable to hack the wall using a worker you get directly, with the intention to engage a contractor or ID later. Most of these contractors will "ko-tok" you when you do that (my previous experience several years ago when the tilers did not return after I had paid them fully, and had to get another contractor to finish up) because the job is piecemeal and most of them prefer to handle jobs of a certain value. In any event, hacking requires HDB permit -- that means you need to go thro a licensed contractor or ID, so might as well engage them to do the whole renovation. It is also preferable you gather all yr thoughts and what you want to do before you start renovation. Renovation works, once started, have their own schedule and drumbeat and you will be hard-pressed to make decisions all the time if you hv not made prior planning and thinking abt what you want done. As for my windows, the window contractor has to apply to the HDB (not the ID which is given a separate permit). They took measurements yesterday and made the application today. Like you, I think lighting is a key ingredient in interior design, except it is hard (probably costly too) to get a good lighting consultant locally, and few provide such services, except maybe some architects and these are costly. So I am looking forward to yr experimentation and outcome. Have you thought of using LED lighting?

ac_ric: pm sent as requested.