Reno Quote- I Think Im Being Ripped Off

[Pinkbean 0]

Fortunate chap you are newie !

I certainly ain't as lucky as you. My ID hurled at me thrice - first occassion threatening to stop work; second & third occasion was when I called her with intention to resolve things amicably but ended up being threatened (by her) that 1) she will hold all renovation works and 2) she will issue me her lawyer's letter. Thereafter she slammed her phone on me.

Who ever said that customers are always right? I paid so much for her service and this is the service I receive from her.

Ridiculous don't you all find it so?

[Tiler Seng 57]

Fortunate chap you are newie !

I certainly ain't as lucky as you. My ID hurled at me thrice - first occassion threatening to stop work; second & third occasion was when I called her with intention to resolve things amicably but ended up being threatened (by her) that 1) she will hold all renovation works and 2) she will issue me her lawyer's letter. Thereafter she slammed her phone on me.

Who ever said that customers are always right? I paid so much for her service and this is the service I receive from her.

Ridiculous don't you all find it so?

Hi newie, good to hear good news

Pinkbean, have seen many cases in this forum, it's better to hear two side story mah

[Pinkbean 0]

Tiler Seng - please do not tell me u actually think it is ok to be hurled at and be threatened at?

Well no matter what the situation is I always believe there is no need to threaten or raise one's voice. There are always ways to get around things. I must say that it reflects how unprofessional and immature my ID is and I totally lose my respect to her as an individual.

Trust me guys you won't want to deal with such unprofessional and immature when it comes to something like renovation works. The nunerous things that home owners has to see to during renovation work is stressful and demanding enough already. Imagine your ID adding further to worsen all that you are facing - that just ain't helpful at all.

[Tiler Seng 57]

Tiler Seng - please do not tell me u actually think it is ok to be hurled at and be threatened at?

Well no matter what the situation is I always believe there is no need to threaten or raise one's voice. There are always ways to get around things. I must say that it reflects how unprofessional and immature my ID is and I totally lose my respect to her as an individual.

Trust me guys you won't want to deal with such unprofessional and immature when it comes to something like renovation works. The nunerous things that home owners has to see to during renovation work is stressful and demanding enough already. Imagine your ID adding further to worsen all that you are facing - that just ain't helpful at all.

That's why i said we hoped to listen to two story instead, keen to share more about your ID?

[arowana 2]

Tiler Seng - please do not tell me u actually think it is ok to be hurled at and be threatened at?

Well no matter what the situation is I always believe there is no need to threaten or raise one's voice. There are always ways to get around things. I must say that it reflects how unprofessional and immature my ID is and I totally lose my respect to her as an individual.

Trust me guys you won't want to deal with such unprofessional and immature when it comes to something like renovation works. The nunerous things that home owners has to see to during renovation work is stressful and demanding enough already. Imagine your ID adding further to worsen all that you are facing - that just ain't helpful at all.

pinkbean, if you see my other posts, you'll realise i mention 1 common but very important point. Payment plans. When all of us home owners manage this better, we wouldn't hear anymore of such problems. Your ID can behave like this to you because your balls are in her hands (Sorry if i'm crude, but this gives u an idea rite?). You have paid out too much, too fast for too little corresponding work to be done. It's like your boss can shout at you to do your work but u can never repeat that to your boss because your boss can fire you anytime but u can't fire the boss.

In reno contracts, it's all about who has the power, you or the ID/contractor. I've heard enough stories to come to the conclusion that it's better for the home owner to have more power in this case. When you have not paid for what has not been done, your ID will be nicer to you mostly, do work quickly on time so as to get paid. Simple. I agree that if you have a good contractor/ID, you can pay alil bit in advance. It's fine... sort of to give and take also and respect the client-contractor relationship. The important thing is that the power balance always tilts in your favor.

If your ID/contractor-

does a bad job? demand a proper job

is slow in his work? demand he move faster

works fast and keeps u updated constantly? pay him abit more in advance...

You can only do the above when the power balance tips in your favor and the power balance can only tip in your favor when you control the payment plans and pay only after work is done. It's not about how reputable the company is, it's not about how good and seemingly honest and innocent looking your ID/contractor is, it's not about how much of a good feeling you have with your ID/contractor. IT's ultimately about the payment plan.

It's because ultimately you can always threaten as a last resort to get rid of your ID/contractor and change him provided there's a reasonable breach in contract.

Oh yeah, general contractors only pay their sub-contractors after job is done, sometimes on credit somemore! so if they can do it, why can't you demand that from the contractor?

[renoseeker 0]

wise words, arowana. A lot to learn from here.

Two thumbs up!

[RoadRunner777 0]

Well said Arowana !! Many people in the negotiation stage of the contract focus too much on the reno work details and ended up neglecting this very critical payment terms.

[newie 0]

pinkbean, if you see my other posts, you'll realise i mention 1 common but very important point. Payment plans. When all of us home owners manage this better, we wouldn't hear anymore of such problems. Your ID can behave like this to you because your balls are in her hands (Sorry if i'm crude, but this gives u an idea rite?). You have paid out too much, too fast for too little corresponding work to be done. It's like your boss can shout at you to do your work but u can never repeat that to your boss because your boss can fire you anytime but u can't fire the boss.

In reno contracts, it's all about who has the power, you or the ID/contractor. I've heard enough stories to come to the conclusion that it's better for the home owner to have more power in this case. When you have not paid for what has not been done, your ID will be nicer to you mostly, do work quickly on time so as to get paid. Simple. I agree that if you have a good contractor/ID, you can pay alil bit in advance. It's fine... sort of to give and take also and respect the client-contractor relationship. The important thing is that the power balance always tilts in your favor.

If your ID/contractor-

does a bad job? demand a proper job

is slow in his work? demand he move faster

works fast and keeps u updated constantly? pay him abit more in advance...

You can only do the above when the power balance tips in your favor and the power balance can only tip in your favor when you control the payment plans and pay only after work is done. It's not about how reputable the company is, it's not about how good and seemingly honest and innocent looking your ID/contractor is, it's not about how much of a good feeling you have with your ID/contractor. IT's ultimately about the payment plan.

It's because ultimately you can always threaten as a last resort to get rid of your ID/contractor and change him provided there's a reasonable breach in contract.

Oh yeah, general contractors only pay their sub-contractors after job is done, sometimes on credit somemore! so if they can do it, why can't you demand that from the contractor?

True true.

During the negotiations, I had the upper hand because no money had exchanged hands yet and he already completed the tiling work.

Even he said that, he had to accept the 20percent discount because he didnt get a deposit from me yet.

So, we plan to pay him in stages as many in the forum has done and hold back about 10 percent until handover. Is 10percent OK?

[Pinkbean 0]

Smart move newie !!

Yea 10% is fairly reasonable. I am holding far less than 10% as the last payment to my iD =S

[Lauer 15]

True true.

During the negotiations, I had the upper hand because no money had exchanged hands yet and he already completed the tiling work.

Even he said that, he had to accept the 20percent discount because he didnt get a deposit from me yet.

So, we plan to pay him in stages as many in the forum has done and hold back about 10 percent until handover. Is 10percent OK?

I defined all carpentry works (there was no wet works in this case) into modules, such as wardrobes, TV consoles etc, and a payment was made only when a particular module completed.

In other words, no upfront payment at all.

Cheers!

[renoseeker 0]

I defined all carpentry works (there was no wet works in this case) into modules, such as wardrobes, TV consoles etc, and a payment was made only when a particular module completed.

In other words, no upfront payment at all.

Cheers!

Hi, can you explain a bit more about how this module idea works? I thought a typical reno would already be something like a module. Example, must do wet works first, then do plumbing, then do measurements etc.

Thanks!