Bubee7788

I am falling in love with this kitchen done by my contractor. I also saw that they do waterproofing for sink and vanity cabinets' plywood now. Their new clients should be very happy about this as that should make the sink cabinet a lot more lasting.

ok pm you already. You should check out his facebook and instagram, you will be impressed with his latest kitchen renovation projects which other IDs do not do.

pls chk your pm for my contractor contact

Contact sent

Your mailbox is probably full

I am surprised that your project cannot be assigned to his manager or someone else. Hope they did refund your deposit since they cancelled and walk away. You must have signed a package of rigid items which some IDs refused to be flexible even for amending length of kitchen cabinets from the usual 20 ft to smaller quantity. Therefore, it is best to get an itemised package, not a lump sum package, especially it has many freebies which I believed is selected based on their costs rather than to your needs. Also be very careful of those cash vouchers to shops selling sanitary ware, lightings, curtains, etc. because they are not cheap. With the low costs of advertising of social media, a lot of experienced and good designers with good customer service have left such large companies to start up on their own. They would have built up a strong referral client base which is the most effective. No need to share half of their commissions with the bosses and no boss to report to. Hence these small IDs or contractors with low overheads or zero overhead if they work from home, can be very competitive vs the large companies. Once they get their HDB licence after a year of operating on private property projects and exams, they are usually reliable and should do a good job if you deal with the license holder, not the salesman. A lot of run away IDs discussed here in this forum like the recent news on Carpentry Design Works are not HDB licensed and offered a lot of freebies and discounts to attract unsuspecting clients. On the other hand, large companies like CXXX Interiors are no longer around. Therefore, it is best to follow the HDB registered designers that you like over several projects and see their works and workmanships, before you appoint them. Never based your decisions solely on 3D drawings, size of company, past reputations, trophies awards which can be bought, or have own factory which may have poor workmanships as some large carpentry factories carpenters come and go. If you follow the projects over time, you can even specify the team of carpenters subcons of worksmanship which you have seen and are satisfied with. If they are forthcoming with their current and past works and show them to you sincerely, let you talk to the owners, I think you can work with them on your renovations.

Hi FurryDog, PM you

Agreed! For all we know since they are probably setting this scam up from the beginning, they may have bought a trophy and engraved their name on it, and subsequently post it on facebook to deceive some homeowners thinking if they are award winners, they must be reliable and reputable. Lesson here is some dubious awards can be misleading and big companies can closed. The bigger the company or overheads, they have to cover the higher expenditure or they will be in trouble sooner or later. With the low costs of online marketing, a lot of smaller players entered the industry and gave the big boys a big fight with better pricing and lower overheads. A friend who as an experienced sale designer in a large ID came out and start this own firm. He don't have to share 50% of his profits with his ex-boss and can quote lower since his setup is a small shop. Not to mentioned some that worked from home, the ultimate low overheads. Working from home is fine as long as they do a good honest business. The papers said CDW has 2 offices. The other thing I heard is that CDW gave away a lot of freebies like system 4 aircon, quartz countertops, windows, electrical installation and on top of that a big discount on the total amount. i am wondering if there is so much profits to give away all these freebies. Looks like a setup to budget conscious owners who are taken in by the false savings. I am always very sceptical about IDs giving away lots of freebies such one advert I saw with $5000 freebies for a $10,000 package. Owners beware! Nothing is free! From today's news, no HDB permits were applied for the renovation works like hacking of walls. Therefore, if the owners were to just check whether they have HDB licence in the first place, a lot of troubles can be avoided since we know that only HDB licence holders can apply for renovation permits. Even if the works do not require permits like carpentry, any person claiming to be very experience and reputable, especially with an award, who is the director and have not yet acquired a HDB renovation license. If they do not have the license, either they have some issues or they are a new startup in the market. Being new is understandable since any experienced and creative designers got to start somewhere. Like I say, do your homework. Track and visit their work and projects over time and not 3D drawings.

From what I know from my contractor who has taken over recently a project done by them. It was severely delayed and less than 20 percent finished despite paying over 90 percent. It seems that their SME500 awards, free aircon and quartz kitchen countertops enticed many victims. I am wondering how a company only formed last year can be awarded SME500 award.

It is a long time since I posted anything. I posted part of this comment in another tread and I thought I added these suggestions here for anyone seeking renovation contractors or IDs. ------------------------------------------------- I think for owners to sign their interior designers or contractors, they should do their homework. My own 10 suggestions for appointing an ID or contractor as follows: 1) Do an Acra company search to check - directors, owners, date of incorporation, capital, etc. it costs only $5 I think which is a small sum to what you are paying them. 2) Check their HDB Renovation contractor license - avoid those without licence if possible, unless you know them personally. Do note that a lot of ID borrow licence from professional licence issurers for a fee for every project if I am not mistaken. Check whether the name of the licence holder which is on HDB website is the same as the companies' directors. It is even better if your renovator is the same HDB licence holder. It is so easy for any one to open and shut a renovation company, and then start another one. Nowadays, even automotive car companies and gyms are having similar issues. Having a nice showroom and office, does not meant they will not shut down and leave you hanging after paying for your works. 3) Pay them in stages. If possible, do progressive payments. I read somewhere in Renotalk forum that some other contractors do this. I know it can be done because my contractor have quite similar payment method - he only collects after he started work or materials delivered at site or completion of that stage of works. If your contractor or ID simply refuse any other progressive options except theirs of paying over 90 percent for works that are not even near what is completed, I suggest you keep looking for one or be careful because hopefully you are not being setup to be a scam victim. 4) Never pay cash to sale designers as I have heard some of them run away with the payment. Even if you pay to the company, pay only to the owner or director of the company as listed in Acra search. 5) Take a picture of the director and sales designer's face and his NRIC. They should come handy in your police report in case of problems or identification of who you are dealing with and are they the same persons as shown in the Acra company report or the quotation you received from them. I think if they are honest, I don't see a problem if they can take a photo of my NRIC and I cannot take theirs. 6) Project completion deadlines to be included, perhaps with some flexibility but not 6 or 7 or more months when it should take not more than 3 months. 7) Have the clause option in the contract to stop the project at any stage and pay up to that stage if the renovation progress are completely out schedule. 8) Know your renovator. If they are a referral from someone you know, it is even better. Talk to them about things other than your renovation. Look at the character of your sales designers and more importantly, the boss of the company. Of course, before signing and payment, everything is nice. I am sorry to say, some really look and talk like gangsters or loan sharks. 9) Follow them on facebook or instagram for sometime before appointing them. Who is not on facebook nowadays. See progressive photos from start till finish. Be very careful of companies who only post 3D drawings and not progressive to the final completed renovation pictures. 10) Go with experienced contractor who knows their stuff if possible. Hopefully your house is not a testing project for a young newbies, unless they have a mentor behind all the way throughout your renovation and not during the pre-sales signing period only. I am not sure how many IDs or contractors can agree to the above, but it offers more protection to owners who got scammed often in renovation as reported in the media and in this forum. Anyway, these are my personal opinions. Good luck! ----------------------------------------------

I happened to come across this thread. It is sad that this company got so many negative comments. On the other hand, the positive comments here only show 3D drawings of works with no actual pictures of completed works. My personal opinion is why the company do not put up more direct replies or post actual completed renovation pictures or pictures with satisfied clients here. Maybe that will help. From this company's facebook, you are a SME500 award winner, then your company should be long established and certainly not a small company compared with numerous other IDs and contractors. I think for owners to sign their interior designers or contractors, they should do their homework. My own 10 suggestions for appointing an ID or contractor as follows: 1) Do an Acra company search to check - directors, owners, date of incorporation, capital, etc. it costs only $5 I think which is a small sum to what you are paying them. 2) Check their HDB Renovation contractor license - avoid those without licence if possible, unless you know them personally. Do note that a lot of ID borrow licence from professional licence issurers for a fee for every project if I am not mistaken. Check whether the name of the licence holder which is on HDB website is the same as the companies' directors. It is even better if your renovator is the same HDB licence holder. It is so easy for any one to open and shut a renovation company, and then start another one. Nowadays, even automotive car companies are having similar scams. Having a nice showroom and office, does not meant they will not shut down and leave you hanging. 3) Pay them in stages. If possible, do progressive payments. I read somewhere here that some other contractors do this. I know it can be done because my contractor have quite similar payment method - he only collect after he started work or materials delivered at site or completion of that stage of works. If your contractor or ID simply refuse any other progessive options except theirs of paying over 90 percent for works that are not even near what is completed, I suggest you keep looking for one or be careful because hopefully you are not being setup to be a scam victim. 4) Never pay cash to sale designers as I have heard some of them run away with the payment. Even if you pay to the company, pay only to the owner or director of the company as listed in Acra search. 5) Take a picture of the director and sales designer's face and his NRIC. They should come handy in your police report in case of problems or identification of who you are dealing with and are they the same persons as shown in the Acra company report or the quotation you received from them. I think if they are honest, I don't see a problem if they can take a photo of my NRIC and I cannot take theirs. 6) Project completion deadlines to be included, perhaps with some flexibility but not 6 or 7 or more months when it should take not more than 3 months. 7) Have the clause option in the contract to stop the project at any stage and pay up to that stage if the renovation progress are completely out schedule. 8) Know your renovator. If they are a referral from someone you know, it is even better. Talk to them about things other than your renovation. Look at the character of your sales designers and more importantly, the boss of the company. Of course, before signing and payment, everything is nice. I am sorry to say, some really look and talk like gangsters or loan sharks. 9) Follow them on facebook or instagram for sometime before appointing them. Who is not on facebook nowadays. See progressive photos from start till finish. Be very careful of companies who only post 3D drawings and not progressive to the final completed renovation pictures. 10) Go with experienced contractor who knows their stuff if possible. Hopefully your house is not a testing project for a young newbies, unless they have a mentor behind all the way throughout your renovation and not during the pre-sales signing period only. I am not sure how many IDs or contractors can agree to the above, but it offers more protection to owners who got scammed often in renovation as reported in the media and in this forum. Anyway, these are my personal opinions. Good luck!

When I looked at my contractor's recent projects in his facebook and instagram, I am getting more and more impressed with his artwork and renovation interior designs. I have taken the liberty of posting some of his pictures here below. Enjoy!

Reply Iamsteven He is a HDB licensed contractor and ID, but at direct contractor pricing, also an artist as all the artwork are done by him. Of course, he uses sub-contractors to do his carpentry, electrical, masonry works, ceiling, plumbing, glass, etc. He coordinate and project manage everything himself. I will send you his contact.

Hi FrodoNeo, I get lots of similar questions, my contractor/designer does renovation works for the whole house besides kitchen, of which he is very unique in Singapore as he is the only one doing art designs for kitchen glass backing and doors compared to mostly plain spray painted glass offered by other IDs. My glass backing design was a modification from his existing hand drawings. Will PM you his contact.