cath76 0 Report post Posted June 7, 2010 Hi all, E & I took the leap and decided to get a place to call our own. The condition of the flat is quite bad (even had to call the HDB / Town Council in to resolve a ceiling leak) so we definitely needed to renovate. As suggested by forumers, we asked for and received numerous quotations. From the list, we shortlisted a few renovation companies such as: - Individual contractor (freelancer): I can’t remember how he got our contact but he was very responsive (incl. a home visit) and showed E flats he had renovated. Price quoted was the lowest of all the quotations we received. However, he did not have a physical office nor namecard (“just ran out”). When E asked about info regarding HDB licence, his response sounded a little vague. Consequently, we decided not to go with him despite the very attractive pricing. - Planhouse: They are located in Woodlands and friendly in their interactions with E (incl. a home visit) but the more we refined the plan, the further away from our budget it became so we had to drop them in the end. They had their own HDB licence. - De Lance: According to E, the contact person (interior designer) was professional, responsible and responsive (incl. a home visit), listened to our needs and the price was reasonable and within budget. E said he got along well with the ID. In fact, E had wanted to go with them. However, I was a bit uncomfortable that it was a new company although E was insistent that it was alright. - De Fong: Found out about them on this forum much later and asked E to take a look. He said the contact person and him got along ok. He was also quite responsive. By then our requirements had changed a bit and he helped us clarify ideas. E said their workmanship seemed alright after he viewed some of their completed projects in Pasir Ris. Price was reasonable but a bit over budget due to changes in plan. They also had their own HDB license but only a two year warranty. [i am not sure if names of individual IDs can be mentioned so have referred to them as “contact person(s)”. E was the one who liased with them (sometimes with his cousin) as I have been sent on an overseas posting.] Personally, I'm concerned about the quality of the waterproofing/tiling/cabinet quality, as well as the design concept/colour combinations. E thinks more about the quality (but maybe less picky than me), the price, and whether he and the ID can “click” or not. Finally, after much discussion, we agreed to go with De Fong. E signed the contract on Saturday. So now we just want to share our experiences in the hope that you guys can share your experiences and any other tips/advice too and help make the renovation process a bit smoother for us and hopefully others. E+C Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
titanax 0 Report post Posted June 7, 2010 Hi all, E & I took the leap and decided to get a place to call our own. ..................... Finally, after much discussion, we agreed to go with De Fong. E signed the contract on Saturday. So now we just want to share our experiences in the hope that you guys can share your experiences and any other tips/advice too and help make the renovation process a bit smoother for us and hopefully others. E+C Hi, congratulations & welcome to RT, this is indeed a good place to & exchange ideas Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lilithfiend 0 Report post Posted June 8, 2010 good morning! and welcome to RT, fellow 3-rmer! any pics of the flat? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cath76 0 Report post Posted June 8, 2010 good morning! and welcome to RT, fellow 3-rmer! any pics of the flat? I'm currently overseas now, so can only observe with concern from afar as E tackles the reno alone for the time being. Will try to get some "before" pics up soon to flesh out the t-blog. Thanks to all the replies so far. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cath76 0 Report post Posted June 9, 2010 (edited) As promised, some "before" pictures of our flat. These were taken before the previous owner moved out, so there's a fair bit of clutter about... Three views of the living room. The bedroom. Edited July 1, 2010 by cath76 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cath76 0 Report post Posted June 9, 2010 (edited) The master bedroom. Not so noticeable in the second picture was a big damp patch above the aircon, which we found out was due to external seepage. The master bedroom toilet. The tiles are falling off but think there's great potential for this area Edited July 1, 2010 by cath76 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cath76 0 Report post Posted June 9, 2010 (edited) Four views of the kitchen ...and finally, the main toilet. Looks like an uphill struggle but that's what renovations are for, right? Edited July 1, 2010 by cath76 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Supersimon27 2 Report post Posted June 9, 2010 welcome to woodlands I got quote by planhouse b4 too. Actually I find them not bad , but the price really a bit high. So in the end also din sign with them Hi all, E & I took the leap and decided to get a place to call our own. The condition of the flat is quite bad (even had to call the HDB / Town Council in to resolve a ceiling leak) so we definitely needed to renovate. As suggested by forumers, we asked for and received numerous quotations. From the list, we shortlisted a few renovation companies such as: - Individual contractor (freelancer): I can’t remember how he got our contact but he was very responsive (incl. a home visit) and showed E flats he had renovated. Price quoted was the lowest of all the quotations we received. However, he did not have a physical office nor namecard (“just ran out”). When E asked about info regarding HDB licence, his response sounded a little vague. Consequently, we decided not to go with him despite the very attractive pricing. - Planhouse: They are located in Woodlands and friendly in their interactions with E (incl. a home visit) but the more we refined the plan, the further away from our budget it became so we had to drop them in the end. They had their own HDB licence. - De Lance: According to E, the contact person (interior designer) was professional, responsible and responsive (incl. a home visit), listened to our needs and the price was reasonable and within budget. E said he got along well with the ID. In fact, E had wanted to go with them. However, I was a bit uncomfortable that it was a new company although E was insistent that it was alright. - De Fong: Found out about them on this forum much later and asked E to take a look. He said the contact person and him got along ok. He was also quite responsive. By then our requirements had changed a bit and he helped us clarify ideas. E said their workmanship seemed alright after he viewed some of their completed projects in Pasir Ris. Price was reasonable but a bit over budget due to changes in plan. They also had their own HDB license but only a two year warranty. [i am not sure if names of individual IDs can be mentioned so have referred to them as “contact person(s)”. E was the one who liased with them (sometimes with his cousin) as I have been sent on an overseas posting.] Personally, I'm concerned about the quality of the waterproofing/tiling/cabinet quality, as well as the design concept/colour combinations. E thinks more about the quality (but maybe less picky than me), the price, and whether he and the ID can “click” or not. Finally, after much discussion, we agreed to go with De Fong. E signed the contract on Saturday. So now we just want to share our experiences in the hope that you guys can share your experiences and any other tips/advice too and help make the renovation process a bit smoother for us and hopefully others. E+C Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
samgalz 2 Report post Posted June 10, 2010 welcome! I had contact with Jeremy Defong before and he is quite a nice guy. From the ones who did with him, I'm sure he will be able to do ur place up nicely. Good luck in your reno! I look forward to seeing the transformation. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lilithfiend 0 Report post Posted June 10, 2010 Looks like an uphill struggle but that's what renovations are for, right? don't worry, it always feels like that. once all the junk is removed, it'll feel much easier.. any floorplan? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gimz63251073 0 Report post Posted June 10, 2010 i see the flat, reminds me of my pre-reno days...haha... major transformation needed...but as with all old flats, water seepage is common...valuehunter and me also facing this issue... looks like a 3i to me...? what areas would you be doing? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cath76 0 Report post Posted June 21, 2010 (edited) Sorry for lack of updates... swamped at work lately. Our unit's a 73 sqm 3A model and we're doing the kitchen and two bathrooms. The unit will get a new coat of paint too and the windows will get a minor refresh. E's picked out the tiles over the weekend; they will be in line with our mostly white scheme for the kitchen and main toilet. E says the master bedroom toilet will get a classy look too. No tile samples to show but I think it'll be ok. E & his cousin also did a quick final clean up of the flat; his cousin's wide angle lens makes the flat look larger than it really is, I suppose. The kitchen A reverse angle of the kitchen The main toilet The master bedroom toilet So here are the last few views of the flat before reno. I think the work starts tomorrow; feeling nervous yet excited. Edited July 1, 2010 by cath76 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cath76 0 Report post Posted June 22, 2010 (edited) The renovation's started and so much's been done in the first day! All the hacking work's been done as you can see in the following pictures... Kitchen Reverse angle of the kitchen The main toilet The master bedroom toilet E said that he was just as surprised at the speed of the progress. He also noted that the living room & MBR floor were neatly covered with corrugated cardboard to protect the original flooring. That's definitely a big plus point there. More pictures as the work goes on... Edited July 1, 2010 by cath76 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lilithfiend 0 Report post Posted June 23, 2010 congrats on starting reno! what works will you guys be doing? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cath76 0 Report post Posted June 25, 2010 The kitchen and two bathrooms are getting renovated. In addition, we're getting the whole unit repainted, replacing the door and some of the windows too. After the initial burst of activity/progress on the first day, nothing else has happened since. The tiles were supposed to've gone up yesterday but that's been pushed back to next week. I'm getting a little concerned but E says not to worry. He's meeting DeFong this weekend too so I hope there'll be some good news round the corner. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
