all info in page one 4Rm Parkedge with Ultimate Reno Newbie Guide

[rapala1982 1]

Finally to start off with my Tblog for my humble abode. Been reading up Renotalk forum for 2 years plus and bless you all for the knowledge i have gained in preparation for this renovation journey for my first flat for my family. 

It will be very basic and very simple 4Rm budget of around $30k- $35k all in with electronics, which most are self sourced to save overall cost. If you find any information useful in my Tblog, you can always drop a PM or quick reply. It will be updated periodically as renovation hasn't started so i can't grade my ID just yet as it would be favouritism and plain lying. 

It looks like replies are coming in and fortunately i manage to reserved 9 post for my Tblog thus i will cover everything in the first page of 9 post so all renovation newbies need not click click click and click like i did in the past to leech information from the forum. 

Update as of 1st week april - finally gotten my keys from hdb toa payoh.

1. remember to get your fire license and activation of your gas/electrical/water and you are good to leave the place and start off with your renovation journey.

Took some photos of the view from my unit. the following is taken from one of my bedroom room. kinda near to the building on the right..lousy design and placement. people can see my masterbedroom from their service yard.well done hdb..force me to get curtains liao..

this one is taken from my service yard. not to bad i got a semi unblock view with wind coming in..maybe my clothes will dry faster...

this is taken from my living room.one of the better views by far of all my rooms but too bad i can see puggol park pond. 

Edited July 8, 2016 by rapala1982

[rapala1982 1]

Renovation ID Selection  

Its finally time for the daunting ID selection process which really drained my life's energy through the weeks. my requirements was minimal with renovation involving flooring, master bedroom cupboard, kitchen full top and bottom both side, windows grilles, tv console, Quarts Table the rest are pretty much the basic stuff like piping, toilet accessories and electrical etc.

Newbies Guide - Try to meet up at less 5 IDs and seek different views on your desired ideas and requirements. Everytime I pick up one of two ideas from each IDs. Once you combined everything together, you are good to go for the one and only IDs which you have shortlisted and have a final quotation.  

In the end after meeting up with all the IDs, i manage to conclude my renovation and remove items like overlay toilet, false ceiling, downlights etc, yeah i actually did remove my false ceiling for downlights. not an easy choice due to the cost, i choose to get better ceiling lights.

After meeting up with a couple of IDs, you will start to understand that almost every item they place will have a profit margin like 10%-15%. You have to be very opened to the concept and speak your mind with your IDs. They need to make a living and you need to make savings so don't make too extreme comparison with other IDs to start a price war. the most important i believe is trust, transparency, rapport, details of the quotation and of cause usual market rate. 

Newbies - You HAVE to visit at least one of your ID's project! nothing beats the real thing. My id has no compliant and happy to arrange with his client - This is a fully handed over project with owners living in it.
. Try to keep it at one renovation forum for free quotation, you have no idea how many people will be calling and emailing you. emailing still can handle but the calls are crazy!

D****G Interior Design
Cheapest Quotation i have received online by far at $16000/- after their in house discount. Meet up with the ID Z and I think the ID was kinda young and inexperience but manage to get another more detailed quotation at $23000/-. So far the cheapest in doing homo tiles and cement screed i have come across. Didn't have a good feeling with the ID but still short list and may find another ID within the firm with more experience if deems fit.

I*****S Interior Design Pte Ltd
this place is freaking ulu, if you don't drive or ride, don't bother coming to this place as it is really way into private housing estate. Meet up with lady S, nice showroom and nice walkthrough with the materials etc. Sat down and had a fruitful discussion. Very friendly ID, asking about family members, childrens, requirements etc. Quotation was $30000/- and i couldn't take anything from her unless i sign her up. not very flexible thus left the place and strike her off. I think she good for huge renovation budget.

A* C****** Design Pte Ltd

Meet up with ID E 2 times and he was very persistent in his proposal, Pricing seems to be marked up high and low on some items. Makes it very deceiving to a newbie with no experience in renovation. He was always running back and forth to check with his colleagues which is kinda disturbing. in the end strike him.

Renotalk members recommendations and self source

T**** S*** Interior Design
Quite active in the forums, giving recommendation and views and ideas. decided to PM him and gotten his contact to meet him up on my renovation requirements. Very experience guy, by far a extremely detailed quotation HAND WRITTEN on a4 size paper. Everything add up to $28000/- which was on the high side but really appreciate how detailed he can be and even throw in free electical if i go beyond $30000/-. imagine a normal electrical cost around 3K 4K..it would be a huge savings. Pricey but still KIV for future reference.

R******S Interior Design

Famous ID N from renotalk so got the number from another member. Contacted and meet up with my requirements. Guess it is extremely true what most people have commented, he is blunt blunt blunt, straight to the point and yeah he does have the "huuuuh???" looks when you give him some of your requirements and ideas. His quotation was done on the spot and Total damage was around $25000/-. couldn't find the click like others do so strike him off.

U****y Interior Design Pte Ltd
Got the contact from another member, meet up with J and lots of rapport and tons of very good ideas. he had another partner sat down during the discussion and share a lot of views. The discussion lasted 1 hour plus , showing materials, projects on hand etc. Agreed to give me a quotation in a week time but no sound and sight of him, maybe my budget was kinda low. As recommended by renotalk members, if ID dont get back to you, don't bother signing

O********* Interior Design the one and only ID

Finally ID K has arrived. I did another intensive search on D****G Interior Design and manage to find some senior IDs working within the firm so decided to hook up with one which seems like a reasonable chap. Send a message and to my surprise, he just left the company and start up on his own with the support from his previous boss. meet up with him and quite a very genuine fellow with quotations and layout planned in advance. Not much hidden agenda within the quotation which i like. Flexible in ideas and my requirements as i might look into individual lobang to save cost. very understanding and very outspoken. 

Manage to visit one of his handed over project in SK. Had a nice chat with the actual owner to leech out any negative feedback during renovation and was nice to hear that everything was kinda smooth. nothing major or minor that K couldn't handle. Did a visual and physical checks on the doors and floor and cupboards and lights and toilets etc. everything seems to be in order. very tidy and very nice carpentry. Thereafter had another discussion and another review on the quotation. one thing about K is that he is very prompt..very very prompt quotation within a day and highly respectable that his message come in timely everytime. 

Did manage to meet up another 2 more round before signing on the dotted lines. in the end, i lay it out to him that i will be sourcing a lot of items on my own and he is obliged to be my ID and will do what he can to ensure everything is in order. Will still act as the middle man to my other lobangs but i did promise him to do more referral and he is more than grateful. I am pretty optimistic that he would do pretty well during renovation.

Updated Review May - very efficient fellow. almost no delays in his replies and always have something planned out after the next after next renovation. so far workmanship has not compliant whatsoever. i would highly recommend him to anyone going through renovation phase and newbie to start off with. I am not speaking highly of him but i can vouch for his experience and efficiency and flexibilities. will do a final review soon!

Quotation ended at $15000/- by my ID. the following are self source

Source own cement screed - roughly $2600+ - this is the killer quote as i couldn't wait for hdb to screed due to high waiting period. i need to move in fast.

Source own vinyl floor with skirting - roughly $4300+

Source own window grilles - roughly $1200

Source own timber classic door - roughly $1080 3 pieces

Source own aircon - roughly 2850+ system 3 3 ticks - discount $120 from MHI yeah!

Total damage was at around $27000 move in condition

$5000 - $7000 would be the rest of my items which some are given free by my parents in which i will discuss further in my Tblog. so my total cost is around 32000 - 34000 which is within my budget. just to note i did not apply for any renovation loan...everything in cold hard cash!!!

[rapala1982 1]

Following are some of my purchases for my new flat. Some have already been purchased for a year plus as i am renting a unit from HDB prior receiving my BTO. I will write up some basic reviews on the item purchased and price if i can remember. I will also provide the place and person to look for cheaper deals etc etc. 

If you realise, i decided to go for all electrical set up for my kitchen. no running of pipes no gas no nothing. every month i believe i will only see electrical bills and nothing on gas unless leaking...

Note that Hoe kee sales by the name of Qing is very very well experience and practical in her explanation. young but very patience with all the recommendation. plenty of my stuff are secured with her with additional discounts.

Sony 2013 flag ship TV 55hx955. I got it free from my from my cousin as he is upgrading his TV so yeah, just grab it before he decided otherwise. He personally send it over to my place and **** the tv is a massive and i would say if it ain't broke, i can definitely live with this sony tv. Everything is working flawlessly 

R-VG690P3MS Hitachi Fridge from HN Suntec, got it at offer around 1200 with free rice cooker. as i have mentioned, my wife loves to cook and frankly speaking there are times that it is really filled up with food. overall good fridge and very very silent.

Brandt TI607BU1. two zone hob at 16amp which is still reasonable but don't overload it. Remember that HDB is 13amp and try to get appliances at 13amp. you have the check, don't blindly listen to what the sales tells you. some european appliances using 20+amp. you will trip your home. everytime you switch it on. 

brandt oven fe1011xs, most basic of brandt range of built in oven. no catalytic no nothing advance..i am pretty prepared to do cleaning every now and then. got the budget get other range that maybe cost 2000+ for catalytic. if going for pizzas, cakes, occasionally chickens etc. this will work pretty fine. 

Samsung ecobubble washing machine WW80H5400EW/SP. my first ever front load washing machine. washes clothes really clean as what most people recommended. try to get 8 kg and above. i initially got 7kg and luckily manage to change it to 8kg with free vacuum cleaner. Got it at 899 from courts and sold the vacuum cleaner at $160 so around 739 which is quite alright.

Panasonic NN-DF383B microwave oven with grill and bake features. study a lot on microwave before i got it at $369 courts and panasonic microwave doesn't fails. works excellently and works wonder like defroze, normal microwave, bake cake, pizza, grill etc. amazing piece of machine but very hard to clean as some parts couldn't be removed. 

Blanco pleon 8 - one huge silgranite kitchen basin, main reason is easy to clean as only one huge area.

Joven 35L HE - after so much comparison with gas heater and storage heater, i decided to go for storage heater for instant hot water without waiting and without wastage of water.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industrial system 3. I will be placing a fan in my living room and due to the higher level which i am in couple with an unblocked view. i decided to skip the system 4 and save more money on other stuff. good saving with 4 ticks. got it from fellow air con group buy tim. 

Fujioh FS-700/890 made in japan and fits my specification of my length and width of my hob. i think this hood is a monster..

KDK ceiling fan R48SP. wanted a reputation brand and kdk...enough said. 48inches, small enough and powerful for a living room fan as i placing it in the middle between my lights. got it from hoe kee!

Edited May 14, 2016 by rapala1982

[rapala1982 1]

This post i will be focusing on all my purchases from Taobao..extremely easy to get hooked but nonetheless, saving are quite a plenty provided you find the cheapest deals from taobao and your freight agent is cheap. My total spending on Taobao was around $2000+ which includes tons of stainless steel, wooden items, all my Led lights, toilet accessories, kitchen accessories, miscellaneous items like rugs, hooks, tapes etc. I will try to break them down a bit to let newbies have a rough idea how much it would cost and what to get.

Almost everything can be bought from taobao but i read up on toilet vanity issues and washing basin issues of cracking etc. thus i skipped anything that is easily broken and go straight to stainless steel and wood. but one thing for sure was to try my luck on getting Led lights from taobao and cross my fingers. i have seen same LED lights that cost $20 maybe $30 at most with shipping etc from taobao as compared to $200 dollars light in singapore. savings 50%>. in the end as advised from fellow reno members. get items whereby you can get the most bang out of your bucks like 50%> savings.

Please note that  in singapore all these may have cost $4000+ at the very least. one set of stainless set cost maybe around 40+ bucks in taobao, drop by hoe kee etc and set yourself at $200-$300 per set. Please do venture and explore taobao, just don't get things that cost $400 here and $300 at taobao. 

Google 65daigou or peeka guide now! have fun. item that you should get from taobao to maximas savings.

1. shower set stainless steel
2. basin taps and kitchen faucet
3. toilet stainless steel accessories
4. LED lights
5. solid wooden planks
6. solid wood coffee tables
7. kitchen stainless steel accessories like spice rack etc etc
8. toilet mirror cabinet
9. chandelier

Following are just a few of the items which i have gotten from taobao. Been a couple of hit and misses but over still a pretty good experience. item which are a miss can be easily sold at carousell to reduce damages. Cheers.

Edited July 30, 2016 by rapala1982

[rapala1982 1]

In this post I will be covering those self ventured lobangs i can find through endless research and recommended and reviews. If you interested in getting information on any of the following feel free to PM/quick reply me.

Vinyl flooring (A***** and S*** from floorich)

I have personally tried floorich and europa which is one of the one handed over BTO which my ID brought me. I did mailed out to evorich first and again for the second time as i was interested in their HERF but never receive any replies from them. Did further search and found floorich and receive a call from sales on the next following day. Sales roughly explained to me on the material etc and recommend me to drop by their place to have a feel of it. In the end i did what was told and yeah, this sales guy is pretty experience in his field. Went through in details of their vinyl and all their accolade received. The feel was much more refine than europa. europa is kinda rough, i suppose that about the quality of a $4 per sqm vinyl. 

Windows and grilles

F****** from facebook group buy. manage to reach him via groupbuy parkedge facebook. quote me a very affordable price and excellent explanation on service yard windows and grilles and walk through all the explanation on the set up for all the rooms. show me the grilles with he will be using (another bar in the middle hollow area). all rooms and service yard 3 tracks and a more silent movement grilles groove. yeah i have seen the latest one which many have quote a higher price for it but he explained that its a gimmick. its the same price, just different set up and preference on safety(non groove) and silent(groove).

Solid Timber Classic Doors

Been searching around at siong doors and yontat doors and it seems that yontat give better offers but waiting period can be quite a stink. it is cheaper by $10 for each door and i would have save $30 for 3 doors. Nothing much to scream about but will most probably get it from siong door as there is a group buy discount. will be getting their timber door as my wife love the classic design. update...in the end no group buy discount and each door cost $360!! really expensive doors..

Swing and slide toilet door

just head down to their outlet at enous industrial and view the real products. quoted 299 for their basic series which is more than sufficient. nothing particular to find as in sales person cause price are pretty fix. Just remember that the max lenght and width is 900 by 2200..anything widther will require plenty of top up which in the end after measurement..my id didn't charge a lot for the doors and hence i leave it to him to settle it.

Mattress (I** from Tilam King)

Been using an old school queen size bed for almost 15 over years so i guess it is time for an upgrade. was searching around and kinda confuse with the tons of brands in the market and material used. Narrowed down to maxcoil, kingcoil and slumberland but before i proceed to courts i stumbled upon TK aka tilam king..**** O-biang name but got quite a number of positive reviews for the price and quality so might as well hands on before i plunged $3000 on a single bed. 

Head down to their showroom and was attended by one of their staff. Very knowledgeable and practical. Pricing is pretty amazing considered the material they use. tried out all 5 different category of beds they sell and the natural latex seems to be the one. Will be bringing my OC down to test it before purchasing from them.

Price is $1700+ for their highest tier mattress which is pretty cheap as compared to international european brands like simmons etc. savings of $1300+ so why not give it a try to support singapore brand mattress. KIV till green light from the misses.

Aircon (Tim Group Buy)

Group buy from tim, meet up with him at their humongous factory and got straight to the point as answers and questions are done via PM and whatsapp which he is pretty prompt at less a day or so. another group buy Aron was kinda slow..been three days still nothing thus the job goes to tim.

been searching online for pricing tim gave and difference by $50 odd dollars but reputation and service can't be compromised thus deposit and good to go. two trips, free upgrades etc etc which actually i know nuts but i trust his team will honour their words and do it properly. update - everything was installed without any hiccups, all in working order and totally efficient in their works. thumbs up.

Cement Screed 

Got the lobang from my vinyl laying sales manager so engaged him to help me out with my floor. I didn't want to wait for hdb as the average waiting period was around 2 months plus! i am currently staying in a rental flat from hdb costing my $1200 a month..if i delay for 3 months that would be $3600..might as well use my money and do up my real owned flat. contractor lay up to 42mm for me. luckily my unit difference is around 47mm for all areas. 

Doors - Siong Door

Head down to their showroom at Enous industrial park. Range are quite a plenty to choose from. It is actually around $10 bucks more expensive than yon tat but the delivery is fater by around 2 weeks. yon tat normal delivery is around a month. Best if you are able to get the doors under group buy and be able to save around 10% of the total price. i have yet to confirm mine but have made an appointment on the 5th may. will post again if discount stands and if it does, maybe you would have an idea on how to bargain from them based on bulk purchase.

Uni-arm door closing system

Amazing door closing system that doesn't require any physical door stopper. get it as a group buy to save $. i got mine brown black at $65 bucks. normal silver is around $50 bucks. cash on delivery and much better than what HDB gives for their irritating door closing system. After using for a month, i believe this those must have items and one of those i did not regret buying from. it is very very convenient for the family.

Edited July 30, 2016 by rapala1982

[rapala1982 1]

Finally my thread on my ongoing  renovation. It will be updated periodically based on the dates and day when i visit my unit so you will be able to see what changes have been made in the process. It kinda cool in my opioion. My ID is really amazing, since the day of drawing, the process has been pretty speedy!

21th Apr 2016 -Cement Screed!

Finally the start of the renovation with cement screed for all my living room and 3 bedrooms. high for all my area including toilets and main door and kitchen tiles difference might be around 1mm but main entrance is pretty perfect. its a common thing as the height done by hdb can varies. just take note that during cement screed, the height is leveled at 42mm for all areas. my contractor did explained on pre mix and how it is done and what would be used for mixing the compound. pretty cool information.

I manage to get a sample from my vinyl manager to test out at all areas. seems pretty alright but this would be the color i would be choosing. Cant wait till vinyl laying to be in place. 

24th Apr - Air Con Trunking!

Arrange for my air con contractor to head down to fix the air con trucnking before painting starts. Now i understand the 2 trip thing. First trip to fix the trunking and layout. Second trip to fix the air con unit etc after painting is done or at a later stage. Following shows the trucking in my 2 common rooms and my master bedroom. last one is my toilet trunking. Workmanship is flawless, very efficient and fast. highly recommended.

 

26th Apr 2016 - Doodling

Meet up with my ID, started drawing around my kitchen walls for laying out of pipes and cupboards etc. living room walls for false wall and tv console wall for location of console. toilet floor for shower ledge. Masterbedroom wall for cupboard layout. wiring location etc etc. My ID pretty pro and from what i can see, he has been doing this for a pretty long time, very detailed and fast. 

29th Apr - Painting Time and its all good.

painting was flawless, all corners covered and he did cover some lobangs which i have informed my ID about it. didnt manage to take too much photos as its pretty much 2 colors, ceiling white and walls dolphin grey. The combination was simple and straight forward. wife loves the simplicity theme and its pretty much bright bright for the whole house.

2th May - wiring and concrete base for kitchen and toilet ledge - really fast hands fast legs

My ID moves really fast and actually it amazes me. Wiring doned with my fan points, kitchen points, change of switches point etc. Concrete cement really nicely done, toilet still partially done but i am please with the whole thing as he is speeding things up a lot. workmanship is excellent, pipes are straight and everything was in place of what was requested from me.

4th May - Vinyl flooring

Flooring arrangement has been made on the 4th and i thought it would last 2 to 3 days but eventually my lobang send 4 workers and was done within a day. Totally speechless when i dropped by in the evening. it was really done and the work is really amazing. no complaints whatsoever. the vinyl flooring feels great! choose two colours, one lighter for the living room and one slightly darker for the 3 bedrooms.

5th May - Carpentry delivered!

message my ID that the floor is done on the 4th May and didn't expect so much carpentry delivered on the 5th may in my living room. all fabricated and ready to be installed when my electrical appliances arrives on friday. My ID didn't really give me a timeline or anything but i think i can pretty much trust him that my unit will most likely be done by month end.

 

8th May - Kitchen Subway tiles, toilet swing and slide, acrylic boards, and floor tiles. Not forgetting my appliances!!

More updates on my renovation. Subways tiles are up and toilet doors are up too. changed the sqaure sqaure holes of the toilet pipes covering boards to acrylic board. will looks nice once my led stripes are fixed in. toilet floor raised tiles are up too. very nicely done. no major issues. Appliances from hoe kee arrived too. guess next week will be all out renovation with my kitchen, master bedroom wardrobe and tv console. cant wait!!! hope to get everything done by month end!

End of part 1 of renovation. Please proceed to next thread for part 2!!!! yeah!!! pleased that i save a couple of post beforehand so everything can be posted in page one.

Edited May 12, 2016 by rapala1982

[rapala1982 1]

10 May - Carpentry up for everywhere!!!

dropped by after work and it was super late and super dark as my house was not wired up with any lightings yet. not even any plugged in lights. in the end used my phone flash light to guide me around the house and **** i am surprise again with the works but photos are kinda dark. the progress is really amazing.

12th May 2016

Dropped by as it was my day off and also to dropped off some items which i have bought to prepare for plumbing and also the final touch of lightings and electrical. seems like everything was done up and good to go. right now only left with the quartz top lightings, plumbing, electrical, toilet accessories and basin, etc, just within 2 weeks span and almost 60%-70% completed. please with the result.

14th May - moving all my taobao or any other purchases to my new place. as my ID is working super fast till the extend that i couldnt keep up. me myself have to pick up with the pace. borrowed a van from my friend and started loading all my stuff and bringing it over. hope i can secure the dates for electrical and plumping to be done next week. last week to clean up a bit here and there and i am good to get a moving company to bring my heavy stuff over.

18th may - works has slowed down a bit but actually it is partially my fault..still purchasing my lights and my toilet accessories...i know it is rare to all but yeah...my id asked me to hurry up!! table has turned. updates from my id, the kitchen table quartz top has been installed. will take a better look this friday when i have my time off. he did whatsapp to me which is nice.

19th May - lightings were done up with no issues with the lights i have gotten from taobao!!! lucky me very very lucky me as i only bought the exact amount of lights needed for the house. big savings and the led are pretty bright. just need one more trip to solve 2 lightings points which i intend to fix dimmers switches. did fix up my tv wall mount brackets too!

20th May - today went to check on the rest of my items for plumping and electrical items and surprise to see that my lattice kitchen door is fixed! i have yet to stress test all my carpentry doors. guess i will do it through the weekends.

today is also the appointment for my aircon to be installed and **** they are late by an hour!! but lucky they still arrived and fix it within an hour. no chit chat no nonsense, purely work or maybe because they were late..nonetheless everything is in working condition. i also made an appointment to fix all my phone to data ports with bto networking. fast and efficient. photos as follows!!

 

21th May - DIY with legrand millia switches, freaking hot and sweaty day. managed to fix up close to 90% of the switches less tv console and kitchen appliances and please don't try this at home if your are not confident.....i have zero experience. i took out one socket board and play around with it and slowly fixed up one by one till the whole house was done up...pretty cool but if i got another chance i would have used schnider electric..legrand millia housing is quite flimsy but i guess its cheap..cost me around $150 plus plus...each one of it electrician cost is $15 bucks..i manage to save around $400...

23th May - window grilles by parkedge group buy is up and running. its those groove type window grilles and middle with a panel for extra support type. took the contractors around 2 hours to fix it up. pretty meticulous, no hip ups or whatsoever. wanted to go buy drinks for them but the provisional shop just closed down so bo bian, just let them do their job slow and steady. remember to check the screws, slides and if it is shaky etc before paying them off. all in order and paid!

24th May -  soon seng house movers, meet up with the sales representive at my place and did a quotation on the spot. quote me the following at $450/-, fridge, washing machine, wardrobe big, wardrobe small, dining table, coffee table, sofa, study table, 20 boxes of whatever i want to put inside, 2 standing fans, 55inch tv, dressing table. all my items are pile wood and solid wood. i was shock on the fixed price with no gst what so ever. paid $100 deposit and $350 after completion. pretty good deal and their names has pop up a couple of times in renotalk so its a pretty save bet.

26th May - plumbing time!! one of the last few renovation on the list. after completion of plumbing, i would say my place is 90% completed. only left with paint touch up, kitchen power sockets, finally house general cleaning and i am good to move in to my new place! pretty fast and efficient. make sure you have to be at home during plumbing! it is very very important to tell them the location of your items suppose to be. i think the only thing i hate is the ikea cupboard which my wife loves..its really horrible and i presume it will last 6 months till mould kicks in etc etc..the basin drain is tiny! well its a wife thingy...

27th May - settling of all electrical sockets switches, fix up air con, fan controller housing. i just love the lighting switches connected to all the 3 cooking appliances oven, hob and hood. good job to the electrician. pretty much everything is done and only left with paint touch up and handover by 30th May!!! so far the electricians are pretty ok, no issues with them. those lobang will be covered up by painters touch up!!

28th May- last cleaning services by my ID's cleaning services. well not much photos to show other than everything is cleaned up like floors, toilet, kitchen, rooms, wardrobes etc etc. everything looks very tidy and clean but my ID told me that it will be inevitable that the place will still be dirty when my barang barang moves over and renovation from other units. just need to bare with it and clean it up after unpacking constainly.

30th May - handover of my unit by my ID and fixing of my doors by siong doors. ID came early in the morning to check check everything in order, so far nothing much highlighted by me other than some floor stains which he taught me to use thinner to remove it and it works! paid him the final 10% and chit chat a bit before he finally left and promise me that workmanship issues or any other issues, just drop him a message and no worries about after service. thumbs up. Siong door came thereafter and fix up my wife's favourite and expensive timber doors and painted white. looks good in the end product so close one eye on the price.

31st May - transport company by SSTS MOVERS. i would highly recommend them, they got like 5 workers moving all my barang barang from 0900hrs on the dot till 1200 hours. total cost at $450 net, no additionals and no hidden charges. very professional..wrap up my stuff, dismantle my wardrobe and fix it back when move over to the new place. guys are moving fast and efficient with minimal talks etc etc. all my items include fridge, washing machine, big wardrobe, dressing table, dining table, 20 boxes of whatever which i even packed my detergents, sofa, fans, 2 tv, one coffee table etc.

1st June -  officially handed over my keys to HDB and will be awaiting for my final deposit to be duly returned to me asap! yeah i have finally completed my renovation journey. next updates will be moved over photos and any other issues raise and found during staying at my new place!!!

Edited June 29, 2016 by rapala1982

[rapala1982 1]

Guess this is the final thread which i have saved since the beginning of my tblog. thank you very much for your interest and i hope all my information have made plenty of new home users much more affluent on how home renovation would ensue. following are photos of my moved in state. will update further and add in some comments if i have time. cheers everyone!!!

update as of 30 Jul - fellow pointers are moving in observation and future improvements.

1. Swing and Slide doors, very nice and appealing but the door is too fragile for children at home..my 2 year old daughter can push it open easily and enter the toilet and unfortunately drench herself big time.. the door can be push from the bottom corner which is not secured which may break it in due course. the locking system from outside is a flop too as it is made in plastic. fingers cross in how long it would last and wish i could have gotten aluminium bi fold..ugly but durable..

2. try not to get floating platform if there are children at home. best you like floating, make sure there is a false tv console backing..my console silicon is breaking up and possible slanting..heart pain..waste of money..might as well buy off the shelves tv console.

3. please do not have any swing open cupboard doors swinging downwards. my tv console cupboards swing downwards and after gravity starts working..it becomes loose. so make sure it opens sideways or upwards. period!!!

Edited August 6, 2016 by rapala1982

[owlNbear 2]

On 22/02/2016 at 5:23 PM, rapala1982 said:

This post i will be focusing on all my purchases from Taobao..extremely easy to get hooked but nonetheless, saving are quite a plenty provided you find the cheapest deals from taobao and your freight agent. My total spending on Taobao was around $1500 which includes tons of stainless steel, wooden items, all my lights, toilet accessories, kitchen accessories, miscellaneous items like rugs etc. I will try to break them down a bit to let newbies have a rough idea how much it would cost.

Almost everything can be bought from taobao but i read up on toilet vanity issues and washing basin issues of cracking etc. thus i skipped anything that is easily broken and go straight to stainless steel and wood. but one thing for sure was to try my luck on getting lights from taobao and cross my fingers. i have seen same LED lights that cost $20 maybe $30 at most with shipping etc from taobao as compared to $200 dollars light in singapore. savings 50%>. in the end as advised from fellow reno members. get items whereby you can get the most bang out of your bucks like 50%> savings.

After reading up plenty of threads, i have gather some useful thread as follows

http://noobhomeowner.blogspot.sg/2013/04/words-of-wisdom-from-renotalk.html

to be continued....

Thanks for the tips! Most of them made me either nod in agreement or breathe with a sigh of relief. A few are worrying haha but still, good to know. And wow 2013, you really have been researching for 2 years! Kudos! 

[rapala1982 1]

35 minutes ago, owlNbear said:

Thanks for the tips! Most of them made me either nod in agreement or breathe with a sigh of relief. A few are worrying haha but still, good to know. And wow 2013, you really have been researching for 2 years! Kudos! 

You are most welcome owlbear. I will try to share as much as i have gathered throughout my preparation, during preparation and the end of preparation. Please stay tuned!

[OceanEleven 203]

On 2/22/2016 at 5:23 PM, rapala1982 said:

Almost everything can be bought from taobao but i read up on toilet vanity issues and washing basin issues of cracking etc. thus i skipped anything that is easily broken and go straight to stainless steel and wood. but one thing for sure was to try my luck on getting lights from taobao and cross my fingers. i have seen same LED lights that cost $20 maybe $30 at most with shipping etc from taobao as compared to $200 dollars light in singapore. savings 50%>. in the end as advised from fellow reno members. get items whereby you can get the most bang out of your bucks like 50%> savings.

 

TB is indeed a good avenue for many things. Personally did 5m3 worth of import already, some are shared.

Especially for lighting in Tmall, guess nowhere else can matched the price.

My ID specifically told me, the lighting I’ve got, he saw it selling at SGD400 a pop.

I settled at 3 for approx.. SGD130.

 

As for ceramic basins, I think cracking issues mainly due to transport. I got 1 from Tmall and still going strong. The shower sets, sinks, bidets etc and still good, with no rust issue, let alone quality issues. Overall am happy with all.

 

Had 2 study tables 1.5m long and 6 drawer unit (industrial look), solid wood with metal frames for SGD 1.5k. With the same price, barely can get a study table in Sing.

[rapala1982 1]

27 minutes ago, OceanEleven said:

 

TB is indeed a good avenue for many things. Personally did 5m3 worth of import already, some are shared.

 

Especially for lighting in Tmall, guess nowhere else can matched the price.

 

My ID specifically told me, the lighting I’ve got, he saw it selling at SGD400 a pop.

 

I settled at 3 for approx.. SGD130.

 

 

 

As for ceramic basins, I think cracking issues mainly due to transport. I got 1 from Tmall and still going strong. The shower sets, sinks, bidets etc and still good, with no rust issue, let alone quality issues. Overall am happy with all.

 

 

 

Had 2 study tables 1.5m long and 6 drawer unit (industrial look), solid wood with metal frames for SGD 1.5k. With the same price, barely can get a study table in Sing.

 

true enough true enough oceaneleven, lightings, kitchen accessories, dining tables, chairs etc are really dirt cheap. The only thing is risk, so best for newbies is to try a couple of items first before you plunge in and buy everything. Always remember heavy items sea, light items air and recommended agents are 65daigou and peeka.

Google - 65daigou guide or peeka guide and you are good to go!

[Polkadots08 1]

On 2/22/2016 at 5:21 PM, rapala1982 said:

Finally its time for my turn to start off with my Tblog for my humble abode. Been reading up Renotalk forum for 2 years plus and bless you all for the knowledge i have gained in preparation for this renovation journey for my first flat.

It will be very basic and very simple 4Rm budget of around $30k- $35k all in with electronics, which most are self sourced to save cost. If you find any information useful in my Tblog, you can always drop a PM or quick reply. It will be updated periodically as renovation hasn't started so i can't grade my ID just yet as it would be favouritism.

It looks like replies are coming in and fortunately i manage to reserved 9 post for my Tblog thus i will cover everything in 9 post so newbies need not click click click and click like i did in the past to leech information.

Can i check what BTO project you are in?

 

[rapala1982 1]

10 minutes ago, Polkadots08 said:

Can i check what BTO project you are in?

 

hougang parkedge.

[Polkadots08 1]

Sorry just ignore me. i just saw your subject saying parkedge