4 Years In The Making (Punggol Emerald)

[mavicaste 58]

After the back and fro notifications from HDB regarding the PCD, we are now looking at a more realistic key collection date in mid February. After buffering in the waiting time for complimentary cement screeding from HDB, we should expect to really begin actual renovation works in March. Of course, this timeline is all based on the assumption that HDB will be able to deliver the unit as expected.

As for the search for our ID/contractor, after 3 full months of searching and waiting, we have finally decided on the firm to help turn our ideas into reality. We have met up with AL of 9 Creation again to view one of his showflat and are currently at the stage of finalising the requirements before signing up with him.

With this update, we end 2013 on a positive note and eagerly look forward to a new chapter in our lives as a married couple with the completion of our own home.

To all Renotalk forummers, we wish you a Happy New Year and all the best for 2014!

[harocarlos 14]

Hi mavicaste, just curious, what is your renovation budget?

[mavicaste 58]

Hi mavicaste, just curious, what is your renovation budget?

Hi harocarlos,

our budget is $25k with electrical works included, actual fees expected to cost us around $26k.

[mavicaste 58]

We have just signed up with 9 Creation and we have been tasked to pick out our choices from these material catalogues, preferably before they start on the 3D drawings so that the renderings will be as close to the actual results as possible. This is quite a bit of homework for the 2 of us.



On a sidenote, we have decided against brick walls or cement screeds and are instead looking at the Nippon Momento special effect paint as recommended by AL. To truly maximise every inch of our living space, we have also decided to shift the entrance to the kitchen from the left to the right (view from the living room) and erect a full height shoe cabinet in its place.

Edited January 4, 2014 by mavicaste

[akademon 1]

Hi harocarlos,

our budget is $25k with electrical works included, actual fees expected to cost us around $26k.

Hi, the electrical work is done up by the ID or separately by an electrician?

[mavicaste 58]

Hi, the electrical work is done up by the ID or separately by an electrician?

Hi akademon,

the electrical works are done by the ID's electrician and included in his quote. Of course, if you have your own contact, I don't see why you can't have them done separately.

[harocarlos 14]

Do you mind to share your quotation with me? I am also sourcing for an ID and would like to see if their pricing rates are within my budget before contacting them. My email is harocarlos@hotmail.com if you don't mind. Thanks~

[Takaishi 44]

Hmm can i just enquire, how come the ID never propose/recommend e colors and tasked you guys to choose instead?

[alfredt 27]

Home Networking

Being the geek, I insist on having this post for the other geeks out there as I understand the frustration when searching for technical information on this forums.

Having considered the various options available to use as the backbone of our home network, we have concluded that structured cabling offers the most consistent and reliable performance over wireless and powerline networks. The difference will be best noticed during transfer of large files between 2 systems or during HD media streaming. If you have intentions of laying structured cabling around your home, there is probably no better time then during the renovation as false ceilings and light boxes will help conceal part of the cable trunking. Of course, if you have the budget for it, it is also possible to cut grooves into the wall to totally conceal the cabling. For our home, we plan to have the contractor/ID lay the cables for us with trunking and leave the termination to be done by ourselves.

This is a preliminary, simplified plan of the network we have in mind and does not include redundancy cables.

From the TP (Termination Point) in the distribution box, an optical fibre will be laid to the TV console to allow the ONT (Optical Network Terminal) to be housed in that area. From the ONT, it will be connected to the 24-port switch in the study using category 6 or 6a cable. The switch will act as the central distribution point and provide network connectivity to all the data points around the house. Wireless connectivity will be provided by the router located in the study nearer to the passageway.

Network Equipment List

Switch - Dell PowerConnect 2824

Router -

NAS - Western Digital My Cloud EX4

Cable -

wow ! 24 ports. you are running a serious computer setup there

Will you be keeping the devices running 24x7 ? can share your cooling strategies for the modem and switch ? i am thinking of installing a ventillation fans (similar to those in desktop pc), 1 inflow fan and another outflow fan to keep things cool

[mavicaste 58]

Hmm can i just enquire, how come the ID never propose/recommend e colors and tasked you guys to choose instead?

Hi Takaishi,

he would be proposing some combinations but we are expecting more advice on our shortlist at a later stage. This is probably because he understands that we already have very clear and strong ideas in mind for certain areas of the renovation. On top of that, I will be able to load the textures of the laminates and vinyl tiles into my drawings to help in the selection process.

Edited January 8, 2014 by mavicaste

[mavicaste 58]

wow ! 24 ports. you are running a serious computer setup there

Will you be keeping the devices running 24x7 ? can share your cooling strategies for the modem and switch ? i am thinking of installing a ventillation fans (similar to those in desktop pc), 1 inflow fan and another outflow fan to keep things cool

Hi alfredt,

I will likely be running the network equipment 24/7. As long as there is ventilation, I don't feel that additional cooling is required although I am currently still deciding on whether to house the switch and patch panel in a wallmount rack or custom carpentry.

Edited January 8, 2014 by mavicaste

[mavicaste 58]

Do you mind to share your quotation with me? I am also sourcing for an ID and would like to see if their pricing rates are within my budget before contacting them. My email is harocarlos@hotmail.com if you don't mind. Thanks~

Check your email.

[harocarlos 14]

Check your email.

Received. Thanks!

[Songz 132]

Nice sketch up you got there.

I am currently also trying to look around for appliances & other stuff while sourcing for some ID/Contractors

Current on my list of brands are Electrolux (Washing Machine & Dryer), Alpha (Ceiling Fan & Instant Water Heater) (Recommend from a friend) & Samsung (Fridge & TV), Sofa (Sanzio) ... ... ...

May check TaoBao / Amazon for other stuff (But not familiarize with online shopping >.< )

Looking forward to see more updates on your home. ^^

Edited January 9, 2014 by Songz

[mavicaste 58]

Nice sketch up you got there.

I am currently also trying to look around for appliances & other stuff while sourcing for some ID/Contractors

Current on my list of brands are Electrolux (Washing Machine & Dryer), Alpha (Ceiling Fan & Instant Water Heater) (Recommend from a friend) & Samsung (Fridge & TV), Sofa (Will update it again as I forgot, saw it at friend house warming - only rem its a Malaysian Brand),

May check TaoBao / Amazon for other stuff (But not familiarize with online shopping >.< )

Looking forward to see more updates on your home. ^^

Hi Songz,

we have started planning and conceptualising very early and thought we got most of the parts covered but upon reaching the stage where we are really going to execute the ideas, there is still a lingering feeling of trepidation.

One area where we have barely done any research on would be lightings. There are just so many options out there as well as being torn between practicality and being true to our themes.

Amazon is one of our favourite online merchants but Taobao is a whole new jungle to us. I consider myself very much an effective bilingual but reading technical specifications in Chinese is just a pain in the *** as opposed to glancing through the same information in English.