purplesky

Hihi Linggie, Congrats! How's yr stay @ the new place? Everything settled already? To all Neighbors, Me haven’t move in yet. House haven’t handover from my id!!! As of today, still have missing items and defects not completed yet!!!! My place gonna reach the 1yr anniversary of starting reno liao. Really very stress n miserable for the past 1 yr due to this super long 1yr reno. Really envy all of you who had completed yr reno long long time ago, and are already happily staying there.

Hi Wenny, Sorry to hear abt yr ID problems. I fully agree w what CJREDDEVIL has mentioned above. If now confirm cannot cancel the contract already, and u have no choice but to continue w him for the basic stuff (in order to not lose yr deposit), then what I can suggest to u is that, for all the things that u have to do w him, pls make sure u go through all details/measurements/colors/layout & etc, basically all things worth mentioning, pls do take the effort to go through w him. No need to be fierce or aggressive, but need to be firm. Best if have it in black n write (esp measurements for the kitchen carpentry), in 2d measurements and have it signed. Reason being, I ‘m sure that since u have basically kind of cancel the deal to do w him except for the basic, I’m sure he’s not happy already, and so if there’s anything that u nv go through before, that’s a possibly that they will any oh how do, or do it their way, which may or may not be what u like. Trust me, I have learned a very hard lesson w regards to reno. I realized that the saying of “ if u want people to be good to you, and u have to be good to them first” does not really work esp w reno IDs/contractors. U be nice and kind to them, they just treat it as necessary and take u for granted. For my reno, from last year Nov’08 till as of now I’m typing, have not hand over to me yet!!!! Every thing/items that they do, sure will have wrong, even w very simple things like eg. Cabinet handles, they can installed it titled and half of them w the brand name upside down! When get them to change, all the right side one, becomes wrong now! So all my handles are installed upside down now!!! Don’t know is I really damm unlucky, or they do it purposely. Best thing is most of my items some more still have black n white proof, but they just say already do, so cannot change. And scream and shout at me when it’s obviously their fault. Anyway, more than half of the wrong that they done, they are not willing to change, and expect us to accept it. For the rest that they are still able to change/amend, they will take their own sweet time. It’s a really horrible & miserable long roller-coaster reno ride. Hopefully, u will not experience this. So go through all the items u can w yr ID. And when they are working, try to go site visit as often as u can, so that any mistakes u can spot first, if not they will just say cant change or do anything abt it anymore, and u have no choice but LL accept it. Wish u all the best. Take care.

Hi SmallCarrot, Welcome to RT! Glad to hear that u have found a good ID that u like. And hope that u have a smooth reno process!

Wah, u only do testing on stove n oven already so high standard? Then when real cooking time is hotel standard? Yes, i Totally agree! Cooking is really not easy!!! Last time, all i cook is instant noodles/soups/porridge (all instant type). Now, as hubby say me quit job to handle reno stuff, then @ night should try to do some cooking for him. (Think he feel i like nothing to do lor!!!) Buy too much food, either fridge cant go in or after a few days, they spoilt. Buy too little, when wanna cook, have to go out to buy again! So have to plan cooking what dishes, then the ingredients. Then have to figure how to cut/prepare/cook? From a everything instant noodles person? Cook already, still have to do the dishes/woks/stove, mop floor lah. Best part is when hubby eats, nv say anything, so when press him for comments, ans is ok lor, or can be better lor, or why everytime is similar type? Sian, waste few hrs to cook, then this type of response. Really fed up with it. Really kudos to those housewife who can cook everyday, plus looking after children @ the same time. So yr reno stuff, the boss settled all the defects/problems & etc? By changing them or? Anyway, glad to hear that it’s the ordeal is over for u. Btw, the clock is really cute!

Hi Babe, Wow, u rock sia! Yr menu so high standard! Lol, hope my hubby doesnt read this, else, he will complain why i cook for him, all so simple and same dishes! Btw, yr reno matters all settled already?

Pinkydot, welcome to RT! Congrats to yr new plc and wish u a smooth reno!

Hi Danny, I like no. 3 too! But since it's out of the selection, i vote for no. 1! Think more 'nai kan4' in the long term. More modern feel for it, so depends on how yr other arrangements for the room is like bah? Hope it helps.

Babe, yr sofa is really nice and gorgeous! Yah, quite ex, but dont worry, worth it lah. Buy already, then considered well spent!

Hi Chanel, I understand totally how u feeling. Dont worry, cheer up, and hang in there. Haha, dont know if this will make u feel much better or not? My reno started in dec'08 (LAST YEAR!!!), so there's someone else that's much in worse state than u. Lol, dont know u will feel better or make u more scare? Haha, anyway, it's meant to make u feel better one, dont worry, very rare few will be so unlucky than me. Moved in by 23 oct? Then u still have roughly 2 more weeks to go, so keep chasing the contractor, might still be able to make it.

Wow Yhanie, Congrats, yr reno is really very on schedule! A really good n smooth reno u have there. Enjoy yr trip!!

Hi Zapped, Wow, very nice 3D pics! Love the color theme. Yr progress seems ok n fast. Congrats, hope u have a smooth reno progess! Hope to see more actual pics soon.

Hi Yhanie, Wow, very nice 3D pics! Love the color theme, and yr MBR look. Yr master toilet is so huge!!! Congrats, hope u have a smooth reno progess!

Hi Prontos, Congrats! Great transformation! Love yr living room’s color scheme n unique ceiling. Kitchen look neat and spacious. Like yr dining set too! Can share where u bought it? Tks.

Hihi Happy, Heehee, pai sei, my post too long. Thanks for the info and tip. Yes, i did ask for the secret compartment, though not sure good to use or not? Cos the whole hole is not block (meaning the hole is the whole length of the wardrobe, so if anything 'rolls' or accidenly push further in, then cant retrieve it anymore. Hmm, so yr door frame when slide closed, (from the front view) it's rest beside the wardrobe carcass frame or over it? (ie, when closed, from the front view, cant see the wardrobe frame at all, or will still see some part of the wardrobe frame in front?) Thanks in advance.

Hihi Happy, Ya, most likely I will do that for the last payment. Cos that time we made 1 payment again, then 3 weeks they nv do anything @ all. Don’t think got any point to write it down and email her to change. They won’t change one lor. Even though the measurements are written down one, they also won’t change, so don’t even say for those areas whereby I have no measurements one lor. Went up last thur with the ID together. She said the carpenter will be there, cos need to explain the wardrobe’s handles to me, in the end go up, the carpenter is not there. Up there, me and the ID saw my room wardrobe for the first time, I really don’t know what I should say too. Quite hard to explain, first, alightment is wrong, 2nd, study table measurements are wrong. She said she will call the carpenter up to ask abt this 2 things, but then my wardrobe’s compartments small size, cant do anything abt it, cos no measurement been given to the carpenters, they just follow the drawings to do. So not the carpenters’ fault. Then what? So is my fault lor? Is not that I don’t want the measurements last time, she did not go through my wardrobe’s compartments with me, cos she said no time, and not to worry, wont have any problems one. So now how? The compartments are really small, despite paying for a 12ft L shaped wardrobe. The L shaped part is quite stupid, and hard to access becos the opening area is very small. And the insides drawers is ?????? Inside got 5 drawers, the size is so small, smallest is 280mm (L) x 150mm (H) X 3 drawers. Biggest is 295mm (L) x 150mm (H) X 2 drawers. This is the measurement of the drawers’ casement, not actual measurement of the drawers itself, meaning actual drawers will be much smaller cos must deduct away the drawers’ sides n bottom wood. So Small!!!! Put what???? Well, Id did try to console me by saying: Don’t worry, still can put passport mah!!! Ya right, 1 person can have how many passports??????? Then she kept repeating this wardrobe’s small measurements, cant blame the carpenter cos no measurement been given to the them, they just follow the drawings to do. So she’s trying to remind me can’t do anything to it liao. Really don’t know what I should say. Then for the 2 things that she will ‘try’ to get the carpenter to change cos got measurements given to them, she said she got no real confidence though to get them to really change it? She say will call and arrange the carpenter to come over to discuss. So I ask her when. She said most likely next week liao, cos that day already thur. Ya, we already damm urgent to finish reno and move in, still have to wait till next week then discuss. Fine, nv mind, I say ok, cos I can’t force them to come down earlier as they also have other work. So wait lor, what to do? Fri passed, she didn’t called me. Sat night, I called, nv pick up call, sms her asking so meeting when? She called back and said meeting next week lor, so I ask for the actual day, if not how she want us to go down w no actual date, so she said either mon or tue. Fine, no actual date yet. So sun, I sms her. Answer is sun, off day, so cannot call them to ask. Will let me know soon. No choice, so I say to let me know tmr asap. Mon morning still nothing. So we sms her saying since now already Monday’s morning and u still haven’t manage to fix the appt, then don’t rush for today liao. Try to fix for tue then. If not so last min then let us know the actual day and time, my hubby how to go to work? We did this is for her good, as we feel that she most likely cant manage to fix the appt for that day @ so last min, but u all know what happen? She again either bad mood, or gone crazy and snapped again! She sms back replying: “Wat do u mean last min? Is u hubby suddenly want meet him (carpenter) ler!” What’s the problem man? She herself told us will fix appt w carpenter and let us know the date/time to meet, so meaning we will all go up together right? Furthermore, if not since last week I ask for the date and time for what? For fun? So I sms her back this. Then she replied saying that: “I nv intend ask u go up, anyway! Is u want go! N u just told me last nite & the last min! wat u expect me to do! I just want song (meaning the carpenter) see the study n the pull out, the wardrobe nothing wrong. Wat he (meaning my hubby) expect to change. I will going to charge.” Follow by the next sms: “Halo, Me oso need to work, I m not only do u one house! Ok? “ The more I typed now, the more upset I’m getting. Neighbors, or those who are reading this message now, tell me what I should do? Is not like I ‘m doing my house reno foc by them. I’m paying them for the reno too. Why we so sway? Other people’s hse can complete in 2 months’ time. Some I even read were managed to complete in 1 month, some more it’s resale flat that needs hacking? Why my new flat need 9mths? The ID I signed up with, were even recommended by 1 of our neighbors, thus we signed him up. Though some minor problems with him, as he suddenly have to go reservice for 2 weeks, so we delayed starting reno waiting for him. Then tiles ordered already don’t know why suddenly no stocks, have to wait again. Then Chinese New Year, workers have to go back Malaysia, so have to wait for half a month again. All these times, we waited, and we 'ren' and kept quiet and did not make a big fuss, cos reno must have be happy and have good rapport with the id right? Then wait till after the whole lunar Chinese New Year is over, the ID said he quarreled w the Boss, so he resigned. From there onwards, everything and anything that can go wrong, did indeed go wrong lor. Now I understand why older folks says, if u r unlucky, whatever u do also unlucky. Haha, I mean really is “ Sway1 Sway2 Sway3 Sway4” lor. Up to before she sms me those things, I seriously do not hate the new lady ID. I even like her, and protected/defended her, when my hubby makes a complaint, asking me why she so slow, why she forget abt this and that again and again & etc? I just kept protecting her, told my hubby repeatlly that at least now got her doing our hse, if not then nobody do our hse again. At least she better then the 2nd and 3rd id, more easy to communicate w her and etc. At least she didn’t really mia. Even that day when she screamed and shouted and left the site, I though very upset with it, cos I was left there facing the 3 carpenters’ bad face and attitude, but still I defended her, telling my hubby that maybe she’s in a bad mood/ maybe is just PMS or she’s rushing for time. Sometimes when she’s unhappy with something and shows a bad face or bad tone, I also pretended that I don’t know and kept quiet and did not follow her patterns and do the same thing. If I don’t ‘ren’, then how? Reno wanna drag how long again? But then after she sms me all that since that day, I seriously don’t know how I should handle this reno thing liao. Maybe just go with the flow bah. Don’t know how much more s**t I will be facing. Really can’t bear the thought of meeting the ID and carpenter tmr afternoon. Yah, we have to wait again exactly 1 week before we get to meet them tmr. See how my reno can manage to drag so long? Sorry to all reading this, for my long post. Didn’t expect it to be so long. Happy, I haven’t even reached my electrical/lights part yet. Will try to continue in my next post. Now I urgently need to ask all neighbors, for the sliding wardrobes, the aluminum handles, do they come in chrome (meaning shiny like stainless steel) or only in dull aluminum color? And when sliding the door closed, does the door’s aluminum handles/frame closed over the door frame, or only till the door’ frame side? Hopefully, i will have some reaspone before i meeting them again on tmr afternoon. Thanks in advance for any info or advice.

Hihi Happy, Exactly, why do double extra things? 1st, I’m not sure whether they will really honor it and change for me free. 2nd thing is even if they are really willing, (which I doubt so, cos toilet n foyer got tiles do wrongly, they refuse to change and say cant change already, will spoilt the tiles lah and blah blah ) how abt the time needed again to rectify? And wont the process might possibly create new problems? Then the reno again drag on forever!

Hihi Apa, Aiya, how to possibly get her to write it down in black & white? I asked her twice abt it, and she says confirm don’t need and ask me don’t worry and I don’t dare to ask anymore liao. In case wait like last time, the carpenters do the wardrobe’s drawers’ height wrongly and keep on insisting it’s correct, and I have to keep on explaining that it’s not right, (due to ID draw wrongly, but amend by writing on the side, but the carpenter did not read it) then the ID suddenly screamed and shouted the carpenters to amend as customers like then stormed off and left the site and leave us w the carpenters there. And the carpenters gave me a black face like my fault like that. So how to possibly ask her to write down in b/w for things like that? Wait again she stormed off, and my hse again nobody do. Very stress, the carpenters did some carpentry half way, then stop 3 weeks and nothing is being done during these 3 weeks. Now already the lunar seven month, and yet my hse still renovating during this period. My parents quite upset that the flat still have to go through reno during this mth, and yet no choice but we cant stop reno, if not then have to wait and delay how long again? Will be going up later to see whether any carpentry is being deliver up today? Cos they promised to do so yesterday, but failed to stick to it again. My hubby made a wasted trip over there to see. Btw, guess what happen to the wardrobe’s drawer’s height thingy that I mentioned? Well, they gave a lot of excuses and reasons, and the end verdict is they are not going to amend it, even though it’s clear cut that it’s their mistake. Guess, if they really change it, it’s gonna eat into their profit.

Hihi Apa, Thanks for sharing. Yes, my reno contract have this item stated too. But the current ID (previous IDs left company, this current is ID no. 4 from the same company) says that normally they do not use any cardboard during the installing carpentry process. She says will have no problems one. If laminated flooring damaged, then change it lor. I'm now very worried abt my other flooring. If Living Room and Foyer tiles got damaged how? Don’t tell me they wanna hack and redo them? So wanna double check with u all, see if to use cardboard protection during installing carpentry process is the normal, or like what she says, is not necessary and no one uses it, cos that will make installing the carpentry more difficult for the workers? Any other neighbors, care to share with me too? Thanks.

Hi All, Like to check with u all, last time, when yr carpentery works starts, does yr contractor/ID put the cardboards on the floors to protect the floorings? Thanks in advance.

Hihi Vit C, I see, u bought from amk - choo chiang? Actually amk not far for me, cos currently staying in sengkang.

Hihi Jazz, Haha, seems like yr black kitchen top got 1 extra good point! Dont need to worry abt the silicon turning black! Cool!

Hihi Vit C, Thanks, will get 1 battery operated door bell then. Seems good enough for me liao. Where u bought yr set? Thanks for the info for the locks. Will go search for these 2 brands. Thanks.

Hihi Happy, I see. Hmm yr door bell problem, the electrician also cannot solve? That's very weird lei, switch on lights and the bell ring? So if u change to batt type, then will not have this problem right? Maybe can try? As for door lock, normal suqarish type means the newer design is it? Whole thing in silver color type? Ya, maybe next time when i go up, will take a look @ what my neighbour use bah. Where u buy yr lock?

Hihi Happy, Undermount not safe, is not really sink drop. It's like what jazz meant. The worries is that the water will leak inside, and cos the cabinet to rot, so when u want to change the sink, but cant cos got to hack away the solid surface. This is the main worry lor. The good thing is that can just use hands to sweep the excess water in easily. Put chopping board there to cut something, also easier. Haha, with regards to the window grill, my last time quotation, they also have stated: Install window grills for the whole hse, minus the 2 toilet. Guess for them is 'can save then save' bah. But i did not get from them, cos the price they quoted is really ex. So now i'm still looking for recommendations on where to get them. Hihi Jazzpop, Top mount sink, also need to be careful. My current plc is top mount. After some time, the silicon will turn black, and so my mum tried to clean off the dirty line, but after cleaning it, realised that the silicon actually drop off. So some parts now have the silicon and some parts dont have, turns out that now water will also seeps in too. Hence now open the cabinet below, will see that the sink below turn black and the cabinet too. So guess for top mount users, have to wipe away the water each time to prevent the silicon to turn black in color, and also to note that not to try to clean the silicon part. Both ways also got the pros and cons. So headache, and I hate to make the decision to decide. Neighbors, what type of door bells do u all buy? Batt type or ? Can we use the non batt type? Are our plc equipped for it? Also what type of main door locks u all get? No idea what type/brand/ or even where should I buy them? Anyone can recommend? Thanks in advance!

Hihi Vit C, Thanks for sharing. Ok, guess so confirm can be installed inside toilet then, thought i remember wrongly. Will get my id to install for me inside the toilet, since it can be done and not cant. Yah, i think the sink i will most likely do undermount then, but yr contractor is different, my carpenter is telling me more people is doing top mount and that under mount is not safe/good and etc. Guess, carpenters dont really like to do undermount, cos it's definately more work for them. Thanks, have a nice weekend! =)