elizabethhh 0 Report post Posted July 15, 2016 Hi, I will be getting the keys to my 5 room BTO flat at the end of the month. My husband's colleague introduced her husband whom she said is dabbling in interior designing together with a partner. Her husband is still working in his current job so interior designing is not really his full time job yet. But she reaffirm us that he is planning to switch job soon or something. Since tiles, doors & sanitary fittings are already inclusive & I'm planning to have something simple, I didn't mind discussing and see what he has to offer. I received his quotation with the ID company name header. However, i did a google search & it does not have a business registration no. nor any articles on interior design. Nothing shows up. Does that mean I am going to be their first customer? Even the address given was registered under a different company name (should be his friend) in the marine industry. They have no company website nor even a facebook page. I don't even get to see any pictures of past projects. Pictures he showed me were taken from Pinterest/Google. Kitchen cabinets, shoe cabinet, platform bed & wardrobes which he has stated in his quotation does not include any measurements and seemed very vague. I have seen other ID's quotes on kitchen cabinets providing details like measurements/abs trimming/anti slam, etc. However for mine it's just stated "To install top/bottom kitchen cabinet". I wanted see-through glass for my top cabinets but it's not stated in the quotation either. Will all these be under hidden costs? When I asked him about it he just said everything included no additional charges. Even for platform bed there are no measurements either. Platform for a king size bed with laminated finish cost $4,000.00. Is it reasonable??? For the shower screen, I confirmed with him that it has to be tempered glass, but on the quotation it's just "To install glass panel shower screen with swing door". No mention of shower kerb. Other quotations I get provided me with details like "length", "tempered glass", "stainless steel handle swing door", shower kerb. I also wanted a glass cabinet to display my bags & shoes as discussed during my 1st meeting with him. After several meetings, he still has not come up with a 3D drawing or design on how he's going to do it but kept showing me pictures from Pinterest and said it will look something like that?! No mention of any material to be used as well. He seems forgetful as well and included several things which I already told him again & again that I did not want. Can this ID be trusted? In the event if anything bad happens, I don't think the relevant authorities can pursue the matter as they will not be held responsible because the address on that quotation belongs to a marine company, not an ID firm. What are the consequences if I go ahead with this ID? I've also heard about the HDB Registered Renovation Contractors Scheme. Will I get penalised if anything happens? I can't even confirm if his contractors are reliable since I don't think he has any customers before me since the address doesn't match nor is he able to provide me with pictures of past projects? Am I going to be a guinea pig and will he let future customers enter my house during renovation period? Please help to advise. Thank you! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
upthetoon 1 Report post Posted July 15, 2016 You are so worried. Even if you take you will worry more than enjoy the process. So yes. Skip. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bunnybluey 2 Report post Posted July 17, 2016 I would advise to skip, especially is someone whom you know. It's hard to chase after people and be hard on them if you know them personally, unless you're very confident that they would do a good job for you. Afterall, it's your house, your money, so choose wisely. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kangeroo168 10 Report post Posted July 18, 2016 yes, please skip. u also dont want your husband relationship with their friend turn sour, should anything happens to ur home? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pyjamasgirl 1 Report post Posted July 19, 2016 yes yes pls skip yes platform won't be $4000. obvious treating you as a big carrot head to chop. dont be afraid to reject even if friends friends when u find it uncomfortable. too many news report on no license firm or contractors run road or unfinished jobs never a FT ID how to trust his design n coordination skills. not easy to handle 10 over different a sets of suppliers. I am also under going reno works now. I c my ID handling diff sets of people n work scope at once n I know it's not easy feat Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nerrad 7 Report post Posted July 19, 2016 ambiguous quotation is a big turn off. it's sloppy to not even mention the type of glass in one's quotation. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kakipo 1 Report post Posted July 20, 2016 They could be starting out, but they shouldn't be not professional at all. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gideon 0 Report post Posted July 21, 2016 To be honest, don't ever go for an ID. This is how most of the ID drive big cars. By chopping innocent carrot head Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kakipo 0 Report post Posted July 23, 2016 No business registration number, quite unprofesssional... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites