euph0bear

Day 3 Progress - Bedroom Bedroom 1 with sand. Bedroom 2 with... erm... sand... MBR with even more sand... ... MBR toilet... Don't you just love the design... !!

Day 3 Progress - Living Room This will be the tiles used for the whole house. Cannot really see the line designs using my LG Viewty camera. Will post again once the tiles are up. View from Main Entrance So, so messy... Lotsa sand in the living room... View from Living Room Window Just opposite the furniture shop and MRT station Yup, the stove is parallel to the opposite wall. Any complications with FS? Actually I not a superstitious person.

Beside washing machine is the sink. Stove is the one with 2 circles.

Thanks, everyone. !! I'm currently downsizing the photos I have taken so that they can fit nicely in here. Stay tune!

Yup, S$52 for 4 room flats. I would suggest paying by GIRO as it saves time and effort in paying the fees.

I had downsized my shortlist of ID to 2, Unimax Creation and *** Design. Discuss with a couple of forumers regarding the package offered by *** Design. Their free gifts are really cannot fight one but nevertheless, I decided to go down to these 2 companies for a final chat. On 29.02.08 at around 11p.m., I had an appointment with Derek of Unimax. I had quite a few changes to my renovation needs and was ready to tell Derek of the changes. He presented to me what was conversed to thim during my last meeting and came up with a quotation of around S$19000. Told him it was a bit out of my budget and conveyed to him on the changes that I wanted. On the spot, he did the changes to his quotation and came up with a final quotation of about S$16000+ with all my changes. Was quite pleased with his ability to turn the table around to his favour. Discussed with my GF and she was also quite keen. Actually she's more into the fact that Unimax is HDB listed, RADAC and CaseTrust member. If anything was to happen, we could always fall back to these associations. After Derek came back to us (after a smoke), he gave us an offer we couldn't reject at all. He was willing to absorb the 7% GST as well. So without much further thinking (actually I was very sleepy after working night shift too), I shook his hand and said okay. !! These are the renovations that I intend to do together with his quotations. Masonry Works Supply and lay polished homogenous tiles c/w skirting for whole house. 4200 Supply and construct kitchen cabinet, refrigerator and washing machine base. 450 Plumbing Works Supply and install inlet and outlet pipe for kitchen sink and washing machine. 120 Supply labour to install storage heater. 120 Supply labour to install bathroom accessories for both toilets. FOC Supply labour to install stainless steel kitchen sink. FOC Supply labour to install hob and hood. FOC Ceiling Works Supply and construct L-box **** and dining room and false ceiling at bedroom entrance area and foyer area. 1200 Supply and construct 01x row of L-box at master bedroom. 180 Electrical Works Supply labour to install lightings. pending Supply labour to install ceiling fans. pending Supply labour for other electrical works. pending Carpentry Works Design and construct 22ft top & bottom kitchen cabinet in laminated finishing c/w ABS trimming doors, 01x set of dish rack and designer handles. 1955 Supply and install solid ply postformed worktop with backsplash. 360 Design and construct 7ft TV console in laminated finishing **** room. 770 Design and construct 7ft feature walls **** room. 1540 Design and construct 5ft wardrobe in laminated door finish and sliding doors at master bedroom. 1400 Supply and construct 02x PD doors. 560 Painting Works Supply and paint whole house wall and ceiling using ICI or Nippon emulsion paint (6 colours) and all doors, door frames, pipes and gate. 1100 Miscellaneous Works Shifting of door at master bedroom (including PE fees and sealing up of old doorway). 780 Supply labour to submit HDB application for all renovation works. FOC Supply and lay protection covering for whole house floor finishing. FOC Provide chemical washing for whole house floor. FOC Supply labour for haulage and clearing of debris. 1000 Total 15735 This is what I intend to to to my flats. Currently I'm still waiting for his drawings for the kitchen and living area. Proposed Floor Plan

I got my keys on 17.02.08 and proceeded to the next ULTIMATE task of searching for an ID. These are the few ID that I went to for discussions and quotations; Unimax Creative (Derek Yu) - Company with HDB listing, RADAC and CaseTrust. Derek was very accommodating to my needs. Told him that my budget was around S$18k and he worked around that sum and discussed on what I can do with that budget. Was quite pleased with his attitude and he said he would get back to me in a week's time to further discuss the quotation. Living Art Design Gallery (Michael Yu) - Company with HDB listing. Started chatting up with Michael and he had a hard time talking to me in English. So I initiated talking to him in Chinese. Told him that my budget was around S$18k and he quoted the renovation based on one of the packages (S$9000+ for 90m²) and added on the stuff I needed. I can see that he had a hard time writing down in English and explaining some of the things that I need. Felt unsafe (maybe only a contractor cum ID). Final quotation was S$22000+ and told him will get back to him. Design Profession Pte Ltd (Jeffrey Goo) - Company with no HDB listing but have a sister company with listing. Told Jeffrey that my budget was around S$18k and he quoted the renovation based on one of the packages (S$8588 for 90m²) and added on the stuff I needed. He's a friendly person and was keen to listen of my needs. His rough quotation was around S$20000. Was quite pleased with his ideas and stuff but the only thing in my concern was not HDB listed. Told him I would get back to him. Home Interior (Francis Wong) - Company with HDB listing. Francis was friendly and an engaging person. Told him that my budget was around S$18000. Don't know whether he got listen a not and then he started to take out papers and drew quite a few rough plans for me. Very on the ball person but as he drew more and more, the amount started to rise and rise. Final quotation was around S$24000 (of course with quite a few things that I don't need at all). Told him I would get back to him. Substance Interior Design - Company with HDB listing. When I went to their company , only 2 person there. One guy was attending to a couple and a lady was busy at the computer. Stood there a while until the lady noticed us. She greetd us at the door and said that they are busy. I gave them a list of my renovation needs and she told me she would get back to me with the quotation. Until today, no news... These companies I converse with them through email; *** - very nice package of S$12888 with lotsa free gifts. But I told them I wanted my customised renovation and they say can only give me a few of the free items. My customised renovation came up to a cost of about S$18000. Advances Design - Their manager Peter was very friendly person. Called me up regarding my email and kept on thanking me for shortlisting his company. His quotation also came up to an amount of S$18000.

Hi, guys! Finally started my very own renovation t-blog just like all the predecessors. I have been living in Toa Payoh for over 20+ years now and like what my friends say, born and breed in Toa Payoh, "Pa Si Mai Zhao" 打死不走. In the year 2005, I decided to upsize my flat so I went for HDB's balloting exercise during that year. My first BE was for the new Toa Payoh Blk 150+ flats but I wasn't selected (and HDB earns yet another S$10). Then in late 2005, I went for another BE, this time for the new Blk 79 flats which were slated to be completed in 2008/09. This time I was lucky and was chosen. Was so happy that day that I almost couldn't sleep. I went to select my flat on 01.12.05 and chose the 9th floor (high floors are way too expensive for me). Floor Plan

I don't think HDB will charge you for the March fees. You only need to pay in advance the next 3 months' conservancy fees.

I don't mind them closing the 2 roads t0 make way for more shops (or even a park) but keep those shop houses as they are now. PMed you. (PM = private message) My floor area is around 90m²

Yup. 10% confirmation of renovation works 40% completion of flooring and wetworks 40% completion of carpentry 10% Handling over of flat/keys The carpentry 40% is indeed paid after its completion.

Usually is upon completion of the carpentry works (and of course you're satisfied with it) then you make the payment.

Yup, that's another reason (other than cost) why I chose solid ply postform worktop. More scratch resistant and if something real hot was put on top of it, there won't be a hole (melted due to heat) on the worktop.

Yup, I am doing solid ply postformed worktop with backsplash for my kitchen cabinets. I was thinking to do a solid top, I would need to top up an additional $500+, so is it worth it? For me, I just think of my own budget. Tiles wise, I answered earlier, my price ranges from $2.80 to $3.50.

Thanks, tension_z. The tiles that I can choose from ranges from $2.80 to $3.50 types. Thanks for your advice on choosing the tiles. I will fully test the tiles before choosing them. I chose postform intentionally one. The solid top would cost an additional $500+. At that point, I was thinking only $500+ difference, should I just stick to solid top. I don't mind you asking more. More questions asked would means more knowledge gained for me too.

Pmed you too. Another nice analysis there, jaCKY777. That absorption of GST can help me buy quite a few things too.

Pmed you. Anyway, I told him to be honest (since I don't hide anything from him too) and asked him about any hidden cost. He told me that whatever is stated in the quotation is what I needed to pay only, excluding electrical works. Thanks for helping me too, tension_z.

PMed you.

Finally settled down on my ID who is Mr. Derek Yu from Unimax Creative. After speaking to 8+ ID, he was still the only one who can give me the assurance. Think Unimax is the only company in Toa Payoh with HDB listing, Radac and CaseTrust status. I met him up last week regarding on what I wanted to do for the renovations. He knew of my budget (around S$18000) and suggested some cost savings tips for me. He told me he would contact me with the final quotations this week. Today, met up with him and initially his renovation was quoted to be S$20000. I told him it was a bit of my budget and I did quite a few changes to my renovation needs and he was more than happy to accommodate to my changes. So after all my changes (trust me, after viewing the real flat, there would be plenty of changes), the final quotation was down to about S$16000. Actually, my renovation was mainly of the basic needs plus a few luxary (eg. wall feature, tv console, MBR wardrobe), I was more than happy with his finalised quotation of S$16000. Then he gave me a discount which I could not resist, he was willing to absorb the 7% GST which amount to about S$1000+. After around 5 minutes of consideration with my other half, we settled on him as our ID. So the final quotation was around S$15000 (excluding electical works). Those who want to see my renovation quotation can feel free to ask me for it. So happy renovation can start soon!

PD door is a sliding cum bi-fold door. Check out their website at www.pddoor.com. I'm intending to change both toilet doors to PD doors. Each is around 280+.

Wohoo! Finally got my keys today at 4.10pm. Took around 40 minutes to settle everything. After that, immediately chiong into my new flat. Upon stepping in, noticed that it is quite small, even for a so-call 90m². Checked for defects and I'm glad to say nothing major found. Will do a second round inspection this coming weekend. Oh yah... I intend to change both toilets' doors (reason being normal doors too close to toilet bowl and will hit the tempered glass) into sliding or bifold ones. Any ideas how much is it?

Thanks, jaCKY777 for your advise. I will be going down to confirm with them soon. If it's really that cheap, then I really "toa tan".

Thanks, alister. I c\will ask them in detail when I meet them face to face.

Yup, they got my floorplan @ 90m². Oh yah... Their basic standard flat package also got give free system 3 aircon, hoobs, hod, s/s sink, chrome lever tap and fridge. But I'm not sure mine got free gifts a not as I didn't quote from the package. I have to ask them that.

Guys, need some feedback for the below renovation quotation from an ID. The only thing not included are the additional electrical works. Thank you! Masonry Works Supply and lay polished homogenous tiles c/w skirting for all rooms and household shelter. 3900 Supply and construct kitchen cabinet, refrigerator and washing machine base. 380 Supply and construct shower kerb at kitchen toilet. 80 Plumbing Works Supply and install inlet and outlet pipe for kitchen sink and washing machine. 180 Supply labour to install storage or instant heater. 80 Supply labour to install bathroom accessories for both toilets. 50 Supply labour to install stainless steel kitchen sink. 50 Supply labour to install hob and hood. F.O.C Supply and install 10mm tempered glass shower screen at master bedroom toilet. 380 Ceiling Works Supply and construct L-box **** and dining room. 550 Supply and construct false ceiling at bedroom entrance area and foyer area. 350 Supply and construct 01x row of L-box at master bedroom. 350 Electrical Works Supply labour to install 12x PLC downlight for L box and false ceiling. 430 Supply labour to install 04x ceiling fans. 140 Labour to install 08x lights 72 Aluminum Works Supply and install aluminium design grille for whole house windows. 780 Carpentry Works Design and construct 20ft top & bottom kitchen cabinet with solid laminated doors in ABS trimming c/w 10ft solid surface, cutlery tray, stainless steel dish rack, 1 chest of drawers, 02x frosted glass panel and handles. 1950 Design and construct 6ft TV console **** room. 790 Design and construct 6ft feature wall in laminated finish. 750 Design and construct 6ft wardrobe in laminated door finish and sliding doors at master bedroom. 1350 Painting Works Supply and paint whole house wall and ceiling using ICI or Nippon emulsion paint (5 colours). 950 Supply and paint all doors, door frames, pipes and gate. 150 Miscellaneous Works Shifting of door at master bedroom (including PE fees and sealing up of old doorway). 650 Supply labour to submit HDB application for all renovation works. F.O.C Supply and lay protection covering for whole house floor finishing when required. F.O.C Provide chemical washing for whole house floor. 150 Supply labour for haulage and clearing of debris. 950 Total 15462