Settling In A New Home

[yan01 29]

collected our key for a 5 room BTO back in Dec 2013, but we decided to start reno only after CNY.

my floorplan

starting reno next week!! so exciting!!

never thought that I would start writing blog again, guess the excitement overwhelms the laziness ...

anyway, we didn't start off our journey tt smoothly .... after shortlisted afew companies, we actually started off with this ID company whereby their working style is to finalize the 3D design first, b4 churning out the quotation. during our initial discussion we told the ID our requirement and requested the ID to give a rough estimate how much it will be. the ID also "guaranteed" us it won't differ too much unless we have additional add-ons. the company is kind of reputable and their portfolio was pretty good. and so, we paid a $2k deposit for them to proceed with 3D drawing. our terror came when the quotation is out. its lyk $10k more than expected ... after a huge negotiation with them, they only manage to rounded it off to the nearest digit.

we were so upset & angry tt time.. I guess they feel that we won't run away since they alr got hold of my hard earned $2k. but after a vvvvv long and thorough discussion with my HTB, we decided we could not wrk with them anymore, esp we alr quarrel b4 at such an initial stage. we also foresee even more hidden costs which, our by then very weak heart, definitely could not handle.

$2k is ALOT. it is a very painful and expensive experience. but we are happy we left at an early stage. one example is their very bad space planning. as we look for ID b4 our key collection, we only have our floorplan to visualize everything.

one of the proposed living room

that was the qn I asked them. BUT they say, based on the floorplan measurement, we can fit in.

I don think I need an ID to tell me it doesn't work ... anyway when I look back n saw my design & my real house, what happen tru-out the whole designing process, I'm really glad we have choose to leave this ID even though tt also mean we need to forego our precious $2k.

Edited February 7, 2014 by yan01

[Songz 132]

Welcome to RT.

Sorry to hear that the 2K is gone but got to agree that if you feel its not going to work, its better to forsake the 2K to prevent more damage to the pocket and agony you may face.

[claypot 46]

A wise decision made. Thank you for sharing your experience so that others would learn to avoid companies that require a deposit before a quotation can be made. We should only sign and make deposit based on the quotation and NOT 3D drawings

[guojiawen 101]

Hello!

We have the same floor plan! Just that mine is turn right instead of left.. Are we in the same estate?

Anyway, sorry to hear about your experience, may you find a reliable ID soon..

Looking forward to more sharing of ideas. Cheers

Edited February 7, 2014 by guojiawen

[SuperMama 27]

Hello !

Sorry to hear about your bad experience and thank you for sharing it here. Had a similar experience but lucky we refused to make payment. Just have to be careful when comes to $! It's usually a rough quotation then a detailed one upon meeting or even site measurements. Our quotation was revised 4x before we finalised them.

Good luck in your ID hunt!

[inthechouse 8]

Hi and welcome. Think you made the right decision. And it's good that you have highlighted how unrealistic some proposed 3D drawings can be.

[yan01 29]

putting the bad experience aside, we found another ID who is a nice chap. so far we are happy and satisfied with him. we really get along and his design turn out to be what we really wanted. of cos we become smarter as well. jus hope everything will b fine from now on.

my proposed layout of the house

and thanks everyone for the concern! we have thus moved on. a brand new year a brand new start. as we need to wait till the workers are back from their CNY holidays, there is nth much we could do to the house. I thot the house is too empty for CNY and so I pasted this on the wall ... hehee :lol:

in the meanwhile ... I cant wait for my reno to start next week!!!!!!

[McHomey 1]

Hi, Yan01.

I have the same floor plan as yours. Mine will be ready 3Q this year.

May I know is there an air-con ledge behind your wardrobe?

Interesting to see you have a game room ah.

TIA.

[yan01 29]

i guess nowadays BTO floorplans are pretty similar ...

my aircon ledge is not behind the wardrobe ... its near the service yard ...

haha, ya my hub wans a room for his PSP and mahjong ...

Hi, Yan01.

I have the same floor plan as yours. Mine will be ready 3Q this year.

May I know is there an air-con ledge behind your wardrobe?

Interesting to see you have a game room ah.

TIA.

Edited February 7, 2014 by yan01

[yan01 29]

[guojiawen 101]

nice!

mahjong room... sounds like a great idea hehe.

[yan01 29]

and have to use this to play

nice!

mahjong room... sounds like a great idea hehe.

[Songz 132]

Doraemon MJ Tiles !

How to concentrate to play... LoL ~

[OceanEleven 203]

$2k is ALOT. it is a very painful and expensive experience. but we are happy we left at an early stage. one example is their very bad space planning. as we look for ID b4 our key collection, we only have our floorplan to visualize everything.

Please share the name of the reno company and the ID involved. If they can pocket the 2k, there is no reason why their name cannot be named.

I do not really believe in 3D. 3D are simply glorified pictures which very likely differ from end products. I had seen 3D toilet drawing with pebble stones inside.

I really wonder which champion will add stones in toilet to trap dirt and hair. No doubt it look good aesthetically but functionality zero.

[yan01 29]

i don find it good to declare the name of the ID. i don wish to get myself into any trouble, just being timid and playing safe.

mayb i shld clarify that the ID is not a con company, or any runaway contractors that some pple may experience. right from the start we are very informed that we are paying the non-refundable $2k as deposit for 3D drawing only, without concrete detailed quotation. they are not exactly wrong actually. we have a choice to continue with them, but we choose to break away frm them.

i won't say I'm a "victim". its more lyk different frequency i guess. u can reduce the price significantly if u are willing to remove those fancy and expensive stuffs they proposed, such as blum system, or momento paint as one of the featured wall... just to name a few. but we find it really no pt because by removing those items, its gonna affect the 3D design very significantly. at tt stage we find it quite tiring to revise the 3D drawing all over again after weeks of discussion. the mutual feeling is just not right anymore.

most of their clients are rich pple who own condo n landed property. maybe their sale method are very useful and convincing towards them, but perhaps not budgeted HDB owners lyk me? actually they have several compliments from customers and won some awards too. we just find it not comfortable to continue working with them anymore. my intention is jus to share my experience, that there are some companies who will do things this way.

Please share the name of the reno company and the ID involved. If they can pocket the 2k, there is no reason why their name cannot be named.

I do not really believe in 3D. 3D are simply glorified pictures which very likely differ from end products. I had seen 3D toilet drawing with pebble stones inside.

I really wonder which champion will add stones in toilet to trap dirt and hair. No doubt it look good aesthetically but functionality zero.