From P 2 P

[aH_gUAn 1]

I've decided to create a blog to document our my 2nd home renovation process.

We started house-hunting for a resale flat in the east in September 2012, primarily for the sake of our little girl, it's super difficult to get a slot for childcare near where we're currently staying (new estate w tonnes of young couples).

Our criteria for the 2nd home was initially 4A corner with square layout(which the floor area will be similar to our current hse)in either Tampines or Pasir Ris. Sounds simple right? But after viewing over 10+ 4room flats and being outbid on a 4S unit, we've decided to go for a 5Room flats instead coz it's way easier to find 5 room corner flats than 4A. After the many many viewings, we've agreed that we will only make the offer if both of us walk in and have the same mutual feeling that " this is it"

Lady luck must be shining on us, Haha, we made an offer for this 5-room at Pasir Ris on our first viewing in October 2012.

Layout of the new flat:

[aH_gUAn 1]

Went to Mayer Expo Warehouse Sale today and managed to purchase all the below items for kitchen:

My wife is so happy that she finally managed to get her dream kitchen aid mixer today at a discounted price

Total Damage today: $2,555.00

Ariston Hoods AH90

Ariston Hobs PH730

Ariston Oven FK62

Ariston Microwave MWE222

Kitchen Aid Mixer KSM160

[aH_gUAn 1]

Since this is our second house, me and my wife had got some "experience" in renovation.

Thus, we had list down the items of what we want to do for our new house.

Requirement for the new house

Balcony

- Built shoe cabinet under window

Living Room

- Built craftstone wall outside study room

Kitchen

- Create an Open concept kitchen

- Built an Island at entrance of kitchen with dinning table

MBR & Bedroom 3

- Hack wall between main bedroom and bedroom 3

- Built wardrode and a corner for reading and watching tv

Bedroom 2

- Build a wardrobe in bedroom 2

Toilet

- Complete makeover of both toilet

Misc

- Hack all flooring and wall tiles in the house

- Rewiring for whole house

- Replace all water pipe

- False ceiling for whole house

- Replace front gate, main door and all bedroom doors

- Lay homogenous tile in living room

- Lay parquet in all bedroom

To have a rought idea of the budget we need for the new house, we went to a ID shop in IMM that used to be quite famous in renotalk when i did my renovation 5 years ago to get a quotation.

This ID shop have a package price for resale 5-room. The sale person then start explaining to us about the package they had for their resales 5 room flat. That ID just took 1 mins to come out with the design of my new house.

He merely just draw a line in each bedroom and told me this is the wardrode. Then he just draw a L-shape and tell me this is the kitchen. After that, he told me the total charges will be $30k and told me if i want to pay a deposit now..

Haa.. me and my wife look and each other and smile . We just told him our little girl is hungry and we will get back to him..

The standard had drop so much that we totally do not believe it..

After this incident, we decide to sent our requirement to some of the more popular ID/Contactor and our previous ID to get new quotation.

ID that i had approached so far:

1) Int**Design

2) Mr K

3) Art**room

Will update again on our meeting with them.

[May_dream1 14]

Congrats!! Really nice squarish 5 room that you have. Kitchen aid is not only your wife dream mixer. I think most ppl would agree that it's a dream mixer for everyone. Hehe.... Enjoy your Reno journey!

[aH_gUAn 1]

Meet up with serveral ID/Contract:

1) Intradesign

Meet up with the same ID that did my current house 5 years ago.

Sent her an email informing her what are our requirement. Meet her 1 week later to look at quotation and design.

Quotation excluded items that she think it is not necessary and it will cause us exceed our budget.

Overall experience 7/10.

2) Artistroom

Meet up with Mark.

He start by asking me and our wife personal details and our lifestyle which me and wife feel very odd.

Mark sense our discomfort and told us that he was actually trying to know our lifestyle so that he can built the house to suit our need.

That why he ask us question like "How many pair of shoes do we have?" so that they can know how big a shoe cabinet we need to have.

Next, we go through their portfolio which are quite impressive to us.

Will meet them again 2 weeks later to look at the quotation and design.

Overall experience 9/10.

3) Mr K

Meet up with Mr at my house after viewing all the works done by him in reno blog.

Got a quote from him 1 week later. Wife and me feel that his quotation are too high, totally nv expected it.

Decided to drop him.

Overall experience 6/10.

4) James - Recommendation from friend.

Meet up with contactor James at my house after recommendation. Go through with him what are our requirement of the new house which he took now.

He sent us a 3D drawing 1 week which it totally different from what we had discuss. Sent him an email to let him know what are the thing changes needed and told him to contact us to clarify if he do not understand it. He said that he will go take a look and get back to us.

3 days later, he sent us a quotation with major items exclude and include some items we total never include.

Price are ridiculous high (He quote me $6.5k for false ceiling work)... I told my wife even if i put all homo tiles on the ceiling also not so exp...

Decide to drop him.

Overall experience 1/10.

I guess i would need to speak to a few more ID/Contractors to do more comparison.

ID searching is really a painful process..

[aH_gUAn 1]

Congrats!! Really nice squarish 5 room that you have. Kitchen aid is not only your wife dream mixer. I think most ppl would agree that it's a dream mixer for everyone. Hehe.... Enjoy your Reno journey!

Thanks May_dream1! She had wanted it for years and we decided to get it since it was having a discount at the Mayer Expo Sale.

[aH_gUAn 1]

We had always wanted to have wood flooring for our house but did not get it as we are afraid of the maintenance required.

We did some research online and discover this flooring from Evorich called High End Resilient Flooring (HERF).

High end resilient flooring (HERF) is a strong substitute to conventional laminate and parquet flooring due to its wood like and waterproof features. As it look interesting, we went down to Evorich office to take a look at the actual product.

We like the feel of the floor when we step on it and it claim to be 100% water proof.

Evorich offer us the promotion price they offered at the Expo Fair that ended last weekend.

We decide to take up their offer as this will save us cost on hacking the floor and laying it with homo tile and parquet in the living room.

One major item settled for my renovation.

[multi888 1]

We had always wanted to have wood flooring for our house but did not get it as we are afraid of the maintenance required.

We did some research online and discover this flooring from Evorich called High End Resilient Flooring (HERF).

High end resilient flooring (HERF) is a strong substitute to conventional laminate and parquet flooring due to its wood like and waterproof features. As it look interesting, we went down to Evorich office to take a look at the actual product.

We like the feel of the floor when we step on it and it claim to be 100% water proof.

Evorich offer us the promotion price they offered at the Expo Fair that ended last weekend.

We decide to take up their offer as this will save us cost on hacking the floor and laying it with homo tile and parquet in the living room.

One major item settled for my renovation.

Can share how much is pfr cost? Thank you...

[aH_gUAn 1]

Can share how much is pfr cost? Thank you...

It ia about $5.95 per sq ft but they have some package price for 3/4/5 rooms.

[aH_gUAn 1]

Went to Air Division to take a look at their year end sale and see if our fav TV console is on discount or not.

Got a great suprise that Air is trying to clear this console as there is a small dark patch on top of the console and that patch is a bit rough when u feel it.

Since this console is only display at their showroom for 1 week only and we feel that the spot will be cover when we place out TV on top of it. We decide to get it on the spot

Total damage: $2.6k!!

[DancingInTheRain 0]

You bro!

Glad to see your blog here! Look forward to seeing your reno pics! Ü

[macuser77 1]

Meet up with serveral ID/Contract:

1) Intradesign

Meet up with the same ID that did my current house 5 years ago.

Sent her an email informing her what are our requirement. Meet her 1 week later to look at quotation and design.

Quotation excluded items that she think it is not necessary and it will cause us exceed our budget.

Overall experience 7/10.

2) Artistroom

Meet up with Mark.

He start by asking me and our wife personal details and our lifestyle which me and wife feel very odd.

Mark sense our discomfort and told us that he was actually trying to know our lifestyle so that he can built the house to suit our need.

That why he ask us question like "How many pair of shoes do we have?" so that they can know how big a shoe cabinet we need to have.

Next, we go through their portfolio which are quite impressive to us.

Will meet them again 2 weeks later to look at the quotation and design.

Overall experience 9/10.

3) Mr K

Meet up with Mr at my house after viewing all the works done by him in reno blog.

Got a quote from him 1 week later. Wife and me feel that his quotation are too high, totally nv expected it.

Decided to drop him.

Overall experience 6/10.

4) James - Recommendation from friend.

Meet up with contactor James at my house after recommendation. Go through with him what are our requirement of the new house which he took now.

He sent us a 3D drawing 1 week which it totally different from what we had discuss. Sent him an email to let him know what are the thing changes needed and told him to contact us to clarify if he do not understand it. He said that he will go take a look and get back to us.

3 days later, he sent us a quotation with major items exclude and include some items we total never include.

Price are ridiculous high (He quote me $6.5k for false ceiling work)... I told my wife even if i put all homo tiles on the ceiling also not so exp...

Decide to drop him.

Overall experience 1/10.

I guess i would need to speak to a few more ID/Contractors to do more comparison.

ID searching is really a painful process..

I feel you! Btw mine is a 5i flat in pasir ris too but corridor flat. And i absolutely love your layout!

[multi888 1]

At last, I found Pasir Ris kaki here...Mine at St 71, how about you guys?

[multi888 1]

It ia about $5.95 per sq ft but they have some package price for 3/4/5 rooms.

Thanks again...will contact them soon.

[aH_gUAn 1]

At last, I found Pasir Ris kaki here...Mine at St 71, how about you guys?

Mine is at St 51. Opp pasir ris park