First Home In Singapore

[ExcitedFirstTimer 0]

I am particularly concerned about the painting charges and the charges for the plumbing.

Anyone else thinks that these 2 items are a bit exorbitant?

[beluga 1]

1800 for 5I is indeed expensive.

Mine is 1500 for 5A, from ID also. 5 color excluding white.

Anyway, sometimes if you get an ID/Contractor, you have to see the whole sum.... Got overall discount or not and also whether some other items very cheap or not. Sometimes are expensive here and cheap there. Got to give and take. If you really want everything cheap then you will have to engage one by one separately and manage it yourself.

Edited April 25, 2012 by beluga

[ExcitedFirstTimer 0]

1800 for 5I is indeed expensive.

Mine is 1500 for 5A, from ID also. 5 color excluding white.

Anyway, sometimes if you get an ID/Contractor, you have to see the whole sum.... Got overall discount or not and also whether some other items very cheap or not. Sometimes are expensive here and cheap there. Got to give and take. If you really want everything cheap then you will have to engage one by one separately and manage it yourself.

Thanks for the advice Beluga. Maybe I should ask for a discount from him or at least negotiate a better deal.

Overall I feel he is ok.

[ExcitedFirstTimer 0]

I was going through the contractor's quote again and realized that he had not included the GST in the above quote. Is this normal or do I need to ask for a quote with GST?

[beluga 1]

I was going through the contractor's quote again and realized that he had not included the GST in the above quote. Is this normal or do I need to ask for a quote with GST?

This you got to ask them. However, it is not uncommon for renovators not to charge GST, even the established ones.

[ayazumi 0]

I was going through the contractor's quote again and realized that he had not included the GST in the above quote. Is this normal or do I need to ask for a quote with GST?

It is normal for contractors not charge you GST. If I don't remember wrongly, my Hubby told me before that if the company does not have 1million revenue or something along the way, they will not charge GST. This shows that your contractor is not earning big bucks the whole year. If you are still unsure, ask your contractor again.

Edited April 30, 2012 by ayazumi

[ExcitedFirstTimer 0]

This you got to ask them. However, it is not uncommon for renovators not to charge GST, even the established ones.

Thanks Beluga. I shall ask him whether he will be charging GST or not.

If you don't mind, could you tell me if your contractor charged you GST.

[ExcitedFirstTimer 0]

It is normal for contractors not charge you GST. If I don't remember wrongly, my Hubby told me before that if the company does not have 1million revenue or something along the way, they will not charge GST. This shows that your contractor is not earning big bucks the whole year. If you are still unsure, ask your contractor again.

Thanks Ayazumi, this is definitely good info - or as my old professor in college would say GTK (Good To Know)

Thanks again!

[beluga 1]

It is normal for contractors not charge you GST. If I don't remember wrongly, my Hubby told me before that if the company does not have 1million revenue or something along the way, they will not charge GST. This shows that your contractor is not earning big bucks the whole year. If you are still unsure, ask your contractor again.

Aiya.... Not really. You think they stupid? Many opens multiple registered business and share the transaction to make it less than a million...

[ayazumi 0]

Aiya.... Not really. You think they stupid? Many opens multiple registered business and share the transaction to make it less than a million...

Not referring to big ID firms, but rather those contractor firms. Firstly, some contractors are lowly educated, but when comes to skill work, they are very good in that. They don't have this "scheming" mentality out there to cheat consumers' money. Even if they do, the most they take your money, close the firm and set up a new firm, but all these "revenues" cannot be registered under ACRA to declare this is their revenue per year; it is illegal. That's what I mean by it is not possible for contractor's firms to earn 1 million per year if they base on projects. Secondly, renovation this industry is not easy to earn especially there are many competitors around, and home owners keep squeezing them and end up they fight among each other to win over customers by their lowest price. And there are many times when they actually lose money on a certain project or screwed up some work that need to compensate to their clients. How I know they will lose money? My father also in this line.

[Akitsuki 0]

Aiya.... Not really. You think they stupid? Many opens multiple registered business and share the transaction to make it less than a million...

sometimes they simply just say they absorb the gst for us.. (actual fact is they already mark up enough to cover the gst they incurred.) and a non gst registered company will have lesser problem handling their accounts.. and some do "creative accounting" to siam their taxable income.. blabla.. anyway.. it's not up to us to decide.. we can only aga-aga... but if it's me.. i definately dont wanna have gst.. coz it's so troublesome..

[Hoo8899 0]

For taxable supplies of less than a million, it is not mandatory to apply for GST, but some businesses did voluntary apply for GST because they have more taxable purchases than the taxable supplies, or they simply don't want to absorb GST from the purchases. For the case of a renovation company, this is very unlikely because hacking, tiling and carpenter works are mostly not subject to GST.

Many contractors, including my beloved uncle reno, collect under table money. How? I have issued 5 cheques, 3 are to his name 2 to company's name. I guess most probably the cheques issued under personal names are not declared in book. I alway make sure I got the receipts for whatever amounts I paid, even to personal name.

[ayazumi 0]

Ahhhh.. Akit and Hoo explain better than me.

[Akitsuki 0]

For taxable supplies of less than a million, it is not mandatory to apply for GST, but some businesses did voluntary apply for GST because they have more taxable purchases than the taxable supplies, or they simply don't want to absorb GST from the purchases. For the case of a renovation company, this is very unlikely because hacking, tiling and carpenter works are mostly not subject to GST.

Many contractors, including my beloved uncle reno, collect under table money. How? I have issued 5 cheques, 3 are to his name 2 to company's name. I guess most probably the cheques issued under personal names are not declared in book. I alway make sure I got the receipts for whatever amounts I paid, even to personal name.

most prob he wont declare it also... the more u declare, the higher ur chargable income is... this line got many many under table ways to get $$... so best way to safeguard comsumer's rights, like u said is to make sure we get receipts for every payments we made. but sometimes.. they issue receipts to us but also never report to government 1. as long as the cheque is not crossed to the company's name, the uncle can say and do watever he wants with the $$... mayb can go MBS huat with the $$.. than money clean clean liao..

[ExcitedFirstTimer 0]

Anyone bought the Haiku fans lately?

I checked a shop in IMM and they were selling it for S$740/-