Unforgettable ~~

[zongzo 0]

hi idealistic,

great fun reading your tblog, very candid and informative. I get the feeling you're showing great restraint here with your posts given the frustration you must be feeling . I faced a couple of the same top-up issues with my contractor due to miscalculation/unforeseen circumstances but we were able to resolve amicably.

Just wanted to share some insight with painting though. Mine's a new flat so no plastering required (i think). Bought all paint/painting equipment ourselves.

Weathershield for one coat of sealer, Maxilite for two coats of white paint, then a mixture of Dulux Wash n Wear/Dulux All-in-One/Nippon Medishield for the colours. Total damage < 600. Then we engaged one painter for 5 days' of labor (500). So far, for 2 days' of work the sealer and first coat of white paint is up with no problems.

Very satisfied with my paint arrangements so far, I think it's a solution worth considering. Hopefully the rest of the painting will go well.

[emobebe 1]

Hi Emobebe, your mailbox is full. PM me if you need the contact after clearing your mailbox

Hi Ideallistic,

Please pm me. Already clear the mailbox..Thanks! Emobebe

[emobebe 1]

Hi Ideallistic,

Please pm me. Already clear the mailbox..Thanks! Emobebe

Thanks! I got it. Surf their website but got error when I click on certain links...It is ok, I sent them email.

[idealistic 0]

hi idealistic,

great fun reading your tblog, very candid and informative. I get the feeling you're showing great restraint here with your posts given the frustration you must be feeling . I faced a couple of the same top-up issues with my contractor due to miscalculation/unforeseen circumstances but we were able to resolve amicably.

Just wanted to share some insight with painting though. Mine's a new flat so no plastering required (i think). Bought all paint/painting equipment ourselves.

Weathershield for one coat of sealer, Maxilite for two coats of white paint, then a mixture of Dulux Wash n Wear/Dulux All-in-One/Nippon Medishield for the colours. Total damage < 600. Then we engaged one painter for 5 days' of labor (500). So far, for 2 days' of work the sealer and first coat of white paint is up with no problems.

Very satisfied with my paint arrangements so far, I think it's a solution worth considering. Hopefully the rest of the painting will go well.

Great info, we have seriously considered diy after what we have gone through in this Reno.

Dun have the time to update the posting recently. Busy with all house necessities. Spending still but no more anger and frustration at least. Will update when there is spare time. Can only say that design/layout credits go to us, the owner.

[idealistic 0]

Thanks! I got it. Surf their website but got error when I click on certain links...It is ok, I sent them email.

Cos I dun have the contacts on hand now, need any help let me know ya

[listensea 0]

NEXT STAGE: AIRCON & REWIRING

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As for our electrician work, we did not engage our contractor's electrician due to high pricing.

After we come to this decision, our contractor started giving reasons and examples for using his own electrician, telling us the negatives of engaging outsider.

Of cos we understand the importance of electrician work, thus we ensure that the one we chosen is well qualified and approved.

Overall review of our electrician is GOOD.

They do not push blame around. Any problem, they use their expertise to solve it.

Lights installation is free if lights are bought from them.

Unlimited trip to install your lightings.

Service excellent.

Hi,

Can share with me your electrician contacts too and let me know how much you spent?

what is the biggest consideration in your view if we outsourced electrical works? Will it hinder the ceiling works or other stuff much?

Thanks for sharing your experience. If I were u, I would be very frustrated for all these issues too. Keeping my fingers crossed on my ID which I am still searching. I will surely warned my frens abt this company. I find them quite unacceptable. Like your parquet flooring, especially when u have told them and highlighted your concern abt the colour a few times and yet the outcome is like this.

And I could see the rough plastering work of your ceiling from your picture. It's really not nice. I will not accept that tooI m a fussy person. $2K is a little higher than what I have been quoted. The ones that i've got is on the high $1K end.

About the top-up issue. This is one thing that i am most fearful. I came across people and even my own parents top up could be as high as 5 figure amount from their initial quotation. I cant allow that. Any further advice on this area how we can keep the costs in control? I think being precise in the quote can be good and bad cos too precise, they can charge for slight deviation. But too loose, they can use inferior materials or cut corners...

Edited April 3, 2011 by listensea

[idealistic 0]

Hi,

Can share with me your electrician contacts too and let me know how much you spent?

what is the biggest consideration in your view if we outsourced electrical works? Will it hinder the ceiling works or other stuff much?

Thanks for sharing your experience. If I were u, I would be very frustrated for all these issues too. Keeping my fingers crossed on my ID which I am still searching. I will surely warned my frens abt this company. I find them quite unacceptable. Like your parquet flooring, especially when u have told them and highlighted your concern abt the colour a few times and yet the outcome is like this.

And I could see the rough plastering work of your ceiling from your picture. It's really not nice. I will not accept that tooI m a fussy person. $2K is a little higher than what I have been quoted. The ones that i've got is on the high $1K end.

About the top-up issue. This is one thing that i am most fearful. I came across people and even my own parents top up could be as high as 5 figure amount from their initial quotation. I cant allow that. Any further advice on this area how we can keep the costs in control? I think being precise in the quote can be good and bad cos too precise, they can charge for slight deviation. But too loose, they can use inferior materials or cut corners...

No problem, I will PM you the contact for electrician and costing

Definitely is to engage a well-qualified electrician with LEW licence and with company registered. And of cos, price plays a part to us. From the research we obtain, the prices do vary alot. In fact, not too sure if it is a must to do rewiring. But since it is unknown if the previous owners have done any rewiring throughout the 26 years, it is recommended that we change everything.

Outsourcing electrical work do not hinder any process at all. There is a flow in all reno. Your contractor has to do the coordination. Rewiring has to be completed before ceiling work starts for sure. That means your electrician has to follow your reno progress and the rest like markings etc, both electrician and contractor have to work hand-in-hand. As long as your contractor does not make things difficult for you, all can be done smoothly.

We all know that contractor earns commission for using their own electrician. As his quote to us is too much higher comparing to the rest we got, we have no choice but to drop his electrician. And blah blah blah, he rattled on should anything related to rewiring happens after the ceiling work is up, we have to bear the cost etc etc and we have to sign a letter.

Top-up /plastering and all unpleasant experience which you have read too, i shall not repeat here. I believe no reno is completed without top-up. If the top-up is due to request of owner for addition of some features, then it's ok. But what happened in ours is really too much Just glad that everything is over and we can have our peace back. Price paid for all lessons learnt indeed for our first house reno. Dispute still arise despite our research. It's really out of expectation and beyond our control. Have read so many tblogs that contractor absorb the cost if the error is borned by them. We are just not that lucky to meet one.

Edited April 4, 2011 by idealistic

[idealistic 0]

Here's the before and after pic of MBR bathroom!

[idealistic 0]

Another one: Before and after pic of common bathroom

[marshmallow 0]

About the top-up issue. This is one thing that i am most fearful. I came across people and even my own parents top up could be as high as 5 figure amount from their initial quotation. I cant allow that. Any further advice on this area how we can keep the costs in control? I think being precise in the quote can be good and bad cos too precise, they can charge for slight deviation. But too loose, they can use inferior materials or cut corners...

I believe no reno is completed without top-up. If the top-up is due to request of owner for addition of some features, then it's ok. But what happened in ours is really too much Just glad that everything is over and we can have our peace back. Price paid for all lessons learnt indeed for our first house reno. Dispute still arise despite our research. It's really out of expectation and beyond our control. Have read so many tblogs that contractor absorb the cost if the error is borned by them. We are just not that lucky to meet one.

to add on, in order to minimize top-up, it is important to have a complete quotation to start with. while some IDs/contractors, like in idealistic's case, demand top-ups that are not unreasonable, sometimes it's also becos the house owner did not spell out their requirement from the beginning.

To cite an example, some pple just simply assume walls will come out smooth smooth after painting (definitely not the case for old HDB), when wall smoothness doesn't meet their expectation, contractor inform them that plastering is needed and of course additional $$ is needed for this job. then the house owner accuse the contractor for "asking top up", but it's the house owner who didn't ask for plastering at the first place - this is not being fair to the contractor~

so on our part, the best we can do to protect ourselves is to make sure the quotation is as clear and as complete as possible - write down anything you can think of in black and white.

[idealistic 0]

to add on, in order to minimize top-up, it is important to have a complete quotation to start with. while some IDs/contractors, like in idealistic's case, demand top-ups that are not unreasonable, sometimes it's also becos the house owner did not spell out their requirement from the beginning.

To cite an example, some pple just simply assume walls will come out smooth smooth after painting (definitely not the case for old HDB), when wall smoothness doesn't meet their expectation, contractor inform them that plastering is needed and of course additional $$ is needed for this job. then the house owner accuse the contractor for "asking top up", but it's the house owner who didn't ask for plastering at the first place - this is not being fair to the contractor~

so on our part, the best we can do to protect ourselves is to make sure the quotation is as clear and as complete as possible - write down anything you can think of in black and white.

The "joking" part is the tv console. Everything is spelled out so clearly, he knows what we want and only when carpentry stage arrives, we are informed the tv console is not what we want, ie not the one in 3d drawing. We have to top up if we want that design. Going through the quotation and only realised the word "aluminium frame" is missing. It is not something we add on along the way. This is an example of incomplete quotation and this is what happens. The 3d design must also be as clear as possible as an issue happened to our feature wall as a result of this.

His jaw also dropped when he saw our ceiling after plastered and lights on. Get his worker to redo area that is uneven and painter has to repaint, but the painter is using worn-out roller/brush. After paint dries, can see the roughness difference compare to other ceiling and walls. And yo... so tiring by then, we did not pursue the matter and he will just feedback to his subcon painter :

[junxian 0]

PARQUET VANISH STAGE

woah, vast difference.

Parquet for 3 bedrooms retained

hi FYI, my master bedroom also extended and my ID managed to change flooring to parquet with the same color tone... just to let you know it is do-able

[idealistic 0]

hi FYI, my master bedroom also extended and my ID managed to change flooring to parquet with the same color tone... just to let you know it is do-able

Really??? And i'm getting this kind of work

Thanks for your info. Now i can only

Existing one is long plank of wood and the one he got for us is shorter, claiming ours has been phased out and he can only get this. This is ok, but the colour is totally out from his assurance that it will be fine after vanishing. And it is obviously NOT.

[zongzo 0]

idealistic, I'd have gone mad if I were you.

[sotong1977 0]

Thanks for your info. Now i can only

Existing one is long plank of wood and the one he got for us is shorter, claiming ours has been phased out and he can only get this. This is ok, but the colour is totally out from his assurance that it will be fine after vanishing. And it is obviously NOT.

hi i think ur contractor is lying. when i was doing my reno, i was informed that there were 2 types of parquet plank, short and long. Both types are as shown in ur pic. these contractors are pigs out to con people's hard earn money.