Sims Drive 5i

[May_dream1 14]

ur reno only stats in march. by the time u can fix curtain should be mid or end april bah. still so long! hahaha.. confirm can la. i confirmed with him on the start of thr 7th week of my reno. on the hand-over date (8th week), his guys completed the installation of all curtains le. very fast de. no worries!

ok, thanks. then i will do it later on. no hurry for that.

[steelze 0]

ok, thanks. then i will do it later on. no hurry for that.

please check if u doing any ceiling work above the windows that u r doing curtain, . If yes, must inform your id /contractor that u r putting curtain track across the windows. so that when they do the ceiling work, they will reserve some room allowance to conceal ur track. if u never do that, your curtain track will be expose like mine. too bad my id never advise me on this point and i have to learn from true experiene.

alternatively, u can ask curtain people to do a pelmet to conceal the track. but pelmet is not cheap. if u doing ceiling work thee, might as well factor this thing in. save $$$ and nice.

courtesy from jaskel on his post which i only read it today.

[May_dream1 14]

please check if u doing any ceiling work above the windows that u r doing curtain, . If yes, must inform your id /contractor that u r putting curtain track across the windows. so that when they do the ceiling work, they will reserve some room allowance to conceal ur track. if u never do that, your curtain track will be expose like mine. too bad my id never advise me on this point and i have to learn from true experiene.

alternatively, u can ask curtain people to do a pelmet to conceal the track. but pelmet is not cheap. if u doing ceiling work thee, might as well factor this thing in. save $$$ and nice.

courtesy from jaskel on his post which i only read it today.

i am doing cove lighting in my master bedroom. ok, i better tell my id when we discuss in details again when i see my 3d. but other places, no ceiling work so no choice lah..... will have the track being seen loh.

[steelze 0]

Although overall i am satisfed with my renovation work and happily moved into my new place, it doesn't mean that i am totally happy with my reno journey...

Things which i would have done it differently

Lesson #01 - Air con piping to be run first before the installation of bathroom tiles.

This is to conceal the air con piping under the floor tiles. I know some IDs /contractors would say that this is illegal and against HDB regulation. but i see many people are still doing it, and it really keep the bathroom clean and neat. my current master bathroom flooring perimeter is surrounded by greyish pvc air-con water pipes.

hmmmm... greyish pipes definitely don't go well with my wall tiles colours. i asked my id whiy he never inform me. he said it is illegal, that why never bring it up. anyway, it's too late now. gotta live with this sight.

Lesson #02 - Reserving allowance in false ceiling to conceal my curtain tracks

ID never highligh to me that track can be concealed since i am doing false ceiling above the window areaa for living room and master bedroom. as i asked him why he never bring this up this earlier, he said he did in his quote which i believe he wrote in some invisible pen ink. he proposed that the solution is to ask workers come back and create a opening. but gotta top up $200. nahhh

secondly, the electrician also dunno why so smart to place the MCB box at the corner of the wall which will surely obstruct my curtain track. resulted in my curtain track to run funnily.

alternatively, i can still do a pelmet to hide the track. but i find this solution stupid because i could have concealed this track for free if ID has planned and factored this area in during the ceiling work, why should i be paying for this oversight now? gotta live with this sight.

Lesson #03 - Replacing original HDB door frames

As a layman to reno, most of us obviously wont know that some HDB door frames may be slanted and can impact on the erected walls or flooring to be slanted. Secondly, the paint work on these steel fram is horrendous. ID told me it's like that. i know it's like that. But maybe he should have told me earlier before the reno start, then i can make a decision to change the door frame mah.. now completed le then tell me hdb door frame is like this. those uneven paint line along the frame and funny paint bubbles on the frames really ugly... well, gotta live with this sight.

My opinion:

Probably the above scenarios may not have occurred if my ID could have spent a little more time on my job and update me regularly on each milestones as promised b4 we signed the contract... I think i have been a very good customer to him who doesn't demand much for progress update meeting onsite every weekend. Throughout the entire 8 weeks, we only met 4 times on job site.

1. One night before the hacking to rush thru 1st payment and stuff (1 hour only) - requested by me

3. carpentry meeting on week 6 at 8pm (2hours) - he scheduled it to collect 3rd payment

4. pre-handover inspection (1 hr) - requested by me

5. hand-over date (1hr) - he scheduled it to collect last payment and sign HO agreement

I dunno if the above meeting sessions are considered sufficient for a 8-weeks whole house reno project. but definitely a weekly meeting would be useful and educational for us. most of these reno pointers were discovered by myself thru reading renotalk and feedbacks from my relatives, friends and colleagues along the way.... i'm still wondering how much i have still missed out as i continue to read this forum...

Edited January 25, 2011 by steelze

[May_dream1 14]

Thanks for sharing your experience. At least next time you will know what to do. enjoy your new home as much as possible!!

[gimz63251073 0]

Hi Steelze,

if you are still looking to DIY your headboard, this may be useful.

younghouselove.com/2009/08/carries-second-design-dilemma-solved/

pls add triple w in front.

[steelze 0]

Post-reno work

Carpenter came down today @ 1pm to install my master bathroom sink bottom vanity (piano glossy white), and also install 2 drawers with lock sets. the drilling frightened my little boy as my maid told me that he cried so hard when the drilling is on. The moment the drilling stoped, he also stoped crying. so poor thing.

Will upload the photo when i get home tonight.

[steelze 0]

Hi Steelze,

if you are still looking to DIY your headboard, this may be useful.

younghouselove.com/2009/08/carries-second-design-dilemma-solved/

pls add triple w in front.

haha.. thanx gimz. Yea, i am still planning to do my headboard. this is a d.a.m.n cheap and good idea. will head down to ikea "AS-IS" section to find loose wood and material soon.

[May_dream1 14]

Post-reno work

Carpenter came down today @ 1pm to install my master bathroom sink bottom vanity (piano glossy white), and also install 2 drawers with lock sets. the drilling frightened my little boy as my maid told me that he cried so hard when the drilling is on. The moment the drilling stoped, he also stoped crying. so poor thing.

Will upload the photo when i get home tonight.

aiyoh, your poor baby.... must have shock him to hear such noise.

[thom3z 0]

Hi, congrats on your new house! Gonna start my reno myself, then I read in your t-blog on the part about data points when you did your electrical works. You mean we can install LAN points in our house now like in office? I thought we can only connect via telephone line. Sorry I am new to this could you explain how it works?

Another thing, the 3700 you paid for electrical works included re-wiring? Just so happen I signed with SDS too so they dont include it in their quotation, so dont know how to estimate the rough cost for electrical works.

Different ID but he gave me a good impression. Hope everything goes well for me too =)

[steelze 0]

Hi, congrats on your new house! Gonna start my reno myself, then I read in your t-blog on the part about data points when you did your electrical works. You mean we can install LAN points in our house now like in office? I thought we can only connect via telephone line. Sorry I am new to this could you explain how it works?

Another thing, the 3700 you paid for electrical works included re-wiring? Just so happen I signed with SDS too so they dont include it in their quotation, so dont know how to estimate the rough cost for electrical works.

Different ID but he gave me a good impression. Hope everything goes well for me too =)

thanks. all my bedrooms will have a LAN point. These LAN points will route back to main living room TV console and terminate at the point for my router to be at. few renotalk peers have been doing this too. such connection is more stable than wireless, and neater than wired lan cables that run across your house flooring.

SDS will refer their partner electrican, Ah soon. yes, my 3.7k is re-wiring plus these data points installation. u pay directly to ah soon, that's why SDS dun include this in their quotation. =) if u can find other electrician, i think SDS is fine with it de.

which ID u engaging? think SDS doing well lately... seen few good reviews abt their reno work. good luck to ur reno journey as well!

[steelze 0]

Post-Reno Rectification Checklist

No Job Nature Defects / Additional work

A1. Painting Door frame paint lines not even and straight for all bedrooms with HDB original door frame

A2. Painting Living room main door frame painting got bubbles at top left hand corner

A3. Painting Water Pipes for both bathrooms to REPAINT in thick white glossy. Don’t want to see the previous owner’s stickers!

A4. Painting Remove painting stains both bathrooms wall tiles near top piping area.

A5. Painting To touch up paint on baby’s bedroom wall where Ah Soon used cement to patch up a big hole

A6. Painting To paint another coat on dining wall opposite dining table.

B1. Plumbing BOTH bathroom hot water piping to shower mixer LEAKING (this is maddness!!!!)

B2. Plumbing Common bathroom accessories rack not installed firmly

B3. Plumbing WC cover & seat for both bathrooms not installed properly. Seats are moveable when sit on.

B4. Plumbing Replace white PVC piping below sinks to metal piping for BOTH bathrooms.

C1. Tiling Grout lines to be touched up on living room homo flooring

C2. Tiling Grout lines to be touched up on kitchen flooring

C3. Tiling Grout lines to be touched up on both bathrooms flooring

C4. Tiling To conceal /patch up holes along living room skirting (e.g. small sofa there; foyer area)

C5. Tiling To patch up kitchen entrance skirting area. Uneven cement residuals are visible on the bottom skirting and kerb.

C6. Tiling To smoothen L-box cove light holder in living room. Many small scratches.

D1. Electrical Ceiling fan switch @ living room not sensitive when switch on.

D2. Electrical Change 2 foyer PLC cool white lighting to warm lighting

E1. Carpentry To add 4 shelving panels to master bedroom sliding wardrobe. 2 shelving on each side.

E2. Carpentry To provide the clothes hanger rod for study room wardrobe.

Edited January 28, 2011 by steelze

[gimz63251073 0]

Post-Reno Rectification Checklist

No Job Nature Defects / Additional work Remark

B4. Plumbing Replace white PVC piping below sinks to metal piping for BOTH bathrooms.

huh u mean u bought the metal ones but they installed pvc ones for you?

also remember to check:

- toilet bowl for choking, workers throw everything down there

- water traps - use torch light to shine in to ensure no chokage

Happy living there!

[steelze 0]

huh u mean u bought the metal ones but they installed pvc ones for you?

also remember to check:

- toilet bowl for choking, workers throw everything down there

- water traps - use torch light to shine in to ensure no chokage

Happy living there!

We bought only the metal drainage holder part below the sink from One-Stop Gallery (balestier) which my ID brought us there. The saleperson never tell us that this didnt include the metal piping that run from this metal drainage holder part to the floor drainage. End up after plumbing work, we saw metal part connecting to pvc below our sink. hahaha..

but my ID has been nice here. he went back to the shop and scolded the saleperson for not informing customers on this. He FOC the metal piping for us for both bathrooms.

the choking issue so far so good. we been staying for 4 days 3 nights le. no complain from my maid and my wife.

[gimz63251073 0]

We bought only the metal drainage holder part below the sink from One-Stop Gallery (balestier) which my ID brought us there. The saleperson never tell us that this didnt include the metal piping that run from this metal drainage holder part to the floor drainage. End up after plumbing work, we saw metal part connecting to pvc below our sink. hahaha..

but my ID has been nice here. he went back to the shop and scolded the saleperson for not informing customers on this. He FOC the metal piping for us for both bathrooms.

the choking issue so far so good. we been staying for 4 days 3 nights le. no complain from my maid and my wife.

it should come as a set one mah... the shop also damm cute la...

u never know what u can find from the water trap pipes... my plumber found a t shirt in there. Duh! Better to check and let them get their hands dirty instead.