From An Empty Shell To A Comfy Home

[dreamzgal 0]

Hi dreamzgal,

Thanks for sharing your experience. I am currently looking around for some IDs/contractors. Currently it is a blank slate although we have been to one open house organised by Thom Signature.

Right now, wifey and me are in the “what kind of theme and look we want” phase and are trying to compile a list of IDs to call and meet up. I must say that this forum has been a great help in educating us about the horror stories and we are slowly striking out some names from our initial list.

Do you have any recommendation? I believe word-of-mouth recommendation is better than relying on photoshopped advertisements.

Hi Rulz... my reno should be starting sometime next week and I engage a freelance ID + contractor.

I can only comment on the contractor's work much later when things really get moving eg, the tiling work.

My personal opinion of selecting ID/contractor is that you must "click" with the ID/ contractor.

Working with my ID was smooth sailing as our ideas gel together pretty well which saves time explaining my preferences.

All the best for your ID/contractor hunting

Edited April 17, 2013 by dreamzgal

[jus4fun 4]

Wifey and me are expecting to get the keys to our 5-room BTO flat in Punggol sometime in the fourth quarter of this year and we are so very excited. We have begun reading the various renovation magazines in the bookshops to get some ideas and decided that we should start our very own blog here to record down our thoughts and feelings on the whole renovation process.

We are keeping our fingers crossed that it will be a smooth and joyful process.

We also felt a blog is a good way to share our experience and learn from other forumers here. This is our first home and we are novices in renovating. So, we hope you guys will give us your honest advice and support.

Do drop in to say hi!

Hi bro! Congrats, in advance, on ur new flat & welcome to RT! This is a very gd platform to learn & share with all the other bros & sis (i'm still k-po'g ard after my own reno.. haha! ) Gd that u do ur homework so early. Yes, it can be a slow & draining process, that very often runs contrary to our anxiety to see things move & complete & to move in as soon as possible.. but trust us, really need to do research before any hasty decision to buy and commit.. All the best in ur sourcing & reno journey! Looking forward to following ur progress!

Edited April 18, 2013 by jus4fun

[rulz 0]

Hi bro! Congrats, in advance, on ur new flat & welcome to RT! This is a very gd platform to learn & share with all the other bros & sis (i'm still k-po'g ard after my own reno.. haha! ) Gd that u do ur homework so early. Yes, it can be a slow & draining process, that very often runs contrary to our anxiety to see things move & complete & to move in as soon as possible.. but trust us, really need to do research before any hasty decision to buy and commit.. All the best in ur sourcing & reno journey! Looking forward to following ur progress!

Hi jus4fun,

Thanks for welcoming me to RT! How was your experience renovating your own place? Do you have your own blog that I can see? Who knows... i might learn a thing or two from your own experience.

In any case, I just visited Megatex today and the Samsung display set TVs (new models) are selling at ridiculously cheap prices. Can't wait to start my electronics shopping. hehe.

[rulz 0]

Hi Rulz... my reno should be starting sometime next week and I engage a freelance ID + contractor.

I can only comment on the contractor's work much later when things really get moving eg, the tiling work.

My personal opinion of selecting ID/contractor is that you must "click" with the ID/ contractor.

Working with my ID was smooth sailing as our ideas gel together pretty well which saves time explaining my preferences.

All the best for your ID/contractor hunting

Hi dreamzgal, do you have a blog I can "look-look see-see"? i would love to follow the progress of your own renovation. Must be exciting times for you.

[jus4fun 4]

Hi jus4fun,

Thanks for welcoming me to RT! How was your experience renovating your own place? Do you have your own blog that I can see? Who knows... i might learn a thing or two from your own experience.

In any case, I just visited Megatex today and the Samsung display set TVs (new models) are selling at ridiculously cheap prices. Can't wait to start my electronics shopping. hehe.

My reno was in progression exactly one yr ago.. Paiseh no blog for u to see see look look bcos was busy & stressed over the reno.. plus i living at my bro's plc during the reno so no access to my own PC lor.. Now i k-po in other people's reno.. hope to be able to share my experience & rejoice over the excitement & accomplishment of others..

For electronics & appliances, unless u going for atas brands which hardly hv sale anyway, do wait especially for the more popular brands.. Ya look at all the products & sales my god how to resist right?? But new models with better specs keep popping up peridocically & the prices of such just go down too fast.. so be patient bro patient! u won't regret de... Haha!

Edited April 19, 2013 by jus4fun

[rulz 0]

Just checked with my development's Facebook Group. Apparently, HDB has pushed the completion date for some of the blocks to 3rd of this year. Mine is still stuck at 4Q though. Nonetheless, I think its time i really sit down, flex my finger muscles and send some emails to IDs and call them up for a meetup. Haha.

In any case, anybody knows how much does it generally cost to hack down a kitchen wall? Was planning to let the IDs play around the idea of hacking the thing up cos it really makes my kitchen small and cramped. Nontheless, if it is expensive.. i might just ditch the idea and spend the money on other stuff like electronics. Hahah.

[summersann 6]

Just checked with my development's Facebook Group. Apparently, HDB has pushed the completion date for some of the blocks to 3rd of this year. Mine is still stuck at 4Q though. Nonetheless, I think its time i really sit down, flex my finger muscles and send some emails to IDs and call them up for a meetup. Haha.

In any case, anybody knows how much does it generally cost to hack down a kitchen wall? Was planning to let the IDs play around the idea of hacking the thing up cos it really makes my kitchen small and cramped. Nontheless, if it is expensive.. i might just ditch the idea and spend the money on other stuff like electronics. Hahah.

It should range between 100-200 to knock down a wall, partthereof. But that also depends on the surrounding structure and if a new wall (or part of one) will be constructed in place of the one torn down. Depends on how you design the place I guess

[rulz 0]

It should range between 100-200 to knock down a wall, partthereof. But that also depends on the surrounding structure and if a new wall (or part of one) will be constructed in place of the one torn down. Depends on how you design the place I guess

Thanks summersann.

i think it should be a simple hack, but that's my opinion. Who knows what else is involved in the hacking process!

As mentioned before, I have begun my official ID hunt. Already emailed Thom Signature, Omus Living and Fuse Concept to arrange a meet-up. I also tried to email Ideal Living but somehow the "contact us" page on their website doesn't work. Anybody has any contacts for them?

On another note, I'm looking for a ID who can do modern contemporary well. I like ArtistRoom but I find the works shown on their website to be more "au natural" with cement flooring and wood all over.. not really keen on this. Do they do other concepts as well?

At this moment, I'm still contemplating whether to contact the big names such as Rest n Relax and Distinct ID. Not sure if they will be too busy for me and somehow I kinda suspect that their prices will be sky-high.

Oh well, let's see what the first 3 ID have to say first..

[rulz 0]

Have been a little quiet over the past 2 weeks since I was busy meeting up with several ID. I must say.. it is a very tiring process having to repeat the same things over and over again to different people. I only meet up with 4 IDs and am already exhausted.. Not sure how some people can meet up with 10 or more IDs! I respect you guys!

In any case, I must say the search for an ID to build my dream house has been… quite….Blah! Some of the IDs I met do not seem to have much creativity and there is also one who seem to be more interested in “helping” me cut budget even before knowing my actual budget, suggesting me to use some cheap materials instead cos “nobody will know unless they know on the board”.

I believe these are the salespersons instead of the actual designers themselves. Very obvious from their sales pitches and they don’t really contribute much ideas.

That said, there were 2 who were really good and these are the actual designers. So very different from their approach and very creative and was able to show us some innovative ideas even on the first meetup.

Right now, I’m just waiting the IDs to meet up with me again for the second time with their proposal and quotations. Hopefully, they can conjure some magic. If not, the search continues…

[dreamzgal 0]

Hi Rulz, I have not started the blog yet and will update you once I start the blog!

Now busy with finalizing the designs and there are so many nitty-gritty stuff to take care of... electrical appliances, furniture... and the list goes on & on!

The renotalk Bro's & Sis's blog provide a lot of valuable information and also ideas, so keep reading

You can check out http://www.houzz.com/photos for some inspirations as well

Hi rulz... as promised... here's the link for my tblog

http://www.renotalk.com/forum/topic/60159-yo-maison/

[summersann 6]

Thanks summersann.

i think it should be a simple hack, but that's my opinion. Who knows what else is involved in the hacking process!

As mentioned before, I have begun my official ID hunt. Already emailed Thom Signature, Omus Living and Fuse Concept to arrange a meet-up. I also tried to email Ideal Living but somehow the "contact us" page on their website doesn't work. Anybody has any contacts for them?

On another note, I'm looking for a ID who can do modern contemporary well. I like ArtistRoom but I find the works shown on their website to be more "au natural" with cement flooring and wood all over.. not really keen on this. Do they do other concepts as well?

At this moment, I'm still contemplating whether to contact the big names such as Rest n Relax and Distinct ID. Not sure if they will be too busy for me and somehow I kinda suspect that their prices will be sky-high.

Oh well, let's see what the first 3 ID have to say first..

they're quite flexible with styles, as long as you know what you're going for. My place was done by Artistroom. I'm sure they'd be able to give you good ideas if you know what look you're going for

[rulz 0]

I'm wondering how long it will usually take for an ID firm to get back to you for the 2nd meeting? Is 3 weeks usual or even longer than usual?

During this period, I met up with Thom Signature, Plush Living, Surface Living and Inside Living.

Thom Signature: Went to visit one of their completed projects at Buangkok. Was very impressed with the workmanship and design. They are very into design and the theme at the showflat was really what I wanted. Supposed to have 2nd meet-up on Monday (about 2 week plus from 1st meetup), but got postposed cos he was down with fever. Arranged to meet on Sat instead. Can’t wait.

Plush Living: They have a nice office with a mini-showroom. Impressive and wifey liked! The ID that met up with us was very efficient, knowledgeable and most importantly, friendly and we can click! Took him 1 week to give us quotation and then another week for a requote. He was patient and educated us on design some concepts (since we are first timers and have no idea what is going on). Got the quote from him already but told him nicely I have to wait for the others to get back to me first.

Surface Living: Met the ID outside as they don’t have an office at the moment after moving out of their current one. Very friendly guy with a focus on helping us find cheaper alternative to everything. Still waiting for meet him again after first meeting (2 weeks ago) but he requested another week cos he was busy with an urgent commercial project.

Inside Living: Met up with this guy (sales manager) at the office. Appreciate he was willing to meet up after 8pm since both me and wifey are both working. He showed us some stuff but didn’t really clicked. Till now.. no news at all from him. Enough said.

I’m now just waiting for their quotations and designs.Hope it’s worth the wait.

[Bengologist 1]

I'm wondering how long it will usually take for an ID firm to get back to you for the 2nd meeting? Is 3 weeks usual or even longer than usual?

During this period, I met up with Thom Signature, Plush Living, Surface Living and Inside Living.

Thom Signature: Went to visit one of their completed projects at Buangkok. Was very impressed with the workmanship and design. They are very into design and the theme at the showflat was really what I wanted. Supposed to have 2nd meet-up on Monday (about 2 week plus from 1st meetup), but got postposed cos he was down with fever. Arranged to meet on Sat instead. Can’t wait.

Plush Living: They have a nice office with a mini-showroom. Impressive and wifey liked! The ID that met up with us was very efficient, knowledgeable and most importantly, friendly and we can click! Took him 1 week to give us quotation and then another week for a requote. He was patient and educated us on design some concepts (since we are first timers and have no idea what is going on). Got the quote from him already but told him nicely I have to wait for the others to get back to me first.

Surface Living: Met the ID outside as they don’t have an office at the moment after moving out of their current one. Very friendly guy with a focus on helping us find cheaper alternative to everything. Still waiting for meet him again after first meeting (2 weeks ago) but he requested another week cos he was busy with an urgent commercial project.

Inside Living: Met up with this guy (sales manager) at the office. Appreciate he was willing to meet up after 8pm since both me and wifey are both working. He showed us some stuff but didn’t really clicked. Till now.. no news at all from him. Enough said.

I’m now just waiting for their quotations and designs.Hope it’s worth the wait.

Hey fellow Punggolian!

Welcome you to RT (sorry I'm a month behind time) and to Punggol too!

Regarding your question, I think normally ID will take about 1 week or at most 2 weeks to get back to you after the first or second meeting. If they take more than 3 weeks, I supposed they are not interested in taking up your job and do not have the professionalism to inform you. That's my personal opinion.

I see that you are in the stage of seeking an ID for your upcoming home, so I wish you all the best. Finding a suitable ID with a competitive quote is a headache but you will have an easier time after the selection process because you can 'dump' everything to him/her. Hahaha!

Good luck to the collection of your keys and upcoming renovation! Have a pleasant weekend! Cheers!

[kooky 2]

I get the contact of my first contractor/id from recommendation from a bloke that is my mum's friend son. After 2 months, he was still trying to submit drawing on reconstructing of the 1st flight of stairs. To cut long story short, he is incompetent so we dropped him and use our current contractor/id who has helped my bro to renovate his flat few years bad.

Although my contractor isnt from any big ID firm, he used to work in a company that tender condo projects and he has been in this industry for many years. The layout of my kitchen is his idea (e.g space planning).It is his background and sound knowledge that we decided to use him. He is now on his own and setup a company with a few partners.

The quotation he provides is not the cheapest but it is not over the top. Overall, we are pleased with him.

All the best in your ID finalization and smooth renovation ahead!

[rulz 0]

Wow, it sure seems a while since I updated this t-blog. But there was really nothing much going on since the last update except for the usual ID hunting and stuff.

In short, we decided not to use any of the IDs we talked to before. Either they are too expensive, have no creativity, think we got no money, or we just cannot get along with them. And we are not a fussy couple to start with. This really dampens our excitement to get our keys!

However, our laminate flooring company saved the day for us.

We got the Berry Floor Riviera Laminate flooring for the 3 bedrooms at one of the home fairs at the Expo. We liked what we saw, especially the HydroPlus water resistant tech. It is a bit more ex than normal laminate but we thought the extra waterproof coating is worth it.

As usual, the laminate is scratch resistant and we got upgraded to another base so the entire floor is not hollow-sounding.

After hearing that we are getting our key soon and our plight in finding a contractor/ID, the salesperson was nice enough the recommend an ID that they usually work with – ID at a contractor price.

We had our reservations about this guy in the first place but after meeting up with him and hearing him out, we engaged this ID! Wuhuu! Finally!

His story is for another post. J