My City Haven

[ejszaka 0]

Recently bought a 3 Room HDB resale flat (3I modified). Given the state of prices of public housing in Singapore, I figured if I'm gonna pay through my nose, I might as well go all the way and get something in the heart of the city, where I can enjoy the pulse of city living, and spare myself the daily commute on our 'world-class' public transport system.

Excitement mounts as the completion date approaches. Spent past 2 months looking for an ID, flipping through home decor magazines and shopping around for suitable household items for the new home. Contrary to advice from many renotalk bloggers, my search for an ID has been relatively painless (at least up till now). Walked into IMM, looked at all the shop facades, chose one that isn't too high-class looking, and settled for an ID who looks the most earnest and eager. Frankly, if he/she can do the work, it doesn't matter if he's got good PR skills. Prefer someone who doesn't try to smoke me.

[ejszaka 0]

My flat's layout is your typical 3 room HDB layout. Only one toilet and one bathroom.

Edited August 24, 2011 by ejszaka

[ejszaka 0]

Since I am a swinging bachelor, and I don't need the second room, I decided to tear the room wall down to create an extended living area, and re-configure my living space to exploit the longish shape of the layout. As 3Is do not have a storeroom, I also need to create lots of storage space.

The highlighted portions will be my light boxes while the TV area will be nice and long without my having to sit too close to the HD TV.

-Floors will be laminated strips throughout.

-Homogenous tiles in the kitchen.

-L-shaped pole system wardrobe to maximise space.

-Wall between the toilet and bathroom is been torn down by the current owner, so I will keep that.

Edited August 24, 2011 by ejszaka

[Rover 0]

Welcome to RT, fellow 3-roomer! Hope to see ur revamped unit in due course

[zer0sg 0]

You lay out is exactly like mine !! Who are you using to renovate your place?

[ejszaka 0]

Welcome to RT, fellow 3-roomer! Hope to see ur revamped unit in due course

Thanks, Rover. I can't wait too. Excited yet apprehensive. Heard so many horror stories about contractors and irresponsible IDs.

[ejszaka 0]

Edited September 19, 2011 by ejszaka

[ejszaka 0]

You lay out is exactly like mine !! Who are you using to renovate your place?

Edited September 19, 2011 by ejszaka

[Rover 0]

Hey, if u are able to get approval to hack the common room to widen the living room area, u can modify the vertical beam in terms of having some improvised decor or shelves on it. Like this, the beam will not look out of the way. Hv fun and dun let restrictions hinder ur creativity

[ejszaka 0]

Hey, if u are able to get approval to hack the common room to widen the living room area, u can modify the vertical beam in terms of having some improvised decor or shelves on it. Like this, the beam will not look out of the way. Hv fun and dun let restrictions hinder ur creativity

Hey Rover, thanks for the excellent suggestion. Btw, no problem with hacking away most of the wall, as the previous owner has already done so. But I am left with one pillar, that's all.

My ID mentioned can 'play' with the pillar. We discussed and agreed maybe can find an interesting piece of wall paper to 'wrap' it and I might dress it up further with a montage of photos encased in frames of different colours, shapes and sizes. The feature pillar (as opposed to wall) would hit anyone in the face the moment you stand at the main door. I am not quite keen on shelves at this point, as I don't want it to add any more width or depth the the pillar as it is.

Edited August 25, 2011 by ejszaka

[ejszaka 0]

It's been a while since I last posted. It'll be slightly more than a week before my HDB completion appointment, but I have informally received the keys to the flat, thanks to the seller's agent. The current owner has also kindly allowed me to apply for a renovation permit under his name, as long as I indemnify him.

Here are some pictures of the unit.

Living Room

Another living room shot from the kitchen entrance

Kitchen (from two vantage points)

Edited September 5, 2011 by ejszaka

[ejszaka 0]

More pictures.....

Main Bedroom

Other Bedroom

[ejszaka 0]

Bathroom

Toilet .. which is connected to the bathroom as the current owner combined them both

[ejszaka 0]

Hacking will start tomorrow. Met my ID over lunch today to 'hand over' the flat to him. He came by with a big fat permanent marker which he mercilessly used to put crosses on walls and fixtures, demarcating them for hacking by the skilful hands (hopefully) of the hackers. Like in sculptures, with destruction comes creation. So I am praying this whole process of detroying and creating goes well over the next 6-7 weeks.

A friend of mine also told me to ensure that the immediate neighbours are notified of the hacking, lest they get a shock tomorrow morning and march into my flat to complaint.

Edited September 5, 2011 by ejszaka

[ejszaka 0]

The HDB resale process was painfully long for me, as the current unit was tenanted, and the seller was in negotiation with the tenants to terminate the tenancy early. Thankfully they managed to find a place to move to, and I was able to take over the flat early to commence renovations. Otherwise, I would only be able to start renovating after 31 Dec.

During this time, I spent time as constructively as I could looking for an ID, meeting numerous times to discuss ideas, to-ing and fro-ing on the quotations, space planning, refining the 3D drawings. Shopping for the household items was the chore that took the steam out of me. The amount of online browsing, physical window shopping, short listing, and finally puchasing the required items was more daunting then I anticipated it to be. No detail was spared, right down to how many light switches I wanted, how many gang, one or two way, etc, etc.

By and large, the biggest challenge so far was securing an earlier enough appointment for OpenNet to relocate my termination point such that none of cabling runs on the surface. (And that should be a separate t-blog altogether.. hehe). My instruction to the ID was that nothing is to be exposed if it can be hidden.