Some pointers to share and lessons learnt during my makeover
1. Prepare. I am always prepared before every meeting with the contractors. I have a list of things prepared to ask and discuss with the contractors…give them my specifications, and discuss whether they are workable, etc.
Then, after every meeting, I would email my requirements, that has been discussed, or some things that I have missed out , to Henry, so at least its in black and white…just in case, any dispute arises, besides, it is useful when seeking legal recourse if the need ever arises…hopefully not.
2. Dont assume their standard dimensions is equal to your expectations..eg their standard height for kitchen cabinet may not be what you expect. So do be specific if you are particular like me
3. Remember...most if not all contractors dont do metric! They still use feet and inches...carpentry work, mirrors, solid surface, etc
Try to convey your requirements directly to the contractor in charge , if it passes through many levels eg from ID to contractor to subcontractor to worker, it may get "lost in translation".
Well, mine did...c'est la vie
4. You need to have an idea of what you want, you are the one living in your home, not them, so dont let them dictate what they want for your home. Its easy for them to propose this and that to you, it may look nice at that moment, but will it be practical, costs, or can you live with it for a long time to come?
5. I have spent a lot of time planning my kitchen, poring through magazines, checking showflats, etc... believe me, there have been countless combinations of colour schemes, design, layout for my kitchen I have toyed with in my mind......
I like this one, hmm solid colours, and
this one too,
and this one also, wood laminates....alamak, how??? They all look really good....
but ultimately, had to choose only one.
( You can check out my kitchen inspirations here( will update if I see nice ones )..some are fellow forumers' ( thanks )
http://s437.photobucket.com/albums/qq96/ko...tion/?start=all
6. Kitchen planning:
Renovating a kitchen is not cheap, so plan carefully and make sure its the kitchen you want..you will be the one using it, not them.
Do consider the following, but its still up to one's preference:
a. height of kitchen cabinet...usually varies from 85cm to 90cm from floor to countertop
b. height of hood to coutertop..usually min distance of 65cm to 70cm
c. height of drawers for your cutleries and crockeries..use the internal height,...too shallow, you may not be able to put in your tall stuffs like bottles, jugs. Too deep and you have to remove stacks of plates before you can reach the bottom, or wasted space at the top.
d. soft closing mechanism...very useful, there are cheaper alternatives like MOBILE
e. depth of your countertop
f. dead corners...consider options like magic corners, pie cuts, or none at all
g. consider wide drawers for lower cabinets where possible...full extension runners are useful and practical.
h. do you need base for fridge or washer? Nowadays, not really...a fridge base will limit your choices in case of replacement.
i. visit BLUM or Hettich website for more useful tips on kitchen planning.
7. Do consider the height of your vanity top and your basin. I find the standard height of 85cm too low for comfort. After mounting the basin in my master toilet, it is at a more comfortable height to wash my face in the basin, without bending your back so much.
8. Just recently, saw wallpaper done at a friend's place. I noticed that the wallpaper was not neatly cut around the switch...not very nice,IMO.( will try to take a pic )
I think its best to dismantle the switch and mount it over so as to overlap the cut out edges , be it mirror or wallpaper, to give a nicer and neater finish.
9. Painting the cabinets/doors or repolishing your marble walls...remove any objects if possible eg door handles, shower bar, toilet paper holder, etc...so you get better results ...if they wont remove( they would just tape round it) , do it yourself.
10. Engaging your own contractors?? Yes and No.
Yes...if they are independent works from the rest eg..sliding glass door, mirrors, marble polishing
No, IMO, if you are redoing a whole place eg in my case, the kitchen, a lot of coordination needed among the subcontractors like tiler, carpentry, plasterer,plumbers, electrician...and if things dont go right, its easier for the contractor to get them back again...a lot of teamwork involved here.
11. Last but not least, you may have the best laid plans or dreams for your renovation, but you will still need someone to help transform them into reality, so take your time and choose your ID/ contractor wisely and carefully.