mae29 2 Report post Posted April 4, 2011 Quick Updates: Renovation hacking supposed to start officially on 4 Apr 2011. However, think it's the start of Chinese Qing Ming Festival, plus advice from Linda to pick another day, as 4 Apr major clash with my Day Master... hence changed to last Sat morning to "Dong Tu" (symbolically start renovation)... Not that i'm super pan-tang, but if can follow, follow lor... everyone also wants to have smooth renovation and gd luck mah... after that, I took the new hammer and went around the living room to "knock-knock" the corners symbolically (LOL... i initially thought, need to hit until tile break kind... WAHAHAHA)... but even symbolically, it's still very LOUD... now I can imagine the noise my new neighbours will have to go thru for the next few days... Bro, csingeu Today is the 'hacking' day....Wishing you a smooth reno journey! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
csingeu 0 Report post Posted April 4, 2011 Renovation Day 1: First bad news of the renovation: My contractor called me this afternoon, and informed me that HDB did not approve the hacking and enlarging of my main door entrance. Reason? My contractor said HDB officer said that none of my neighbours has done that before, hence it will be a precedence. WTH... My contractor advised me that if I really want to hack, may need to apply to get PE to endorse. WTH... it's just 1 small piece of wall (less than 30 cm wide, i think), and it's not even on a reinforced concrete wall! anyway, I have photographic evidence that one of my neighbours, not only successfully hacked and enlarged its main door, he/she even relocated it nearer to the corridor. And the renovation was done recently (i.e. Nov/Dec 2010). Anyway, I've already written in to the HDB officer IC to appeal. I'm not going to waste $500 for a PE to endorse a small piece of wall, which is hackable. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Soichiro 0 Report post Posted April 4, 2011 Anyway, I've already written in to the HDB officer IC to appeal. I'm not going to waste $500 for a PE to endorse a small piece of wall, which is hackable. These things will take quite long to approve if they want to play punk with you. Call in to check often and be pushy. Worst case... ask MP to help. MP very onz these days... lol Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
marshmallow 0 Report post Posted April 4, 2011 Renovation Day 1: First bad news of the renovation: My contractor called me this afternoon, and informed me that HDB did not approve the hacking and enlarging of my main door entrance. Reason? My contractor said HDB officer said that none of my neighbours has done that before, hence it will be a precedence. WTH... My contractor advised me that if I really want to hack, may need to apply to get PE to endorse. WTH... it's just 1 small piece of wall (less than 30 cm wide, i think), and it's not even on a reinforced concrete wall! anyway, I have photographic evidence that one of my neighbours, not only successfully hacked and enlarged its main door, he/she even relocated it nearer to the corridor. And the renovation was done recently (i.e. Nov/Dec 2010). Anyway, I've already written in to the HDB officer IC to appeal. I'm not going to waste $500 for a PE to endorse a small piece of wall, which is hackable. hmmmm.... did your neighbour do this "legally"? you checked with them? just in case they also never applied permit for that... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
May_dream1 14 Report post Posted April 4, 2011 Renovation Day 1: First bad news of the renovation: My contractor called me this afternoon, and informed me that HDB did not approve the hacking and enlarging of my main door entrance. Reason? My contractor said HDB officer said that none of my neighbours has done that before, hence it will be a precedence. WTH... My contractor advised me that if I really want to hack, may need to apply to get PE to endorse. WTH... it's just 1 small piece of wall (less than 30 cm wide, i think), and it's not even on a reinforced concrete wall! anyway, I have photographic evidence that one of my neighbours, not only successfully hacked and enlarged its main door, he/she even relocated it nearer to the corridor. And the renovation was done recently (i.e. Nov/Dec 2010). Anyway, I've already written in to the HDB officer IC to appeal. I'm not going to waste $500 for a PE to endorse a small piece of wall, which is hackable. I know how you feel.... the same for me too when my application to hack my bedroom was not approved. Just keep on calling the officer loh.... ask your wife to call, maybe a woman speaking to the officer will make him move his butt?? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kobelala 8 Report post Posted April 4, 2011 Quick Updates: Hence, I popped by the neighbourhood joss-stick and incense paper shop... and asked the uncle... "Uncle ah, I want to start renovation (Dong Tu). What to buy ah?".... uncle very experienced... straight away know it's for "Di Zhu Gong" (aka "House Deity") "bai-bai" (pray) one... So... I've gotten: 1. 1 pair of red candles 2. 1 standard set of joss-sticks 3. 1 tea packet 4. 1 packet of candies 5. 1 stack of incense paper 6. 5 x oranges 7. 1 x fa-gao (glutinous rice cake???) - supposed to symbolize prosperity??? 8. 1 x new hammer first time "bai-bai" by myself... usually during 7th month, etc... my mum will ask me to go with her... then i'll go reluctantly... I'm not the "bai-bai" sort... so usually will try to siam la... Linda gave me some advice to prepare for the simple "ceremony"... but i still blur blur... then ended up... just improvise on the spot lor... while setting up the "stage" to "bai-bai"... all the while, I scared wind too strong, then the burning paper fly around and burn the place... I think I really quite paranoid at times... luckily the burning paper never anyhow fly... but towards the end, the paper container (actually, it's the box for the lockset, left over by my contractor), got burnt... hence the "fiery" image above... after that, I took the new hammer and went around the living room to "knock-knock" the corners symbolically (LOL... i initially thought, need to hit until tile break kind... WAHAHAHA)... but even symbolically, it's still very LOUD... now I can imagine the noise my new neighbours will have to go thru for the next few days... Bro Csingeu, must we "baibai" the Hammer first before using to do the knockings ? and did u buy Pineapple ? These things will take quite long to approve if they want to play punk with you. Call in to check often and be pushy. Worst case... ask MP to help. MP very onz these days... lol LOL, that's true.... ... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
csingeu 0 Report post Posted April 4, 2011 These things will take quite long to approve if they want to play punk with you. Call in to check often and be pushy. Worst case... ask MP to help. MP very onz these days... lol ya lor... i was totally not expecting it... sian... i got a feeling, i might need to build fire-rated door frames and get fire-rated main door, if i choose to hack and enlarge... hmmm... going to call again tmr... his phone whole day cannot reach... but luckily, I'm on govt email... have auto-check function... managed to find his email... and i sent him an appeal letter using my personal email... think not very gd to use office email for such stuffs... hmmm... hmmmm.... did your neighbour do this "legally"? you checked with them? just in case they also never applied permit for that... LOL... i never check with them... they are the "unfriendly" lvl 6 neighbours... I slipped a msg under their door, asking to pay them a visit, etc... and gave them my hp no. and email, but they never respond... anyway, i've "censored" the unit no. in this pic... but the one I've sent to the HDB officer; I've included it... I know how you feel.... the same for me too when my application to hack my bedroom was not approved. Just keep on calling the officer loh.... ask your wife to call, maybe a woman speaking to the officer will make him move his butt?? sian leh... better dun drag too long... think this friday the aircon guy coming to dismantle and do first installation of trunking... i still **** blur abt the trunking la... i hope it won't look like crap... Bro Csingeu, must we "baibai" the Hammer first before using to do the knockings ? and did u buy Pineapple ? LOL... don't ask me leh... it will be the "noob" leading the "noob"... coz i lazy to find the hammer at home... (plus i think it's rusty and stuff)... i just bought 1 new one (ard $5) from the hardware shop downstairs... no "bai-bai"... don't know who/what to "bai-bai" to leh... Thor? eh... no pineapple ("ong lai")... no one (as in Linda or the uncle @ the shop) mentioned it leh... maybe when officially shift in, then throw ong-lai? hmmm... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
csingeu 0 Report post Posted April 4, 2011 (edited) Renovation Day 1: I'm not too sure if this is the usual pace of work... but somehow, I feel it's hacked away too fast... no time to regret also... somehow, I feel the hacking of the kitchen wall is a gd idea; it sort of make the kitchen looks more "open" and spacious... however, i also noticed that the main door is very very near the kitchen wall... so far, quite a lot of EM owners, I see their main door is "flushed" to the common corridor, giving more space between the main door and kitchen... it looks slightly cramped now... hmmm... the utility room looks kind of out of place now too... if it's hacked and converted to glass partition walls, and maybe used as a computer or study room, it might be great. let the pictures speak for themselves... No pics for the wash area & utility room, as i don't want to be electrocuted accidentally... Edited April 4, 2011 by csingeu Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
May_dream1 14 Report post Posted April 4, 2011 Wow!!! your contractor does the job really fast!!! for mine, it took them 3 days to hack everything but yours, seem like 1 day only already almost done?? very good!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
csingeu 0 Report post Posted April 4, 2011 Wow!!! your contractor does the job really fast!!! for mine, it took them 3 days to hack everything but yours, seem like 1 day only already almost done?? very good!!! Mine not a lot of places to hack la... only the lower level... plus i never hack so many walls like you... LOL... and my 2nd level, all parquet flooring... not hacking mah... only hacking the toilets... BUT the toilets' stench really STINK... must be the exposed sewage pipes... I was taking pics of the bathrooms... really nasty smell... *puke* I hope the HDB officer can revert tmr... so i can hack my main door!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
May_dream1 14 Report post Posted April 4, 2011 Mine not a lot of places to hack la... only the lower level... plus i never hack so many walls like you... LOL... and my 2nd level, all parquet flooring... not hacking mah... only hacking the toilets... BUT the toilets' stench really STINK... must be the exposed sewage pipes... I was taking pics of the bathrooms... really nasty smell... *puke* I hope the HDB officer can revert tmr... so i can hack my main door!!! your ground floor also very big mah.... and seem like you hacked a lot too... from the pic. my toilet not that bad leh.... not smelly and even when they are doing the tiles, i can't even smell anything. hehehehe.... that's weird hor.... depends on the officer loh... mine, asked me to ask the contractor to submit again. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
marshmallow 0 Report post Posted April 4, 2011 ya lor... i was totally not expecting it... sian... i got a feeling, i might need to build fire-rated door frames and get fire-rated main door, if i choose to hack and enlarge... hmmm... going to call again tmr... his phone whole day cannot reach... but luckily, I'm on govt email... have auto-check function... managed to find his email... and i sent him an appeal letter using my personal email... think not very gd to use office email for such stuffs... hmmm... Mine not a lot of places to hack la... only the lower level... plus i never hack so many walls like you... LOL... and my 2nd level, all parquet flooring... not hacking mah... only hacking the toilets... BUT the toilets' stench really STINK... must be the exposed sewage pipes... I was taking pics of the bathrooms... really nasty smell... *puke* I hope the HDB officer can revert tmr... so i can hack my main door!!! you can also use sgdi.gov.sg to find their contacts... in case you can't use work e-mail at home also, HDB officers are normally easier to reach via e-mail than phone... sometimes i wonder if they have anyone picking up phone at all... btw, maybe i missed it... why you wanna enlarge the main door ah? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
May_dream1 14 Report post Posted April 4, 2011 you can also use sgdi.gov.sg to find their contacts... in case you can't use work e-mail at home also, HDB officers are normally easier to reach via e-mail than phone... sometimes i wonder if they have anyone picking up phone at all... btw, maybe i missed it... why you wanna enlarge the main door ah? the officer in charged of my block is quite easy to find leh.... his office phone are being diverted to his mobile so sure will be able to get him. i feel its the opposite, those old uncles or aunties at hdb, prefer to speak rather than email leh.... hehehe.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
csingeu 0 Report post Posted April 4, 2011 you can also use sgdi.gov.sg to find their contacts... in case you can't use work e-mail at home also, HDB officers are normally easier to reach via e-mail than phone... sometimes i wonder if they have anyone picking up phone at all... btw, maybe i missed it... why you wanna enlarge the main door ah? ohh... sgdi.gov.sg only lists the division 1 or more "important" people... most of the technical/clerical officers are not listed... I heard from my contractor, usually the TOs will be ard at their workstation, at 8am or after 4pm... maybe, in between the day... they are actually offsite doing inspections etc... so won't be able to answer phone calls... why want to enlarge main door ah? 1. my neighbour got do mah 2. i feel the current door opening very cramped; seems even more cramped than the one at my current place... maybe it's the gate la... 3. bigger entrance, easier to move ard... and also shift bulky items like fridge ah... and king-size bed? 4. i just like a bigger main door la... look more "grand"... and less cramped lor... the officer in charged of my block is quite easy to find leh.... his office phone are being diverted to his mobile so sure will be able to get him. i feel its the opposite, those old uncles or aunties at hdb, prefer to speak rather than email leh.... hehehe.... i want to talk to him also... but really cannot reach lor... sian... hopefully, he will reply my email tmr morning... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
csingeu 0 Report post Posted April 5, 2011 Quick Updates! KNS... called up the HDB officer in the morning just now... realised it's a "her" not "him"... LOL... anyway, after she read my email, she understood what I meant, and she said that the hacking should be approved, however, in my contractor's application, several items were unclear; hence they did not approve it. then i called up my contractor and told him that it was not approved as their submission was unclear... and he denied it... saying that it was clearly highlighted in their submission... then i reminded him that for the bathroom area, i would like to do a drop for the shower area, instead of doing a shower kerb. he told me, it's only for the new HDB flats; and HDB won't approve. *faint* lor... he said... if really want to do, it's illegal, and that i better check with the HDB officer myself... i see so many people (esp EM owners) doing it also lor... bro Soichiro, also did it wat... called up the HDB officer again... but she's going out for inspection liao... so told me she will open up my case in the afternoon and communicate with me over the phone. why did i not get my uncle to help me do my renovation instead...??? *ARGH* (at least for the wet works and tiling portion) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
