A Place To Call Our Own

[pinkpetter 0]

sliding lor

[Cloudy 0]

thanks for helping me to find out.

gosh, on second thoughts, pinkpetter u are right. It makes more sense to have the wardrobe on the side of the toilet!!

**** i am troublesome lol

[Cloudy 0]

ok another quick and long update (contradicting hor?)

Went with ID to shop for lights. Got about 13-14 lights from Singapore lightings at 1.3k. Now before you flame me, I understand a lot of people say that it is dumb to go with ID to purchase lights, etc as the ID will earn money from the shops and you end up paying a higher price.

However, from my point of view, I am more of a give and take person. This i how I feel:

1) The lighting shop guy needs to earn. Its his job.

2) The ID also has to earn for the time he spends going with you to the shops. (Its opportunity cost for him to 4go possible meetings with other potential clients).

Hence, what I do is, set my budget after doing my own recee. Go with ID and when they quote me above the price I can afford, I bargain. If they can take it, then I pay. If I cant afford and they prefer to keep to their margin, then I no choice have to go on my own again cos I don want to spend higher.

At the end of the day, I am paying within my means. If they earn, its good for them as this is their livelihood. Let's face it. There is no way anyone can buy stuff at cost price even on your own. We are all out to earn one way or the other. Hence, whatever arrangement he has with the shop is non of my concern. Okie back to my reno.

A pity i 4got to take photos of the lights. anyway, will pop by again this weekend and see if I can take some photos of the progress. I rem on thursday when I went, the toilet wall tiles are already almost completely up.

Edited November 14, 2008 by Cloudy

[mwerkz 0]

ok another quick and long update (contradicting hor?)

Went with ID to shop for lights. Got about 13-14 lights from Singapore lightings at 1.3k. Now before you flame me, I understand a lot of people say that it is dumb to go with ID to purchase lights, etc as the ID will earn money from the shops and you end up paying a higher price.

However, from my point of view, I am more of a give and take person. This i how I feel:

1) The lighting shop guy needs to earn. Its his job.

2) The ID also has to earn for the time he spends going with you to the shops. (Its opportunity cost for him to 4go possible meetings with other potential clients).

Hence, what I do is, set my budget after doing my own recee. Go with ID and when they quote me above the price I can afford, I bargain. If they can take it, then I pay. If I cant afford and they prefer to keep to their margin, then I no choice have to go on my own again cos I don want to spend higher.

At the end of the day, I am paying within my means. If they earn, its good for them as this is their livelihood. Let's face it. There is no way anyone can buy stuff at cost price even on your own. We are all out to earn one way or the other. Hence, whatever arrangement he has with the shop is non of my concern. Okie back to my reno.

A pity i 4got to take photos of the lights. anyway, will pop by again this weekend and see if I can take some photos of the progress. I rem on thursday when I went, the toilet wall tiles are already almost completely up.

hehe. ya. somehow i agree with u. i believe in letting pple earn when dey do their job. noobody will so free to accpy u if dey dun earn anything. n if its within our budget to let pple earn, why not?

[pinkpetter 0]

I agree too ba. People have to earn a bit. Dun earn who want to work? He earn a bit he also happier and will do everything properly. That's human nature...

[Cloudy 0]

Just got back from a long day of shopping for appliances. Managed to get the following from a shop in Hougang called Goh Ah Bee

1) Fridge

2) Hob

3) Washing Machine

4) Pedestal Fan

5) Electrical kettle

6) Vacuum cleaner

7) Rice Cooker

8) Sharp Steam Oven

Interesting shop. No need pay deposit or anything. Just gave address and number can le....wonder what happen if their competitors send people down order in bulk and then disappear. Oh well, quite happy with the prices offered by them.

After that, went to Jalan Besar and manage to purchase my dining lights. Will post the pic later after downsizing them!.

Now I am going to purchase my WC and toilet fittings. Does anyone here know whee I can a reasonably good rainshower? Is it only those expensive brands like grohe then can get proper rainshowers? Thanks!

I agree too ba. People have to earn a bit. Dun earn who want to work? He earn a bit he also happier and will do everything properly. That's human nature...

ha ha, hope so too.

however, so far everything I want to add also costs money.

Example, If i want tinted windows (black or bronze) I have to top up $1 per sqft. Using lever knobs for my classic door instead of those round knobs, he also say will check have additional cost which i need to top up anot lol....sigh...a bit tired of this le but bo bian.

Actually the funny thing about the window tint is, in his old quotation, he quoted me powder coated white frame windows. I told him to use the normal aluminum ones (bronze) which is cheaper. He told me will not really save much but about $1 per sqft. However, he did change it to that for me in the contract I signed. The funny thing is, the price when using powder white coated frame in the old quotaton vs using normal bronze aluminum frame in the contract which I signed, remained the same. Wonder where was the savings he claimed. On top of that, now when I said I wanted tinted windows, he say he can't absorb the additional cost which is $1 per sqft. Hmm....if I have my maths correct, doesnt that mean the savings from using normal bronze aluminium frame at $1 per sqft should be able to offset the cost for using tint windows?

Anyway, here is the converstion in the email I had with him when clarifying matters before I signed the contract. Will have to check with him again when I meet him.

"

Q) The casement windows please change to bronze aluminium rather than powder coated as its cheaper

A) I can change it to normal aluminium type for you but for your info, the difference willl not be significant as it's only a dollar difference per square feet.

Q) For the windows, are we allowed to chose slightly tinted glass at the same cost quoted?

A) I can give you the tinted glass type at no extra cost to you but they are normally in powder coated types as it will look much better.

"

Edited November 15, 2008 by Cloudy

[pinkpetter 0]

MmMMMMMm

I'm not saying that he's not honest ok? But sometimes people will forget? or make mistakes? or sometimes "conveniently" forget....

So maybe you might want to show him your contract and just ask him to absorb the difference ba. mmm

[Cloudy 0]

MmMMMMMm

I'm not saying that he's not honest ok? But sometimes people will forget? or make mistakes? or sometimes "conveniently" forget....

So maybe you might want to show him your contract and just ask him to absorb the difference ba. mmm

ya agreed. Think he most prob 4got. I am not the very calculative kinda person so I also hope my ID isn't one haha....so far no issues with him except this minor one which I think would be good for me to talk to him and remind him when I meet him the next time..

[mwerkz 0]

ya agreed. Think he most prob 4got. I am not the very calculative kinda person so I also hope my ID isn't one haha....so far no issues with him except this minor one which I think would be good for me to talk to him and remind him when I meet him the next time..

erms.. ur ID not very honest wor. everything wan u topup money when u opt for better stuffs. but when u try to downgrade, he tell u dun save much n dun credit the savings back to u.

my ID din charge me extra when i choose not to use door knob. but window definitely if go for powder coated will be more ex. some things cheap can absorb, i believe dey shuld try to absorb. but costly items, of cos we need to pay for it.

[pinkpetter 0]

heh that's why I say sometimes conveniently forget. I think if Cloudy went to him about it he will "probably" suddenly remember ba

[mwerkz 0]

heh that's why I say sometimes conveniently forget. I think if Cloudy went to him about it he will "probably" suddenly remember ba

possibly. maybe after seeing de quote, he might remember. sometimes my ID oso forget something. but he wun tell me straight in de face need to add money. he will say he refer to the quote first.

[Cloudy 0]

possibly. maybe after seeing de quote, he might remember. sometimes my ID oso forget something. but he wun tell me straight in de face need to add money. he will say he refer to the quote first.

I prefer to give him the benefit of the doubt that he is bz and hence 4got about this arrangement with me. Its quite hard to work if I everything also don trust him and stuff like that keke....

anyway, he has already called me and told me that he checked and no charge is involved for the tinted windows. Phew....not too bad..no need i tell him..now only waiting for the price of the handles.

Edited November 17, 2008 by Cloudy

[mwerkz 0]

I prefer to give him the benefit of the doubt that he is bz and hence 4got about this arrangement with me. Its quite hard to work if I everything also don trust him and stuff like that keke....

anyway, he has already called me and told me that he checked and no charge is involved for the tinted windows. Phew....not too bad..no need i tell him..now only waiting for the price of the handles.

keke. true oso la. u must have trust in ur ID initially, tat y u have decided to sign with him.

anyway since he is quite fair to not charge u for tinted windows =)

[Cloudy 0]

Time for updates

1) My ID's observation saved the day again!! i wanted to have the frame at the entrance from living room to Kitchen to be paint and not tiles. However, ID told me that since my kitchen wall is straight all the way, it is nicer to put tiles. I was a bit worried as having tiled kithen entrance frame feels old fashioned to me. Hence, i told him to STOP all work for that area and let me go see. In the end, he was right. it really looks odd without tiles haha....

2) They have just started to do up the living room tiles. Was too dark when I went there tonight and the connections to the lights have been removed. Hence, I merely opened the door and peeped in. Seems like kitchen wall is done up, Living room floor tile started. Progress is encouraging!! Kudos to Andrew for keeping track of the progress as he knows I would like to have the house b4 Christmas.

Here are some pics taken last Thursday. will post updated pics this weekend when I pop by. Feel safer now knowing that someone is taking care of everything keke...so big difference as compared to engaging a Contractor which I did for my dad's house the last time. My dad has to be onsite everyday to give instructions to the workers!!

1) MBR Toilet Wall

2) Common Toilet Wall

3) Kitchen Wall

4) My room laminate colour with matching wardrobe laminate

5) My dining hanging lights to suit the resort theme

6) Dining lights after bringing them home

http://g.imageshack.us/thpix.php' target="_blank">

Couldnt find what I wanted for the dining area at Singapore Lightings but managed to find it somewhere else at Jalan Besar for $160 keke....

[pinkpetter 0]

WAH I love the dining lights!! Superb!

Glad your ID saved the day and your problem was resolved. All's well again!