Lôft I'klektic

[Astarz 10]

Hi guys

We are another one who engaged Alan as our contractor. We did not get our house by Xmas and now it does not look like we can get it completed before CNY too.

I engage him as well, i didnt give him a very exact date when he can hand over cos I dun wanna stress him or his workers. We agree somewhere early and mid december 2013 (even before Xmas) during the pre-signing up but in reality, the flat was handed over in the very early of Jan 2014. oh well... all it took was a good 11 weeks.... i was hoping a 9 or 10 would be enough... cos we started hacking on 10 Oct 2013. i am glad (PLUS Relieved) my reno is over...

bear in mind, i sign him cos we thought we are safe from the pre-CNY frenzy and he sounded assured that we can beat that... i m not complaining but just wanna tell u guys the reality is not that.

i read some of yr guys' agony and it really makes my blood boil too, abt discarding our purchased items and not using default fittings. talking abt cleaning up, they also shifted my purchases which was left neatly at ONE CORNER and and almost throw away my Kitchen tap which was in a box. i was so paranoid that some other things might hv been thrown away hence i decided to stop buying prematurely.

I feel so sorry abt all these unpleasant incidents for u guys, sometimes they are totally uncalled for. the workers need to have a bit of ownership when it comes to doing their job....

Edited January 22, 2014 by Astarz

[Makanology 29]

I engage him as well, i didnt give him a very exact date when he can hand over cos I dun wanna stress him or his workers. We agree somewhere early and mid december 2013 (even before Xmas) during the pre-signing up but in reality, the flat was handed over in the very early of Jan 2014. oh well... all it took was a good 11 weeks.... i was hoping a 9 or 10 would be enough... cos we started hacking on 10 Oct 2013. i am glad (PLUS Relieved) my reno is over...

I m glad for u too bro, especially it can be frustrating during the CNY period. As you said, the frenzy and all.

bear in mind, i sign him cos we thought we are safe from the pre-CNY frenzy and he sounded assured that we can beat that... i m not complaining but just wanna tell u guys the reality is not that.

Yeah likewise. We and i guess i could say for the rest who used Alan definitely had a taste of reality prior to his repeated promises of keeping to schedule. It took us about 10 weeks in all, resulting in plenty of inconvenience especially that time frame happened to fall on our wedding date. Imagine coming home to a place where we still need to mop and vacuum after that. That is pretty ridiculous but we ve gotten over it.

i read some of yr guys' agony and it really makes my blood boil too, abt discarding our purchased items and not using default fittings. talking abt cleaning up, they also shifted my purchases which was left neatly at ONE CORNER and and almost throw away my Kitchen tap which was in a box. i was so paranoid that some other things might hv been thrown away hence i decided to stop buying prematurely.

EXACTLY! If certain things are left in ONE CORNER and happened to be new and neat stuff, how did any logical human being concluded that it was rubbish? The same thing happened when i asked for the previous owner storeroom racks to be left intact, but yet they dumped it anyway!

I feel so sorry abt all these unpleasant incidents for u guys, sometimes they are totally uncalled for. the workers need to have a bit of ownership when it comes to doing their job....

True but sadly no. They all just want to finish fast and go home fast, and it doesn't matter if they did it right or wrong. To them, there is always tomorrow, but then again they never turn up tomorrow. The only group of sub-cons who were nice enough was Ah Meng and his masonry team, in fact they were quite proud of their work and came back to help with minor touch-ups out of their own schedule. He even dropped by to have lunch and coffee while on the pretext of passing me some cement and grout mix for my own rectifications.

[lme 0]

From my own experience I dare say that this contractor is VERY difficult to work with. Even then we don't get what we want which means that he is very poor value for money and pretty much a waste of time.

We found the experience unpleasant as we didn't know what was happening when and very often decisions were made for us without first asking. When we asked to have it fixed, he would say that we are picky and have high standards, but all we asked for is to do it properly rather than designer standard.

He even shouted at us a few times at our new home which we found highly disrespectful. This is especially so when we are not out to fight with him. It is impossible to have a proper conversation to even communicate what we want as before we manage to talk anything we are already being shouted at.

We are still in the process of working with him to finish up the renovation. Meantime it seems like he gets to pick and choose what he wants to fix. If this is not the case and he eventually does up everything properly I will remove this post.

Meantime this still serves as a word of caution to all out there who is considering to engage his subpar services.

[Makanology 29]

From my own experience I dare say that this contractor is VERY difficult to work with. Even then we don't get what we want which means that he is very poor value for money and pretty much a waste of time.

Although his rates are lower than most, i guess with the lower rates also comes the lower level of commitment as well. I wouldn't say he is the best when it comes to getting things done, but more of him getting things done HIS way, time and convenience, as most who had used him encountered a period of 9-11 weeks or more for their renovations. We are after all the one paying for convenience, isn't it? Apparently he doesn't think so.

We found the experience unpleasant as we didn't know what was happening when and very often decisions were made for us without first asking. When we asked to have it fixed, he would say that we are picky and have high standards, but all we asked for is to do it properly rather than designer standard.

So, that means lower rates equal lower standards? How low is low and how high is high? I think he can't tell what changes are, because he doesn't remember ANYTHING at all. Changes can be caused by:

1. Incorrect layout or dimensions, which means certain designs has to be amended. HOWEVER, he sees these as changing the design, not amending.

2. Improper materials. Certain materials don't work well with each other. We as clients usually accept recommendations suggested by the sub-cons. AGAIN, does this equate to CHANGING the design?

3. Certain fixtures or devices. A ceiling fan or a water heater unit may need the right distance and location to function adequately or for maintenance. I don't think these are CHANGING the design either.

So regardless of any amendment or etc, he will undoubtedly see it as changing the design. IF he is so particular about clients randomly changing the designs, then i think he needs to have an attitude check on his work morality and ethics and be responsible by keeping up to date with the progress and maintaining. Well, he doesn't think so too.

He even shouted at us a few times at our new home which we found highly disrespectful. This is especially so when we are not out to fight with him. It is impossible to have a proper conversation to even communicate what we want as before we manage to talk anything we are already being shouted at.

That is TOTALLY unneeded and uncalled for. He too had shouted at me over the phone, claiming that it was me that started the shouting. Evidentlyi was upset and started to talk loudly when he tried to wriggle his way out by saying that the project is done, and he's been texting us for the final payment for days without us responding. So, from this fact, he thinks he is the only one who deserves his convenience whereby we as clients don't deserve ours?

After an hour or so of argument, we finally agreed to end this because i don't see the point of any more rectifications when his heart isn't here already as i have already made most of the rectification myself.

We are still in the process of working with him to finish up the renovation. Meantime it seems like he gets to pick and choose what he wants to fix. If this is not the case and he eventually does up everything properly I will remove this post.

Yes. Just finish up the work. As seen from how he's coping and dealing with clients, obviously he is managing it his way, his convenience and with his own reasoning. Just don't pay for what he didn't do. And i highly doubt he's capable of making any good rectifications in the short term, so i suggest you better start making a list of what to fix first.

Simple stuffs can settle on your own, but things like electrical and plumbing may required some professional help. Drilling holes is also something which i supposed a home owner should figure out eventually. Be glad that he ll be out from your life soon. He too knows that no one can do anything to him nor does he care about his reputation anymore.

Meantime this still serves as a word of caution to all out there who is considering to engage his subpar services.

I second your sentiment. Unless you want to constantly worry and micro-manage everything and still get things done wrongly, resulting in much negativity and impeding the progress. Although no renovation can be as plain or smooth sailing, but in such circumstances, i think we could have done without this level of inconvenience and negativity to our lives.

[Astarz 10]

to b honest, i wasnt very happy or very satisfied with the entire process, but i keep adjusting my expectation and swallow some disappointment and then move on, looking on the brighter side and trying to be understanding and forgiving. It is hard, let's face it... reno kills brain cells. I dont think all the fingers should point sorely to one person but i can say it is a rather messy system. i am so glad mine is over, there r some kinks along the way and we got them fixed. not perfect but can close one eye since it is not of nagging proportion. so in a way, i give credit when it is due.

The way I see it resources spread too thinly and too many projects on hand, such that one cant handle or focus well on each and every and hence the miscommunication. i think the system is very archaic. it is like a guessing game.

[inthechouse 8]

I would advise anyone who's thinking of engaging Alan to be fully aware of what they are in for before signing on the dotted line. For the record, my flat is very close to where I work and presently live. Hence it's not that difficult dropping by every now and then, for whatever reason. But if one is hoping to be more hands-off, or is unable to visit the site often, then he/she may need to think twice.

Still praying for some rectification works to happen eventually. And for handover on time.

[crystaltiong 2]

wow , thanks for all the caution posts , i better delete Alan's number in my hp and look for another contractor .

[ahhboi 15]

oh........ Thought mine is gonna be a small budgeted reno... But I guess from i better siam him until my last choice.....

BTW, anyone engage Eight Design before?

[mavicaste 58]

Just to add on to the feedback, we were planning to choose among the shortlisted firms we had already met up with but decided to get his quotation as well since the majority of ours were from IDs. I initiated the contact with my floor plan and quotation template of required items and he requested to meet up for discussion even though we were hoping to just view the quotation first.

Fast forward to the meeting with him and he actually got my name wrong even though we have been conversing via WhatsApp and my name is clearly displayed even if he did not save my number. Never mind that, he then went on to waste our time looking for my email from weeks ago to download the floor plan, some 3D drawings of mine and the quotation template. Throughout the discussion, he kept asking questions about what we have in mind about this and that when they can be simply interpreted from my 3D drawings right in front of him. It seemed like he wasn't very interested at all.

He promised a quotation the following week but after 2 weeks passed and I tried to remind him about it, I didn't even get a response. So, for those who are considering him, do think thrice.

[jayque 0]

Before we sign... he told me the comments you see on renotalk are "misunderstandings". So many people cannot be that wrong ... He even said, he will pop by every now and then to check. I never met him since I passed him the second payment. Sigh, and he has been making quite a few empty promises ever since ...

Given how hands on I was with my project, I thought I can be a main con already. Those considering, think more than 3 times.

That said, his carpenter is very detailed, but credits go to the carpenter. Not him.

[Makanology 29]

Hi jayque, this is Mrs E aka Makan. U know something? Even for payment, we went out of our way by writing his bank account number on our cheque and dropping it at the bank deposit box for him. Sometimes being nice doesn't mean it is a guarantee that we will be treated the same:(

Hope your renovation has completed or if not, progressing with as little hiccups as possible!

[hkk 0]

hi, i'm the married partner of one of the contributors to this thread, decided to sign up and join in the discussions. seeing a number of people here who seem to have similar experiences to us makes us feel more comforted that we are not alone on this boat. we thought we were strange!

i must say we started off our renovation full of excitement and hope, doing lots of research and planning, even going to places not convenient for us like changi / sungei kadut / loyang / jurong east etc.just to look at materials and designs.

we knew renovation was not going to be smooth sailing given it is an iterative process and involves handicraft, but we didn't expect it to be so unpleasant and stressful. we can't put the blame all on one person but have to say a large part of it boils down to the main contractor, Alan.

we decided to go with him after reading a couple of good reviews (on hindsight we should have read more, but for some reason even now when you type Alan Tan Contractor / Aian Furniture / Alan Renotalk in google search only the more positive ones come up) and also coz he seemed easy going and not pushy on things he wants to sell you. the other reason is because his pricing was reasonable compared to the rest we got

very soon after reno began we started to find that it was hard to communicate properly with him for a few reasons.

1. he doesnt give us a proper schedule or heads up as to what is being done in a specific week, so it becomes very hard to supervise and tell him what we want. there was a time when 30 min notice was given and we had to rush down from work to tell his sub con what we wanted

2. quite often he doesnt ask us what we wanted for example and a number of things was decided for us without consulting us beforehand. a lot of things to him are so called "standard way of doing things" but for goodness sake we hacked everything down, the only standard to follow is the homeowners'. its just simple respect to ask the homeowners what they want for their HOME, isn't it?

3. because of no.2, it turns out that there were things we had to ask him to change as we were not consulted in the first place. so it becomes us being the "troublesome" and "picky" people! being a young couple without any experience in this, we were obviously quite stressed / paiseh to ask him to make those changes, which even caused us to quarrel coz one of us wanted to let it slide and accept his work while the other was insistent on making the changes. we found out the hard way you have to insist on getting things done the way you want in order to get him to do it.

4. lack of supervision. if a contractor is not supervising the works, then are we just paying for his contacts? and if we have to spend so much time and effort to supervise the sub cons, why don't we just spend a little more time to find the contacts of sub cons ourselves and do the whole thing ourself?? yes he is not an ID but we are not asking for designer stuff or 3D drawings or colour / shade matching or theme design are we?

there are some redeeming factors to be fair, like he will make changes and rectifications to a certain extent but not without a lot of strong words and haggling with him. for the records, we quarrelled with him more often than we can imagine quarrelling with anyone. on his "good" days he is actually quite willing and accommodating to do things for us

in terms of workmanship, his wet works are just not good enough. and we literally picked out over 20 pieces of tiles that needed to be hacked out and redone. and even after that there are some bad areas which we just have to live with. painting was alright but we had to buy our own brushes and rollers to touch up. his electrical people are not bad.

again we dont think we are asking for the moon, when all we wanted was walls to be straight, tiles to be aligned properly, cracks on walls to be plastered over, switches to be working? these are basics of any type of reno, aren't they?

it's our first home and we are quite bumped that the renovation process was so unpleasant but we keep thinking as long as we persevere we will get the home we want and then can forget abt this person.

overall, i feel he is more a businessman trying to close the deal and get paid, rather than a craftsman who takes pride in the work and seeks to satisfy a customer.

by the way in response to makan's earlier post, we were quite nice in terms of payments to him too. we kept chasing and asking him when can we meet to pass him the cheque. so yes, being nice to him doesn't mean it gets reciprocated. then we thought, why are we so on time and exact with the payment, when he is not on time and exact with his works?

like i said earlier, this thread is very useful for people thinking of engaging him, but a general search on the internet won't get a new homeowner here so wondering what can be done to help people think twice / thrice before engaging him after reading the good reviews that come out on google search.

Edited January 23, 2014 by hkk

[Astarz 10]

I envy those whose Id and contractors would snap a pic of the ongoing Reno stage and update the owner. Not asking for daily update but at least some visual indication what has been done and what's not every now and them. Nv hv I ever get a snapshot from my contractor abt anything!. I think I send him more pics updating n praising him than he to me, cos I was the one doing the hard work having to visit the site only after work almost daily. It can be dark in the evening but no choice. I need to go and check cos I dunno what has happened and have been done. I get surprises every now and then. It was really hard work cos I kinda dread going down myself and having to see things not in my expectation/knowledge and then have to SMS him abt why what how. I hv to sugar coat my request so things get moving, u know, gentle reminders n a bit of praising n say job well done. It is like coaxing. I hv to contain my temper.

What I mean by surprises is maybe a new window is up but I hv no informing at all until I saw it with my own eyes on the evening n the next question I ask myself is . Is that the window I wan? How different is it from the catalogue? Are there specs or features that I dunno but since they r up, I hv to accept the status quo. Why is my heater installed now without telling me when? Owner might hv a certain requirement for certain installation. It is better to ask then straightaway installed. things like these....

My frd said yrs is a contractor not an ID so all the site supervision n update it is all on u. Wake up to the real world. I did by now!

Overall I won't say he is a nasty n unscrupulous type but the way he manages his project needs much improvements. And he has too much to handle on hand. To be fair, eventually he did ask his men down to rectify some parts and I am thankful. I always give him time to response to my SMS and let him know I believe he will fix my problems, which he did. The quality of workmanship is in all conscience quite good as in my case. That I can't deny or discredit. Of cos there r always slight flaws n imperfection but isn't that the real living world? To be too perfect is like asking for trouble to engulf ourselves. I rather let live.

Edited January 23, 2014 by Astarz

[juxstapose 2]

reading through all the bad comments n feeling bad for everyone's ordeal with him . But at the same time glad that I didn't engage him in the end... I was actually deciding between him n another last april. His quote was more tempting as it was 10% cheaper but we were turned off by how bz he seemed to be. The day we arranged to meet him at the resale house to discuss, he was late for an hour! When I called him 15mins after our meeting time was due, he said his car broke down n would be late.. eventually he reached after an hour...

[juxstapose 2]

Y he cant inform earlier i dint know.. but we still decided to wait anyway. The house was still owned by the sellers n they were still living in it at that time.. so this 1 hr inconvenienced them quite abit.. their maid was already leaving the house to fetch the kid home.. so we called the owner n he kindly allowed us to still stay in the house with the contractor to continue the viewing n discussions. Thruout the session his phone was ringing non stop but he didnt pick it up as he was with us.. n we started thinking if he had too many clients.. will he do thst to us in future after we hire him?