My First Reno Experience

[botaq 0]

After a 5 year wait, we are finally nearing key collection for our SERS flat

As it is likely to arrive sometime Nov this year, thought it would be good to start with our research NOW

Any advice or recommendations will be greatly appreciated

Congratulations on collecting ur keys. any ideas on the long living room? Im getting a similar flat soon.

Post pics soon okie!?

[bobztoise 0]

Congratulations on collecting ur keys. any ideas on the long living room? Im getting a similar flat soon.

Post pics soon okie!?

sure... been running around non-stop the fast 3 days...

current headache? SOFA!!!!

been to Lorenzo, Cellini, OM, IFC, Furniture Mall, Harvey Norman, IMM, Suntec, even Carrefour

more than 3 weekends still cannot decide......

the one I really really like is way above budget and it's found at Species

did some research and found a thread that is not positive about them

strange thing is, the bad experiences seem consistent from 2008 to now..

it takes a rather bad company to "sustain" such negativity for so long

and then there was 1 at Winter International

quite suitable in all aspects (dimensions, colour, size, design)

but apparently related to Red Apple

not sure if i want to take the risk

another that i really like is from OM

above budget and slightly over dimension

hmmm......

it takes about 6-8 weeks for sofa to be ready so time running out......................

[bobztoise 0]

ID selection

Forgot to talk about this earlier

as this was quite a few months back.. some details might be sketchy..

However, some general observations to share:

(1) No news is good news

If you cannot find anything or feedback on the internet or forums, the firm is either too new or they hardly screw up

I think people are generally more ready to criticize than to praise so a good job is usually taken for granted but a bad job will surely make its way to the forums

(2) Cheap is usually NOT good in this industry

All the IDs and contractors need to make a certain money so that the job is worth their while

I have spoken and discussed in detail with over 10 IDs / contractors

The cheapest quotes usually gives me the worst vibes

I have even signed with the lowest quote for another job for a relative and it was fairly disastrous

With more jobs in the market than reliable firms (my impression), I doubt the good ones want to shortchange themselves being the cheapest

Moreover, the good naturally get more and more jobs and will pick the higher paying jobs since taking 1 job is at the cost of foregoing another

Of course I could be wrong and there are cheap and good ones... do share with other homeowners if anyone knows

(3) The firms / deals at Expo are hardly any good

I think there are reno/furnishing fairs at Expo EVERY week

I cannot remember if I have ever been to Expo and NOT seen a reno fair aside from when Sitex, Motherhood or any major electronic fair that requires several halls

So many, if not most exhibitors are permanent fixtures at these fairs

Of course, some firms do rotate but for the large part, you will usually find the usual suspects there

By the way, if any deal is "too good to be missed", it is usually not true

I have asked for Expo pricing weeks after the fair at the shops itself and they will still be valid

Edited December 4, 2010 by bobztoise

[bobztoise 0]

ID selection (continued)

Here are the firms I went to.. may not be complete and details could be sketchy

(1) Design Rebirth

A relatively new company but helmed by very experienced people

The most expensive "initial" quote but paid the highest attention to detail

The final quote could have been lower but I could not proceed further as the quote was already beyond my budget before everything has been included

A colleague has used them and handover completed

Quality of work was good with great attention to detail and extremely close follow up

(2) Sky Creative

The only "big boy" I trusted as I have seen several of their designs

Met with the ID (but I think should be salesperson) 3 times; seen an existing project they were working on

I suspect their kind of structure works on 1 ID to several salesperson / project manager; so the salesperson will close deals and oversee the project while there is an ID who actually does the designing and conceptualizing the house

I have no objections to such a setup as I think it actually makes the firm more effective; i.e. everybody focus on their strengths

Salesperson I met was very clear with HDB rules and regulations and made no "over promises"

Could tell she was very experienced in project management

Made my final shortlist.. but someone else won it in the end...

(3) Company H

My final pick.. sorry I cannot name her yet because (i) the verdict will only be passed after handover and (ii) she has no time for any projects till after CNY

A small firm along the likes of Design Rebirth

Salesperson / ID / project manager all rolled in one

Very impressed with her knowledge of HDB regulations and design skills

I know she is all-in-one because she can draw the layout ON THE SPOT at a pace that tells you this is honed over years of experience

Very very busy person (as I would expect) but never missed an email and SMS to date

(4) Artrend (Balestier)

Dropped in to have a look after seeing their impressive kitchen designs

"ID" struck me as relatively young chap (can't be more than 30 yrs old) and was coaching a newbie to sit thru his presentation to us

I use "ID" as I think he is more a salesperson than an ID (I think most of the big boys employ this same concept)

Presentation was okay and walked us thru the 2 storeys unit to see their designs

Told us will give us a quote within 2 weeks but never heard from them.. ever

(5) Unimax Creative / Cissern / * / Weiken

Went to these firms at Expo fair, IMM, MacPherson, TradeHub21

All deployed fairly pushy sales tactics (today's promo package, GST waiver only today, last day for special price etc)

As a saleperson myself; am extremely sensitive to sales talk

Normally deal is broken by the first meeting and no follow up is required

If the deal means more to you than the house is to us, then it's no deal

Edited December 4, 2010 by bobztoise

[elenalow 0]

Hello,

I am keen on the Sharp Healsio too but was upset when the lady at Best Denki said that the larger model (1500V) will not fit in my existing shelf due to inadequate height space for ventilation (only have abt 3cm extra height space). Now i am considering getting the smaller 26L model (1300V).

Appreciate any feedback on these 2 models, especially the member who owns 1300V. Thanks!

[Kerio 2]

ID selection (continued)

Here are the firms I went to.. may not be complete and details could be sketchy..

Haha, you're actually quite fortunate number 4 never got back to you, really

Edited December 5, 2010 by Kerio

[bobztoise 0]

Hello,

I am keen on the Sharp Healsio too but was upset when the lady at Best Denki said that the larger model (1500V) will not fit in my existing shelf due to inadequate height space for ventilation (only have abt 3cm extra height space). Now i am considering getting the smaller 26L model (1300V).

Appreciate any feedback on these 2 models, especially the member who owns 1300V. Thanks!

Hi, I did not buy the Healsio in the end

Perhaps you can make a better decision by thinking thru what are your most used functions

While it is probably true that steam cooking is healthier, how much can you cook with such a small cavity?

My day-to-day use is mostly limited to heating up and occasionally thawing

Using a steam oven means more hassle of filling and emptying the water tank with each use AND taking a much longer time for re-heat compared to a microwave

Perhaps I will make the switch in future when a steam oven with a much larger cavity becomes available at an affordable price

[bobztoise 0]

Haha, you're actually quite fortunate number 4 never got back to you, really

You are right

I have been following your thread and am very sorry to hear of the horror you have been thru

I hope they are reading this and make an effort to end your project on a good note

[bobztoise 0]

Sofa

OM martino with headrest UP

OM martino with headrest down

After 3 consecutive weekends of searching, finally settled on the sofa

Would have loved the unit I saw at Species or even a value-for-money unit at HTL

unfortunately, due to time constraint, had to settle for this

Not my top pick but acceptable... only half leather though

Edited December 7, 2010 by bobztoise

[elenalow 0]

Thx for yr feedback. I like to grill foods and hopefully the healsio will allow me to bake. I have been researching on the 1300V model and am very tempted. Apparently, it has a rather huge interior despite its 26L nature.

[bobztoise 0]

Updates (been too busy to upload photos):

Day 1 (not today):

Walls identified to be hacked

Wall separating kitchen and living room..

Wall separating MBR and Bedroom 2.. to make space for wardrobe

Electrical and ceiling works began since approval for wall hacking was pending..

unfortunately, cannot find the photos taken

Edited December 17, 2010 by bobztoise

[bobztoise 0]

Day 6 (also not today):

Kitchen Wall hacked.. and though not very clear; living room false ceiling is up

Day 7 & Day 8 (14th, 15th Dec):

MBR wall hacked.. mirror image wall erected in Bedroom 2

Edited December 18, 2010 by bobztoise

[bobztoise 0]

Day 8 (continued):

Mountains of sand (in living room and bedrooms) for tile works

Floor tiles

Living and Bedroom tiles

Kitchen tiles (to be overlaid)

Tiling works should take slightly over a week

Edited December 18, 2010 by bobztoise

[bobztoise 0]

Day 9 & 10 (16th, 17th Dec):

Kitchen cabinet base done; pending overlay tiles

Service yard wall tiles (half height) done

[hermione 1]

About Electrical Appliances

Thought I might share some tips gathered from my months of research

Have been visiting various shops over many weekends since August or so

(1) The cheapest (and for the cash rich)

Everjoint at AMK

Every single appliance that I checked had the lowest quote here

From Samsung, Mitsubishi, Hitachi, Bosch, Brandt; they even carry hobs, hoods and ovens

Unless they did not carry the item, otherwise they had the lowest quotes

The downside is no credit card payment nor instalment schemes

(2) The most negotiable among the "big boys"

Mega Discount

As the salepersons here run individual commissions, you can bargain better when doing bulk purchase

i.e. there is no limitation that the salesperson selling TV must refer you to a colleague when you want a fridge also

So if you are buying several appliances at one go, collate with 1 salesperson and nego for a discount

If you buy the fridge from someone and ask for the TV from another, it is harder to get a good deal since commission gets split 2 ways

I am not sure about instalment plans as I did not proceed to the purchase stage with them

They also claim to have a price matching scheme where you can "place a deposit to lock in prices first"

If prices drop further within Mega Discount stores before delivery of items, they will match the lower price

Cannot verify the authenticity of this claim since this was a sure sign of desperation to close deal

Note also that asking different salesperson on different days in the same shop will yield you different recommendations so do your own research

(3) The "uncomfortable" pick

Harvey Norman and Courts

Been to several branches of both brands including the mega store at Tampines for Courts

They seen to have the highest sticker prices and I suspect nobody pay those prices unless you did not ask

Harvey Norman has an unspoken 8-9% discount off price tags on normal days; if you dun ask, they may not inform you though i think it would be strange if anyone was willing to pay the price indicated on labels

Never go for Max Credit schemes at Courts, you are paying almost 3 times for your items if you do so

Strange that they should advertise the scheme so much when a simple calculation will reveal that the total consumers would have paid over the 36 or 48 months will be way higher than the price tag

In terms of product knowledge, none at Courts gave me a good vibe

There were a couple at Harvey Norman but unfortunately; not my most comfortable choice

(4) Those that know; know BEST

Best Denki

Best Denki's new tagline, you will see new posters along the lines of the above tagline

I find it very clever

From Ngee Ann City to IMM, most of the salesperson I spoke to display a deep understanding of their products not felt at other shops except 1 at Harvey Norman

Perhaps it is the way they segregate the sales personnel

The TV person will refer you to the fridge person who will then refer you to the washing machine person should you be looking for multiple appliances

I get the impression that they will refer you to the specialist in that appliance category when you are doing your research

Commission is also split accordingly so TV person, Fridge person will earn their respective deals from the appliance sold

Hope the above helps

I picked Best Denki in the end

If not for cash flow concerns, I would certainly pick Everjoint as it is the lowest without a doubt

Also, as my scheduled delivery is likely to be a week or two before CNY; reliability was my topmost concern

hi! congrats on ur 5 rm! so much more spacious than my 4 rm... I also just got my keys and aiming to be done in Jan 2011! So ya, quite sad that some items in the home i simply cannot wait. anyways just to check with you, how did u find everjoint and mega discount? i've never heard of those in my life. are they popular and reliable too? cos i've already bought my big items but looking for good deals for smaller appliances. thanks!