My New Abode In Bt Batok

[Amy Choon 1]

Hey all,

I haven't got my keys to my new place yet, neither have I found any ID or contractor for the reno, but I'm kan cheong to start my t-blog so here I am! I just got my floor plan in the afternoon and after "cleaning" them up, I just can't wait to post it up.

I will attach 2 floor plan. One is the original floor plan, the other is the current house floor plan. The first owner of the house did some hacking so there are some changes in the current layout.

Original:

Current:

It's gonna be a major overhaul, and we are just keeping the marble flooring in the hall/dining area. I'm racking my brains on how to expand the kitchen. Now it's really small and dark. Cos the yard is just beside the lift area, so there's not much natural light. We want to remove the toilet in the yard if it's possible.

Now I'm still thinking if I should restore the utility and store area (currently the study). If we are going to restore the utility, I thought I might wana hack the walls to open up the kitchen area even more.

I will post the pictures later!

[Supersimon27 2]

Welcome to RT - blog . CNY eve , maybe not many pp ard to give ideals

Yr house is big , 3 toilet somemore wow ....

Is it a HDB or ?

As for kitchen , how abt a open concept ? U can actually hack away the wall connecting the kitchen and dinning area . If you are afraid that it will be oily , add glass panel will work

[Amy Choon 1]

Hello Supersimon,

ya, I kinda expected not many replies cos of CNY.. hehe.

Actually there are 4 toilets, the one in the yard area comes with just WC and a sink. Current owners used it as their store, since they have no storeroom. I thought I can hack away that toilet so that I can extend my kitchen counter space.

Oh, you mean instead of a wall between kitchen and dining, I replace with full glass? Half glass can work? Cos since the kitchen really small, I need lotsa counter space. Actually i wanted a long pull out drawer and that's the only place I can put them, since the other side need to put wash basin and stove plus fridge. And we need bigger fridge too.

Mine is a condo. I'm trying to make full use of the current layout without too much hacking of walls, save costs ma.

[Supersimon27 2]

Hello Supersimon,

ya, I kinda expected not many replies cos of CNY.. hehe.

Actually there are 4 toilets, the one in the yard area comes with just WC and a sink. Current owners used it as their store, since they have no storeroom. I thought I can hack away that toilet so that I can extend my kitchen counter space.

Oh, you mean instead of a wall between kitchen and dining, I replace with full glass? Half glass can work? Cos since the kitchen really small, I need lotsa counter space. Actually i wanted a long pull out drawer and that's the only place I can put them, since the other side need to put wash basin and stove plus fridge. And we need bigger fridge too.

Mine is a condo. I'm trying to make full use of the current layout without too much hacking of walls, save costs ma.

how about an island ? can covert it to dinning table as u like. If U change it to a island , u can store thing under it and eat into more of yr dining area . however by having a island also mean it will going to be a full open concept kitchen

[Amy Choon 1]

how about an island ? can covert it to dinning table as u like. If U change it to a island , u can store thing under it and eat into more of yr dining area . however by having a island also mean it will going to be a full open concept kitchen

unfortunately, I can't have an open concept kitchen cos my PIL stay over very often and she cook everyday and deep fry a lot. I like the idea of having an island, but guess now it will cotinue to be a dream lo.

I love your kitchen wor, and I show my hubby just now, he likes it too, so I gonna copy your ktchen colour concept with suspended cabinets leh, you don't mind hor? Keke.

[Supersimon27 2]

unfortunately, I can't have an open concept kitchen cos my PIL stay over very often and she cook everyday and deep fry a lot. I like the idea of having an island, but guess now it will cotinue to be a dream lo.

I love your kitchen wor, and I show my hubby just now, he likes it too, so I gonna copy your ktchen colour concept with suspended cabinets leh, you don't mind hor? Keke.

no problem ... ha ... I saw a few copy too . ha ...

if that's the case open concept is a no no liao .... hmmm ... let me think think what else can make yr kitchen bigger

[ossify 1]

Hey all,

I haven't got my keys to my new place yet, neither have I found any ID or contractor for the reno, but I'm kan cheong to start my t-blog so here I am! I just got my floor plan in the afternoon and after "cleaning" them up, I just can't wait to post it up.

I will attach 2 floor plan. One is the original floor plan, the other is the current house floor plan. The first owner of the house did some hacking so there are some changes in the current layout.

Original:

Current:

It's gonna be a major overhaul, and we are just keeping the marble flooring in the hall/dining area. I'm racking my brains on how to expand the kitchen. Now it's really small and dark. Cos the yard is just beside the lift area, so there's not much natural light. We want to remove the toilet in the yard if it's possible.

Now I'm still thinking if I should restore the utility and store area (currently the study). If we are going to restore the utility, I thought I might wana hack the walls to open up the kitchen area even more.

I will post the pictures later!

i think it's interesting that the previous owners decided to sacrifice a U-shaped kitchen to have a galley kitchen. perhaps they don't cook much or they find that it's too cramped to have a U shaped kitchen.

based on the floorplan, you can pretty much have a kitchen of any dimensions. lighting will most likely be obtained from the kitchen and yard toilet windows.

somehow i think that the previous kitchen layout is more efficient, but rather cramped.

pls post some pics of the current state of the place with natural lighting

[Amy Choon 1]

Wow.. busy busy CNY for me.. didn't managed to find time to upload my photos.

here's the kitchen!

The is the right side from entrance.

This is the left side. In the floor plan, this is supposed to be rectangular, but somehow, there's one block of wall inside. So my only guess was the previous owner extended the space towards dining area after they shifted the kitchen entrance.

This is the entrance to the yard. I will be knocking down the wall on the right side. Behind this wall is the small toilet which only consist of 1 WC and 1 sink. I intend to put my washer and dryer there, side by side on the floor and build a counter top extending from the kitchen so that I can more counter space. I guess I'm at management's mercy on this, not sure if they approved.

Ossify, I prefer the U-shape kitchen actually, because I do get more counter space. I've seen other units in the same building with the same kitchen layout and the kitchen looks fine to me, space wise. The seller did tell me the reason they moved the door is to create space for the dining. It's either/or situation. Either I get a bigger kitchen with more counter space, or I get a bigger dining. Since I have no intention to move the door back to it's original position, I can only try to make as much counter & cabinet space as I can.

I just got my 1st quote form contractor. A whopping $80K!!!!!! I almost fainted....

[Amy Choon 1]

the bulk of it was the bamboo flooring for all 3 bedrooms and study la. That already come up to 16k. So bamboo is out. Wonder if wood flooring cheaper hor?

But still, minus the bamboo flooring, also 64k leh. Even if I keep the marble flooring for hall and dining, savings also not much, less another 8k. Still 56k. I have to build wardrobes in all 3 rooms, plus cabinet in kitchen and shoes cabinet in hall. That's basically all the carpentry I have, why so ex?!!

[ossify 1]

Wow.. busy busy CNY for me.. didn't managed to find time to upload my photos.

here's the kitchen!

The is the right side from entrance.

This is the left side. In the floor plan, this is supposed to be rectangular, but somehow, there's one block of wall inside. So my only guess was the previous owner extended the space towards dining area after they shifted the kitchen entrance.

This is the entrance to the yard. I will be knocking down the wall on the right side. Behind this wall is the small toilet which only consist of 1 WC and 1 sink. I intend to put my washer and dryer there, side by side on the floor and build a counter top extending from the kitchen so that I can more counter space. I guess I'm at management's mercy on this, not sure if they approved.

Ossify, I prefer the U-shape kitchen actually, because I do get more counter space. I've seen other units in the same building with the same kitchen layout and the kitchen looks fine to me, space wise. The seller did tell me the reason they moved the door is to create space for the dining. It's either/or situation. Either I get a bigger kitchen with more counter space, or I get a bigger dining. Since I have no intention to move the door back to it's original position, I can only try to make as much counter & cabinet space as I can.

I just got my 1st quote form contractor. A whopping $80K!!!!!! I almost fainted....

if you prefer U-shape kitchen, then get U-shape kitchen after all, it's your kitchen! Why don't you want to move the door back? Is it due to budget?

the bulk of it was the bamboo flooring for all 3 bedrooms and study la. That already come up to 16k. So bamboo is out. Wonder if wood flooring cheaper hor?

But still, minus the bamboo flooring, also 64k leh. Even if I keep the marble flooring for hall and dining, savings also not much, less another 8k. Still 56k. I have to build wardrobes in all 3 rooms, plus cabinet in kitchen and shoes cabinet in hall. That's basically all the carpentry I have, why so ex?!!

Ever considered Robina's Bamboo laminate?

3.8psf nett (no GST) offer is still valid till this Sunday.

3 bedrooms and study at 600sqft would cost $2280. Effective savings of $13,720.

[Amy Choon 1]

Hi Ossify!

cos i also like it that the dining is bigger ma. previous units i saw with the kitchen entrance still in original position, the dining table looks quite weird and out of place. this unit better, cos the dining area looks proper. me show you pic.

the original door is on the left side where the paint is hanging. the dining table can only put under the window opening to kitchen.

as for lami floorings, hubby don't like, cos got hollow sound. i don't mind though. love your flooring leh, the colour is nice.

[ossify 1]

Hi Ossify!

cos i also like it that the dining is bigger ma. previous units i saw with the kitchen entrance still in original position, the dining table looks quite weird and out of place. this unit better, cos the dining area looks proper. me show you pic.

the original door is on the left side where the paint is hanging. the dining table can only put under the window opening to kitchen.

as for lami floorings, hubby don't like, cos got hollow sound. i don't mind though. love your flooring leh, the colour is nice.

i see what you mean and understand that bigger dining area is preferable over efficient kitchen.

mm you interested to come to my showroom to see if you'll have hollow sound? i don't notice it at all, maybe i'm not as sensitive

[Amy Choon 1]

ossify,

we have many friends with laminated flooring, even our upstairs neighbour have leh. then whenever there were heavy footsteps or running, there will be a hollow sound. that's why my hubby never liked laminated flooring. as for me, as long as it's sui, i can overlook others la.. wahaha... my hubby like solid floors... well... it's not possible to convince him la..

i ok with keeping current parquet flooring too, just some sprucing up will do, but hubby worry about underlying problems, i.e. rotten wood underneath that we can't see, or termites invasion... pengz.

[summerflowers 0]

i ok with keeping current parquet flooring too, just some sprucing up will do, but hubby worry about underlying problems, i.e. rotten wood underneath that we can't see, or termites invasion... pengz.

Parquet is nice too. Just polish and varnish and it will be as good as new.

One flooring that is a good dampener of sound is vinyl laminate. It has wood grain designs too. Formica has it. Me considering putting it in the bathroom.

BTW, anybody knows whether bamboo laminates can be put in the bathroom? What are the pros and cons? The offer at $3.80 seems good.

[Amy Choon 1]

Parquet is nice too. Just polish and varnish and it will be as good as new.

One flooring that is a good dampener of sound is vinyl laminate. It has wood grain designs too. Formica has it. Me considering putting it in the bathroom.

BTW, anybody knows whether bamboo laminates can be put in the bathroom? What are the pros and cons? The offer at $3.80 seems good.

Hi Summerflowers,

well, we will see how much is quoted to change the flooring, then we decide whether to keep or not lor. so far only received quotation from 1 company.

laminates aren't suppose to have much contact with water right? even mopping with too wet mops will spoil the laminates, so i think putting them in the bathroom is big no-no... how about those normal wood meant for balcony/outdoor?