Retrospectrum Meets Modernisation!

[yokine9a 1]

$2500 is on the high side for just flooring only... does it include kitchen/toilet walls?

Yes, granite is more costly... I paid $100psf for Indian granite... China granite might be cheaper, do ask for the pricing of both type.

It is hard to define a far price for 3-rm flat reno, all depends on what you want to do... I spent abt $12K with minimal work whilst rondy spent nearly $27K for an overhaul reno, both on 3-rm flats... so you decide what you want to do & get it done within your comfort/budget.

[aubrey 0]

well the $2.5k is to hack everything that is hackable within the house

wow it is costly. i have a feeling that im quoted for this Bellus solid surface top.

yea i get what u mean. i just want no frills and the bare essentials. no false ceiling, L box etc.

[pinkpetter 0]

mmm say if I had a 3 room and I had to overhaul it.. Hack everything hackable and retile...carpentry would be kitchen cabinets + a wardrobe for MBR and shoe cabinet... + electrical and plumbing...

I won't settle for anything more than 18k. *Am I mean?*

yup

granite is costlier.. but if you're thinking of getting good quality solid surface top.. then might as well go for granite.

[aubrey 0]

actually i said $15k.. but they said they might exceed. 1 exceeded by a lot. currently standing at 22K++

well i guess i will have to check with my contractor regarding granite. rar! anything for it to be lasting!

[aubrey 0]

Updated To Do List, nothing fancy just bare essentials.

Hacking of entire house existing flooring - living room , 2 bedroom, kitchen & bath + W.C (my kitchen is only cement screed)

Supply &Lay homogeneous floor tiles for living room and 2 bedrooms

Supply & Lay homogeneous floor tiles for kitchen as well as wall tiles

Kitchen Cabinets (top & Bottom)

Redo bath + W.C floor & wall tiles

Change existing windows to new louver windows (movable alu ones)

Change window in bedroom 1

Install wardrobe in bedroom 1

Change windows in living room & bedroom 2

Install wardrobe in bedroom 2

Change 2 bedroom doors

Change existing gate to wrought iron gate

Plastering whole house

Painting whole house

awaiting quotes to come in all by this week. Will post pics of place after I clean and pack.

[Shogen79 0]

Updated To Do List, nothing fancy just bare essentials.

Hacking of entire house existing flooring - living room , 2 bedroom, kitchen & bath + W.C (my kitchen is only cement screed)

Supply &Lay homogeneous floor tiles for living room and 2 bedrooms

Supply & Lay homogeneous floor tiles for kitchen as well as wall tiles

Kitchen Cabinets (top & Bottom)

Redo bath + W.C floor & wall tiles

Change existing windows to new louver windows (movable alu ones)

Change window in bedroom 1

Install wardrobe in bedroom 1

Change windows in living room & bedroom 2

Install wardrobe in bedroom 2

Change 2 bedroom doors

Change existing gate to wrought iron gate

Plastering whole house

Painting whole house

awaiting quotes to come in all by this week. Will post pics of place after I clean and pack.

hiya aubrey,

did the ID tell u what is the price range of the tiles u can choose from? mus request for full body homogenous tile okie reason is that it will not chip off when u drop hard objects onto it.

btw may i suggest that the altar your mum wans to have...to be built into a full height wardrobe...meaning that everything is all hidden inside the wardrobe with clear glass n silde open when burning joss stick. inside the wardrobe, u can customise the number of shelves at diff. height n also include a sliding table top for placing fruits or offerings n silde back when not in use..pretty much like a multi-purpose box but at a larger scale

though ya mum had bought the altars but still can sell away as 2nd hand thru those refurbish shop, i believe u can get back at least 90% of the amt that u paid for it.

since u r doing the whole toilet tiles..dun go for the kerb that divide the showering area n the WC..not gd at all..go for the steps...easiler to maintain n dry up fast. with the kerb sure either u kick onto it or slip.

u might wan to consider adding gilles to ya bedroom & living as the windows are facing the corridors...pretty prone to house-breakers..if u know what i mean.

considering that only u n ya mum staying...security is a big factor.

solid top wise..if cost is ya top concern then i suggest go for the most durable ones no need to go by the brands...all u need is to pay a little bit more attention to maintaining the solid tops..it should work out jus fine.

in this case, ya budget got to be daring...go for 10k each time when u approach an ID....then when they increase(usually they do it) to 18 or 22k range, then u start to bargain till like 12 or 15k.. then i believe u should be able to save quite a fair bit .

[aubrey 0]

hiya aubrey,

did the ID tell u what is the price range of the tiles u can choose from? mus request for full body homogenous tile okie reason is that it will not chip off when u drop hard objects onto it.

btw may i suggest that the altar your mum wans to have...to be built into a full height wardrobe...meaning that everything is all hidden inside the wardrobe with clear glass n silde open when burning joss stick. inside the wardrobe, u can customise the number of shelves at diff. height n also include a sliding table top for placing fruits or offerings n silde back when not in use..pretty much like a multi-purpose box but at a larger scale

though ya mum had bought the altars but still can sell away as 2nd hand thru those refurbish shop, i believe u can get back at least 90% of the amt that u paid for it.

since u r doing the whole toilet tiles..dun go for the kerb that divide the showering area n the WC..not gd at all..go for the steps...easiler to maintain n dry up fast. with the kerb sure either u kick onto it or slip.

u might wan to consider adding gilles to ya bedroom & living as the windows are facing the corridors...pretty prone to house-breakers..if u know what i mean.

considering that only u n ya mum staying...security is a big factor.

solid top wise..if cost is ya top concern then i suggest go for the most durable ones no need to go by the brands...all u need is to pay a little bit more attention to maintaining the solid tops..it should work out jus fine.

in this case, ya budget got to be daring...go for 10k each time when u approach an ID....then when they increase(usually they do it) to 18 or 22k range, then u start to bargain till like 12 or 15k.. then i believe u should be able to save quite a fair bit .

hi shogen,

yup we requested for homogeneous. actually without u to say that, i assumed that homogeneous is already full body, so u mean its not? and i have to specifically bring up to them? tsktsk.. lucky you told me of this.

regarding the altar, we will be keeping it, no sense in selling and i guess the ID just have to design something to make it fit in, since ID is their job.

my toilet is divided into two, is the issue with the kerb still applicable? i dont quite get the stepped kerb tho..

and yes u are right, my mom wants to install grilles for safety + security and i for one am all for it! heh!

yea i have to check on the price differences for granite and consider from there. cost is my top concern but if granite is more durable then i think we might just go for that if the difference is not that big. is yrs granite??

wa actually i told them 14k - 15k based on the checklist of things to be done, is that reasonable?? cos till now i am still wondering if it is.

i hope some IDs have promos for either free hood/hob, aircon, tv etc. this time gotta be thickskinned!

P.S: this weekend meeting 1 ID to discuss further. will post the floorplan with design inside when i have it.

Edited April 3, 2009 by aubrey

[Shogen79 0]

hi shogen,

yup we requested for homogeneous. actually without u to say that, i assumed that homogeneous is already full body, so u mean its not? and i have to specifically bring up to them? tsktsk.. lucky you told me of this.

regarding the altar, we will be keeping it, no sense in selling and i guess the ID just have to design something to make it fit in, since ID is their job.

my toilet is divided into two, is the issue with the kerb still applicable? i dont quite get the stepped kerb tho..

and yes u are right, my mom wants to install grilles for safety + security and i for one am all for it! heh!

yea i have to check on the price differences for granite and consider from there. cost is my top concern but if granite is more durable then i think we might just go for that if the difference is not that big. is yrs granite??

wa actually i told them 14k - 15k based on the checklist of things to be done, is that reasonable?? cos till now i am still wondering if it is.

i hope some IDs have promos for either free hood/hob, aircon, tv etc. this time gotta be thickskinned!

P.S: this weekend meeting 1 ID to discuss further. will post the floorplan with design inside when i have it.

hi aubrey, initially our table top we wanted it to be granite but the cost diff. from the soild top is way too high so we took a long then agreed to go for solid top. 1 things is we dun do cooking often so no need to get a gd grantie top. unless got kids (which will not be so soon hahaha) if not by then it will be like next 5 yr or so...then maybe by that time we will change it to granite bah. the cost diff is like 600 to 800 different leh.

i believe 14k to 15k is what u wish the ID will qoute for u.. but its not going to happen, they will surly bring up at least near 20k. f u wan them to hit ard 14k to 15k....then u got to tell them tat ya budget is only 9k to 10k. one thing for sure.....never give in to them unless they meet ya requirement...like including cooker n hod within the budget of say 14k. dun 4get u still have the electrical part tat is going to charge separately...give tat abt 2.5k which means ya reno budget is ard 15k to 16k ler.

[applefreak 1]

just fyi on the cost of granite countertop

if you have a long top i.e. 15ft or more

you can go to the suppliers directly

it's cheaper than what ID/contractor quotes

[aubrey 0]

hi aubrey, initially our table top we wanted it to be granite but the cost diff. from the soild top is way too high so we took a long then agreed to go for solid top. 1 things is we dun do cooking often so no need to get a gd grantie top. unless got kids (which will not be so soon hahaha) if not by then it will be like next 5 yr or so...then maybe by that time we will change it to granite bah. the cost diff is like 600 to 800 different leh.

i believe 14k to 15k is what u wish the ID will qoute for u.. but its not going to happen, they will surly bring up at least near 20k. f u wan them to hit ard 14k to 15k....then u got to tell them tat ya budget is only 9k to 10k. one thing for sure.....never give in to them unless they meet ya requirement...like including cooker n hod within the budget of say 14k. dun 4get u still have the electrical part tat is going to charge separately...give tat abt 2.5k which means ya reno budget is ard 15k to 16k ler.

yea i was thinking of granite but cost is too big a diff so i will go for solid top from msia. i forgot the brand. was told there's another good brand called corian which is the pioneer solid top manufacturer or sthing? just that brand is european, made in msia. -_-

yup hoping for them to quote low but learned the hard way!! so far my budget to them is 15k and they are telling me 25k which is 10k in excess.

actually have fixed my lights alr so just may need to relocate points.

@ applefreak - some IDs measured about 15ft for me, if i am really keen on granite where to go direct?

got this quote from an ID, is it reasonable to you guys?

Professional Services - FOC

Design consultation

Space Planning

Perspective Drawings

Material & Colour Proposal

Project Management

Demolition Works

To demolish wall **** room & room 2 $300.00

To supply labor to hack wall tile for kitchen & toilet $500.00

To supply labor to hack kitchen & toilet flooring $280.00

To supply labor to hack skirting for living & bed room $200.00

SUB-TOTAL : $1,580.00

Plumbing Works

To supply & run stainless steel pipe $650.00

To supply labor to joint in/out let pipe $150.00

To supply & install 1 standard sitting bowl at toilet

c/w flushing tank $300.00 ($120 to install only)

To supply labor to install toilet accessories $30.00

To supply labor to install heater $50.00

SUB-TOTAL : $1,180.00

Masonry Works

To supply & lay wall tile for kitchen to ceiling high ($2.80 psf) $1,800.00 (mom wants it tho i want to take it out since exceed budget)

To supply & lay wall tile for both toilet to ceiling high ($2.80 psf) $1,800.00

To supply & lay kitchen & toilet flooring ($2.80 psf) $980.00

To supply & apply water proofing membrane $150.00

To supply & construct cabinet base with tile skirting $180.00

To supply & construct fridge base with tile finish $80.00

To supply & construct washing machine base with

tile finish $80.00

To supply & lay 60x60 polish homogeneous tile for living &

2 bedrooms c/w tile skirting ($3 psf) $2500

SUB-TOTAL : $7,570.00

Miscellaneous Works

To supply & paint whole house ( non oriental paint ) $850.00 (+$150 for Nippon/ICI)

To supply & plaster for whole house with Alturas hard $1,000.00 (may take out since exceed budget)

To supply & install 1 set stainless steel rubbish chute $180.00

To apply for renovation permit $150.00

To haulage material to unit $300.00

To supply labour for general cleaning whole house include

acid cleaning for floor, wall & Window FOC

SUB-TOTAL : $2,480.00

Aluminum / Wrought Works

To supply & install 2 set naco window $400.00

To supply & install 16sqf casement window at master room with n/a finish $200.00

To supply & install 48sqf aluminum grills for whole house $254.00

To supply & install 1 set wrought iron gate $400.00

To supply & install 2 set bi-fold door c/w wpc & pvc board $360.00

To supply & install 2x adjustable louver window at toilet & w.c $300.00

SUB-TOTAL : $1,914.00

Carpentry Works

To supply & install 31 ft kitchen cabinet with ABS

trimming & laminate finish $2,790.00

To supply & install 15 ft solid surface work top $1,040.00

To supply & install 10 ft designed full height wardrobe

at master room c/w swing door ABS trimming & laminate finish $2000.00 (may go for 7 ft since exceed budget)

To supply & install 7 ft wardrobe at room 2 with

glass sliding door $1,400.00

To supply & install 5 ft study table at room 2 $500.00

To supply & install 5ft book shelf c/w swing door $1,000

To supply & install 5 ft feature wall **** room $800.00

SUB-TOTAL : $9,530.00

Glass Works

To supply & install 3x7ft 10mm thick tempered glass sliding door at kitchen entrance $650 (may take it out since exceed budget)

Grand total - $24,904

is this reasonable or is my budget not realistic for the things i wanna do? thanks!!

Edited April 6, 2009 by aubrey

[applefreak 1]

that time the cheapest i managed to source is from stiles, a shop at changi south area

they charge separately for the granite, the cut out and installation

per cut out is $100, installation is around $250 and granite is pfr

so pfr price should be around $55 coz in the end it's the same as my contractor charge me - $1k for 10ft

but if you do longer than more worth liao

[pinkpetter 0]

This is why I'm thinking.. why I keep seeing people say granite and good quality solid surface price diff is big.. not very big ma. Corian and LG is the same sort of pricing ah...

Applefreak.. this granite is from which country?

Aubrey I believe the surface you're referring to is Bellus?

[applefreak 1]

hehehe i don't know leh

i only know it's called blue pearl

likely is india or china

[Jupiter Home 0]

Will your family cook everyday? If yes, it will be better to use granite as its more resistance to scratches.

[aubrey 0]

applefreak

are u using granite for your tabletop? some IDs said there's pros and cons to it. granite per slab at its longest is 6ft, anymore than that i have to add two slabs tgt and the "joint marks" will show and i cannot chop heavily on it lest it cracks/breaks. is all that true? hee hee maybe i can go check it out before deciding on solid surface if difference is not too big. still waiting for other quotes to come in.

pinkpetter

nope not bellus, some other brand. is it true that some solid surface tops are made in singapore? will that be better? (support local movement!) how much are the LG ones? cant recall how much the ID quote me for corian cos im not keen so i didnt make a point to rmb it.

jupiterhome

perhaps u can say in 7 days we may cook 4 ~ 5 days, considered a lot? i think it is quite a bit leh..