El Nino_Al Nito 0 Report post Posted March 1, 2010 Contractor Selection Phase This is a long one... Right after my 1st appt in Dec 09, I used the time in between 2nd appt to get quotations for our planned overhaul. After reading up experiences and feedbacks from fellow RenoTalkers, nominated 4 contractors and one ID to revert to me. Jason from U&B Reno - Prompt with his first email reply. Told me to call him coz not clear on some of my requirements. - When called him he abit forgot who I was. Remembered me after I cracked a joke. Said he will quote. - Never heard from him since. - Verdict: Nice chap to talk with but he’s probably bugged down by many projects. Strike one. Mr Yeak from Basic Image - Also very prompt. This time I decide not to email. Sms him if could meet up and discuss. He said on lah. - Had a good half hour session discussing our requirements. Half hour is all it took coz I had prepared a spreadsheet of things to do. All he have to do is fill in the numbers. Haha. - He commented very straightforward. Also near his office. And reno is only in late March. He still available. - Gave advises as well on some of my requirements whether can do or not. Got cost effective alternatives or not. - Verdict: Ho sei la…Plus points on the advises given, promptness and good communications exchanged. Henry from ID Note - Read up all about him from forummers in the ‘Henner Club’ -> still unofficial ah guys? - Sms him if could meet up and discuss. He did not revert at all. - Decided to drop by his shop the next day. He was not around so too bad for us. - Found that he gave me a miss call when I got home. Called him back and told him I was at his shop earlier. Apparently missed him by 10mins. - Somehow he knew my full name even though I had never disclosed to him prior to this. Freaky. - He told me to email him my requirements and he will revert next week. - Emailed him. No news since. Last spotted flying kite at open field along Woodlands Ave 5. - Verdict: Freaky but nice uncle to chat with. Not sure why ask me to email but never revert. Strike two. Henry from Impress21 Design and Build - No one open fan club for him? Hah…Nonetheless, Henry’s works on several of the forummers here made me shortlist him too. Sms him my intention to meet up and discuss. - He was prompt and honest in his reply. Said he was busy and will revert to me the end of the following week. I told him lets see if you will remember. - Surprisingly he did. Didn’t remind him. End of following week he sms me that he is available to meet up and discuss. - Our meeting was a brief one. He seemed to be rushing for another job. Also fully understood our requirements. Didn’t have much inputs and advises from him as compared to Mr Yeak. - Said he will revert within few days. Through enough he kept his words. - Verdict:Very very prompt and kept to his words. So far so good. Hope quotation is good too! ID from Ideal House ID -Thot whats the fuss all about with this Interior Design Company, so dropped them an enquiry on their web - An ID reverted within days via email. Echanged some info before forwarding him my floor plan and requiremenst - Reverted after a week or so. Very surprisingly, the cheapest quote thus far! Hence my shock whether ID now cut cost become cheaper than contractors? - Looked closely at his quote. Quite a number of gaps and lobangs missing from my requirements. Oh-oh I thought. I reminded him got missing items. He said he will check and revert. - Came back a week later with rectifications to his initial quote. Now quotation bumped up to slightly more than Mr Yeak’s and Henry’s. Plus his materials were kinda basic. - Verdict: Reasonably prompt but the gaps he left in the quotation kinda make me wonder what other hidden costs will there be in future? Strike three. Spent two more weeks mulling over Mr Yeak’s and Henry Impress21’s quotations. Along the way, I probed them for what materials they be using for this and that. This allows me to shape up my requirements to fit within my budget. Not much diff between them although Mr Yeak was cheaper by 3k. Henry sensed my deliberation. He dangled a carrot in front of me. Discount $1k but valid if I sign within 2 weeks from his offer. I said ok, let me think deeper. Discussed with my wife. She’s comfortable with Mr Yeak. I felt this was important too, how we bond and communicate with the contractor. Plus, I think Mr Yeak’s ad hoc costs are much cheaper than Henry in case I wanna do add-ons for example. End up confirming with Mr Yeak just before CNY. He was delighted to get an early ang bao. Haha. He knows my agenda. Handover before World Cup 2010!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
El Nino_Al Nito 0 Report post Posted March 1, 2010 Ha... for me is like ..... start reno 3-4 weeks liao then I start my Blog . 1st is lazy ..... 2nd is wife say nothing to show also ... hacking only ... so end up delay delay .... better late then never laaa...lucky u started it.. ur blog is an informative source for Henry's telephone directory and work of art.. think without it and RT he might not be so well known...haha Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Supersimon27 2 Report post Posted March 1, 2010 better late then never laaa...lucky u started it.. ur blog is an informative source for Henry's telephone directory and work of art.. think without it and RT he might not be so well known...haha true also .... And cellini sofa .... and lightings.com.sg .....ha Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
El Nino_Al Nito 0 Report post Posted March 1, 2010 your layout looks almost the same as tulips!is it one of the unit near the north point? read Tulips' blog before...really liked her marble floor but 11k sia... layout is similar i guess just that hers is 5 room w/ balcony whereas mine is not. can say near north point la...abt 7-8 mins walk? closer to chong pang actually... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
El Nino_Al Nito 0 Report post Posted March 1, 2010 I suppose also very near to yeak's shop! Easy to go over for some discussion! yah lor...one of the reasons i chose him over impress21 also. abt 12mins walk to his yeak's shop. this will be easier if need rectification later coz now stay closer to yeak's own house... later handover will be closer to his shop. Lol Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
graceakaclouds 1 Report post Posted March 1, 2010 haha...El Nino...incidentally, i shortlisted two of the contractors you wrote below....namely, Jason frm U & B Reno and Henry from Impress21.... like the way u describe how u feel abt meeting up with them or contacting them...it's impt to have gd rapport with ur contractor... now, u r making me curious abt Mr Yeak... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
El Nino_Al Nito 0 Report post Posted March 1, 2010 (edited) your current place at woodlands ah?! its a rented mbr in woodlands actually. this gonna be my first flat man. had been moving ard rent here and there since i got married in 2007...shagged arh... really hope me and wife get rewarded for our patience with an excellent and gorgeous matrimonial home... C'mon Yeak! *will this be too much pressure for Yeak?* haha... Edited March 2, 2010 by El Nino_Al Nito Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
El Nino_Al Nito 0 Report post Posted March 1, 2010 haha...El Nino...incidentally, i shortlisted two of the contractors you wrote below....namely, Jason frm U & B Reno and Henry from Impress21.... like the way u describe how u feel abt meeting up with them or contacting them...it's impt to have gd rapport with ur contractor... now, u r making me curious abt Mr Yeak... curious liao then dun wait ler...contact him and get a quote! hehe... best is if you have your specifications / requirements ready...get more than three quotes... five is abt enough coz more or less u will notice the quotes even out and differ by minimal... i.e. some cheaper here more ex there and vice versa... yup, rapport is good to have if u want peace of mind..knowing if anything does go wrong, u can count on that fella to fix it..of course not until a demanding or unreasonable extent la...haha lots of give and take i guess... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dannywmp 3 Report post Posted March 1, 2010 Hello... Congrats on getting your new house and the wedding... Hope to see the great transformation of your dream house. Feel free drop me pm if you need any help... Cheers. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
El Nino_Al Nito 0 Report post Posted March 2, 2010 he is very responsible with his work and always take pride to do every single renovation on his own with his own team of workers. So far,very satisfied with his service! After staying more than a year in my place...everything so far so good. Best of all is his worker tiling skill!u gotta see it yourself! tell me about it...he brought me to the unit i mentioned before in blk 208 after i insist he go with me. the tiling is like minimal grout lines sia...i like! other than that, i appreciate his advises here and there considering this is my first reno and im taking the plunge to use a contractor after plenty of info and learning experiences here in RT. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
El Nino_Al Nito 0 Report post Posted March 2, 2010 Hello... Congrats on getting your new house and the wedding... Hope to see the great transformation of your dream house. Feel free drop me pm if you need any help... Cheers. hi danny, thanks for the welcome! im still deliberating on the philips 42pfl9664 LCD.. courts and HN said its a discont set and promoted to me the 42pfl8404H.. but i like the sleekness of the 9664...only found out that best denki at IMM still selling but at $2499...the sales guy said im better off getting LED at that price which i still have not quite fancied though... hope the IT show will have this model...Grrrrr... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
El Nino_Al Nito 0 Report post Posted March 2, 2010 Lighting Points Layout This is one area i had scrutinised and thought over and finally came up with this. Im not sure if this lighting plan is excessive or otherwise, hence hope i can get feedbacks on this. As per the floorplan layout: Living / Dining Area - The yellow rectangular lines are the cove lights in warm yellow. - The blue rectangular lines are the cove lights in blue (or maybe black light ala CSI style, Lol) - The red cross thingy between the blue cove will be my ang ang ceiling fan - The small circles along the walls throughout will be my downlights (13w each is enough right?) - The grey rectangle near the wall will by my single split aircon Kitchen - 2 ceiling lights, one near entrance/fridge and another near sink/washer - 1 small circular light near laundry area - Cove lights under top kitchen cabinets along both side of walls Bedrooms - The greyish circles in the rooms are my ceiling fans - 3 downlights each on L-shaped L-Box in the 2 bedrooms (probably using 13w warm yellow) - 2 downlights along one wall for the room intended to be my study cum gaming area (18w daylight for this) - Cove lights under the top wall hung cabinet in the study - Cove lights along the L-box in the study The rest (toilets / store room) are self explanatory and using normal ceiling lights. Any advises much appreciated! Too much cove lights? (I know some will ask if necessary, but me and wife like cosy ambience). Downlights too little? Whats the ideal wattage for a room? I think 35w in total is enough. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dannywmp 3 Report post Posted March 2, 2010 hi danny, thanks for the welcome! im still deliberating on the philips 42pfl9664 LCD.. courts and HN said its a discont set and promoted to me the 42pfl8404H.. but i like the sleekness of the 9664...only found out that best denki at IMM still selling but at $2499...the sales guy said im better off getting LED at that price which i still have not quite fancied though... hope the IT show will have this model...Grrrrr... Hi buddy, The 42pfl9664 LCD is still in your shopping list hah…Great! but if u are considering something bigger and having more budget, someone is selling the 52fl9664 LED. Check out the buy/sell forum. The spec is the same or better and it is a backlit LED TV… I don’t think Philips discon the model just that local dealer is not bringing it in as the price is costly. Philips come out with the 42pfl8404H because they want to capture the LED market to compete with Samsung and other brands… I think 42pfl8404H is a good buy for a LED model but function wise 42pfl9664 still more outstanding… Ya…maybe can wait for IT show next week; hopefully they will clear stock of 42pfl9664 or aim for the display set. But advisable to go on the first day if u are really keen. Cheers... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dannywmp 3 Report post Posted March 2, 2010 Lighting Points Layout This is one area i had scrutinised and thought over and finally came up with this. Im not sure if this lighting plan is excessive or otherwise, hence hope i can get feedbacks on this. As per the floorplan layout: Living / Dining Area - The yellow rectangular lines are the cove lights in warm yellow. - The blue rectangular lines are the cove lights in blue (or maybe black light ala CSI style, Lol) - The red cross thingy between the blue cove will be my ang ang ceiling fan - The small circles along the walls throughout will be my downlights (13w each is enough right?) - The grey rectangle near the wall will by my single split aircon Kitchen - 2 ceiling lights, one near entrance/fridge and another near sink/washer - 1 small circular light near laundry area - Cove lights under top kitchen cabinets along both side of walls Bedrooms - The greyish circles in the rooms are my ceiling fans - 3 downlights each on L-shaped L-Box in the 2 bedrooms (probably using 13w warm yellow) - 2 downlights along one wall for the room intended to be my study cum gaming area (18w daylight for this) - Cove lights under the top wall hung cabinet in the study - Cove lights along the L-box in the study The rest (toilets / store room) are self explanatory and using normal ceiling lights. Any advises much appreciated! Too much cove lights? (I know some will ask if necessary, but me and wife like cosy ambience). Downlights too little? Whats the ideal wattage for a room? I think 35w in total is enough. Just some comments on your lighting plan and hope you don’t mind…just that I am giving a more practical aspect to consider… 1)Kitchen – shift your first lighting toward the cooking area and the other further down to your wash area and you can save on the circular light. I see that you installed cove light at the cooking area, no doubt is nice to have but I doubt you will turn it on very often for cooking…and usually your hood will have halogen lighting bright enough for cooking. 2)Living Room- do you consider ceiling fan with light fittings? You really have a lot of cove lights, are you not worry of creating a cozy place for insect…cobweb lizard etc…do u think you will do some reading in the living room area, if so decent white light will be more practical. Will you consider having L-box with down light instead or buy some special effect light to create the cosy ambience effort (the philips LED lights with different combi colours ) 3) MBR…where is your position of your bed? Is the fan above the bed? I ever consider having this arrangement but later drop the idea as me and wife though is not so good to have direct wind blowing on us and it look scary to have something rotating above me when I am sleeping…hahaa 4)For study room, Cove light, is it bright enough? Again…is about the… cobweb and lizard. Ceiling fan can create shadow effort when rotating, can be irritating to eye when reading… 5)Last but not least…consider how you want to control the lighting…one switch to control how many lights…watch your electrical bill. Mine is also a 4 room and I find my lighting installation bright enough for me…you might want to check out my t-blog…on my lighting plan… Cheers… Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
El Nino_Al Nito 0 Report post Posted March 4, 2010 Hah! Just what i needed. Thanks for your feedbacks danny. See my comments in blue. Think i read your blog before but kinda forgotten. Too many ard here see. Hee. Just some comments on your lighting plan and hope you don’t mind…just that I am giving a more practical aspect to consider… 1)Kitchen – shift your first lighting toward the cooking area and the other further down to your wash area and you can save on the circular light. I see that you installed cove light at the cooking area, no doubt is nice to have but I doubt you will turn it on very often for cooking…and usually your hood will have halogen lighting bright enough for cooking. El Nino: Yeah, i did think the halogen lighting on the hood shd suffice. Maybe just stick with one row on the other wall where my sink and food prep area will be. 2)Living Room- do you consider ceiling fan with light fittings? You really have a lot of cove lights, are you not worry of creating a cozy place for insect…cobweb lizard etc…do u think you will do some reading in the living room area, if so decent white light will be more practical. Will you consider having L-box with down light instead or buy some special effect light to create the cosy ambience effort (the philips LED lights with different combi colours ) El Nino: Not at all. Reason being the fans i had my heart set on cant have light kits. I could trade off for one fan with light kit in the study room and remove the cove lighting on the light box. I doubt much reading will be done in the hall. Probably the occasional newspapers. Maybe just do cove at the dining area near whr i planned for the aircon to be. Then no need to have fancy lighting since there are also downlights there. 3) MBR…where is your position of your bed? Is the fan above the bed? I ever consider having this arrangement but later drop the idea as me and wife though is not so good to have direct wind blowing on us and it look scary to have something rotating above me when I am sleeping…hahaa El Nino: My bed will be right below the ceiling fan in the MBR. I did consider wall fan or standing fan but this will totally offset the aesthetics i planned for that room. No aircon coz me kinda asthmatic and brittle cold will trigger it. 4)For study room, Cove light, is it bright enough? Again…is about the… cobweb and lizard. Ceiling fan can create shadow effort when rotating, can be irritating to eye when reading… El Nino: Yeah, yer kinda right coz i always like it bright so might do away with cove light at the light box. Hmm....i need to measure the distance from tip of the fan to the cove light. Anything above 4 feet away shd not create the shadow effect. At this stage, im thinking of keeping a pet iguana to counter the potential lizard threat. Not sure if my wife will take to kindly to it. Haha 5)Last but not least…consider how you want to control the lighting…one switch to control how many lights…watch your electrical bill. El Nino: Hehe. Had already planned this also. Had put it down in an excel spreadsheet to pass to Mr Yeak when the time comes. Cheers… Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
