sng28 2 Report post Posted March 22, 2011 Oh hihi! condo thread!! just what i'm looking for!! will you be able to share your quote? I'm hving a headache looking for a contractor /id for my condo and my quotation varies quite widely...its so sad and such a headache taht condo gets a pricey quote in the end just because we are condos......... After months of researching and reading through the various blogs around, it's finally my turn to start one.. The journey started end August 2010 when my girlfriend and I signed the option to purchase. From then, the hunt for an interior designer began. My girl wanted a classic theme while I wanted a more modern theme. I shudder at the thought of returning home to a house full of curvy french furnitures with curvy corners and pink walls! (ok.. stereotype thinking).. So in the end we compromised and settled for a more modern classic theme.. Though, I think it's more modern than classic.. Yay me!! We went to a total of 6 ID Firms. • Interior Library - Too over the top. Plus, they charge a base of $3K just for the designing. Didn't follow up with them after that. • Earnest - ID gave us a confident aura.. However, their quotes were rather on the high side.. And somehow, the ID gave us a rather arrogant aura.. • Rheiss Interior - Had my reservations about the ID due to his rather aggressive/ salesman personality to him.. However, after a few more meetings, we got more comfortable with him. Also, reading other peoples experiences with him gave us more confident in his work. • ID Note - ID was friendly. But based on the first meeting, he doesn't seem to understand what we want. • Plush Living - one of our shortlisted ID's.. However, she wasn't able to deliver the quotations on time despite several reminders and herself committing to it.. Somehow doesn't seem as experienced either.. • Modern Home Interior Design - Passed by this ID on the way to our new place and decided to check it out.. ID seems knowledgeable .. However, he was also very young and does not seem to have many projects under him based on our discussion.. In the end, we decided to settle for the one whom we felt most comfortable with, i.e. Rheiss Interior. Hopefully the experience will be smooth.. Renovation work only expected to begin after CNY though. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ugoh 0 Report post Posted March 22, 2011 (edited) The quotations for condo renovation will vary a LOT depending on the ID/contractor. Some of the IDs are geared towards doing mainly HDB work so their prices are more towards HDB prices but similarly workmanship/materials are more towards HDB standards too. I personally feel uncomfortable with the cheapest quotes because if the quote is TOO cheap then it is likely the contractor will cut corners with the materials and workmanship. Unless you have a friend or relative who can personally recommend the cheap contractor as being able to deliver the standard/service that you wish for. I'm afraid it's a bit of a lottery selecting the ID/contractor. In the end, I went with one of the most expensive quotations because the ID/contractor had done work for 3 of my friends' private properties (landed houses) and they were satisfied with his work so I felt "safer" to sign up with him. Condo quotations will generally be more expensive because of other factors (not only "just because they are condos" and the contractor want to make more $$$). For example, the piping/electrical works are concealed and they have to do more work for that. If any contractors reading this thread, perhaps you could add more detail why the charges for condo renovation are more expensive bec I am not so familiar with the technicalities. That's my 2 cents. Edited March 22, 2011 by ugoh Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
valerie_hh 0 Report post Posted March 22, 2011 (edited) sng28, our total reno is around 38k excluding electrical works. Ours is a resale unit. about 5yrs old. 1284 sq ft. We have 3 main bedrooms and 1 study room (store room) and we converted one outdoor jacuzzi into an indoor walk in wardrobe area. we didnt do any flooring except for the wiw area (using laminated wood flooring) and our kitchen flooring. We also do up a feature wall for living room and MBR. False ceiling also only for MBR and living room. For capentry, we re-do the whole kitchen, living room tv console, vanity cabinets for 2 bathrooms and MBR tv console as well as one big dining room mirror. We didnt really reno our toilets cos condo toilets usually come with nice fittings already. My MBR toilet comes with marble flooring and grohe fittings. So we only changed the shower screen and redo the vanity cabinet and mirror. If we didnt convert the outdoor jacuzzi into an indoor wiw, it would save us around 10k. I guess our renobill isnt that exp? An experienced ID shouldnt be charging much more for renovating a condo. The only difference should be electrical costs as highlighted by UGOH due to the concealed work needed. Our electrical works cost 3200 (excluding lights). We got our lights from JB as mentioned in the post above, hence, we saved quite abit of money there. And if you are buying an old condo, then yeah have to take note of piping too.. I would suggest you really look through all the items quoted by the IDs. SO far, we dont really have much variation orders except for the upgrade of my kitchen table top from solid surface to black galaxy granite. Our id offers free installation of kitchen/toilet accessories. And lil things like shifting the aircon from one part of the room to another part of the room is done for FOC. In general, IDs charge more when you request for things that they arent familiar with or never done before. So just get a more experienced one! Edited March 22, 2011 by valerie_hh Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
valerie_hh 0 Report post Posted March 22, 2011 (edited) haha tks marshmallow + may_dream1 for supporting this emo HTB of mine! And may_dream1, i cant believe you are only just starting your reno when u alr have 16 pgs worth of comments oh we arent letting go of our serta mattress anymore. Was trhinknig of Omazz actually but realised most of Omazz models arent cheap as well. And the cheaper ones dont feel as good as our serta le sophisitcation. so decided to stick to our original choice instead. Edited March 22, 2011 by valerie_hh Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
valerie_hh 0 Report post Posted March 22, 2011 eggroe & valeriehh: Keep the posts coming! No response doesn't mean nobody is reading. I am a fellow condo owner but I have not much free time to blog or respond. Because with full time job, 3 kids and meetings with the ID/contractor and the endless shopping, I am not able to take the time to participate. I agree about the budget problem. Condo renovation always costs far more than HDB and with all the extras, I am sure your budget overrun by a lot (like mine). Fortunately I am able to take equity loan from my other property which is at cheaper rate than taking a reno loan. I feel it is better to spend more $$$ on "permanent" items like the sanitary ware, fittings etc rather than on items that can be easily upgraded later on. For my family, we spend a lot on the electricals (Eubiq system for the TV console, kitchen to minimise unsightly wires) and are also going to spend a lot on the bathroom fittings but are less concerned with the bedding and free-standing furniture. able to post some pics of your reno? would love to see nvr heard of Eubiq system! But we need ideas to conceal wires too esp for our study room. we are contemplating getting a hansgrohe rainshower for our MBR toilet. how much is your reno bill? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
May_dream1 14 Report post Posted March 22, 2011 haha tks marshmallow + may_dream1 for supporting this emo HTB of mine! And may_dream1, i cant believe you are only just starting your reno when u alr have 16 pgs worth of comments oh we arent letting go of our serta mattress anymore. Was trhinknig of Omazz actually but realised most of Omazz models arent cheap as well. And the cheaper ones dont feel as good as our serta le sophisitcation. so decided to stick to our original choice instead. Already buy then no point letting go the mattress lah. Just heart pain for a while then will be ok. I am sure you will enjoy sleeping on it. Hehe... You are welcome to comments on mine t-blog too then will become even longer. Haha.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
marshmallow 0 Report post Posted March 23, 2011 I agree about the budget problem. Condo renovation always costs far more than HDB and with all the extras, I am sure your budget overrun by a lot (like mine). Fortunately I am able to take equity loan from my other property which is at cheaper rate than taking a reno loan. I feel it is better to spend more $$$ on "permanent" items like the sanitary ware, fittings etc rather than on items that can be easily upgraded later on. For my family, we spend a lot on the electricals (Eubiq system for the TV console, kitchen to minimise unsightly wires) and are also going to spend a lot on the bathroom fittings but are less concerned with the bedding and free-standing furniture. what you pointed out here is very true, it's wise to spend more on permanent items that can't be changed easily in future sng28, our total reno is around 38k excluding electrical works. Ours is a resale unit. about 5yrs old. 1284 sq ft. We have 3 main bedrooms and 1 study room (store room) and we converted one outdoor jacuzzi into an indoor walk in wardrobe area. we didnt do any flooring except for the wiw area (using laminated wood flooring) and our kitchen flooring. We also do up a feature wall for living room and MBR. False ceiling also only for MBR and living room. For capentry, we re-do the whole kitchen, living room tv console, vanity cabinets for 2 bathrooms and MBR tv console as well as one big dining room mirror. We didnt really reno our toilets cos condo toilets usually come with nice fittings already. My MBR toilet comes with marble flooring and grohe fittings. So we only changed the shower screen and redo the vanity cabinet and mirror. some condos come with good furnishing... one may end up spending less cash upfront on condo as compared to HDB i've a friend who was able to just do painting on one or two walls (to colours she likes) move in immediately Experienced ID/contractors usually are able to produce a more complete quote, which may seem a bit ex to start with but definitely minimise the variation order in future Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ugoh 0 Report post Posted March 23, 2011 (edited) able to post some pics of your reno? would love to see nvr heard of Eubiq system! But we need ideas to conceal wires too esp for our study room. we are contemplating getting a hansgrohe rainshower for our MBR toilet. how much is your reno bill? My reno bill is more than double of yours. But my unit is 1860 sq ft and it is more than 20 years old therefore the reno is MAJOR and includes flooring (Italian/Spanish homogeneous tiles) to all areas except the 3 bedrooms). 2 bathrooms, kitchen, maid's toilet have to be changed. All plumbing and wiring needs to be redone and false ceilings put up throughout the house (old units have no false ceiling except for the kitchen to conceal the piptes). You are lucky your unit is quite new therefore does not need much to be done. I bought it because I believe that in the future there will be fewer of large condo units as majority of new condo units are shrinking in size very quickly. Fortunately bought before the new property measures kicked in or else will have to fork out too much cash. Edited March 23, 2011 by ugoh Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tarbelai 0 Report post Posted March 23, 2011 Hi!! I have recently bought a resale condo as well and am starting my reno in mid april. Your area looks big and has nice layout *envy*. How I hope I have a spare room to convert into study, I even have to forgo my store room just to convert it into a maid room & to think my area is 1335psf.. haizz. This is all about layout.. lol. Anyway looking forward to more pictures as your reno progress. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sng28 2 Report post Posted March 23, 2011 Hihi, who did you engaged as your renovation contractor/id? woah you guys are complaining about space..check mine out its only 1055 psf hahahahaha my budget for overall is only 25k max and its gng to include paint entire house polish marble floor and wooden floor redo kitchen cabinet 1 full ht walk in closet 1 queen size bed frame 2 side bed table 1 study table repaint all my veneer doors Change floor tiles for kitchen and yard and common bathroom a few eletrical pts to add tv console to make good of existing feature as i need mount a TV on it.... Hi!! I have recently bought a resale condo as well and am starting my reno in mid april. Your area looks big and has nice layout *envy*. How I hope I have a spare room to convert into study, I even have to forgo my store room just to convert it into a maid room & to think my area is 1335psf.. haizz. This is all about layout.. lol. Anyway looking forward to more pictures as your reno progress. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ugoh 0 Report post Posted March 23, 2011 (edited) Hihi, who did you engaged as your renovation contractor/id? woah you guys are complaining about space..check mine out its only 1055 psf hahahahaha my budget for overall is only 25k max and its gng to include paint entire house polish marble floor and wooden floor redo kitchen cabinet 1 full ht walk in closet 1 queen size bed frame 2 side bed table 1 study table repaint all my veneer doors Change floor tiles for kitchen and yard and common bathroom a few eletrical pts to add tv console to make good of existing feature as i need mount a TV on it.... I think yr budget is achievable but it depends on how big is yr carpentry (how many ft run are yr kitchen cabinets and wardrobe and TV console) and how many sq ft for yr floor tiles. If you go for the very basic specifications for the carpentry and cheapest floor tiles then it's realistic. But if your expectations are too high for the quality/finishings then you will not be able to achieve the budget. I had one designer who gave me a very detailed quote of all the items with each item costed out. I can PM you the contact if you wish. You could ask them to quote and use their quote as a reference point. You can go to their showroom to view some of their work. It's not the one I'm currently using but the close runner-up. The one I'm using is quite costly but as mentioned, I chose him bec of personal recommendations (hope it turns out alright). Edited March 23, 2011 by ugoh Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sng28 2 Report post Posted March 23, 2011 hihi no harm trying can you PM me the contact and name of the company? I think yr budget is achievable but it depends on how big is yr carpentry (how many ft run are yr kitchen cabinets and wardrobe and TV console) and how many sq ft for yr floor tiles. If you go for the very basic specifications for the carpentry and cheapest floor tiles then it's realistic. But if your expectations are too high for the quality/finishings then you will not be able to achieve the budget. I had one designer who gave me a very detailed quote of all the items with each item costed out. I can PM you the contact if you wish. You could ask them to quote and use their quote as a reference point. You can go to their showroom to view some of their work. It's not the one I'm currently using but the close runner-up. The one I'm using is quite costly but as mentioned, I chose him bec of personal recommendations (hope it turns out alright). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
angelbutterfly 0 Report post Posted March 23, 2011 (edited) Hi, yr 3D drawings look great! Can share n pm me yr ID and contact pls? It would b great if you can share yr quotations...Also yr JB contacts pls... I went OM to select some furniture too...Who serve you and what do you think of their products? Will it be not what you see when it is being delivered? In fact we were sold to the natural organic bed with lavender smell - www.wakemeupbeautiful.com.sg and placed order for it...Dunno if we will regret... Looking forward to more pics pls... Tks alot ya... Edited March 23, 2011 by angelbutterfly Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BlurRhino 0 Report post Posted March 24, 2011 Hey eggroe continue blogging ya! there are alot of silent readers around, including me! when more pics come in, there will be more comments coming in! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
eggroe 0 Report post Posted March 24, 2011 Lol.. Feel so paiseh.. Was just whining for fun.. Now my wtb is laughing at me.. Looks like I gotta find time and update the blog now.. Hahaha.. Thanks everyone for the encouragement.. *shy* Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
