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trouble is... i think the delivery uncle going to kill me le.. today called him 3 times and kept changing my mind. at first he say deliver today. i said tml 3pm. then later 1 hour later called him back say 4pm - 5pm. then after tt told him to wait for the last item. if i call him tml morning and deliver, i scared he anyhow throw my things. my hubby also delivery driver.. he say if him, he will dulan one. borbi ah.. tml morning, i will act cute and call him, apologise a million times and ask him please delivery if he is free and i will bring him coffee also. haha!! hope i making right decision.. oh god.. i feel like snatching the basin and bringing back to my home and safe keep.

Just inform the carpenters and electrician and give them the dimension of the eubiq. And they will know what to do.

U can try looking at kompac plus .. Woody look kitchen top

Would like to share a purchase here An iRobot roomba 780! It's a bit noisy, but I could schedule it to work before I come home. So far so good. Check out the amount of dog hair it picked up! And I only just swept the floor late last night. This is especially good for people who keep dogs that shed lots, like mine!

ah ok..i maybe looking to them for my console..so just nice.. thanks man!

now that is really a WonderPot..! i contemplate in buying when it first came out.. perhaps i can place that in my wishlist.. back to your doors.. yeah initially i did think of Songz's suggestion abt placing doors on the outside.. but come to think of it, it may seem a little awkward if your daughter's door faces the main door.. you may not even be aware she is home already if she chooses to walk straight it.. hahaha.. nevertheless, i am sure the final layout will be just . and i hope i am not too late to say hello Songz ! and.. good luck Mike.. may the bargaining force be with you

LED strip light at the top kitchen cabinet & the eubiq:

Pm sent! Thanks! I was contemplating using black or white as it seems everyone bought black! But since I'm aiming for modern Scandinavian, I decided to try white ones. Wait for my living room pics.. 10x tracklights.......reconfiguration shpuld be done by Fri. Heeheeeheeee

Kaykay I was wondering if you would like to consider sealing the whole stretch of wall and make the 3 doors facing the right side of the wall of the living room. That way you can have a more uniform look and they did not need to pass each others room when going in or out (*Juz my 2 cents worth)

Oh this is embarassing. I forgot to draw a door for the mbr. See below for the revision. Yes, the daughter will have to enter her brother's room before exiting the room. Woohoo I have my first fan. Thanks for your support KimNaNa. Yup the breakfast counter could very well turn out to be my favourite spot at this home.. I personally have not cooked with an air fryer yet, but I have had friends who have, beside of course frying, roasted, baked a cake, steamed clams, and toasted some dried sole fish. Nuggets and fries will be a breeze though. I must say that it may very well be a "wonder pot". I am certain you can whip up lots of yummy comfort food in it. Recipes abound online.. Hmmm.. makes me wonder if I can sous vide with it.. Haha..

Thank u!! It's like rattan so yes I guess it will. Im prepared to clean weekly or so. It's just too pweety laa!

Royal Fanco is good, small but they carry a decent range of sanitary wares. Great prices and service. Owners are Henry and Lena, friendly and helpful. Tel: 6299 0543

Hi, saw this forum rather late but would like to give my penny of thought. My friend house is done by them. Feedback from him the worksmanship is good and price is reasonably cheap. what impressed him most is the boss even make a trip down to take the site measurement with him and supply him with ideas for his new flat.

Sure ! will do that once the reno kick in. Rico

Super mama! U got nice theme! Cant wait to see your progress picture Could you share with me your id contact?

Think a lot of people purchase it from Hoe Kee (Hope this helps)

Both Prolink and Aztech links that you posted, are using existing electrical cables to form a network. It's mostly for people who do not want or could not lay CAT6 cables. Since you are renovating and changing all electrical cables, might as well also lay CAT6 cables. If you later decide to lay CAT6 cables, then there will be hassle. Do it all at one shot better.

Hope you have not paid the last instalment? Hold that back till all rectification works are completed.

Choices of taobao agents If you are poor like me.. or just want to save costs.. you would shop on taobao. So to help everyone and share my limited knowledge, here are the agents that I have found out of.. If you are experienced or can read chinese, you can use forwarders. Some of these agents I have used... some I havent but have researched on. I am going to touch only on SEA shipment and those tt require agent to help them buy. 1) China Agent (YF) YF is a shortform of his name. Was intro-ed by a friend who has used his services. Language spoken: Chinese only Communication mean: QQ Based in: China Shipping rates: 550rmb/cbm or 480/cbm depending on which the frequency of his ships GST: he will assist on GST. ( dont understand pm me) Commission: 4% or capped at S$40 Rates: 4.67 is to 10rmb Transporter: Forwarder's own (can make appt to deliver) Review: YF is someone who you cannot order too many items one shot. I ordered 60 items one shot, and he got a few items wrong and has given me some white hair in the process. Abit careless and calculated wrongly on the total cost. To be fair, its not all that bad also. YF is transparent in a way whereby, he took snapshots of everything he bought so that I can see the costs black and white instead of charging me one lump sum. He tried his best to rectify the mistake he made (not without some blaming of others tho) Pros: cheap, transparent. Cons: can be careless. ordering through email, no specific format. Does not work for the forwarder. Does not have a warehouse. not able to personally check goods for you Use: Use only when ordering a few big big expensive items, when ordering, choose items that does not require customization for a pleasant shopping experience. 2) Oops.sg I knew about him from Hardwarezone. Language spoken: English Based in: China/ Singapore. Shipping rates: 550rmb/cbm GST: you have to key in the value yourself Commission: S$50/cbm Rates: 4.79 Transporter: dragonlink (deliver own time own target) Review: nearly 24 hours online. Speaks in english, and always online (skype and chat in their website), so never need to be afraid that you cant find him. Very popular in HWZ. his order format is very clear and computerized. Never had the chance to use him as his past charges were S$250 flat/cbm. Now his rates change le, most likely will use him for next shipment. Pro: Speaks English, always available, owns the warehouse (i think or at least works there), have more control on ordering process and transparent on shipping process. Cons: his nonchalent attitude about checking of the item condition. They will only check the exterior. Use : For big expensive items or items that require customization 3) Trading one Language spoken: enlgish Based in: i dunno Shipping rates: about S$ 200-250/cbm (last check) GST: will not assist Commission: 5% or 4% (depending on value. higher the value, the cheaper the rates) Rates: not sure. Transporter: dragonlink (deliver own time own target) Review: used them once. nearly drove myself crazy. Only able to communicate with them through email although they are prompt in replying. Honest. Some items on the page was cheaper than shown, they were honest enough to let me know instead of charging me what was shown. Pros: speaks english, honest Cons: expensive. 4) Alvan Language spoken: English Based in: Singapore Shipping rates: S$150/cbm GST: may not assist Commission: nil Rates: 4.7 (if i rem correctly) Transporter: nil Review: I like alvan. They are a singapore based company that assist ppl to buy items. You can show him items you like, and he wil assist you in finding them. That means you no need to have the link. Their ordering system is also either by excel or web. Up to you. Because they are in singapore, any problems, just call them. He is responsive. If you are ordering an item that has bad reviews, he'll find an alternate seller for you. or inform you that the item has bad reviews. Pro: responsive. Mostly online. Fast reply. speaks english. will advise you on things. nearly same price as Opps.sg. Cons: no delivery. Use: for big and light items that easy to carry and transport from their office. 5) Peeka Language spoken: English / Chinese Based in: Singapore Shipping rates: depends on volume. the more volume the cheaper it is. GST: does not assist Commission: 5% Rates: 4.71 Transporter: depend on item Review: I ordered from them 2 weeks ago for my fragile and lighting items. They have a warehouse in China and singapore. Ordering is simple and very straightforward. Shipping process also very straight forward. There are phone lines to call if you need help. Staff will help you translate messages from China side if required. Everything is very transparent. Pros: expensive if you order alot of items Cons: they will open up the cartons to check for damages to the items Use: best used for lighting goods or fragile glass items. 6) Amcon (thankfully contributed by OceanEleven) Language spoken: English / Chinese Based in: Singapore with few warehouses in China (Guangzhou,Shanghai etc) Shipping rates: RMB550 per cubic meter plus documentation plus GST GST: does not assist Commission: Think is 10% per item or free if you order and pay yourself but deliver to their warehouse Rates: unknown Transporter: depend on item Review: I had ordered and paid myself but items still lying in their Guangzhou warehouse. Pros: Pretty ok freight if you are ordering bulky items. Cons: They DO NOT open up the cartons to check for damages to the items Use: Best use for bulky items or consolidating numerous items before shipping So there you go. review of the agents that I have researched on and at certain points used or wanted to use. Hope this helps!!

Just wanna share something which I'm not even sure it's useful. For those who are not using piped gas or electrical cookers, your contractor and subcons are not gonna hook up the gas cylinder to your cooker hob for you. It's apparently the job of the gas company. So I called Union and they told me it was the job of my contractors'. They said their driver can "try" to do it, but "they are not professional", so don't blame them if anything goes wrong. Sounds scary right? So I asked Alan if he knows of any company which does the hooking up, and he said he will ask around for me. Then, while sitting at the bus stop waiting for a bus, I saw a gas truck go by. It belongs to one "Tan Brothers" company. So I googled them and gave them a call. Turns out their services include installation ($30), so an appointment was fixed there and then. Maybe y'all already know this. But I didn't, until yesterday.

Even though Hitachi has 4-ticks, it is still not as energy efficient as Samsung. Samsung is 450kWh for 402L Hitachi is 423kWh for 294L Samsung capacity is about 108L more than Hitachi, but the consumption is only 27kWh more than Hitachi

Went to GC at Changi Point today to purchase the following: http://www.lg.com/sg/refrigerators/lg-GR-M562GSH/technical-specifications Actually i wanted a bottom freezer, especially the only Samsung bottom freezer Bottom Freezer, RL4013UBASL due to the easy to access vegetable/fruits drawer. But then the salesman pointed out that the LG fridge is real stainless steel external and that bottom freezer may have condensation issue, it made me rethink, and since the LG fridge is at least $250 cheaper than the Samsung's, so i decided on this LG top-freezer fridge. Furthermore, it has free gift (branded chinese wok + 2 cooking utensils) http://www.lg.com/sg/washing-machines/lg-WD-1486ADP3 It was a toss-up between Samsung and LG. LG prevail due to the direct-drive which is less nosier and since its belt-less it should have lesser wear-and-tear. Separate washer and dryer machine might have its benefits (able to stack on top of each other to save space, etc). But due to budget constraint and also to save even more space, a washer/dryer was selected. 8kg washer and 4 kg dryer should be sufficient for a single or a small family or couple. Oh well, its slightly less than $1K. so decision made... http://www.lg.com/sg/microwave-ovens/lg-MJ3283BC-lightwave-oven Can microwave, conventional oven, steam and even grill. And World’s 1st Charcoal Lighting Heater. and its PWP offer price (off about $200 from the usual price). So decision made. looks nice too. and easy to use due to the turning knob. Anything bigger, then i would have to get the build-in oven. But since no need so big, this size/volume should be sufficient.

Plastering completed and stainless steel water pipe has been installed. The kitchen sink's mixer is also installed. These are the photos my ID watsapp me yesterday: Didn't realize the mixer is so tall and super-obvious. But nice.

On the topic of Hob/Hood, lots of of indecision. Initially, wanted a Induction hob (that's when i researched and learned the difference between Vitro-ceramic and real Induction) because there's no gas pipe in my flat. However, the cost of induction hob is at least twice (if not, thrice) the cost of a gas hob. But induction hob is more stylo-milo and safer than gas (heard it cooks faster with rumors of high electricity bill). So i went back and forth between gas and induction hob. But due to budget constraint, i most likely will choose a gas hob. As for gas hob, I initially wanted the reputable Rinnai RB-2CG but its ex (almost the cost of an induction hob). So i drop it and decide to get same brand hob and hood, since there's a bundle package pricing which is better than buying separate brands. So i looked at FujiOh FX900 which has rave reviews because no need for replacing carbon filter which costs at least $20, and its better oil absorption. But then i come to a vertical beam of 74cm along the kitchen wall. So i'm now thinking whether to get 60cm wide hood instead of 90cm. A research of 60cm hood narrows down to Tecno TB 68 S/S. However, I need to get a 30cm hob.. So a research on 30cm hob begun. Tecno does not have glass hob which is easier to clean, but only stainless steel which is prone to scratches. The 30cm glass hob is narrowed down to Delizia Single Burner Hob DZAG310. It uses cast iron which is stronger and more durable than Matt Enamel Coated Steel.

4. Hau Hau Parquet Our first stop in selecting our flooring was Hafary. We were interested in their water-resistant, wood-like laminate, i.e. the Berry Alloc range. We love wood for how it feels, and looks. But we’ve heard how it’s very costly – we saw the genuine wood range at Hafary and the prices were off the charts for us. Thus, it was about hunting for the best alternative. We also looked at Vinyl planks – they do have a wood-like feel! We still recall our visit to Floorrich. When we reached the entrance, we weren’t sure if the flooring was genuine wood, or Vinyl. It turned out to be Vinyl. That’s how real their planks seem to laypersons like us. After speaking to be very good Floorrich salesperson, we thought our search has ended. He quoted us $6.90 for their click-on vinyl range, which compares very well to the Hafary Berry Alloc selections. They look and feel nicer, in our view. But we were jubilant but didn’t decide on the spot as we wanted to check out another Vinyl range which cost half the price – apparently it’s from a wholesaler. There’s a funny twist to the story. We met with the wholesaler at his run-down industrial warehouse (good sign, since it probably means you aren’t paying for post showroom rentals). Sadly, his vinyl range felt and looked rather plasticky. Interestingly, vinyl was just a side business for his company – they are really in the wood business. We spied lots of wood flooring and planks in his warehouse/office and thought: if his vinyl cost half the market price, might his wood be likewise? It turned out to be true. He quoted us $6.50 for Indonesian parquet, inclusive of laying. The size is similar to what you find in HDB BTO parquet flooring. We found ourselves in a dilemma: the parquet which we love costs less than the vinyl we were all set to buy?! This opened up a totally new option for us: parquet wholesalers. We did some research and decided to visit Hau Hau parquet. We got a similar quote for the same plank size, and decided to pay a bit more for a larger plank. Here’s the breakdown: Our Indonesian teak strips are 12mm (depth) x 95mm (width) x 500-650mm (varied length). Cost psf: $4.50. Glue: $40 x 2 Delivery: $40 Optional skirting: $1.40 per foot Parquet laying: $800 for 2 bedrooms. (HDB 3 rm flat bedrooms) Hau Hau supplies the wood, and helps you engage an external party to lay the parquet. In our case, they helped us engage Mr Lee, who did a fabulous job. Even our ID was impressed. He said the planks were laid very tightly together, especially at the corners. The floor feels very even, and the finishing was gorgeous in our view. Mr Lee is a real pro. We were so happy with his work that we repeatedly offered him a tip. But he flatly refused. My mum joined in to persuade him, and they eventually had some ridiculous shoving match, i.e. she tried shoving him the money and he kept pushing off. It was hilarious, but pretty memorable. We’re very happy with Hau Hau and would recommend them. Their parquet is good, reasonably priced and their salesperson struck us as honest and knowledgeable (she wouldn’t make it as a high-performing salesperson as she’s very matter-of-factly). http://www.hauhauparquet.com/aboutus.asp We enjoy the parquet everyday… really love the feel of it and the warm and natural look. We must add that we take some care in cleaning it and avoiding serious scratches. In case you’re wondering, cats usually don’t scratch parquet. But if they run around lots, they will dig in to stop and leave scratches. Thus, it may not be a good idea to have parquet flooring in their main playing area, i.e. living room in our case.

The concept for the renovation is modern resort-scandinavian look. The living room floor tiles will be wood tiles and the 2 bedrooms will have laminate flooring. Lightings will be mixture of warm and cool-white with ceiling fans and air-con in all rooms except the kitchen & toilets (of course) The kitchen will be different. It will be industrial-grey-stainless steel look. The floor files will be grey. No kitchen wall tiles but it will be painted glossy-grey. To ensure that the kitchen does not look too dark, the kitchen cabinets will be stainless steel laminate so that it matches the stainless steel look of Samsung/LG refrigerator and also the kitchen sink/mixer. Lightings in the kitchen will be cool-white

I agree .... we knocked down the kitchen wall of our HDB, and it made a really big and spacious feeling dining / living area. In fact, the old owners came in and saw it and wished they had done it themeselves!! We love it. The only drawback is if you want to cook smelly food, then you need to install a good hood over the cooking area. We did our renovations one year ago, and our ID/contractor was great. We did whole new kitchen, bathroom, bathroom cabinets, two wall hacking, new built in wardrobes in three rooms, repainting, and new shelving, feature wall, install fans, etc for less than 20k, and used very good quality / brand name materials. PM me if you want the details. Other ways to save money would be to buy all the pieces yourself (ie hob, hood, basins, oven, lighting fixutres, etc) and just get contractor to install. Also, you can get Nippon or Dulux to paint it for you and save that cost. I you place isn't too old, you can overlay the tiles rather than hack them, and that saves cost too. Also, don't get all the anti-slam hinges etc as they are expenses. All the best and enjoy.

Can PM me the taobao link which u purchase the Philip LED downlighting? Thanks.