Builder Vs Architect

[pantieileen 2]

sorry but need to kpkb here although it's not about my place.

My neighbor's place was sold in June and new owners appointed a design firm to do their place in Aug, apparently would be completed in April (coz we called and ask their contractors mah). So it's already coming to mid-March and nothing has been done. Obviously we know because hacking could only be heard for at most 1hour daily in the morning then the sound is gone. How much work can one do??

Over these 8months, my neighbor's place has been turned into an illegal dormitory. Sometimes over more than 10 workers! OK, so the workers aren't noisy or rowdy. Sometimes we take pity on them and on the carporch light entire evening till midnight so they'll get some light.

Last Sat,i think it's the ultimate for the new owners. She (female voice) drove over, called and yelled at the designer (over the phone nia...but still **** loud!) and yesterday evening (6-7pm), all the workers were packed in the contractors lorry and left. They carried their belongings and it was quite sad to see what they had. Each had a luggage (must be their clothes), a few fans, plastic drawers (those 4tier pull out ones), rice cooker and pots. While i understand that they must had been cooking in the house (obviously coz their curry smelled nicer than my awful homemade pasta), but it's really a fire hazard! Late last night, a PRC woman turn up, yelled for the locked gate to be opened but to no avail. Then as usual, with their extremely loud voice, she called someone and questioned why the house was empty, where is she going to stay the night. OMG, i can't imagine a woman staying with all those construction workers but i think she was looking for her bf. Coz this morning, she turned up at 9-10am again.

Haiz if i'm the owner, i must be **** pissed. Appointed contractor in Aug, now March and nothing much is done besides tearing down their boundary wall, front wall and back wall, leaving the house inhabitable. Want to sell also cannot sell state and imagine if i had to rent a place to stay, how much extra would i have to pay in rental? OK if i got another fully paid place to stay then no issue lah.

Decided to kpo today and call up the architect since i know him and found out that BCA didn't approve their submission unless they do piling although original their contractor say not necessary. OK i guess if i'm the new owner, i must really be shocked! Suddenly must pay tens of thousands more and worse...project delay!

So, moral of the story, check before you appoint any contractors. Make sure they got experience instead of overpromising you then underdeliver.

Also, is it even legal for contractors to allow their workers to sleep in your house even if its still under construction? I was of the impression that it was illegal since my builder didn't have their contractors sleeping in my premises at night (i always come over with a torch light after work around 9-10pm to check). But once i see how pitiful they are i decided to close one eye.

Edited March 13, 2012 by pantieileen

[OnTheRoad 0]

Hi all,

Been reading the forum before I registered and some of the forumers seem experienced & give sound advice.

I just bought a terrace house that requires renovation. Would like to ask, for hacking of walls to extend the space, is PE approval and BCA required? I'l doing a toilet extension on ground floor and 2 room extension on 2nd floor.

1 contractor said no approvals required, he has done it for a similar house down the street. Another said PE needs to come and certify. If approval required then gotta submit to BCA. I checked BCA's guidelines on renovation approval requirements and extension of rooms doesnt appear in their waiver list.

Wondering if anyone can comment? Most appreciate it.

[jumbopanther 2]

Hi all,

Been reading the forum before I registered and some of the forumers seem experienced & give sound advice.

I just bought a terrace house that requires renovation. Would like to ask, for hacking of walls to extend the space, is PE approval and BCA required? I'l doing a toilet extension on ground floor and 2 room extension on 2nd floor.

1 contractor said no approvals required, he has done it for a similar house down the street. Another said PE needs to come and certify. If approval required then gotta submit to BCA. I checked BCA's guidelines on renovation approval requirements and extension of rooms doesnt appear in their waiver list.

Wondering if anyone can comment? Most appreciate it.

Understand once you hack or move the external wall, you have to submit. You can refer to URA website which has got the details.

[pantieileen 2]

Truth is alot of people do not submit to BCA coz it's an additional 22k. I guess if your area is at the back and not visible by public then u could skip but if your neighbor jealous and complain to BCA then u LL might kana fine etc.if it's at the front then LL u have to submit BCA

Also, once u submit to BCA and pay 22k, after you extend, the size is taken into account and when you sell your place in future, your buildup area would be larger than neighbor's

Edited March 15, 2012 by pantieileen

[OnTheRoad 0]

Hmm... alright thanks jumbopanther & pantieileen.

[roxy 0]

You mean those skylight which you could cover during day time then comes with remote control that could retract at night to see stars?

http://skylights.veluxusa.com/consumer/galleries/residential_cases/200yr_old_renovation

My builder suggested those kind but i didn't want to spend extra 5k (each panel) since i'm not really interested in stars and i wear a eye mask to sleep so also cannot see stars when i sleep. I opted for a fixed skylight in my walk in wardrobe (1 square in the middle of the walk in walk in wardrobe) and airwell (2 squares). The airwell is the size of private lift. Each panel costs $800 or was it $800 for 3 panels (sorry can't remember) but its done by the roof contractor (uncle said very very common these days). Because it's just 1 piece of glass permanently fixed i cannot imagine paying more than 1k for it.

Those that can retract you'll need to purchase the parts from the agent and of coz get your own contractor to fix.

Oh but i also applied 3M tint to it all the skylight (scared spoil my parquet flooring)

If you want breeze and easy opening, opt for dorma windows at least idiot proof to open and it's legal.

One thing i like about skylight. the ambience of the house change according to weather and it's very pretty. I also found out that by turning on different lights at night (ground floor, 2nd floor, attic floor) the lighting effect of the entire house changes. Ok maybe i'm being niow but at night i just on 2 energy saving lights on my attic floor and the entire airwell gets illuminated (attic all the way to ground floor) so it's "safe" and there's also no need to on the staircase lights (waste my expensive staircase lighting costs

Thanks for that enlightening feedback. Quite exciting to have an attic with a skylight, isn't it. The link u posted says a thousand words.haha.

I notice many houses don't have one and was wondering was it becos of the heat fr the sun that deterred them. Normally the top floors are much hotter

and family members often settle down to the ground floor to avoid the heat(esp my moms' place...i believe cos theirs is an open terrace top floor).

Do you have any such problems and how's the seal from rain , any leakage?

Can u pass me the contact of ur unker roof contractor....much appreciate thanks.

[pantieileen 2]

Thanks for that enlightening feedback. Quite exciting to have an attic with a skylight, isn't it. The link u posted says a thousand words.haha.

I notice many houses don't have one and was wondering was it becos of the heat fr the sun that deterred them. Normally the top floors are much hotter

and family members often settle down to the ground floor to avoid the heat(esp my moms' place...i believe cos theirs is an open terrace top floor).

Do you have any such problems and how's the seal from rain , any leakage?

Can u pass me the contact of ur unker roof contractor....much appreciate thanks.

1) My attic apparently is the coolest room. Maybe i have windows on both end and i'm just opposite the sea i get a natural breeze all day. Maybe my body is weak and not that i'm niao but i don't even need to turn on the aircon at night. It's already quite cold for me.

2) I use aluminum roof whereas you are mentioning open terrace so i'm assuming the roof would be cemented roof which would get hot.

3) No i don't get leakage from the rain but my house is only 3months old so...choy...but i don't see leakage from the rain yet

4) If you want to ask about insulation when it rains coz AL roof then i hardly can hear it if there's a thunderstorm

5) My roof contractor was contracted by my builder so i don't have his contact. But i can PM you my builder's contact.

[AnneY 0]

Would like to know if there is a need to apply for approval fr ura/bca to create a loft aka mezzanine within my master bedroom?

Anyone with such experience. The house is 2.5 sty. The loft within the master bedroom has a very high sloping roof.

The loft will become a triangle when enclosed and entry to it will be fr the 3rd storey. Planning to have a skylight.

Would appreciate if you could recommend contractors familiar with such works esp skylight. I tried the Velus skylight agent who does installation,

but to my surprise they only install w/o the roofing works, which is done by the roofing contractor.... i find contractors here lacking imagination.

Would appreciate any help. Thanks.

Besides fixed skylight you can also use transparent roof tiles. We use the kormac roof tiles and 12 pieces of transparent tiles from the same manufacturer.

They work very well. I also have a fixed skylight in one of the windowless bathrooms but I like the transparent roof tiles better.

[totsboy 0]

Anyone who have worked with good builders/ contractors for A & A works can share? There are really too many out in the market and I really don't know where to start from sourcing. totsboy@yahoo.com.sg

Edited July 3, 2012 by totsboy

[hushush 0]

Anyone who have worked with good builders/ contractors for A & A works can share? There are really too many out in the market and I really don't know where to start from sourcing. totsboy@yahoo.com.sg

Referrals from friends or relatives shd be the most reliable. The ID who renovated my dad's place last yr was recommended by a biz partner. She have her own team of builders.. and we love her designs.. easy to communicate with..

[Rainie 0]

Hi All,

Thanks for sharing so much insights.

I've just bought an inter-terrace and would like to have your recommendations on builders/architects. Please send your recommendations to me directly at doreamon272@yahoo.com.sg

Hope to hear from you as this thread haven't been active for a long while.

Thanks.

[HSC 0]

Hi All,

Newbie here but would sure love to learn from the experiences of the forumers here before I mke any unnecessary mistakes

Just got a corner unit BU 2800 sq ft. and intend extend up the backyard area to have a wt/ dry kitchen. So planning t0 hack the walls of the the kitchen to push out the area and convert to dry kitchen, convert the yard to a wet kitchen, install cabinets and tiles in these two dry/wet kitchen area and relocate the frnt door of the living room wall and ad windows to it, and the repolish/ revarnish of all marble and parquet floorings (1 floor marble and 2 floors parquet), and create a small patch of greenery at the side (currently place is all tiled up so hae to hack and put soil).

For such a renovation, what would be a estimted cost? (80K? 100k? 120k?) And do you need a builder/ architect/ PE fo the abov kind of work? Or just a renovation contractor will do?

Any well or good experiences with contractors or builders? KIndly share here or mail me: yeong_h_m@hotmail.com

So far I have come across a few builders:

SL Goh Builders

Central Construction Company

Builders Hub

No idea of ther background or reputation so appreciate it if anyone can mail me their opinions or views/ experiences with them? Plse pm me on this.

Thanks in advance.

[pantieileen 2]

Just got a corner unit BU 2800 sq ft. and intend extend up the backyard area to have a wt/ dry kitchen. So planning t0 hack the walls of the the kitchen to push out the area and convert to dry kitchen, convert the yard to a wet kitchen, install cabinets and tiles in these two dry/wet kitchen area and relocate the frnt door of the living room wall and ad windows to it, and the repolish/ revarnish of all marble and parquet floorings (1 floor marble and 2 floors parquet), and create a small patch of greenery at the side (currently place is all tiled up so hae to hack and put soil).

For such a renovation, what would be a estimted cost? (80K? 100k? 120k?) And do you need a builder/ architect/ PE fo the abov kind of work? Or just a renovation contractor will do?

Any well or good experiences with contractors or builders? KIndly share here or mail me: yeong_h_m@hotmail.com

So far I have come across a few builders:

SL Goh Builders

Central Construction Company

Builders Hub

No idea of ther background or reputation so appreciate it if anyone can mail me their opinions or views/ experiences with them? Plse pm me on this.

Thanks in advance.

i did the above with them last year. Managed to rush everything to be in time for my wedding.

Just got a corner unit BU 2800 sq ft. and intend extend up the backyard area to have a wt/ dry kitchen. So planning t0 hack the walls of the the kitchen to push out the area and convert to dry kitchen, convert the yard to a wet kitchen, install cabinets and tiles in these two dry/wet kitchen area and relocate the frnt door of the living room wall and ad windows to it, and the repolish/ revarnish of all marble and parquet floorings (1 floor marble and 2 floors parquet), and create a small patch of greenery at the side (currently place is all tiled up so hae to hack and put soil).

For such a renovation, what would be a estimted cost? (80K? 100k? 120k?) And do you need a builder/ architect/ PE fo the abov kind of work? Or just a renovation contractor will do?

My parents did this for intermediate unit BU 3200sqft in 2006 which also includes rehauling 2bathrooms (we got 4 bathrooms), create a roof over the small garden in the front. Price in 2006 was about 120k though.

Didn't use PE BUT BUT BUT....if neighbors complain about the extension of the yard to wet kitchen then u have to pay later for URA and BCA for inspection and fees. If you could, go upstairs and check out if anyone of your neighbors have done the same, if they did then you can try skipping PE probably save 10-20k. If you can't see coz of neighbor's roof then get a ladder climb above the boundary wall and check. Most of the time, backside-backside facing units will do this and skip BCA and URA but corner abit tricky coz u are exposed (if your fence is those wire fencing)

Currently adding bathroom to another bedroom, extension of 3rd floor bedrooms and therefore need new roofing costs 46k and need URA and BCA approval (coz kinda exposed from the mainroad)

Edited September 14, 2012 by pantieileen

[HSC 0]

i did the above with them last year. Managed to rush everything to be in time for my wedding.

My parents did this for intermediate unit BU 3200sqft in 2006 which also includes rehauling 2bathrooms (we got 4 bathrooms), create a roof over the small garden in the front. Price in 2006 was about 120k though.

Didn't use PE BUT BUT BUT....if neighbors complain about the extension of the yard to wet kitchen then u have to pay later for URA and BCA for inspection and fees. If you could, go upstairs and check out if anyone of your neighbors have done the same, if they did then you can try skipping PE probably save 10-20k. If you can't see coz of neighbor's roof then get a ladder climb above the boundary wall and check. Most of the time, backside-backside facing units will do this and skip BCA and URA but corner abit tricky coz u are exposed (if your fence is those wire fencing)

Currently adding bathroom to another bedroom, extension of 3rd floor bedrooms and therefore need new roofing costs 46k and need URA and BCA approval (coz kinda exposed from the mainroad)

Thanks Pantieileen for the infor. 120K 2006 price .... guess I will be looking at 150K + pricing for me leh ....

Anyway, I am bringing 2 contractors down for viewing next weekend, will update and share with all my experiences...

[HSC 0]

Thanks Pantieileen for the infor. 120K 2006 price .... guess I will be looking at 150K + pricing for me leh ....

Anyway, I am bringing 2 contractors down for viewing next weekend, will update and share with all my experiences...

Went down with 2 contractors. One of them gave a rough quote of $120K for the works incl PE and submissions but excl materials to replace (e.g. tiles ..). All in shld be abt $160K plus. What was worrying was the timeframe - he gave 3 to 4 months.... that would be another $16K of rental for me while waiting for completion....