jaCKY777

Het eRiam, i think u r refering 2 HC-Interior. It is e Interior Design Arm of *spam* Design, which e reno license is registered under. i had asked in forum b4, no reply e package pricing seems reasonable 2 mi. Not e ex or cheap type. I had spoke 2 e Design Manager. Overall, its a nice experience, did not waste my time. If u kinda interested in them, jus go dn, - ask abt e company profile & background - request 2 view completed units (live or pix) - let them noe ur Design Theme - let them noe ur Requirements - let them noe ur Budget. Allow them some time (normally 1 wk), to work out e Propose Layout Plan & Quotation. Then u can decide then.

Hey Mrs_Png, finally, TPY 79 flat t-blog is cuming up again. e 3D drawings beli e nice lei. e quotation olso seems beli e reasonable. Hope u hav a smooth reno. Pix pix more pix.

Common practice of payments -> 10% upon confirmation of contract 40% before commencement of works 40% before commencement of carpentry 10% upon completion of works

if u r asking mi, then my ans is - havnt lei. - if u had chose e homo tiles with veins or pattern, u can instruct e Id/contractor/subcon/tiler 2 lay e tiles with e veins or pattern in a specific direction 2 ur preference. - dat means e tiles' veins or pattern wil hav e same direction of flow. - even e most expensive tiles 1 chooses, e supplier olso canot guarantee e tiles r 100% in e same size & 100% flat. - b4 layin of tiles, a skillful & good tiler wil do marking on e tile edge, take in2 considerations of flow direction & tile size or shape. so dat he can match e tiles s close s possible. - dis is 2 achieve a better appearance of e tile joints. - on top of these steps, e tiler may insert paper/cardboard in between e tiles wen laying, 2 make e joint more even. This is tediuos work, hardly ppl do liao, nowadays. - recomended joint gap shd b abt 3-5mm. - even e above steps r being carried out, there stil wont b 100% even in e joints. Definitely, there wil b some joints which r wider or narrowwr than e others. - even e above steps r being carried out, there wont b 100% leveled in e tiles. Definitely, there wil some tiles which r slighlt higher or lower than e others. - there is olso a layer of protective wax on e tile surface. e supplier wil recomends & e contractor shd noes whether To or Not To polish e tile surface, to achieve e best appearance of e tiles. - after e final chemical wash, some of e white cement in e tile joint might b washed away. - 1 gota search thru, spot them & instruct e ID/contractor 2 cum & touch up. By means of refilling e gaps with white cement. - if not, e 'cut-leg' feeling wil b there s homo tiles edge r sharp. Unlike ceramic tiles which r rounded in edges. - best is not to choose homo tiles which r bigger in size (eg. 800 x 800mm). Reason being if e batch of tiles do warp slightly, it wil b very obvious, compare 2 600 x 600mm tiles. Aniway, its up 2 individual preference & tolerance & requirements. e long story above is base on personal knowledge, pls update mi if any1 got better explanations or ans. K. Mi bluff 2 much liao. Continue some other time.

Hey euph0bear, i kinda slow. Yah saw ur earlier post on e tile range. Yah. work within ur budget. In terms of pricing, durability, lifespan, esthetic etc u decide e best option which best suits u loh. Aniway, postform worktop r e in-thing in e olden days. Not saying its no gd, jus dat during olden days >10yrs ago, it is cheaper lah. Mayb solid surface havnt even born yet. My current kitchen worktop is postform worktop, had been using it >10yrs. Stil in good condtion (touch wood hor). In fact, e laminate finish of postform worktop is more resistant 2 scratches etc than solid surface.

Hey coco_mybibi, u r very rite. Hey euph0bear, yah, i'd got ur PM, Thks. & I had briefly read thru. Jus wondering - r u doin e solid ply postformed worktop with backsplash for ur kitchen cabinets? - wat is e max tile range u r able 2 select? fyi, - postformed worktop is a layer of laminates wrap over solid plys. e profile (front nosing) is rounded. e inner edge which is nearer e wall (perpendicular 2 wall tiles), is sealed by means of silicon sealant. If it is backsplash, them i guess u may b able 2 see 2 lines of silicon sealant. 1 at e jointin pt of e laminates. 2 is e jointin of e backsplash laminates & e wall tiles. - homo tiles price range is frm abt $2.70 - $3.70 per sq feet. $2.70 = normal homo tiles w or w/o veins, $3.70 = super glossy/shinny tiles w or w/o veins. Aniway, its jus my views, for ur reference. Pardon mi if i'm kpo.

Hey euph0bear, Design proposal, quotation, contract, verbal & written understanding & comfortablity all olso there, u mus b beli e happy & lokin 4ward e reno. i wish u smooth reno. Aniway, i olso wana kpo e quotation, PM mi, can? Hav any1 of u ever wonder how an ID reno co is able 2 absorb GST? Dis is wat i noe -> 1) ID co with annual turnover less than $1 million - No Need Pay 7% GST to gahment. 2) If ID co annual turnover exceed $1 million, Need Pay 7% GST to gahment. E co wil absorb e GST by means of using a sister co's name. eg. XYZ Interior Design is e main co. Sister co is 890 Renovation Contractor - XYZ Interior Designis e co u consult & obtain ur Design Proposal & Quotation. - Upon confirmation of Contract, e docs u gona sign on r printed with e letterhead of 890 Renovation Contractor. - Watever payment u gona make is paid to 890 Renovation Contractor. (vice versa) - Both co olso under e leadership of e same boss, jus dat latter co may hav not exceed e $1 million turnover, so no nid 2 pay 7% GST. - In dis case, e latter co can b use 2 'so call absorb e GST'. Mayb there r other ways. Aniway, its jus fyi

Hey neighbours, below is an xtract frm earlier post, had not been updated since, fyi & necessary actions. Blk 79A sushibabe, sha08ron, justnoop, rickyer8, coco_mybibi, apple68, soudezne, poohnie23, HarryP, whiteboxer, Skywu, Shivan, Darkwing, cece, TPY, rachel79, euph0bear Blk 79B bonkitty, twotwobravo, jen t, carelinwen & craB, Slog, gui99, Redhat, janicezuzu, will&pet, REDCRYSTAL, joelex, rofffade, lcylim, Ptro Blk 79C doremi, humster / nancy, meowie49, Bethel, Derrick, Stardust, almonddust, M&M, strawberry_pear, Platonic1, joesphine, zanie98, gadgetman, nakazoru, sdale, Isabelle BLk 79D Yel, yingsan, droplets, Ikoice, pink_sea79, Zeester, Mario, Snuffleupagus, tension_z, rainbow04, alister, ms_white, shay_d, dino, xinni, tweakmax, aural, pregopia Blk 79E Mapleleaf, hobbes, axis, Happy, kiwy, Darry, Skyblueie, Ebing & Chrispy, marklim, jaCKY777, meepok, babymaro2003

Scenerio 1 : I do not noe e cost price from supplier, only noes e average market price of XYZ solid surface worktop. - ID A quote mi $85 - ID B quote mi $90 - ID C quote mi $95 Wen discusin with ID C, my 1st reaction wld b -> Wah, how cum e same solid surface is so much expensive? i wil then compare e quality & workmanship against e price. Scenerio 2 : I noe e cost price frm supplier (eg. $50) & e profit margin (eg. $35) of IDs or contractors. - ID A quote mi $85 - ID B quote mi $90 - ID C quote mi $95 Wen discusin with ID C, my 1st reaction wld b -> Wah, supplier's cost price only $50, now u wana earn almost 100% frm it. My attention is now focus on how much e ID could gain frm it & not whether e solid surface quality & workmanship is worth dat price. i wil doubt e ID's professionalism. e mindset is different. i wld prefer scenerio 1. If every item i wana noe how much e ID/contractor could gain, i wil b 'sibeiboeng'. There's nothing wrong in sharing info & pricing if 1 noes. Cant deny zacky_ling does provide valuable info, jus dat if e earlier post can replace e supplier cost price with $???, it'l b good enough for any consumer. This is wat i meant. I not replying dat thread starter is spoiling e market. My english is GCE 'O' failed 1, no wonder ppl can misinterpret. If 1 wana noe how much every item e ID or contractor can earn frm him, i olso got no rite 2 stop him. If a ID in disguise wana post e whole list of suppliers' cost price, i olso got no rite 2 stop him. I only can post my views.

Hey euph0bear, alister is rite. Personally, i find e quotation kinda cheap. Even Contractor olso canot fight. FYI : How 2 calculate floor tiling price -> eg. master bedroom - super shine homogeneous tile @ $3.50 per sq feet - cement & sand & labour to lay @ $3.00 Total flooring price for master bedroom = [(internal floor area of master bedroom + skirting)sqft + 10% wastage] x ($3.50 + $3.00) How 2 calculate carpentry -> eg. kitchen cabinet - 10ft top kit cabinet @ $120 per foot run - 10ft bottom cabinet @ $120 per foot run - 10ft solid surface worktop @ $90 per foot run Total price for kit cabinet = [(10 + 10)ft x $120] + (10ft x $90) = $3300 Note : e per foot run pricing varies frm IDs to IDs, Contractors to Contractors. But e method of computing shd b jus like e above s e minimum. Some ID/contractor may include e solid surface worktop $$$ into e carpentry, then states e solid surface is FREE.

Even u noes e market very well, by writing such post, i find u r spoiling e market.

Hey euph0bear, mi no hav gd or bad comments on e IDs above. if u r going dn Balestier Rd dis wkend, mayb u wana try - I-bridge Design (next door of Lighting House, opp e market undergoing upgrading). - HC-interior (next door of Hafary- tile supplier). Dis r e 2, i'm pleasant with wen consulting. My preference may not b e same s urs. Aniway, no harm consulting & getting a quote. Evaluate, decide & take action then.

Hey lxiul, - New Standard Flat cums with cement rendering (rough finish). - If new 'owner' (u), wana do laminated or parquet or timber flooring, u gota submit e Cement Screed Request Form at e Branch Office of ur area. - How efficient is e cement screed workers ngage by hdb? Gota depends liao. Might take 1 day to few wks. - Some ppl who got more $$$ 2 spend, they may choose 2 pay their own ID's flooring contractor 2 do it. - Some ppl who r doing cement screed flooring (no tile, Industrial look), olso have 2 ask their ID's contractor 2 do it. At an additional cost, bcos special chemical is added 2 smoothen & improve e properties of e cement. Note : curing (dry & harden) time for e screed is different for laminated flooring & parquet.

2 day i din felt any, s i'm at grnd level. las time wen i was at Gateway Building, e building SHAKES. Though it was a mere few seconds, i tel u, e feeling i got was like pointing a gun at mi

Hey crazycar, pardon mi kpo. - so u frm SERS? - existing Havelock flat 3-rm? Owned by u & partner? - new Jln Membina Flat 3-rm? Floor area? Additional ppl gona live 2gether? - hdb buy bak existing flat, e amount u transfer 2 new JM flat. Wats e addition amount of $$$ u need 2 pay? i gues it wld b very minimal. Can PM mi, if u find its inconvenient 2 post here. Jus curious.

Hey Keropi, temporary keep e unwated new fittings somewher (shelter or locked rm). If u confirmed wont b using e items, can consider sellin them now at discounted rate. If not, wen e reno is near complete, u may wana sell e items then. e risk 2 take note is dat e items u r storing temporary is kinda many & bulky, it may b lost or damage durin e process, & may even slow dn e reno progress. u can post here -> RenoTalk Forums > Post Renovation Forums > Garage Sales & Exchange Corner

Hey Wildreds, my views below. Neighbours pls update if i'm wrong. Haulage -> - $900 (4-rm), - $1000 (5-rm). - payable 2 e Term Contractor who sub e whole 79 contract. - their workers wil upload ur watever goods & materials frm grnd lev 2 inside ur unit. - ur ID/contractor wil olso buy sand & cement (for flooring & masonry works) frm them. - unless ur ID/contractor got their own source of sand cement supply & uploading goods workers. - dis scenerio wil happen esp with resale flat. Debris Removal -> - different Town Council charges differently. - less than $200. - dis fee is for e clearing of reno debris (esp. hacking of walls), frm outside ur unit 2 their designated disposal areas. (eg. collection tank) - if no hacking of wall, unlikely wil b chargeable. (TC dependent) - gota take note, if u pay dis Debris Removal Fee 2 ur ID, make sure wen u receive e letter frm Town Council, it is a Receipt of Payment / Tax Invoice not a Bill 4 payment. - I gues ur ID got his own lobang, if u can save some $$$, then y not? - But mus take note, who is dis 'another person'? - If 'they' r e ID's own men, then y not? - If 'they' r whom ur ID met & been offered e service, then pray hard? - Ur ID firm is an old company, hdb licensed & RADAC accredition etc. - Unlikely they wil cheat u. Jus gota b sure wat can b done, wat canot b done, s rules may change anytime. e above r base on my own understanding & views. It does not prove my stand for any of e parties mentioned. Also, u might wana read thru 1 pg bak, check with fellow member here, whether hers is e same situation? Her ID co is e same s urs. Clue - she posted b4 i asked abt e bathtub thingy.

Hey zirhk3355, Personally, - i find wat u had written make sense. It is very true olso. - Ur suggestions olso sound reasonable. - If stick 2 e old system but with further restrictions & rules, it wil stil work fine. - Be it gahment or commoner, both olso benefits. - With e new system, it had defeated e 'Affordable Public Housing' motto which was started frm day 1 (1960s). - Earlier days, ppl look 4ward 2 'buy' a flat, due 2 hygiene, modernization, urban planning etc. - Nowadays, ppl 'buy' flat is 4 e sake of buying. Some even reluctant or cant afford, cos once u 'buy', u r in debt. e accumulated interest over e loan period, is much higher than 'loan shark', esp with e current pegging of New Flat Prices against Resale Flat Prices. i'm not gd in writing, s compare 2 ur post. Wonder u got interest 2 compete for 'political postion'? If u do, i definitely wil support u.

2 day i heard another gossip, they said e gossip above was only partially rite. - In e recent balloting exercise (feb08), can see frm e nos. of applications dat e TPY flats were highly sought after. - Dat means, during e previous balloting exercise (aug05), most likely e flats were all booked & chosen. - If dats e case, how 2 explain e availabilty of e current 103 nos. of unit? - Most likely, e units were chosen. A option fee of $2000 was being paid 2 booked e unit. - Subsequently, due 2 unforeseen circumstances, e selected units were given up. - e paid option fee of $2000 were olso forfeited. (never return 2 applicant) Now, dis is e real gossip -> - current available units in TPY 79 = 103 - option fee = $2000 - Total amount of forfeited monies = 103 x $2000 = $206,000 - B4 e units were being sold, e gain = $102,400 + $206,000 = $308,400 e amount is sufficient 2 buy another new flat or mayb 2.

Hey neighbours, 2 my understanding, both e Instant Heater & Storage Heater works abt e same. Instant Heater -> - install at kitchen. - cold water supply frm PUB main. - wen heater is turn on, heating mechanism in heater transform e cold water supply 2 warm water in a split of seconds. - warm water then travels frm heater 2 outlets (taps at various locations). - warm water wil take a while 2 reach e tap which is at far end (master bathrm). - b4 e warm water reaches e far end outlet, cold water which is oleady in e pipe wil definitely b dispense 1st. - e pipe length frm e heater 2 e far end outlet wil determine e amount of cold water 2b dispense b4 warm water cums out, which is abt half a pail of cold water. - dis process carry-on until e heater is turn off. No more making of warm water. - 2 have more warm water, e heater is turn on again & e whole process repeats. Storage Heater -> - install at kitchen or bathroom. - cold water supply frm PUB main. - wen heater is turn on, heating mechanism in heater transform e cold water supply 2 warm water in a split of seconds. - warm water then travels frm heater 2 outlets (taps at various locations). - warm water wil take a while 2 reach e tap which is at far end (master bathrm or kitchen vice versa). - b4 e warm water reaches e far end outlet, cold water which is oleady in e pipe wil definitely b dispense 1st. - e pipe length frm e heater 2 e far end outlet wil determine e amount of cold water 2b dispense b4 warm water cums out, which is abt half a pail of cold water. - dis process carry-on until e heater is turn off. No more making of warm water. But due 2 its capacity (eg. 5L or 10L), it can store warm water in it. - e volume of warm water in e storage is sufficient for normal usage without turning on e heater a second time. - until e capacity of warm water in storage is utilized, e heater is turn on again & e whole process repeats. Wah i write til i olso blur. Nebermind, i oleady turn on my storage heater liao.

If 1 were to buy a branded sports/luxury car at >$1 mil, over time, its value wil depreciate. If 1 were to buy a property (landed / pte / hdb), overtime, its value wil appreciate. So now, can any1 tel mi how 2 slowly earn big bucks? In SG, we can say dat owning a property is having a valuable asset dat may las 1 a lifetime. 1 can dun hav $$$, but he canot dun hav a place to stays. If he has more than 1 a place 2 stay, then wat can he do 2 e rest of his properties? My england not beri e chim, hope those reading, get wat i'm tryin 2 say. Below is wat i'd posted earlier regarding e recent Balloting Exercise, fyi -> RenoTalk Forums > Family Community > My Neighbourhood > Toa Payoh Blk 79 Kakis

Hey Mapleleaf, bathtub Can i now how much u r quoted -> - bathtub support using hollow block c/w tile finish ? - labour to install bathtub ? - how much is e bathtub ? Details ?

Hey hweesing, oleady 2 mths since u las posted, how's reno status liao? My personal view -> - would like to cut costs in renovation -> get contractor - already have an idea of what u want (collected pictures of design u like) -> get contractor - u r not sure if u have time to supervise the reno -> get contractor Wat MaCe & Phoenix mentioned is correct & straight 2 e point. u shd -> - ngage a hdb license contractor. He is e Main Contractor who wil oversee, schedule, coordinate e whole project. He wil get e respective grps of workers for e respective works. - do not ngage individual sub-con on ur own. eg. ngage a grp of flooring men, a grp of carpentry men, a grp of painting men. If u do dat, u wil end up scheduling, coordinating & surpervising e whole reno. Becums e Main Con / Site Coordinator urself!. This is not wat u wanted, initially. - Although u let e Main Con take charge e whole reno, every now & then u olso need 2 go dn & check. - 2 play safe, u shd check b4 works start, during works in process & works complete. - eg. b4 floor tiles is laid, check izit e correct tile u wanted, e correct orientation of veins (if have). In e process of laying, whether e batch of tiles r ok (bad quality -warp seriously). Confirm with e Main Con. - b4 carpentry is constructed, confirm with Main Con e correct kit cabinet / wardrode length, position, type of finishes. Basically, do not assume, gota hav verbal & written consent & understanding. It works both ways & communication works wonder. Pardon mi for e long writting olso. Hopes it helps u in one way or another.

Hey neighbours, - for those who dun like my post, pls skip & read e nex post, to prevent being hurt. - for those who njoys gossip (jus like me), feel free 2 carry-on reading. As of 18 Feb 08 midnight, total nos. of applications received for Bi-monthly Sale of 4-Rm & Bigger Flats Sector C = 10,240 (figures taken frm web) Below is e gossip i'd heard frm a elderly man (retired, noting 2 do) -> If 1 application gota pay $10, then it wil b $10 x 10240 = $102,400 collected in total This is on-top of e recent increase in selling price Total nos. of units available, regardless of type, size, location = 278 Dat means for every unit, there r 36.835 applications. If 1 manage 2 get a unit @ $350k, 5 yrs dn e rd if he sells, chances is dat he may b making a profit of $50k - $100k or more. Dis applies 2 those speculating ppl with '$$$' backgrnd, not taking any loan. Therefore e odds -> 1:36.835 for $50k - $100k or more. If 1 were 2 buy 4D @ $5 Big & $5 Small, e chances of striking 1st price is 1 in 9999. If he strikes 1st price, e winnings r $10k for Big, $15k for Small = $25k Therefore e odds -> 1:9999 for $25k max. From these 2 assumptions, which is e 1 with higher winning odds? I gues within 'these 10240 applicants', there bound to have these type of speculating ppl i'd mentioned. Dun tel mi SG suddenly got so many newly wed, wed sometime ago or goin 2 wed couples?

Attached is extracted from e link below, regarding overlaying of tiles, might b useful info & knowledge 2 some -> RenoTalk Forums > Home/Business Renovation Forums > Renovation Works !!