My Opinions On Selected Ids-Hope This Is Helpful

[lxiaoguil 0]

Hi can you please share your contractor details?

[House168 0]

Hi,

Can you share your list of contacts. Thanks

[singasamurai 6]

Hi

Reno is almost completed and now is the touch up stage. Last week, ID was away cos the company was on some sort of off. So, no work was done. Although ID told me that they already have done the cleaning, I went to make a check and basically told them a lot of areas still not clean. And then gave them a list of items to touch up. He came down on Saturday and went through the list with me. Informed that by end of the week, will install my oven and wine cooler and will do the necessary touch up. And also to get the workers to clean the place again.

Spent the whole of last Saturday waiting for the deliveries of some furniture. Will go over the long weekend to make another check and try to clear any final touch-ups before the final handover. Then I probably do a quick summary of the pros and cons and maybe some pictures. In the meantime, here are some 3D pictures. Some items like sofa etc are not very accurate though.

Note: Oh ya. Somebody asked me if Diva's is HDB registered. Although I mentioned previously, I thought I should provided a little more information here. The renovation permit is applied and issued to Diva's parent company as technically, they are under the parent company in name until they are allowed to apply for registration with HDB and start applying for permits under their Diva's brand. For now, they will still have to submit the necessary documentation for approval and HDB will send both the house owner and the contractors a copy of the approval letter with the stated dates for any demolition works (if any). It just like Cold Storage, 7-11 etc all under the same company but different management and style.

The permit was issued to Kiwie Renovation Contractor (HDB Registration No: HB-02-0204H) To be frank, when I checked, this parent company itself isn't that good and has kana some demerit points before. But as i mentioned in my write-up, the person handling your project is just as important as the company. I was told that Diva's will probably have to wait a little longer (or fulfill some minimum period) before they can register and start issuing permits (I checked the HDB website; these companies need to do Business for a minimum period of 1 yr and also submit some invoices of at least a certain amount before they can apply: http://www.hdb.gov.sg/fi10/fi10324p.nsf/w/RenoCntrctrReno?OpenDocument ) So ya, legality wise, no problem. Completely legal and can only start reno when HDB issues the approval letter which would be in hard copy.

so ya, cos I also did my checks before signing and asked him about it. After weighing everything, I still decided to go ahead cos of the other reasons stated. And most importantly, it is still HDB registered since I also won't want to risk a non HDB registered contractor/ID.

In any case, I thought, this Diva's is now in the stage of building up their brand so they can be registered with HDB on their own, so any public or major complaints they sure jialat and my guess is they probably won't try to risk it if they can. And they are not like a 1-2 month company. They have been here since late 2013/Jan 2014 I think so not those fly by night. Hope this clarifies further to what I mentioned previously.

Edited April 27, 2015 by singasamurai

[singasamurai 6]

Hi all

Please see summary of pros and cons below (of my ID from Diva's) as well as some of the final work. There are still touch ups to be done and I have not paid the final amount yet. No rush from him as well and I probably do so after mid May or closer to June. Hope this post has been helpful to people.

Pros:

Diva's HS Lim is quite proactive and I have good vibes with him. He will give regular updates via whatsapp and for the delivery of items like hob and hood etc (those that need to be installed including air-con), you just give him the invoice and he will do the rest. Things are on schedule and nothing like the horror stories that you read about long delays, cannot find ID etc.

He is quite responsive. He is a Malaysian so he sort of go back home after work everyday. Even when I text him, he will respond with a call thur his Malaysian number if there is a need to. Whatsapp etc, no problem. But he doesn't respond to emails...even though he reads them.

He is not the sort of ID to bring you to lighting shop cos the prices are usually marked up even after the so-called "discount". The shop that I went to was recommended by one of his ex customers and its really quite cheap with on-site warranty.

He even whatsapp a list of defects that were caused by his workers and he marked them down saying that he will rectify them which he did.

I generally like his designs. And he was one of the few who bothered to turn up on site during the first meeting so that we don't discuss in a vacuum or based on the floor plan alone. And basic space planning is part of every ID service along withe initial quotation. (no need to pay extra or give deposit but he was the only one who gave me a draft lighting plan as well)

No such thing as sudden need to top u or lots of hidden costs. The only things I mentioned that need to pay in cash are the sort of stuff that IDs don't include as part of their quote i.e. tiles for the fridge base etc which doesn't cost much.

Cons

As mentioned, while he can read and write English, he is actually more proficient in Chinese and some Malay. So sometimes, need time to explain certain ideas and concepts to him.

His design are mostly the modern/contemporary or somewhat Scandinavian or rustic kind...He is not the sort of IDs that you throw or discuss in depth themes like industrial, retro etc which I personally think are themes he is not familiar with designing. He also tends to be more on the practical side of design than merely aesthetics; not sure if you know what i mean but there are some designers who has those kind of designer flair; the arty kind...discuss all sorts of themes then the whole house super designer but lacks some practical sense...

As with all IDs, he will say No or counter propose to some of your concepts. It is up to the vibes. I find that he can negotiate and he will try to explain why certain concepts are not practical or cannot be done. If you agree then follow lo. For me , I mentioned that I want my study table height to be higher than the norm and while he don't really agree and tried to disccourage, i insist and he followed lor...Quite cordial; not the argumentative kind...For others, I accepted his explanation. He is also upfront and told me some owners don't like him cos he sometimess reject their ideas initially. But I have tons of ideas; so we negotiate and he sort of got what I want during the first and second set of discussions so we only need to amend the 3D drawings once.

Most of his customers are word or mouth or referrals. The workmanship is not perfect and he will tell you upfront but its good materials and more than acceptable. Not the cheap white PVC kind. All internal coloured and Blum hinges kind. He did told me that there is actually another group of carpenters whose workmanship are better but they are very slow and for the same amount of work, they will take at least twice the time so some house owners don't like. So up to you la. I just went to the house and listed out several things that they have to touch up. He will do his own round of checks subsequently but I prefer to make a check first since I have time. No worries, touch up is part of his service. He won't ask you to top up cash for extra tiles needed or extra wood needed. And some stuff, he throw in FOC (as explained in the write ups) depending on your rapport la. And for me, he install certain bathroom items FOC even through they are not exactly considered accessories. And yes, there are defintely better workmanship in terms of carpentry out there. And the painter although a nice guy (one man show), isn't really good in my opinion and needs to touch up several items. The rest like tiler, plumber, the guys who did the false ceiling are all okay.

His prices are not the cheapest and the company charge GST! But then again, it is not the super expensive or unreasonable kind and there is no hidden cost as what a lot of forum contributors complained. GST also paid to govt and technically, they are supposed to charge. However, his electrical cost is not cheap i.e. $35 per LED point. So if you do a lot of re-wiring data points etc, it will ended up being more expensive than the usual 1-3k. I exceed slightly 3-3.5k.

He is not the fastest in terms of paperwork though; submission of quote min 1 week (busy period. he told me can reach to 2 weeks). But once work started, it is pretty fast and on track. For me, by first week, hacking done, electrical points re-wired, air-con trunking done and city gas installation done with extended wiring cabling done. All that within 1 week. In fact, by week 6, I am almost 80%-90% completed and now is week 7, it is mostly touch up work and cleaning and by end of week 8, if everyone okay, can hand over. Latest is by week 9. His original estimate was 6 weeks plus which is quite accurate. (part of the delay was due to the delay in a shipment of the oven and wine cooler which was delayed by 1 week plus)

So far, I am quite happy with the progress and stuff. No major complains.

As for HDB registration, don't worry. As explained earlier, they just completed their minimum period of 1 year and probably is safer to wait for a little while more before attempting to register with HDB in order to apply for permits under the Diva's brand instead of the parent company. This is a HDB ruling.

I received the proper approvals and documentation before starting work. I have no issues at least from HS Lim or Diva's side and certainly not from HDB. so no need to worry about renovation works being carried out by a non-licensed contractor which is a big no no. (If hacking is required, double check if those walls can indeed be hack; you hack wrongly, both you and the ID will kana hefty fines; on the floor plan, the thick black lines are those that cannot touch; the rest generally all okay) They are registered under their parent company but is separate in terms of the workers they used and also the staff. (Different brand name)

For the study, can ignore the furniture below the table. Its supposed to be at the dining area.

Edited May 1, 2015 by singasamurai

[Kharasian 0]

Hi! Could you please pm me your contractor details? Thank you very much!

[singasamurai 6]

Dear all

Anyway, just a simple update. Work is now completed and once I am satisfied, I will sign the handover form and pay the last payment. I took the handover form back home and told him I and the Mrs will make one more check. If okay, will hand him the cheque for final payment.

The last part was a little more eventful and that's when his strengths and weakness show. Although I told him, I will have a 5.1 system and I might want to use my amplifier someday, he actually overlooked it. He also admitted that he is not familiar with the audio system. So ended up, there is no space to put the sub-woofer. Instinctively, I also know that there is no available solutions in the market for under 2.5-3k which is way beyond the amount I spent for my simple passive home theatre system. And to re-use the amplifier at home was not an option since the TV console built was bad on standard measurement i.e. 10 inch which does not fit a fair variety of dedicated amplifiers. That's his weakness; audio configuration wise etc, he is not familiar at all. For those who wants those cabling under false ceiling etc, please inform in advance and ask him consult a professional. And for the touching up, I made his workers and painters come down at least 2 more times to do the touching up on some paint and carpentry job. I don't think his painter is superb and I have seen better ones . The other thing I wasn't really satisfied is the chemical washing etc. They washed too early and frankly, some of the foreign workers have a slightly different standard of what is meant by clean compared to us.

His strengths. He was actually honest about his mistake and during one of my referrals to my friend, I learnt that he actually told my friend that he made that mistake and there was no attempt to cover up. I spent some time going through Aldephi and he was prepared to pay me back a soundbar but I really don't like the sound. So in the end, I gave him an easy way out. Ask a professional audio-visual guy, extend the subwoofer cable using better cables and run it on the top of the skirting and to repaint the PVC trunking to match the colour of the skirting. He also offered to wall mount all the existing speakers onto the feature wall. The cost was about 250+ cos I managed to steal a glance at the invoice that was billed to him. I paid nothing. The guys were from Anson Audio in Adelphi. I paid nothing. Unlike some horror stories that you read, no pushing of blame to the owners and he admitted upfront that it was his fault. Some other owners might choose the 3k option and if really pursue, I guess he also lan lan but I thought, no point la...Since my original system isn't worth that much anyway. But it was a good buy; a simple passive all in 1 home theatre that is worth much more than what it costs. Sony N7100. Obsolete model no longer on sale in SG though.

There are still some minor defects in the carpentry side but everything else was okay. No prefect but acceptable to me. So will text him to make the necessary ratifications.

So that's it...and as said, I earn no commission. Each IDs has its pros and cons. Out of the few I reviewed, I stand by my choice that I would still recommend the first 3. I am still generally satisfied. However, he is not for everyone. Somebody looking into something more unique e.g. oriental or thematic kind of designer should go for Choice 2 or 3 in my earlier reviews instead. Happy renovating :-)

Edited May 24, 2015 by singasamurai

[banbanzz 0]

Hi,

Can pm me the name & contacts from A to F. Thanks.

[chriszen 0]

my key will been collect within 2 month later.. was sourcing around for a good IDs. Its really helpful..could you pm me the contractor from a to f? thank u

[HelloReno 1]

Please DO NOT engage Sense Ideas Design Pte Ltd ! Poor service

[aly1099 0]

Hi! thanks for sharing your experience in so much details! would you mind sharing with me the name of A to F as well as the contractor contact if possible? thanks in advance!

[yjiean 0]

Hi. Thank you for your detailed review. If you have some time, could you PM me the names of the IDs? Thank you.

[singasamurai 6]

Hi all...

I have replied to all your requests

[Sarah0206 0]

Hi,

Please assist to pm me the ID from A to F.

Thanks a lot!

Regards,

Sarah

[alleniate 1]

Hi

Don't mind can PM me all the IDs mentioned in your post here?

Many thanks!

[zzz123 0]

hi singasamurai,

do you mind pm me the list of IDs in your post? especially contact for HS Lim?

thank you very much.....