}[ No Money Still Wanna Do Reno ]{

[Sygnur 0]

Indeed... Reno journey isnt as smooth as what we always wanted... Take things in stride.. All will be well in the end... Cheers!

[ahlipz 0]

A yellow sofa will definitely be eye-catching

Edited June 10, 2012 by ahlipz

[pinkwhale 0]

Piknik, your Alan issit the Alan Tan from Aian?

He was one of my consideration before. But I choose Kevin in the end due to better communication and follow up.

Actually I think for contractor wise it is abit like that one as they do not provide detailed schedule like ID. And we usually need to keep asking them. And I guess contractors usually feel that most home-owners who want to engage contractors are pple who knows what to do so they expect we probably had researched all our things and just waiting for them to inform us then immediately we can go get it instead of start researching.

So if there are things which u had yet to research then probably u need to tell Alan before hand and get his advice asap and start searching...

[piknik 1]

A yellow sofa will definitely be eye-catching

We love the rug in this picture better!! As we don't intend to buy any sofa, hahahahha... But thanks for posting!

[piknik 1]

piknik, u sure u bought the kdk fans? i can help u buy from JB.

Wah, thanks! So nice of you! But we bought the fans already.

We had a schedule calendar from ID showing when things will be done right up to handover day. However, he does reschedule things a bit but will definitely inform us of the change. Our electrical laying of cables was brought forward by a week but they would come a 2nd or even a 3rd time for pts and lights installation after painting.

Hence, maybe both of you can get Alan to let you all have a rough time table of when things are needed all the way to handover date. Let him know that you need more time buying stuff which both of you like and not things just to accommodate his timing.

I'm sure he will understand and oblige. Meanwhile, since you know what will be needed subsequently, hunt now lah. Just call him to reconfirm the correct dimension B4 purchase. Hold him responsible if salah size!

Indeed... Reno journey isnt as smooth as what we always wanted... Take things in stride.. All will be well in the end... Cheers!

Piknik, your Alan issit the Alan Tan from Aian?

He was one of my consideration before. But I choose Kevin in the end due to better communication and follow up.

Actually I think for contractor wise it is abit like that one as they do not provide detailed schedule like ID. And we usually need to keep asking them. And I guess contractors usually feel that most home-owners who want to engage contractors are pple who knows what to do so they expect we probably had researched all our things and just waiting for them to inform us then immediately we can go get it instead of start researching.

So if there are things which u had yet to research then probably u need to tell Alan before hand and get his advice asap and start searching...

Thanks guy. The best solution now is that I should be the one who calls Alan for things. My hubby feels if he make the call, both men are not comfortable to talk. This reminds me of something May_dream has said before, that certain things women are better at dealing than men. Hm.. Anyway, schedule will come in Tuesday only. Meanwhile we just don't know if lAlan will arrange anything for monday. So I need to call him tomorrow to check.

City gas staff brought us the wrong model of water heater. They will have to come again on another day to install the correct one.

Do you guys know which curtain company has a bright yellow fabric for curtain? I really need a bright sunny yellow curtain for my living room. But those companies I have asked only have golden or mustar color.. I have not been back to Ikea to check their curtain fabric color range.

[theitsybits 0]

i didn't occur to get schedule from my contractor either! he informed me when he's starting work and i start asking him what he's doing next and when..and we monitor progress everyday too, else he'll wadsapp pics of what was done..

it might be easier for woman to talk to the contractors, but i'm really bad with technical stuff..so sometimes, still need the husband..

i contacted alan for quote based on our floor plan and required works too..but he missed out a few items and when we asked him for it, he never came back and we didn't chase him le..guess need to follow up with him more often ba..really need to decide on many many things and let them know how you want it done..good luck!

[Valerie Low 0]

I don't know how usually Alan works. But it seems like my hubby and I have a not fun time chasing after him. He didnt give us enough time to provide all details without missing this and that (as we were rushed into deciding). Then we don't know if we provide him with enough details so there is no mistake.. Then we gotta call and SMS him to make sure he is reminded of what have been confirmed..

Today, it turned out to be electrical wiring day. Luckily i sent a message to Alan early in the morning to remind him of our faux beam width and he called me back immediately bc he thought it was another size.. Hubby and I quickly drew detailed plan so Alan could show his electrical man. But Alan said no need, he got it right already.. My hubby is as usual, very doubtful. So he quickly ran to our flat and met the electrical guy. Poor thing. The guy was in a blur state.. So hubby explained everything to him. I think I either don't really care much abt Reno details or I totally trust Alan.. until it irritates my hubby. He found that there are just too many works for us to do to ensure things are done correctly.

We went to buy lights, as Alan told us to get them ready for next week installation. (why so fast huh? We don't even have the properly schedule from Alan yet) and we gotta called Alan a few times to make sure we bought the correct size for the downlights, which will be installed at one end of the faux beams.

Then came decision on ceiling fan. Saw haiku fan, found it ........ normal. I don't know, I have fancied this fan for so long through photos and I didn't know why I am quite unimpressed seeing it myself in real life. Maybe the shop is too cramped, too dark, too in-suitable for such a simple designer fan. The shop is selling it @ $950. Siao. I bought 3 KdK ones instead, at the shop next door, Blisslite, together with other lights.

Now the interesting part: one of the light shop we bought from will install their lights n the baby fan for us for FREE. Alan charges us $280 for whole house lighting. I didn't ask details at this previously as it never occurs to me that the lighting shop will install things for free. Should I ask Alan to minus these lights from his quote? It's two bathroom lights and a kitchen light. Hahaha... For whole house, we have 11 light points to install. Now I feel $280 for whole house lighting is ah hem.. expensive? 3 ceiling fans x $50 = $150 more. All these extra power point n relocating light point.... Hix..

From a planned budget of 12K for interior works, now it has reached $20K and beyond. We will be super broke at the end of the month.

Alan hasn't collected the 40% deposit (2nd payment) from us.

Hi Piknik,

I just realised you also engaged Alan as your contractor. We do agree that Alan is very busy and forgetful at times. The way we dealt with him was that we took the initiative to ask him what is going to be done this week, and by end of the week we ask him what is going to be done next week, and so on. With this, we are very clear what to expect. Of course we didn't ask all the time, we only asked during those important milestone.. as we need to know by when we need to have all the lights ready, the kitchen appliances ready, the toilet accessories ready etc.

We also whatsapp him all the requirements, colour code, material we used. Unlike yours, we only discuss our kitchen cabinet 1 week before the carpenter started working on it, same as electrical points. We discussed it in the house so that he marked down all the points on where to place the switches, the electrical guy has no issue with it.

As long as you did message him your requirements, he can hardly go wrong with it, if he got it wrongly, he will change it for you, no worries. Have a happy reno journey!

By the way, my hubby dealt with him all the time, I'm the mastermind behind him. LOL nolah.. actually a lot of times I gave crazy ideas so hubby will try to "neutralise" it.

Edited June 11, 2012 by ValerieLow

[piknik 1]

Hi Valerie.

I am now doing my best to get all info from Alan for my hubby.. I may have known this from reading around abt Alan so I didn't expect much. But my hubby doesn't know Alan from online reading so he kind of expects lots more.. Anyway, we are coping fine with the pace and the working style. No choice actually. Hahhaha..

Sometime, thing came so fast that we are scared, like this Saturday, our carpentry guy told my hubby that the study room will have carpentry works installed.

[piknik 1]

--- update on Reno progress ---

Sometime I feel very lazy to transfer photos from camera to iPad then uploading them to Flickr using flickr app for iPad, and going to safari to get both renotalk tblog and Flickr page on.. Then clicking many times on the photo to get the correct link.. Then back to tblog to type.. Very long process to have pictures up here..

I have called city gas customer service last week. They came to install on last Friday but didn't bring my requested model for water heater. So they came again on Monday to install the correct one. Electrical works ( relocating of power points, extra light points) were done by last Saturday. On Monday it was ceiling work. We are supposed to decide on painting color as fast as we can so the painter can start work immediately. Alan expects to have all lights and ceiling fans installed by this Saturday. Study table will be installed this Saturday as well.. Other carpentry works are in progress of making.

Photos as of today:

My hubby's ceiling design is up. It doesn't feel so low like I was worried... Quite impressive to look at the real thing after so long to see it in drawing and imagination.

They are having a bit of problem with the Led panels my hubby bought. The false ceiling guy actually told us it is going to be fixed permanently on the ceiling, cannot change driver or the panel in the future if they are spoilt. So I told Alan to find a solution as what I was told is very scary to hear.. Alan took the panels with him today to fix a holder for it. I have seen the instruction came with the led panel, seems very user-friendly leh.

Finger crossed.

[piknik 1]

Okie, I was asked if Alan is a headache to home owner. I think I will write a review abt him at this stage:

__ my Alan is Alan from Aian furniture n renovation.

--- cons: always super busy, forgetful, never likes to answer SMS or emails. Totally need detailed drawings, planning from you for all carpentry works, electrical wiring, light n switch position, will need you to make quick decision n don't regret it later, don't like you to keep changing ideas as Reno progress can't be smooth.

--- pros: very experienced so will give you a solution soon, fast, always answer my calls or call me back soon. Well-tempered. Soft spoken. There is this zen feeling abt him when he speaks. Remind me of Neoby....

We think highly of him as after months discussing with Sam the ID, and meeting other contractors, only Alan said the celing design is possible. He doesn't even fuss abt it. He just said simply "yes, can do, no problem". We didnt think of the price when we discussed with him, later we realized it is very reasonable. At that time, we just thought of signing with any contractor who can do the ceiling as my hubby designed.

We have been in discussion with Sam for months. The ceiling job is the only one that stopped us from working with each other. Becos of our exposure to Sam the ID, we expected much from Alan for schedule planning (written out), technical drawings (like ID does), paper works,.. I think also becos the way we work in our professional line and this Sam experience made us uncomfortable working with Alan in the first two weeks. For now, we resigned to the style and just be cool abt it. Anyway, Reno is okie so far... No big problem. Price is manageable. No quarrels. And certain works r so much faster than expected. Just hope the rest of the Reno will be fine as well.. Hahaha...

So, people, think carefully before signing.

[chynaho 0]

Hi pinkie how's your Reno going?

[theitsybits 0]

--- update on Reno progress ---

Sometime I feel very lazy to transfer photos from camera to iPad then uploading them to Flickr using flickr app for iPad, and going to safari to get both renotalk tblog and Flickr page on.. Then clicking many times on the photo to get the correct link.. Then back to tblog to type.. Very long process to have pictures up here..

I have called city gas customer service last week. They came to install on last Friday but didn't bring my requested model for water heater. So they came again on Monday to install the correct one. Electrical works ( relocating of power points, extra light points) were done by last Saturday. On Monday it was ceiling work. We are supposed to decide on painting color as fast as we can so the painter can start work immediately. Alan expects to have all lights and ceiling fans installed by this Saturday. Study table will be installed this Saturday as well.. Other carpentry works are in progress of making.

Photos as of today:

My hubby's ceiling design is up. It doesn't feel so low like I was worried... Quite impressive to look at the real thing after so long to see it in drawing and imagination.

They are having a bit of problem with the Led panels my hubby bought. The false ceiling guy actually told us it is going to be fixed permanently on the ceiling, cannot change driver or the panel in the future if they are spoilt. So I told Alan to find a solution as what I was told is very scary to hear.. Alan took the panels with him today to fix a holder for it. I have seen the instruction came with the led panel, seems very user-friendly leh.

Finger crossed.

The ceiling looks good!! very unique and should be stunning when the lights come up..

if i did not finalize my reno details i would have done more research and added these lights as i like it bright..

Edited June 24, 2012 by theitsybits

[theitsybits 0]

.

Edited June 24, 2012 by theitsybits

[sunsetsky 0]

Hi,

Could you advise me Alan's contact info?

Thanks

[piknik 1]

Into 4th week.. Soon to be completed. Yet haven't been able to see my faux sky light up as Alan still find solution for installation. It's not that difficult to install... There was something he overlooked and we asked him to fix from this current state of the false ceiling, I bet that's why it is difficult now.

Here are updated photos as of last weekend.

Well. We are grateful for the super speed. There are just many small mistakes due to mis-communication, not with us. But within his men. So we could not feel this is a pleasant journey.. Certain mistakes we have to live with it, cannot be fixed at all, like my husband's toy display area. But there are mistakes we have to ask for rectification. Alan assured those will be done soon..

Tomorrow we will move-in, due to certain circumstance. We have not signed up for Internet at this new flat yet so probably will have to leave this blog for a while..

Reno is not done completely. Tmr solid surface countertop will come.