"completed" Renoworks.. How Acceptable Is This?

[decembersky 0]

After much research on this forum, my husband and I engaged an ID firm to carry out some minor renovations for our place. One of the IDs came down to view our unit and gave us a quote for what we intended to do. To play safe, we told him to break up the quote into 4 stages - we will start with our master bedroom first.

Box up the top and install a false wall at the side to make our Ikea wardrobe look more like a built in.

Install false ceiling and downlights & repainting the ceiling

Install Cornices

Hack existing floor skirtings and install new ones.

All for $1630.00

We dropped by their office to see and choose the type of cornices and skirting we would want to install.

The cornices were alright. But there was a miscommunication on the skirting. Instead of showing us the skirting sample, he showed us the flooring materials, which we pointed to him what we have currently, we thought that he would be fixing a skirting of that colour as well.

The day his contractors completed the skirting, we had a rude shock. It was of a total different colour. Instead of grey (that's our floor colour), it was white. - with GREY silicon. I guess it was a mistake on his part which he did not know until he saw it with his very own eyes. He even brought a sample here to show my husband when called my husband called him earlier to ask about the skirting and only then he realised that the skirting installed was totally different from what he actually wanted to install.

4 days passed. And yesterday (2 days after completion), i went back to the unit to have a look at the completed work.

I couldn't believe my eyes. The skirting looked like white slabs cemented to my wall. And also the contractor nailed many holes on the skirting to keep the skirting to the wall right after gluing and these holes are obviously showing. Even the silicon was not done neatly. They did some painting of the false ceiling before getting the electrician to add on the lights. And the electrician kinda messed up the paint a little around the light - which is very obvious in the day.

I am not sure if I should really be expecting this, because my parents have moved house many times and never once I see such bad workmanship before.

Pictures are as below:

This is certainly NOT what they will display in their showroom. They just ruined my master bedroom - they worked on it as if it was some factory or store room!

I have yet to pay him the balance cheque (not a huge sum though), my husband said I am too much a perfectionist - I should really like to check with you guys if this kinda workmanship is acceptable as "completed" ?

Thanks alot~

Edited July 14, 2010 by decembersky

[vinder79 0]

After much research on this forum, my husband and I engaged an ID firm to carry out some minor renovations for our place. One of the IDs came down to view our unit and gave us a quote for what we intended to do. To play safe, we told him to break up the quote into 4 stages - we will start with our master bedroom first.

Box up the top and install a false wall at the side to make our Ikea wardrobe look more like a built in.

Install false ceiling and downlights & repainting the ceiling

Install Cornices

Hack existing floor skirtings and install new ones.

All for $1630.00

We dropped by their office to see and choose the type of cornices and skirting we would want to install.

The cornices were alright. But there was a miscommunication on the skirting. Instead of showing us the skirting sample, he showed us the flooring materials, which we pointed to him what we have currently, we thought that he would be fixing a skirting of that colour as well.

The day his contractors completed the skirting, we had a rude shock. It was of a total different colour. Instead of grey (that's our floor colour), it was white. - with GREY silicon. I guess it was a mistake on his part which he did not know until he saw it with his very own eyes. He even brought a sample here to show my husband when called my husband called him earlier to ask about the skirting and only then he realised that the skirting installed was totally different from what he actually wanted to install.

4 days passed. And yesterday (2 days after completion), i went back to the unit to have a look at the completed work.

I couldn't believe my eyes. The skirting looked like white slabs cemented to my wall. And also the contractor nailed many holes on the skirting to keep the skirting to the wall right after gluing and these holes are obviously showing. Even the silicon was not done neatly. They did some painting of the false ceiling before getting the electrician to add on the lights. And the electrician kinda messed up the paint a little around the light - which is very obvious in the day.

I am not sure if I should really be expecting this, because my parents have moved house many times and never once I see such bad workmanship before.

Pictures are as below:

This is certainly NOT what they will display in their showroom. They just ruined my master bedroom - they worked on it as if it was some factory or store room!

I have yet to pay him the balance cheque (not a huge sum though), my husband said I am too much a perfectionist - I should really like to check with you guys if this kinda workmanship is acceptable as "completed" ?

Thanks alot~

Not for me.My contractor redid 2 rows of tiles because the lines were not straight but supprisingly it was not me who asked them to redoo it was the co ordinator.I only found out when she called me after rectifiying it.

[bearlyn2406 0]

After much research on this forum, my husband and I engaged an ID firm to carry out some minor renovations for our place. One of the IDs came down to view our unit and gave us a quote for what we intended to do. To play safe, we told him to break up the quote into 4 stages - we will start with our master bedroom first.

Box up the top and install a false wall at the side to make our Ikea wardrobe look more like a built in.

Install false ceiling and downlights & repainting the ceiling

Install Cornices

Hack existing floor skirtings and install new ones.

All for $1630.00

We dropped by their office to see and choose the type of cornices and skirting we would want to install.

The cornices were alright. But there was a miscommunication on the skirting. Instead of showing us the skirting sample, he showed us the flooring materials, which we pointed to him what we have currently, we thought that he would be fixing a skirting of that colour as well.

The day his contractors completed the skirting, we had a rude shock. It was of a total different colour. Instead of grey (that's our floor colour), it was white. - with GREY silicon. I guess it was a mistake on his part which he did not know until he saw it with his very own eyes. He even brought a sample here to show my husband when called my husband called him earlier to ask about the skirting and only then he realised that the skirting installed was totally different from what he actually wanted to install.

4 days passed. And yesterday (2 days after completion), i went back to the unit to have a look at the completed work.

I couldn't believe my eyes. The skirting looked like white slabs cemented to my wall. And also the contractor nailed many holes on the skirting to keep the skirting to the wall right after gluing and these holes are obviously showing. Even the silicon was not done neatly. They did some painting of the false ceiling before getting the electrician to add on the lights. And the electrician kinda messed up the paint a little around the light - which is very obvious in the day.

I am not sure if I should really be expecting this, because my parents have moved house many times and never once I see such bad workmanship before.

Pictures are as below:

This is certainly NOT what they will display in their showroom. They just ruined my master bedroom - they worked on it as if it was some factory or store room!

I have yet to pay him the balance cheque (not a huge sum though), my husband said I am too much a perfectionist - I should really like to check with you guys if this kinda workmanship is acceptable as "completed" ?

Thanks alot~

if i'm u, i'll make them redo. not a huge sum but still it's ur hard earned money, so y put up with it?

[gimz63251073 0]

uhh that grey thingy does not look like silicon leh...

more like patch up job to me...

the light that area - ur concern is on the hole? can be easily settled one.

[samgalz 2]

not to me, i yim chim. even now with my contractor I will let him know ALL the defects and get him to rectify. i paid good $ and i expect good quality.

[decembersky 0]

uhh that grey thingy does not look like silicon leh...

more like patch up job to me...

the light that area - ur concern is on the hole? can be easily settled one.

Maybe the photo quality is lousy, it is indeed silicon.....it also looks like some patch up job to me though..thats why i'm furious! I thought if it didn't make sense to have grey silicon on white skirting, the contractor will check and clarify with the ID... but no! he continued and completed for the remaining skirting.. and hoping that the customer (us) will just overlook this and take it as completed... the coordinator came and saw, but did not bring it up either.

Yea the hole and the uneven paint.... I thought at least the completed work should be at least 95% showroom quality!

[eiffel76 1]

I would reject...esp the skirting it looks horrible...

[dean 5]

got contractor accept small reno meh...

[Alex Iam 0]

cannot accept...uneven paint..poor patching...a sin to allow them..

pls let us know who is your ID..hehe

[Reno Guru 0]

i think u sway la ... but honesty... maybe u should ask for a generous discount and forget about it ...

reason being that they don't earn much from this project and if they were to recifty, might end up losing $$$.

i know it's their fault and not yours .... but then again, people need to buy milk for baby... maybe i too kind hearted.. haha

[vinder79 0]

editted see below.

Edited July 17, 2010 by vinder79

[vinder79 0]

Sorry i dont agree whether they need money to buy food or medicine thay take money to do a job they should have responsibility 2 wards the client.U can cut their money but u going to waste more to do it.As for many they dont earn cause its a small job then the ID/contractor should not accept it in the first place if they feel "money earned from the job"not enough.Why do things shalf way and give problems to houseowners??

Guys sorry if i happen to offfend anyone here but the saying is "u cant have the cake and eat it too"

Just my 2 cents worth sorry if i offend anyone but thats how i feel.

Edited July 17, 2010 by vinder79

[decembersky 0]

They spent around 6 man hours to complete the whole "project". Most of the time it's 1 man show.

I always felt that as a customer/client, you deserve what you have been promised and what you have paid for.

I was thinking they should have just put a little more effort to get things right in the first place and it will be a win win situation , customer's happy and they don't need to waste time to come back to rectify problems.

after our feedback, the ID will be coming down tomorrow to have a look. see what he says......

[alisa 0]

I don't think i can live with that if that's my place. get them to redo. totally unacceptable. lousy workmanship!

[jtjw 0]

its obvious holes and u are not looking those fault up with magnifying glass, so got to get them back to rectify.

mine side I got the painter back at least 3 times to do the painting job till I satisfy.