Bachelorette's Pad

[xiaodingdang 0]

Dear Honeygal

very sorry to hear abt the nbr of defects u encountered after hdover. Usu we won't notice everything till we spend more time in our new hse. That's y we must, from the start, try to have a gd relationship with our contractor. Nobody is perfect, and sometimes it is due to not knowing 100% what we want that our contractor does something 'wrong'. Then must ask the contractor to rectify. That aside, i am still not forgiving my window grille contractor for being such an ar**hole. (will go and hunt him down in his office if i ever discover something wrong done by him!)

Since hdover last wk, Patrick is still quite happy to pick up my phonecalls, though actual action taken is understandably slower (since $$ had been paid). My most immediate prob is i bought lousy lights that need ballasts, and they are all faulty. Sigh. Not Patrick's problem, but he sent his electrician over to take the damned ballasts and light tube down for me to bring back to the shop for new ones. And he is asking his guy to come and fix them back for me. I m quite upset cos my hubby is giving me **** for buying lousy lights, and i cannot see well in our bedrm as our bedside lights are quite dim. But i try to see the brighter (no pun here) side when ironing, i cannot see the creases well, so can iron the essential clothings quite fast!

If i want to pick, well, HB didn't do well for the following:

1) sink is still slanted to the left.

2)one kitchen cupbd dr is stained and has markings on the inside.

3) kitchen not fully tiled. Makes cleaning the area abv the windows v diff.

4) grouts not well done, esp in one of the bdrm.

Ur hob is too near the wall? Maybe the guy thought it is safer in case got kids come by and something is cooking.

I m just glad my reno is over. I dread the next time we move hse and i have to oversee everything again. There are really too many things that can go wrong and will go wrong in reno. Close an eye.... if u can.

[roamca 0]

Hi Honeygal, & for all peeps who wanted to move house, maybe you can give this contact a try if u want?

I got 25 boxes of stuff to move , plus including a lot of other fragile stuff, and they give me a quote at about roughly $200.00 which i tink its cheap. plus the movers is very professional and shifted my stuff from the old house very very fast. i forgot the co name liao. but here's the hp: 9009 5879. but i tink he needed advance notice of about 3 days, if i didn't rem wrongly.

hi pinklady...do you have any big items to shift that time? eg. WM, fridge, bed, mattress, tv etc. cos $200 is reasonable price...

$120 for entire move, regardless of distance. hopefully no hidden costs. i have very few large items anyway, so maybe that accounts for the low quote. also if your unit is not on lift level, cost may be higher. other movers were quoting me much higher at between $280 to $400.

hi honeygal...$120 is so cheap leh ...what did you move? Got big items?

[yokine9a 1]

Hi ilmare612, he scolded me for being calculative towards the contractor... he said for just $90, I would upset HB & they might ignore me when I needed them for any future patch up work... He said I should just let HB earn that $$ & not spoil our relationship.

Well, his worry was right... somehow after I gotten the refund from HB, no one turn up after I made several calls to arrange their painter to fix my kitchen ceiling... The paint on my kitchen ceiling peeled off merely 2-3 mths after I moved in.

When I told my bf abt this no show from HB, he said "people not happy liao, who ask you to demand $90 refund? You see lah, they won't come anymore…" In the end, I climbed up the ladder & painted the ceiling myself

[Zhang Wu Ji 0]

Hi ilmare612, he scolded me for being calculative towards the contractor... he said for just $90, I would upset HB & they might ignore me when I needed them for any future patch up work... He said I should just let HB earn that $$ & not spoil our relationship.

Well, his worry was right... somehow after I gotten the refund from HB, no one turn up after I made several calls to arrange their painter to fix my kitchen ceiling... The paint on my kitchen ceiling peeled off merely 2-3 mths after I moved in.

When I told my bf abt this no show from HB, he said "people not happy liao, who ask you to demand $90 refund? You see lah, they won't come anymore…" In the end, I climbed up the ladder & painted the ceiling myself

Hey I don't think you're wrong to request for refund for things not done, its fair. Thought every contractor sure got give warranty for a certain time frame?

Why have to resort to painting yourself?

[Pinklady 0]

hi pinklady...do you have any big items to shift that time? eg. WM, fridge, bed, mattress, tv etc. cos $200 is reasonable price...

Hmmm, my big items is LCD TV, Bed Frame and Mattress. those are the biggest items. the other items like WM, Fridge, i buy new one leh...Sofa also buy new one.

But i got many boxes becos i have accumulated so much junk! i oso got a shock when i counted my boxes! haha, clothes, books, CDs & games took up the most spaces. anyway u got no harm meh, call them for a quote lor

Hey I don't think you're wrong to request for refund for things not done, its fair. Thought every contractor sure got give warranty for a certain time frame?

Why have to resort to painting yourself?

Yeah i agree with Zhang Wu Ji, why Yokine, you have to paint yourself? isn't that supposed to be your Contractor's Job?

Then the paints, you buy yourself oso meh? you should give them a deadline to do that, if they fail, call and bother them everyday to do it!!! did you withhold any last payment during that time then?

[Honeygal 1]

hi pinklady...do you have any big items to shift that time? eg. WM, fridge, bed, mattress, tv etc. cos $200 is reasonable price...

hi honeygal...$120 is so cheap leh ...what did you move? Got big items?

$120 to move 9 boxes, 1 queen size bed & mattress, 1 washer, 1 side table, 1 small cabinet, 2 cloissone vases. had to top up another $30 for the clothes hanger.

[yokine9a 1]

Hi honeygal, have you moved in & settled down by now?

Any luck on the rectification by HB on your defects list?

[Honeygal 1]

Hi honeygal, have you moved in & settled down by now?

Any luck on the rectification by HB on your defects list?

yes moved in. will post pics shortly.

i didn't bother to get HB to rectify the defects as i find them really trivial compared to the NIGHTMARE i had with my electrician. here goes:

1)first occasion: my electrician carelessly threw away a piece of glass (worth $30) while installing my living room lights

2)second occasion:, one of my powerpoint kept tripping whenever i used it. i discovered this fault when i was performing my house moving ritual where i had to boil water and say 'huat huat'. in the midst of this ritual, the power tripped and i could not boil the water. i later found out he installed the wrong wires

3)third occasion: both of my phone connection points failed to work, although Singtel activited the lines. i discovered this on the day of my move again. the Singtel guy came down to rectify the fault (my electrician refused to answer my calls) and told me my dear electrician installed the wrong wires. i had to pay $50 to Singtel to rectify this.

throughout this 3 incidents, my electrician refused to answer my call or when he did answer, he hung up. in all, he owes me $80 and a whole lot of inconvenience on my move-in day. please do not use him, although his rates are super cheap. i can forgive incompetency, but not incompetency PLUS sheer irresponsibility. when i asked for the initial $30, he said he has no money as his other clients have not paid him. i have written off this irresponsible electrician and will not pursue to get my $80 back.

i hope i do not unravel anymore electrical faults in time to come.

[Honeygal 1]

ok have moved in, here are the updated pics of the Living Room. tried to ensure the entire decor, accessories and furniture pieces are timeless and will not look dated a decade from now. most of the items here are old anyway and have been in use for many years. overall theme is Chinese contemporary which i conceptualised using mostly existing furniture pieces and accessories from my old place.

Rosewood sofa set second hand from Hock Siong.

Console table second hand from Hock Siong. Vases and lamp from old home. Lamp is meant for bedroom but temporarily placed here as i am still looking for a bedside table:

Barcelona chair, repro of course. Very bare decor - no coffee table or wall painting as i am keeping my expenses down. Don't even have a clock haha. Very tempted to get a duo face clock which i was thinking of placing in between the living room and kitchen, but cost over $200!

Old telephone table cum seater. Have hidden the telephone set inside that peranakan wedding basket as it looks really ugly and does not blend well with the furniture.

MBR. don't even own a quilt cover or mattress protector. times are bad, so keep everything to bare essentials:

Edited April 1, 2009 by Honeygal

[yokine9a 1]

Sorry to hear abt your unhappy occasions with electrical wiring... spend some $$ & get them fix, afterthat, you can move on with life.

Like your house theme, simple but classic

I don't have a quilt cover but I do have a mattress protector... find it weird to use a quilt cover under the hot & humid weather in Sgp... but I am still keeping the quilt which I had been using in OZ... mabe it's time to throw it away now.

[asianms 0]

love your wood furniture. great finds. did you need to get them re-conditioned? How did you get them transported home?

like the bare essentials look. v practical; simplifies cleaning.

consider buying stuff second-hand thru ebay, singapore classifieds etc? I bought a table fan (National, v new) for $30, a new waffle maker $20, a Braun handblender $15. v happy

let people know what u are looking for... many people seem to have stuff stashed away that they don't mind giving away. U want a rectangular gold tablecloth with tassels on the corner? From China, V glam, Friend bought for me a few years ago, but I could never match to look of my house.

I think quilt or bedcover completes the look of the bed, but Yokine9a is right, S'pore too hot & humid for quilt unless you sleep w aircon. I find my quilt v comforting, and it dresses up my otherwise boring bedsheet.

[Honeygal 1]

love your wood furniture. great finds. did you need to get them re-conditioned? How did you get them transported home?

like the bare essentials look. v practical; simplifies cleaning.

consider buying stuff second-hand thru ebay, singapore classifieds etc? I bought a table fan (National, v new) for $30, a new waffle maker $20, a Braun handblender $15. v happy

let people know what u are looking for... many people seem to have stuff stashed away that they don't mind giving away. U want a rectangular gold tablecloth with tassels on the corner? From China, V glam, Friend bought for me a few years ago, but I could never match to look of my house.

I think quilt or bedcover completes the look of the bed, but Yokine9a is right, S'pore too hot & humid for quilt unless you sleep w aircon. I find my quilt v comforting, and it dresses up my otherwise boring bedsheet.

the wooden furniture which i got from hock siong are great finds - $160 each for the rosewood sofa chair, and about $260 for the made in canada console table. they re-conditioned and varnished them before delivering to me. price inclusive of varnishing and delivery. i even bought some made in england porcelain crockery from them, like $5 for an 8-inch diameter bowl.

i certainly have no qualms about buying second-hand stuff. will check out ebay.

quilt and bedcover definitely completes the look of the bed. but i just didn't want to spend the extra $. extra laundry to do too!

[Honeygal 1]

MBR toilet. Very plain:

b

Pull-out tray which doubles up as extra workspace and table top for light meals:

Edited April 2, 2009 by Honeygal

[asianms 0]

thanks for the info on Hock Siong furniture. I didn't know they did all that. I went some time back, saw some nice stuff, but was worried about the re-conditioning and delivery, so didn't buy. Aiyah, sayang. Maybe must go again soon, but now I don't need more furniture.

cool bathroom, v streamlined. the patterned tile looks classy.

Wah, I wish I can get away with jus 2 cooking hobs. What's that machine in the corner for? Quite cute & retro looking.

[Honeygal 1]

thanks for the info on Hock Siong furniture. I didn't know they did all that. I went some time back, saw some nice stuff, but was worried about the re-conditioning and delivery, so didn't buy. Aiyah, sayang. Maybe must go again soon, but now I don't need more furniture.

cool bathroom, v streamlined. the patterned tile looks classy.

Wah, I wish I can get away with jus 2 cooking hobs. What's that machine in the corner for? Quite cute & retro looking.

the gadget at the corner is a masticating juicer. has a host of functions - makes fruit and veg juices, minces meat, makes pastas and noodles, sorbets etc etc. i use this to juice fruits and veg instead of the conventional centrifugal fruit juicer.