Money $$$ Not $$$ Enough Blog

[patsy_sg 1]

Hello Patsy...maybe I fall under your age group! Maybe youngster go for the in-thing for their house renovation. For me and for my age, I prefer to keep it very simple (as you can see my blog), nothing special at all. No features wall, no L box, no false ceiling. Just a nice and spacious space to move around. At the end of the day, you wont feel 'sian' when you look at your house. Maybe I am those interest die easily. That is why 'theme' is out for me. I afraid I might feel 'sian' by looking at the same features wall year after year.

hi happy, yeah.. think the older we get, the simpler we want things.

For me, I wanted a simpler pallete, so i can add my own accents wih art and interesting pieces of furniture. Plus I have the option of moving things around! I've succumbed this time though and had a tv console built coz we just couldn't figure out how to hang the tv in the living room!

which reminds me i have to update my t-blog

[Starscream 0]

It is up to the individual preferences whenever choices CAN BE made.

Let me draw an example:

A number of Honda car owners have installed body kits such as Mugen even if it makes their ride more/less looking the same as others. It does not take away any satisfaction for them to see their own rides enhanced aesthetically. They may have powerful audio systems or other gadgets to set their cars apart and remain unique, or they may even custom their body kit to be part Mugen part others.

In the same vein, houses may look generally alike but what is one expecting of HDB flats anyway. The furniture & fittings, paint colours and outlook can similarly make it otherwise. In short, houses looking the same is a matter of choice for the owners themselves and not a matter of worth because worth is subjected to a person's spending and his/her ability to afford it. Whether one spends 5k or 50k is immaterial to the context.

[h4happy 1]

If we are talking about own villas!!!! wow!!!! That is different!

It is up to the individual preferences whenever choices CAN BE made.

Let me draw an example:

A number of Honda car owners have installed body kits such as Mugen even if it makes their ride more/less looking the same as others. It does not take away any satisfaction for them to see their own rides enhanced aesthetically. They may have powerful audio systems or other gadgets to set their cars apart and remain unique, or they may even custom their body kit to be part Mugen part others.

In the same vein, houses may look generally alike but what is one expecting of HDB flats anyway. The furniture & fittings, paint colours and outlook can similarly make it otherwise. In short, houses looking the same is a matter of choice for the owners themselves and not a matter of worth because worth is subjected to a person's spending and his/her ability to afford it. Whether one spends 5k or 50k is immaterial to the context.

[MaCe 3]

The worst part on top of impractical reno, i believe - is the spending of future money which has prompt quite a number of news articles in ST.

___________________________________

Oh honey, if we didnt spend that 60k on reno 10 yrs ago - right now;

1) we would have had enough money for our kids' or our hospital/medical bills bcos our medisave is not enough to cover. * check the facts on medical *

2) we could have spend our christmas riding reindeers in sweden/switzerland. And visit the whole world in near future. *check ST classified Tour packages*

3) we could have given our kids' the best education money can buy. *$500-$1000+ for a good kindergarden*

4) we could have pull through this difficult period without the need to jump out of the beautiful window of our 60k renovated hdb cos one of us is jobless and the bills keeps piling up and there is no one to help.

5) we would not have to be declared a bankrupt and had our 60k reno house reposessed by the bank/hdb.

bla bla bla.......

50-60k is a lot of money, period.

[patsy_sg 1]

that's a harrowing thought mace...

[MaCe 3]

that's a harrowing thought mace...

it already happenned during 1997-2004....many have jump either out of the window or onto mrt tracks.

when i was working in marina sq 1998-1999, every couple of weeks big size car trailers would wait at the main road(opp oriental) while towtrucks went into the car park and drag out pretty cars and load them onto the trailers.

on housing - those days it's was popular for greedy young adults who went out of their way to buy a condo and using the rents to pay for instalments. many either end up bankrupt, condo reposessed or hdb flat reposessed or both.

what is $200 or $2000 monthly instalments when one has a job? it's nothing.

but when one is jobless? Even a $2 chup chai peng is a big problem.

[applefreak 1]

one of hubby's fren, his house is full hi tech,cctv, aircon, gas, all can control and remote from anywhere

wonder how much they spend hor....

and now i hear he want to sell his house

this one i think don't cost a lot a lot

around $5k should be able to get liao

[oda 0]

My father also advise me try not to have money burden hanging over our backs, especially in Singapore. Last time he was a boss running a machinery business but all becos of many loans, he sold his business to repay the loans and left only a little to himself. Now he's working part-time to pass his time and to earn a little allowance to himself (of cos I also got give him some allowance lah...hehe).

That's how come I also spent less than 10k for reno and pay housing loans by CPF only. Furnitures and appliances also try to get 2nd hand from relatives or friends.

During recession, not just have people jumping, also have crazy people walking around. During the last recession, saw one young guy (20+) wearing like a salesman with shirt and tie, walking alone talking to himself (definitely not using hands-free or bluetooth)...sad...

[MaCe 3]

In the same vein, houses may look generally alike but what is one expecting of HDB flats anyway. The furniture & fittings, paint colours and outlook can similarly make it otherwise. In short, houses looking the same is a matter of choice for the owners themselves and not a matter of worth because worth is subjected to a person's spending and his/her ability to afford it. Whether one spends 5k or 50k is immaterial to the context.

you are missing the points.

the purpose of engaging a ID is to give a house design that is unique and suits the taste of the owner.

no 2 house owners can have the same taste but the problem is - IDs are giving copy and paste designs to all their customers which i find NO POINT in spending $60k and have my house looking the same as everyone's house.

I have been to quite a number of housewarmings - sad to say, only 2 houses look unique(40k-$50k) and a few that looks lagi more unique($20k less), the rest all looked the same!

the lesser the owner spends on reno - the more unique his/her house is. cos the owner focus more on furnitures, furniture layout, off the shelves deco items...etc.

[yokine9a 1]

Agree with brother MaCe.

I don't usually have guests coming to my place often, so getting a sofa doesn't justify the need & cost. In the end, I bought 2 arm chairs from IKEA. With a simple coffee table in between, these 3 pieces of furniture turn my living room into a small cosy corner for TV watching.

Feel comfortable while I am at home though none of my furniture & appliance costs > $1k

[h4happy 1]

Agreed with Uncle MACE...kekekekke....my unit also have a very little reno, no features wall, no false ceiling, no L boxes (majority of the owners are having this)....my ceiling only have lights and ceiling fans. Feel airy and not feeling pressed down. Unique? I think so....kekekekeke...

Agree with brother MaCe.

I don't usually have guests coming to my place often, so getting a sofa doesn't justify the need & cost. In the end, I bought 2 arm chairs from IKEA. With a simple coffee table in between, these 3 pieces of furniture turn my living room into a small cosy corner for TV watching.

Feel comfortable while I am at home though none of my furniture & appliance costs > $1k

[Starscream 0]

Then you have not gotten the message.

Did you try to follow my example? It may not be the best but I'd try to explain.

Yes you can say IDs are now copying renovation designs, that's fine. If you find that copied designs are not good enough nor worthy, you don't have to subscribe to these IDs since they do not customise it to the owner's requirements.

Have you considered that the IDs in your description are not really IDs per se but merely IT-Savvy contractors? A true ID (which might be rare) worth his/her salt would certainly blend your house in a theme different from the rest.

However what you've mentioned about the "Money vs Returns" ~ now that is about the sense of worth which is subjective and having said about being "NO POINT" which applies to you and also like-minded individuals yet not to others. One thing I did missed was not to study that in this thread, just about everyone was in favour of saving money as the priority.

My message is simple: spend the money where you think it's worth and continue to provide good tips how to save on renovation costs, but don't indicate to others how to spend theirs by telling them what is worth or not worth, cause everyone has their own sense of value and worth.

you are missing the points.

the purpose of engaging a ID is to give a house design that is unique and suits the taste of the owner.

no 2 house owners can have the same taste but the problem is - IDs are giving copy and paste designs to all their customers which i find NO POINT in spending $60k and have my house looking the same as everyone's house.

I have been to quite a number of housewarmings - sad to say, only 2 houses look unique(40k-$50k) and a few that looks lagi more unique($20k less), the rest all looked the same!

the lesser the owner spends on reno - the more unique his/her house is. cos the owner focus more on furnitures, furniture layout, off the shelves deco items...etc.

Edited July 28, 2008 by Starscream

[MaCe 3]

Then you have not gotten the message.

Did you try to follow my example? It may not be the best but I'd try to explain.

cant compare an apple to a orange.

Yes you can say IDs are now copying renovation designs, that's fine. If you find that copied designs are not good enough nor worthy, you don't have to subscribe to these IDs since they do not customise it to the owner's requirements.

at last you got the above point correct.

Have you considered that the IDs in your description are not really IDs per se but merely IT-Savvy contractors? A true ID (which might be rare) worth his/her salt would certainly blend your house in a theme different from the rest.

this is what we are talking about here - same designs but ID's pricetag.

However what you've mentioned about the "Money vs Returns" ~ now that is about the sense of worth which is subjective and having said about being "NO POINT" which applies to you and also like-minded individuals yet not to others.

I didnt mention returns. It the feasibility issue of paying DURIANs and yet getting a monkey.

Maybe you should do a poll - and see how many house owners would want to spend $60k and had their reno looking-the-same as everyone else's house.

One thing I did missed was not to study that in this thread, just about everyone was in favour of saving money as the priority.

those rich ones would be busily spending 5-6 figures renovating their million dollar condos and multimillion dollar semi-ds/bunglows, dont think they have much time to come to this forum.

My message is simple: spend the money where you think it's worth and continue to provide good tips how to save on renovation costs, but don't indicate to others how to spend theirs by telling them what is worth or not worth, cause everyone has their own sense of value and worth.

I have already stated clearly - your money, not mine, how you spend it, thats your problem.

Nobody has the right to tell anybody HOW to spend their money and at the same time Nobody has the right to stop/reprimand anybody from laughing at several/tons of identical design HDB houses which was paid thru the nose.

Edited July 28, 2008 by MaCe

[Starscream 0]

Good. I take it as you have completed your say. Let's move on to other topics of interest.

[CutePinkElephant 0]