Our Home

[Reiki 0]

We finally confirmed our renovator yesterday.

Cograts, Rasp. One big headache gone .. hehehe, and hopefully lesser headache when reno finally starts.

[merryman 0]

We finally confirmed our renovator yesterday.

Really tiring to kept explaining the floorplan again and again to different people. Hee.. we wasn't those ultra-hardworking kind. Went to only 5-6 and think its enough. Didnt get any drawing from anyone too , think we too thin-skinned to ask for it.

And like the rest, we kinda of made some changes after new inputs from each meetings. So it seems kinda of difficult to confirm the stuff we wanted to do. Weekends burned to meet the IDs/Contractors to discuss the plan and quotes. Really tiring.

Phew, thank god that its over. And we sort of managed to keep to our tight budget. Hopefully everything will go smoothly from now onwards.

PS. will share our experience with the different renovators in the next post.

congrats.... haha... i'm still looking for mine

[poseidon_gal 0]

so when ur reno starting?

[Rasp 0]

Cograts, Rasp. One big headache gone .. hehehe, and hopefully lesser headache when reno finally starts.

Thanks Reiki. We hope so too. The next big headache for us is the packing. I have lotsa things at my house now. I wonder where to contain them during the reno. Our contractor did suggested putting some at the centre area of the living and 1 bedroom. But i doubt the space is enough for all of them.

congrats.... haha... i'm still looking for mine

Thanks merryman. You will find yours soon. When you planning to start yours?

so when ur reno starting?

We are starting the reno next month end. I guess your place should be all nicely done up by then. *envy*

So around 1month now for us to pack our stuff, apply for permit to hack 2 walls and erect a couple of wall as well as proceed with our recess area purchase. Hopefully we get all the approval for the stuff before the work starts.

Edited June 28, 2009 by Rasp

[Angel81 1]

We finally confirmed our renovator yesterday.

Really tiring to kept explaining the floorplan again and again to different people. Hee.. we wasn't those ultra-hardworking kind. Went to only 5-6 and think its enough. Didnt get any drawing from anyone too , think we too thin-skinned to ask for it.

And like the rest, we kinda of made some changes after new inputs from each meetings. So it seems kinda of difficult to confirm the stuff we wanted to do. Weekends burned to meet the IDs/Contractors to discuss the plan and quotes. Really tiring.

Phew, thank god that its over. And we sort of managed to keep to our tight budget. Hopefully everything will go smoothly from now onwards.

PS. will share our experience with the different renovators in the next post.

Oh congrates! So did u engage Yeak or the other contractor that ur hb sourced?

Edited June 29, 2009 by Angel81

[merryman 0]

Thanks merryman. You will find yours soon. When you planning to start yours?

To avoid the 7th month, I think 20th September bah... still waiting for quotes, grrrr, say will get back to me de havent get back, don't feel like chasing them... it shows their attitude

[Rasp 0]

Ok, here's our experience during our search for the renovator.

We emailed our requirement & floorplan to several highly raved contractor/ID in the forum.

1) Plu*h living

- Our email cant get through despite emailing them twice (with and without our attachment). Think no fate with them.

2) Homem*ker

- Got their contacts from the net. Sms and email them our requirements. They are fast in their response and called us up to arrange a site meeting at their clients' place which is going to HO soon for us to view their workmanship. Nice workmanship and the ID gave us some 'ID' idea (those nice but hard to maintain stuff).

- After which, he bring us back to his office to discuss our layout etc and they emailed the quotation to us in around 1-2weeks time. Pretty on the ball and customer oriented (the ID drove us to the mrt after our discussion, unlike the rest other who just send you to the door.) Their prompt service really won me over and I felt like giving them the job after the first meeting.

- However, when their quotation came in, its a different story. Price is slightly higher. But the main thing was..... the quotation wasn't really what we wanted, although we sat and discuss the items together during the first meeting. It kinda disappointed us and made us wonder if he did the quotation himself.

3) Mr Ye*k

- Sms him and email our requirements. Didnt get any response after waiting for few days. Called him and he kept emphasizing that he is very packed. Got a bad feeling that he doesn't want to take up our job. But still he said he will check our email and let me know again.

- After few days, he called me back while I was travelling back home at around 10pm+. I cant hear him and ask if I can call him tomorrow. He told me to sms him later and he slept very late when I told him its likely to be quite late by the time I am home. I reached home around 11pm+, and sms him if he's available to talk. He called me immediately and discussed with me. During the conversation, he still emphasize that he's very packed, but will still email me his quote.

- His quote came after 2 days and is quite reasonable. He's down to our 2nd last consideration. The only concern that hb had was Mr Ye*k's packed schedule and whether the HO will be delay. As we're renting a place during the reno, we cant afford any delays. Hence, hb decided to give it a pass.

4) Ideal Ho*se

- Email our requirements and got a call from their ID, Nix. He clarified some of his doubts over the phone with us to come up with a quotation. We met up with him and made some changes to the layout. He gave us some practical ideas and suggestions over some of our concerns. Very nice talking to him and was expecting him to follow up with a revised layout & quotation. But we didnt received anything from him and he didnt call also. Prolly not interested in our job.

5) I-bri*ge (rhiss)

- Saw 1 recommendation in the net on I-bri*ge and email our requirements. Got a call from their ID, John who insisted on a meetup and told me he's the senior ID/mgr (i forgotten). Nevertheless, we set up the meeting. The address he sms me was to the I-bri*ge Rhiss, I don't know if its the same company. Anyway, I wasn't familiar with his office address and went to streetdirectory for it.

- However, when we found the place from the streetdirectory, its wrong. So I called him up to inform him that we cant make it as we were nowhere near his office. He kinda of insisted that we took a cab to his office and kept saying its very cheap only. But we didn't want to waste $ on these and check if he can meet up at another day/time. But somehow, he insisted to meet that day. So we set up the meeting at the Mac near my place.

- He came with his assistant. And during the meeting, he was RUDE. Those ideas that we wanted, he told us that it was VERY UGLY (in chinese, hen nan kan). And kept emphasizing that he was in this field for donkey years and he cant possible bring himself to create such things even if his clients want it. In short, he just kept rebuting our things and jesting at our ideas (some of which was from the other IDs). And some technical words like glysup board or something, we didnt know the right word for it, he jested at us again for our ignorance.

- Initially we were trying so hard to make him understand our ideas and he kept rebuting. We felt so angry and didn't want to talk to him anymore. Just want to let him finish his things and stuff so that we can leave 'peacefully'. After the meeting, both of us were very certained that he's 10000% out. Really pissed us to the core.

- And after 2 weeks, he called me while I was with my hb and wanted to arrange for another meeting. I wanted to be polite (having calmed down after 2weeks) and told him no need for it as we think we don't have the thing/link with him so its hard to work together later. Guess what he replied? 'Aiya... waste my time.' I was shocked with such a reply and didn't know what to reply. Quite pissed after putting down the phone with him. Thank god, its over with him.

6) Skycreati*n

- Similarly, we emailed our stuff to them and their ID Raymond called us for a meeting. Quite a nice chap and pretty frank. He did a layout for us and our discussion was quite ok. He had a album of pictures on their clients' places to share with us. And even show us their procedures, their awards and the forms etc. We didnt go with him, mainly due to price.

7) Impress21

- Sms and email Henry our requirement and floorplan. He's prompt in his replies and emailed a quotation back. We asked to meet up with him at his office, although he had preferred to meet up at our place to do some measurements.

- Very down to earth person and advise on the practicality of the items. There are some items which we wanted to do but cant due to budget constraints. The other contractors/IDs will give us cheaper but not that practical alternatives, but Henry will advise us not to do instead. Reason being, they might look good initially but the maintanence etc is probably going to be much tougher and impractical.

- Henry's quote is quite reasonable. There is only afew items which Hb was checking with him about the pricing. Its only then that we realised that these are slightly higher as he's using better quality mechanism to avoid future hassle. Quality wise, we read that his work is quite ok and during our conversation, he said he's more concerned with the QC than the owners as its going to be his cost if any retification is needed.

- So needless to say, we signed up with Henry. Hopefully everything gonna be smooth.

[Rasp 0]

Oh congrates! So did u engage Yeak or the other contractor that ur hb sourced?

Thanks Angel81.

Sorry, we didnt engage Yeak as my hb is very concerned with delays. But we still think Yeak is a good catch.

[Rasp 0]

To avoid the 7th month, I think 20th September bah... still waiting for quotes, grrrr, say will get back to me de havent get back, don't feel like chasing them... it shows their attitude

I see. Same for us, we starting our works before 7th month so as to continue the works.

I did emailed some who gave me a call to ask me for budget. After telling them our budget, they didn't followup with any email/call/quotes. I didnt chase them too. I think if they are interested, they will chase me instead. My guess is they probably think its too low an amount to work for.

[Angel81 1]

Thanks Angel81.

Sorry, we didnt engage Yeak as my hb is very concerned with delays. But we still think Yeak is a good catch.

Hehe, no worries! I'll be very concern about the HO date too if I am in ur shoes. So when will u be starting ur reno?

Aiyo.... That ID/mgr from I-Bri*ge REALLY CMI. Really feel like . Think I would have scolded him back that it's he who wasted others' time.

[ivy 0]

i think i've read quite a some good reviews about henry. YOu should be in good hands rasp. congrats!

[blue_diamond 0]

I have met up with henry before....i will say u are in good hand....din engage him due to budget constraint...sure yr reno will be smooth de...

[XiaoBinBin 0]

Hooray! Another Impressor! Hee

Clap Clap =)

Enjoy the journey!

[Rasp 0]

Hehe, no worries! I'll be very concern about the HO date too if I am in ur shoes. So when will u be starting ur reno?

Aiyo.... That ID/mgr from I-Bri*ge REALLY CMI. Really feel like . Think I would have scolded him back that it's he who wasted others' time.

Good Morning Angel!

We are starting on the 29th of this month. So excited...

I am planning my leaves. Any idea what are days that are more crucial for the owners to be around? Hacking? carpentry?

[Rasp 0]

i think i've read quite a some good reviews about henry. YOu should be in good hands rasp. congrats!

I have met up with henry before....i will say u are in good hand....din engage him due to budget constraint...sure yr reno will be smooth de...

Thanks thanks, ivy and blue_diamond.

I now headache about the packing. Gonna start the packing this wkend... Really drag it.............

Will share some before-pictures after we finish the pack.