jeeppoo 6 Report post Posted April 19, 2014 (edited) Been thinking hard if i should start my t-blog, since the hype will die down once the reno completes...haha....so have been dragging my feet until now, when the reno is almost 60-70% done.But since i learnt quite alot from this forum, felt that more sharing will only bring benefit than harms right.Ok I'm quite lazy with lots of words and pics, so will keep my post short.So a quick update on things,- keys in 21 Jan 14- met ID (met 2 but only 1 followed up..so the rest is history) and confirmed quotation in Feb14- start reno on 28 feb 14- reno still ongoing, hopefully can be completed by mid May.Damage to date,- reno cost approx $53k and still counting.....keeping adding and changing things...- aircon starmex sys 4 $3.85k (1x24000btu + 3x9000btu)- windows (bifold for balcony, sliding windows for 3 b/droom, 2 toilets and kitchen) $5.6kOriginal floorplan (~125sqm including recess area) w/out showing the recess area1st proposed plan (incl recess area)..to accommodate 4 adults (incl maid) and 2 dogs.... Edited April 19, 2014 by jeeppoo Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jeeppoo 6 Report post Posted April 19, 2014 My reno concept was to ensure that the flat would still feel big and spacious after all the works. So many walls have to go to re-configure the layout (walls demolished represented by red dotted lines). 1) walls bet living room and kitchen > to create bigger space and seggrate a wet & dry kitchen.2) walls @ 2nd living room area > to create maid room and a walk-in cupboard area for mbr3) walls for toilets > to extend the toilets outwards4) wall for commmon toilet @ kitchen > to create separate entrance for WC and showerOther works include:- removed all existing kitchen cabinets and floor and walls tiles- removed all existing toilets fittings, walls and floor tilesDid not redo the living room and bedrooms floor tiles as they are marble...haha..ID proposed to polish them and they will look as good as new...oh well, to save cost, I agreed.As this is a pretty old flat, there isn't a storeroom.....which is a no-no for my family...where are we going to store our barang barang?? So I created a small storeroom beside shoe cupboard.Then next, the common toilet. I wanted separate entrance for WC and shower as 3 audlts shared the toilets and 2 of them have tendency to frequent WC often. ID original plan was to put the entrances in the kitchen still, on 2nd thot, I shifted the WC entrance out to the living room area. Reason being that my dad (elderly) and bro (poor vision), would have trouble going to the toilet at night if the entrance is in the kitchen...imgaine they have to navigate around the dining table, avoid the corners of the bar counter, enter the dry kitchen before they reached the toilet entrance....so it makes better sense to shift the WC entrance out. Here the revised layout..pardon the poor quality as taken with my ipad2. This isn't the final version as there are some slight amendments as work progress. See the very large mbr space and its toilet....2 sides of walk-in closet space... My ID also commented on the large space for common WC and shower...she said its bigger than condo's toilet... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jeeppoo 6 Report post Posted April 19, 2014 (edited) Demolition worksKitchen(main door entrance is on the right of the pic)walls for the toilets demolised to make room for extension. See the red wall in the pic? On the left is the wall(removed) for the mbr toilet and right is the common toilet (also removed) Edited April 19, 2014 by jeeppoo Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jeeppoo 6 Report post Posted April 19, 2014 My ID did not do much 3D prespective and i also didn't insist..haha..such a accommodating owner right... haha...My mbr toilet....there is a bathtub..YES! The original doorway was enlarged and the bottom sealed up to put in the glass panel. Behind the mbr toilet, will be my walk-in pole system and the sink.The countertop and cabinets for the dry kitchen. Intend to put my winer chiller and bar frdige beneath the counter.THe wet kitchen. Decided not to do top cabinets...to save cost and cleaning efforts. Although I have a maid, she is not proactive in cleaning. The underside of the top cabinets in my current house are all donned in her cooking mess and she can simply ignore the mess...really give up ...so I decided to limit cabinets in the wet kitchen area...and everything will be in white, so that any mess will be easily spotted and she will have no excused not to clean! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jeeppoo 6 Report post Posted April 19, 2014 So much of the pictures...now some thoughts on the renovation journey...I started sourcing for IDs in Jan14. Decided to go for ID insead of just contractor as I wanted someone to give me professional opinions on space planning...as you can see, maid's room, both toilets' layout and storeroom..... Met 2 IDs prior to key collection, however only 1 followed up with me after that...guess the other is too busy as he is also quite popular in this forum. So rather than to keep meeting IDs and repeat my request, I just took on this ID as her quotation seems reasonable to me and she is quite accommodating with my requests and ideas. However, I must say that she is not very creative type that can put ur requests into design. For mine, I have to specifically tell her what i want and how i want. She only put my ideas onto the layout plan...haha...but then it ok with me as I'm not into fanciful design.After signing with her, the reno work starts on 28 Feb (auspcious date as recommended by ID). But then the problem start....with HDB! ID submitted application 1.5 wks before reno started. They delayed the approvals for the wall demolition except for the one at the bedrooms area. The walls at kitchen was only approved like 3 weeks after submission while the toilets' wall, another 2 weeks later. So almost for 1 month, the reno progress was really slowwww...... things only speed up after the toilet walls approved. Luckily, we are not in a hurry to move in......another hurdle...the full height windows. At first I had great aspiration of replacing the window with french doors at my walk-in cupboard area..so that I can create a mini balcony in my room...but alas...HDB again...to change full height windows, need to have PE endorsement...which is very costly...really a damper to my grand plans...also, as I have changed all the window to white powder coated, this full height window's sliver frame is not in line with the rest...... Anyway, no choice, gotta leave with it unless I wanna part with $2k for PE endorsement and another set of long waiting time...gotta go to BCA first then HDB......then I think my reno can take forever to finish.Progres to date:- wet works completed- partiion walls and new door frames all done- water pipes done- toilet bowls installed.- windows replaced, except for balcony bifold as pending chengai floor decking- aircon piping laid, indoor unit to come in after painting works. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Troublemaker 31 Report post Posted April 20, 2014 Wow! That is a major renovation! Looking forward to the final "product"! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jeeppoo 6 Report post Posted April 20, 2014 Managed to find some pics of the flat prior to reno... )Orignal sohe cupbpard...the wall on the left side was the diving wall between entrance doorway and kitchen...The main door is on the left...which is on the recess area.View of the lving room...retain the marble flooring and fasle ceiling.View of the 2nd living room/dining area...prev owner also partition up the area as part of the mbr, but using glass panels. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jeeppoo 6 Report post Posted April 20, 2014 (edited) View of the kitchen from the living room...prev owner also used glass panel as part of the wall...quite alot of glass panels in this flat.. ....but all demolished in the end. Shoe cupboard is sitting in the recess area...so free up more space in the original living room area.MBR..wall removed by the prev owner to combine the 2nd living room area into the MBR...they used curtains to cover the glass panels for privacy...also a small walk-in wardrobe on the left...with the toilet entrance as well. Overall, I find the MBR too small....imagine only a 2 panel window in the MBR whereas in the common room, they have 4 panel each. What is HDB thinking?!More views of the MBR...see the windows on the left?taken from prev owner before they moved....walk-in closet on the right with the entrance to the toilet...very cramp room... Edited April 20, 2014 by jeeppoo Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jeeppoo 6 Report post Posted April 20, 2014 Wow! That is a major renovation! Looking forward to the final "product"! Not really lah...I was even thinking of hacking off the marble flooring for the entire house..haha...but then it will burn a extremely big hole in my pocket..which is current very very burnt. My friends and dad were initially against the major reno..saying that its a waste to throw the glass panels and built-in cabinet...but I went ahead as its totally not in line with my concept. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Makanology 29 Report post Posted April 20, 2014 The new floor layout looks really interesting. Will be camping here to see your end result Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jeeppoo 6 Report post Posted April 20, 2014 walls up....all my new walls are gypsum board only, to save cost...so for the walls in my maid room, i had to add rockwool in between, for sound proofing...otherwise we can all hear her talking on her hp ...and she can be quite loud...the wall in the pic is part of my walk-in closet...to the left is the door frame for the common WC toilet.alot of works done this week, aircon piping, walls touch up in prep for painting, and plumbing.....then here comes the hiccups....1st, the aircon for the living room...see the piping coming thru the red wall....the living room unit will be placed from the edge of the wall to this piping...problem is the unit will be directly under my downlight! So when my downlight is on, it will be totally blocked by the big aircon unit!!! I could shift the unit, but then there is no other best location to place it....we dun want to place it too far off as it will be a waste of electricity for the unit to cool other empty spaces...this location is just directly opp the sofa, which is ideal for whoever is cillin' out in the living room....so the solution to to eihter place the unit between the 2 downlights or to change the 2 downlights to cove lights....hai....also see the wall the setback against the column and beam?? meaning part of the aircon will not be flushed neatly on the wall...i dun like! So asked ID to flush the wall...haha..just bcos of the aircon!!Next, WCs installed and see what I found....the mbr toilet's water tank cover cannot be close properly! its so frsutrating ...when new items come in faulty...and not cheap item too...this 1-piece claytan WC cost me $300+...called the vendor, Adamas..who said they will call the supplier to come and take a look....lets see if they will really come quick.Then on closer inspection, found a stratch on the WC side too....see the gray line (tried cleaning with bleach...the dripping..., which doesn't work of cos).....dunno if it comes with it or caused by the plumber...I didnt inspect when WC delivered or when the plumber done with installing...so dunno who to blame...oh well..this I can live with...but not the water cristen cover....and also, it doesn't seem so white, like what i expect.....got the impulse to change the entire WC...haha..really such a eyesore....especially I have a glass panel directly opp it....again mbr WC, plumber didnt do a proper job..see the hole not sealed up.....gotta complain to ID. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jeeppoo 6 Report post Posted April 20, 2014 The new floor layout looks really interesting. Will be camping here to see your end result Thanks Makanology...I followed ur blog too, before my reno starts...ID was the same lady you didnt chose... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Makanology 29 Report post Posted April 20, 2014 Haha then I know which one:) enjoy your renovation process, I miss it, the good part, not the bad parts of course! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HansamuQ 5 Report post Posted April 20, 2014 You got a real major Reno going on. hope to see more pics. By the way you can pm me who is your id? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jeeppoo 6 Report post Posted April 20, 2014 You got a real major Reno going on. hope to see more pics. By the way you can pm me who is your id?Pm-ed. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
