My exciting journey to owning and designing a flat

[Yplailai 4]

On 23/05/2017 at 2:10 PM, d3n said:

your BTO in Jurong West? layout looks similar to ours.

Hehe.. I have figured it out now you mentioned. See ya around

[vxnne 2]

9 hours ago, Yplailai said:

Hi... I think ours is auto approved. Don't remember getting any 2nd letter of HLE. But we did get some sort of letter from HDB one month prior to getting keys. 

I see. so about 1 month after you get the HLE . you collected your keys already ~ 

[BudgetLP 1]

18 hours ago, Yplailai said:

Hi... I think ours is auto approved. Don't remember getting any 2nd letter of HLE. But we did get some sort of letter from HDB one month prior to getting keys. 

Can i ask what will happen if the 1st HLE is insufficient (even if taking cpf into account) and our income currently exceeds the ceiling before the bto is ready? 

Will we be (1) asked to take a bank loan and pay 20% down payment (2) be granted the insufficient 1st HLE (3) be able to reassess the HLE quantum using our new income? 

Thank you! 

 

[Yplailai 4]

2 hours ago, BudgetLP said:

Can i ask what will happen if the 1st HLE is insufficient (even if taking cpf into account) and our income currently exceeds the ceiling before the bto is ready? 

Will we be (1) asked to take a bank loan and pay 20% down payment (2) be granted the insufficient 1st HLE (3) be able to reassess the HLE quantum using our new income? 

Thank you! 

 

I have no idea too, the best is to call up hdb for accurate advice. Sorry about it.

[vxnne 2]

15 hours ago, BudgetLP said:

Can i ask what will happen if the 1st HLE is insufficient (even if taking cpf into account) and our income currently exceeds the ceiling before the bto is ready? 

Will we be (1) asked to take a bank loan and pay 20% down payment (2) be granted the insufficient 1st HLE (3) be able to reassess the HLE quantum using our new income? 

Thank you! 

 

If the loan is insufficient in the 1st HLE. it's ok. cause there is a 2nd round of HLE that they will re-access your income for the HLE. if the auto approved amount cannot cover the flat cost after deducting u & ur partner's CPF OA account. you then can ask for a HLE review..  If ur income exceed the ceiling only after you applied for the flat. Then it's ok..

 

[Yplailai 4]

And it gets more busy and confusing

initally we scheduled for contractor to come in for final measurements on 21may, so that work may start. End up contractor got a tyre puncture on route and have to reschedule to 1st june, which means project delay by a week. 

Song cho also called me to say my kitchen is set to arrive mid june, and he needs my base to be up. Erm.... i havent even got my hood yet. End up last min i got a techno from harvey norman for $350+$95 for added warranty. Having buy so many added warranties in my life, and my purchases lifespan outlast all the warranty makes me highly doubtful it is a value added purchase. However, becoz it is a slim hood and concealed by box up, i start to worry about ease of replacement and thought it'll be easier to get the warranty than worry about it for the next 5 years.

We have also settled the lighting part, much as i would love to go into JB and get everything at 3 times cheaper, the logistics just couldn't make the cut. No car and unfamiliar with the route. So we paid like 3399 for lightings for the whole house (3 fans with light $1500) vs my friend who got lightings + toilet accessories and including sink and rainshower for like SGD $2000. And her whole house is full of spot light, +2 crystal lights vs us, no false ceiling and we have like 6 exposed lightbulb with holders. As the days went by and we are still taking baby steps make me anxious and just want to confirm my lightings because that needs to go up first. 

Next, contractor will liase with the window grill guy and settle window grills, yard sliding windows, change kitchen lourve window to single fixed panel, one heavy duty kitchen door and 2 toilet doors. I liked the lourve toilet designs seen on another blogger's blog, but it costs like $399 per door! Omg.. much as we would love to choose the prettier option, sometimes the only choice is between which is the more important item. 

On the previous post i was still talking about sink or no sink in service yard. It is final that there will be no sink, becoz of the problems that will come up in future. For a sink to be there, there must be inlet (water supply) and outlet (drainage) which either share with washing machine or hack a hole and drain in common toilet. If share with washing machine, the pvc pipes will need to make a few right angle turns and in time to come may collect dust and debris at the right angles and hinder output. Worse, the debris choke up the drain and i will have the pleasure of a jolly good time facing bubbles from that hole. If i drill a hole in the wall, first it is illegal. If kena caught by hdb, i have to face penalty of $5000 which by the way, is the price of the antique sofa i was eyeing. 2ndly, i wouldn't dream of drilling that hole, because my mum's house has that hole which is **** ugly, and it become a playground for roaches to travel conveniently between two rooms. 

Finally, to realise my dream of a hotel like bathroom, we decided to overlay the MBR toilet and hope the $$ damage wouldn't be too bad. Work is shall be commencing on monday and we are arranging for deliveries and electrician meeting tomorrow. 

Will be able to start posting photos on my next post alr

 

 

[Yplailai 4]

And it gets more busy and confusing

initally we scheduled for contractor to come in for final measurements on 21may, so that work may start. End up contractor got a tyre puncture on route and have to reschedule to 1st june, which means project delay by a week. 

Song cho also called me to say my kitchen is set to arrive mid june, and he needs my base to be up. Erm.... i havent even got my hood yet. End up last min i got a techno from harvey norman for $350+$95 for added warranty. Having buy so many added warranties in my life, and my purchases lifespan outlast all the warranty makes me highly doubtful it is a value added purchase. However, becoz it is a slim hood and concealed by box up, i start to worry about ease of replacement and thought it'll be easier to get the warranty than worry about it for the next 5 years.

We have also settled the lighting part, much as i would love to go into JB and get everything at 3 times cheaper, the logistics just couldn't make the cut. No car and unfamiliar with the route. So we paid like 3399 for lightings for the whole house (3 fans with light $1500) vs my friend who got lightings + toilet accessories and including sink and rainshower for like SGD $2000. And her whole house is full of spot light, +2 crystal lights vs us, no false ceiling and we have like 6 exposed lightbulb with holders. As the days went by and we are still taking baby steps make me anxious and just want to confirm my lightings because that needs to go up first. 

Next, contractor will liase with the window grill guy and settle window grills, yard sliding windows, change kitchen lourve window to single fixed panel, one heavy duty kitchen door and 2 toilet doors. I liked the lourve toilet designs seen on another blogger's blog, but it costs like $399 per door! Omg.. much as we would love to choose the prettier option, sometimes the only choice is between which is the more important item. 

On the previous post i was still talking about sink or no sink in service yard. It is final that there will be no sink, becoz of the problems that will come up in future. For a sink to be there, there must be inlet (water supply) and outlet (drainage) which either share with washing machine or hack a hole and drain in common toilet. If share with washing machine, the pvc pipes will need to make a few right angle turns and in time to come may collect dust and debris at the right angles and hinder output. Worse, the debris choke up the drain and i will have the pleasure of a jolly good time facing bubbles from that hole. If i drill a hole in the wall, first it is illegal. If kena caught by hdb, i have to face penalty of $5000 which by the way, is the price of the antique sofa i was eyeing. 2ndly, i wouldn't dream of drilling that hole, because my mum's house has that hole which is **** ugly, and it become a playground for roaches to travel conveniently between two rooms. 

Finally, to realise my dream of a hotel like bathroom, we decided to overlay the MBR toilet and hope the $$ damage wouldn't be too bad. Work is shall be commencing on monday and we are arranging for deliveries and electrician meeting tomorrow. 

Will be able to start posting photos on my next post alr

 

 

[Yplailai 4]

I remember very clearly in 2013 upon invitation to flat selection our elation and excitement. I told the HDB officer we didnt want any skirting at all (because i dont like anything wood on the floor)

so when we visited a close friend's house, and saw how skirting completes the look of their flat. I was literally stabbing myself inside coz i opted out of the skirting. 

Fast forward to key collection, and door opening, i was like HENG ah!!! Got skirting despite us opting out of it. 

Then after hearing about some issues that come with skirting, like when mop floor, water may kena and rot the wood over time, i think, suay ah!!! Why install that skirting. Now we gotta fork out money to replace it with tiles. 

This is a one time pain thing, because once my carpentry is up, i want to replace also cannot. Glad that we decided to opt for tile skirting, coz i feel hdb skirting is really lousy and uneven .

so happy to see it off the wall. And our toilet tiles are up, looking very nice. Glad that i insisted on marbles tile.

today water storage heater installation also up. Other than that, nothing much already.

 

We chose the smallest capacity storage heater at 40L and the tank is massive! Once up on the wall, our toilet size shrank to look like a tiny cubicle. However, no regrets because 

 

sidetrack story

we welcomed our bundle of joy in early 2016 and you know how confinment rules say, no bathing, no washing of hands, no fan. 

And being OCD, after every toilet visit i must wash my hands with soap and water. And to me, being half believer whether or not the old folk's "pain" will strike or not, i decided to take the short cut and wash with normal tap water only. 

And, it's really no joke, both hands feel so numb and cold, like i have been holding onto ice for hours, the biting sting of cold that is on my palms. After which, i on my instant heater to max heat whenever i wash my hands and feel slightly better. Till now, sometimes my hands somehow have a memory effect, still feel the sting and numb occasionally. Opps..

so, i thought a storage heater will give access to hot water from the basin tap when i need it, without having to mess  with the shower. Cannot have everything, want bigger bathroom or convenience? 

 

Edited June 7, 2017 by Yplailai

[Yplailai 4]

first headache

having heard from friends abt how headache it is to liase with IDs or contractors and get them to fix stuffs / rectify problems. And how initally sales talk everything can and actual work everything cannot. I didnt think it could happen to me too.

somehow, as the days roll by and the flat left vacant, my service yard kena alot of lizard ****, decorating the half wall on which my yard window tracks would sit on. 

Having a guts feel the window guy would act blur and just dump the track on, I watsapped him to remind him to get his guys to clean off first before installation. 

He voice messaged me so fast to say there is no such service. OMG. Boiling inside already. There are so many ways to tell a story nicely. He could have said he isn't confident his staff could get it cleaned up to my standards. Of coz i would definitely consider cleaning it myself up to my standards. Not happy already inside.

haven't even start work already confidence shattered. 

All these nonsense makes me feel like one of those difficult demanding customers. But is making standard requests also deemed as demanding? Like if i go buy hp screen, and request staff to apply it on for me, don't tell me it is acceptable to pass my hp back to me to clean surface first before they start work. 

Edited: we are both talking about different things altogether. I was talking about the **** sitting on the surface where the track will sit, and he is imagining my whole service yard is covered with lizard waste and me asking him to clean up the whole yard *face palm* where got so unreasonable one? I just wanted a smooth surface to endure the track sits properly and securely (not too demanding right?) 

the problem with contractors is they don't bother to explain themselves. I tried to clarify and ask directly if dirt or no dirt just put the tracks on? And he just gave me a yes -.-!! Who wouldn't fume at such a reply? 

Anyway, my yard windows are professionally installed, and we are happy with it.

 

Edited June 23, 2017 by Yplailai

[matchalatte 16]

totally understand how you feel. many times the other party's response will make or break a deal. just like there was this potential contractor i shortlisted. i asked him to meet up a second time due to some changes i had and also to finalize some details. i even had the deposit ready. he was soooo reluctant to meet and his face was black the whole time and kept asking why we had to meet, why not just use whatsapp or email. he didnt know i actually wanted to confirm him. his attitude was so shocking and im glad i didnt give him my project. and i wonder how many businesses these people actually missed just because of their attitude. 

[Yplailai 4]

@Machalat yes, agree on the part many salesman are quite myopic and prefer to close their own doors on businesses delivered to doorstep. Just keep my fingers crossed and pray for better luck

[Yplailai 4]

Today sent hubby down to meet up with electrician to final confirm on our electrical needs. 

When i was there last week, it seems like work come to a stop because carpentry not here and waiting for toilet tiles to dry.

was pleasantly surprised to find that progress is quite consistent and looks neat. Shall highly recommend my contractor when everything is completed if all goes well.

photos lightly adjusted for even brightness, colour trueness maintained to best ability (i am not expert in adjusting/photo taking)

 

Happy that the base is taking shape  song cho said cabinets will come in mid july (keep changing between mid june/july, confused)

highly recommend david's (songcho) service. Patient and professional and important he knows his work really well. One big plus point for him, he can maintain composure and professionalism even under pressure. 

Kudos to my dear hubby for painting the common bathroom door frame so neatly. I had requested contractor to help, but he need to charge $55 per door. My singapore brand paint only cost $15, labour is FOC and saved ourselves $275. Happy max.

Edited June 10, 2017 by Yplailai

[Yplailai 4]

Lock advice

from start of defects rectification with bsc until now (start to midst of reno) we were told to get a lock (number lock or padlock) just for the gate. I've considered the advantages of number lock, but when i tried to buy one from those "barang barang" shops, those available are those thin ones for luggage. One look at it you'll know it's too filmsy and offers weak security. If depend on it, i think i might as well choose to leave my door wide open.

so i got a thick and sturdy yale padlock and left the key with bsc.. all went well until reno took over. And i was advised to get a number lock because of the difficulty in passing keys around different workers working on different days.

therefore I needed to get a number lock, had a hard time running all over the place before i found this thick, secure and affordable yale number lock combination.

 

End up contractor say some of their "uncle" workers dont know how to use my very secure number lock. -.-!! And they produced one of their own number lock.

moral of the story, just check with your ID/contractor if they have their own to loan you to avoid getting stuck with 2 locks.

More updates

Contractor told us last night my cabinets are ready for installation today!?!?!?!

and I haven't do electrical works, aircon, windows and painting yet. That's the troublesome part about doing coordination by ourselves. 

Because contractor's officr have no space to store our cabinets, all are parking nicely at my house now. Raw and loose pieces. Looks ugly and raw by itself and makes me wonder if the actual product will look off and funny or not? 

According to hubby, the altar looks huge and grand.. and me, looking at the photos, i can hardly stretch my imagination to visualise. I just hope we wont regret our choice. 

This is our breakfast counter corner. Good for early morning or late night maggie mee cooking, no need to balance hot bowl of maggie to dining hall. 

Some storage for us beside the breakfast counter. I hope the measurements balance up nicely, keeping fingers very crossed.

Wardrobe looking all funny. Not so sure about this 6ft wardrobe will meet my clothing demands. To be honest, this configuration will need some getting used to

Edited June 11, 2017 by Yplailai

[sunnyscandi 1]

Lol! You should just get those number bicycle lock.

[Yplailai 4]

@sunnyscandi haha.. learnt lesson the hard way