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how much do you pay for yours, bulaien?

I am just like many people, doing all sorts of research works before engaging a Renovation company for our renovation. From price to quality , these are very taxing. I am a silent reader in this forum since mid 2013, indeed this forum is the best of the best gathering infos people shared here. I also realized, there are many competitors inhere, so some are here for self promotion and some are here to comment on their competitors. I really gain a lot of knowledge in here, now is time for me to share. From searching an housing agent to my renovation finish. I will not comment on the products, shops, person and renovation work now as all these are still on going, but I have input the searching and purchasing part. Here are some tips to share, starting from a housing agent. This is just a resale 3 room, but I really want it to progress smoothly..................... so I started searching for the area I had in my mind. This way it will be easier and faster getting your desire flat. If you have many areas in mind, it will take slightly longer. For my case, I took only 4 days to purchased an unit. Please note, chose an agent who is driving. Why I said this? Try getting an agent to serve you, whatever unit you shortlisted or if the agent is hardworking enough, he/she will do the homework for you. Tell the agent what you looking for, when all are sorted out, let this agent drive you around to view all the units. I am very lucky to have this agent serving me, and very clear cut, I bought from her. Patient and hardworking is her reward and yes, she is driving. After the paper signed, basically you have 6weeks ( 1st appt ) + 6weeks ( 2nd appt )to search for a renovation company, many people use the Renotalk portal and after submitting, you will get dozens and dozens of emails and calls. From my experience, do not meet more than 5 IDs approaching you, you will get very confuse in the end. Try to contact them by emails, phones and shortlist about 5 to meet personally. See how the proposals are. This part is really taxing. I will not write anything about my ID first, because Reno is on going and I will try to update here day by day. When you had sort out who to engaged, another hectic part will be, buying things for your new house, Lighting, Furniture, Appliances blah blah........ This needs a lot of research. I read a lot here, came across a Blog a friend bought many many items from Tao Bao, at that time, I tell myself, he/she must be crazy......... But when I did my own shopping comparing products and prices, I gave that forummer a thumb up by using Tao Bao. Just said my lighting, I bought a numbers of hanging crystal pendants. I shop around in Singapore lighting house, comparing apple to apple. But the items I found is ridiculously expensive. Let's say it this way, 85% of lighting in Singapore come from China, many people do not want to involve in on line shopping is the troublesome of handling the after sales........ I am one of them. You might think, How if the items don't arrive, how if the items arrive damage, how if this how if that. If that is the case, I will say, buy it in Singapore shop paying at least 3-5 times more than you shop yourself online. For example, I saw a Crystal hanging dining table light in Singapore which offer me $880. I bought it online, EXACTLY the same light ........... for........... $220 includes shipping. Somehow, the risk is still there buying on line, this is just my call, you can always have your decision. I will update my Reno day by day. Recommend the good and Comments the bad. The Kai Meng ( OPEN DOOR ) ritual had perform, now waiting for the Reno to start in days time........... This is the 3D my Id propose and it will be exactly what I want..... all lightings and furniture were purchase before the Reno starts...... I brought my ID and show him what are the items will be like, at least the 3D came out very similar .

I always believe a failed marriage does not lead to failed family. Fatherly love is equally important as motherly love. Unfortunately, not everyone can be rationale when going through divorce. My brother case is one good classic example. When the wife cannot get what she demands ($3500 for child support for 2 kids less than 10 years old !), she imposed PPO on him based on alleged violence. Fyi, there were no past history of family violence. This is simply abusing the good intent of woman's charter. A divorce proceeding can be a lengthy one when your ex is immature to contest every single item including the reasons for divorce. Every attempt to see the kids will end up police case. So till date, my brother has not seen his children for the past 5 months though he misses them dearly. I am a lady and recognise more women are financially capable. They may not be the weaker party. When they become unreasonable and started to manipulate the kids to severe their ties with the fatherhood, what should and can the father do ? I am sure there are many men who suffered in silence out there. Should the man give up their fatherhood and be mistaken by their young kids when they grow up ? Does a mother have the rights to make such decision for the young children ? We have exhausted all options feel disheartened to see my brother being prohibited to access the kids due to unreasonable behavior. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated

hi guys, Just gotten my new place and intending to get a caterer for house warming. Non-halal and reasonably good quality. Budget about $15/pax. Anyone has any recommendations?

Hi All, am on a tight budget for a full house 3 rm renovation. Is 20K impossible if it also including hacking down an entire store room plus an additional wall. Considering Full Electrical & Plumbing as well.

Hi All, Having greatly benefited from reading from all your blogs, have decided to share our renovation experience as well. Collected our keys in end May'2014, and renovation started since 23Jun after spending 2 weeks with BSC for the rectification works. Here's our floor-plan to our 5RM BTO unit. Like most couples, we did our fair share of IDs hunting 6 months prior to key collection. Our inspiration comes from the below color-scheme.

Went down today with the Mrs and saw the cleaners doing our first wash. Which means we're halfway through! And we saw that my beloved brick wall was finally all the way done! Oh it's perfect in its imperfection! *cue John legend song* The grouting is a little uneven, colours are uneven. Certain bricks have leftover plaster on them and certain bricks are thicker than the others or thinner than the others and so you see a lot of texture in the wall. Absolutely LOVE it.

Hi Xiej0007, can you PM me your ID? Same here, i planned to hav an oil paint in my living room and spent 6months painting it. Ready to put up on my upcoming nest, hopefully by end of this year I can get my keys =)

Hi Cadence, can u pm me the ID name.. I m having same problem with the company.. Not sure it's the same guy.. Driving me nuts

So far dealing with Ricky is a breeze, nothing out of common. Not too sure about other's past experience. I think he does non digital lock as well but main forte seems to be digital lock. Gate I got it from Sam HP 9632 1840. I did my balcony windows and all grilles thru him.

My Final Solution In end, I just went to my neighbourhood hardware store and bought a $15.90 CATV signal amplifier. Seems to work fine! From this: To this:

Last update before I go overseas for the next 3 weeks! Finalized the laminate colours for kitchen, wardrobe and shoe cabinet today with ID... yes I engaged an id for my carpentry.. Haha very different from the others... Bricks wall is done! Although over used by many homes,, it is still nice to look at .. Kitchen subway grouting done

WC RESEARCH REPORT: Since there is not much information available in Renotalk blog and forums on the choice of sanitary products - WCs and Toilets, available in the market, I decided to do a research. After spending few days of my time in going around and visiting various shops, I have compiled below some of my research in WC and toilet products (1 piece models only): Jalan Besar area: I started visiting the shops in traffic direction from Lavender Street. 1. Poh Joo Hardware, 389 Jalan Besar (opp. Lavender Square): My first stop. Brands they carry & promote are mostly Clayton only. Clayton prices seem to be on the cheaper side. But models don't inspire much. Also they carry other brands like Arino but very limited choice and price seems to be more expensive than others for such brands. 2. Hupfarri Bathroom, 255, Jalan Besar. My second stop. Nice, big showroom carrying primarily OTTO products. The staff are knowledgeable and able to explain the products in detail. But pricing is at a premium. For eg., a model like 7030 WC, the price quoted is $599 inclusive of a $300 FREE basin. Mind you - some decent basins cost $350 here; so you need to top-up another $50. Man, use this showroom to learn about the products and buy somewhere! Warning: Be careful - as some models are P-trap only with exposed back; not be suitable for HDB's, unless you use a converter. You will still have to live with the exposed back. 3. Fullsun Marketing, 146, Jalan Besar 3rd stop after third time! Don't get it right? They are like an Corporate office. Work only on weekdays. No weekend service. So I had to come here 3rd time. Please ensure you visit them only on weekdays and office hours only. Premium products right - you have to bear it! They market TOTO products. Well need not say much. Basic models start at $850 and move upwards of $1100 for decent ones. Ofcourse they claim to give you 20% discount on the list prices mentioned above. Also bear in mind, most of their models only cater to P-trap WC's; so not really suitable for poor HDB cousin's (like me!) unless you opt for converter to fit in the existing floor type S-trap's in HDB's. With being not comfortable with this converter stuff, I decided to walk out of the showroom. With my dreams of doing my stuff on a luxurious TOTO smashed, I decided to take a break and have a humble Nasi Briyani and Teh Halia to refreshen in Little India. 4. GR Link Marketing, 155 Jalan Besar (just opp Fullsun) I have read enough about them from Renotalk especially the very sweet lady and Uncle Ben, the owner. Brightly lit showroom, although much smaller than Hupfarri and Fullsun; products are neatly arranged. Friendly service and lots of advice. Models that impressed me here are: 1. Baron WC 888 (1 piece) with Geberit flush - 10 years warranty $389 2. Inspire 6081 (1 piece) with Geberit flush - 10 years warranty $399 3. OTTO Mercury (1 piece) - 10 years warranty $350 Add $68 and get a wash basin from the available choices. As usual, available choices don't impress me and I then see something that needs top up of $120. 5. Eng Soon Huat Hardware Merchant Pte Ltd 140 Jalan Besar, Next to Fullsun Not friendly service; not so much variety. Carry few Otto, Inspire, baron & one more chines brand (Caroma or Carona). I took note of the models and moved on quickly. 6. Poh Seng Hardware Enterprise, 153, Jln Besar (just next to GR Link Marketing) ALL prices here are inclusive of GST. Very experienced Uncle – Mr. Seah Boon Seng. Prices seem to be cheaper than GR Link Marketing. Models suggested by him: 1. Arino Caprio WC with Geberit (1 piece) new model where the top flushing system cover is invisible) with heavy duty seat cover $320 2. Treo T200 WC with Geberit (1 piece) - with a nice oblong shape; looks really nice. But more expensive than Arino Caprio. $380 7. Royal Fanco, 135 Jalan Besar Highly recommended by many people in Renotalk; Small showroom; cramped; not much on display; price seems to be cheapest especially if you go for package deal ie., WC+Basin. Models suggested: Baron (830x370x700) SINGLE PIECE $399 with basin With slim seat cover add $30 Magnum (640x360X780) Single Piece with new slim seat cover – same price. The slim seat cover was very impressive. No other shop seems to have that. 8. Ideal Merchandise, Block 808, French Road, #02-21 Had a big difficulty to locate this shop. It is above NTUC. Specialize in Bidet primarily for Toto, Bravat and other high end models. Approx cost $350 for a bidet. Not much focus on selling WC's. More interested in pricing a bundle offering of Bidet+WC. Geylang/Tanjong Katong: 9. Hoe Kee, Tanjong Katong Plaza Carry mainly their inhouse brand Roz. Didn't see the designs to be modern and contemporary. So left the shop quickly and headed to Geyland Road. 10. Wasserbath, Geylang Road WC’s : only deal with IXIS brand; supplied to many private condo project; Offer for GSS period $599 with Basin. WC's look decent and nice. Not heard of this brand much. 11. Heritage Bathroom, Geylang Road Carry Toto Brand. Prices are very competitive for Toto. (seems better than Fullsun); but no display. Suggested models: Inspire 6081 WC (1 piece) with Geberit ($320). Most competitive price. Baron 888 WC (similar to Inspire 6081) was $290. Again most competitive price. 12. Universal Union: not so impressive. not much knowledge from staff to explain. 13. Bath.z.o.n.e (don't why I can't use the original shop name; it says as spam!): I give it a miss. - too tired leh! Not visited from original list: 14. Bathroom Warehouse, Changi Guess, this gives you an idea of where/what to shop.. Happy shopping! Some picture links: http://renotalk.com/forum/uploads/gallery_62270_450_257645.jpg http://renotalk.com/forum/uploads/gallery_62270_450_223490.jpg http://renotalk.com/forum/uploads/gallery_62270_450_174823.jpg http://renotalk.com/forum/uploads/gallery_62270_450_194220.jpg

Hi all, Any good and reasonable contractor to recommend for my bathroom renovation? Thanks.

IMO you should narrow down to a few ID/contractors you would like to work with. They can be base on hear say, renotalk, friends etc. There is no point to mass email IDs and expect them to revert exactly to your needs. Some may not be able to understand what you need. To be fair to them as well, they cant afford to spend hours on one quote unless there are chances for confirmation. So selectively meet up with some IDs and discuss about what you want and get a more accurate quote. At the same time, you can have a feel of the ID and see if there is a chemistry or on the same frequency. Once you have narrow down to 1 or 2, you can invite them to visit your new place when you get the keys. From there a clearer picture will be presented to all. Certain features are not shown on the floor plan. Eg, Beams, pipes, drop etc and these will play a huge part in designing. Things you think may fit might not be feasible afterall. From my experience, trust and communication is very important between you and ID. It paves the way for a smooth reno. Also the contract you signed on, will not be the final one. Main reason is that as reno progress, more ideas will flow in, better design will surface as well. That is when a good ID comes in and work his magic. Generally, no ID will be lead along and focus much until the project is on. I have a great reno experience, though it took very long (not ID's fault) and almost everything turns out the way I wanted.

Dear All... I have bought a resale EA recently. Been sourcing out for ID or contractors to do a full Reno for my house. The stuff I am doing will be: 1. New Tiling - homogeneous - whole house including balcony, kitchen, toilet & rooms. 2. Kitchen - new kitchen cabinets with breakfast table. Approximately 60ft of cabinets - top & bottom. Bottom will be only drawers with blum system. 2 nos of kitchen sink with hot & cold water. New stainless steel pipings for hot and cold water. Breaking of a wall to make an open concept kitchen - 8ft wall. Glass backing between top & bottom kitchen - 6mm. Build breakfast counter - 800mm by 7ft. All cabinet top with quartz. Floor tiles - 600x600 Wall tiles - 450x300 3. Common & MBR Toilet - full hacking - full with floor & wall tiles. 2 nos of storage heater. 2 bathroom sink with hot and cold water. Hot and cold stainless steel piping. Box up all big piping. 4. Shoe Cabinet - 5ft with 3 ft setee. 5. Storage area in study room - 2ft by 11ft. Side with gypsum board & front with sliding doors. Internal with stainless steel store racking system. 6. White powder coated - kitchen, balcony & study room - window & grilles. 7. MBR - 14ft built in wardrobe - casement door. Shifting of MBR toilet door & MBR entrance. Total of 9ft of covering with gypsum board & making Opening of approximately 10ft by hacking in various locations. Using of gypsum board to level up wall in MBR due to protruding beam on the wall. Making of storage area in recess area below window - 7ft by 3ft. 8. 2nd bedroom - built in 6ft wardrobe - casement door. 9. 3rd bedroom - built in 6fr wardrobe - casement door. Storage area below windows. 6ft by 3ft. 10. Plastering & painting of whole unit including ceiling. 11. New solid veneer door for all 3 bedrooms & main door & wrought iron main gate. False ceiling or L-Box in living room. All wardrobe hinges using BLUM soft closing - 170 degree hinges. Abs triming. Basically I have shortlisted 3 different ID. Been reviewing & adding the items into the quotes. 1st ID - *-style - $73k with GST. Including Rewiring & double points & light switches & heater & hood/hob switch & installation of lights & fans. 2nd ID - *ecor*Ark - $66k.not including blum & electrical. 3rd ID - *dgelin* - reputable but on the higher side. Yet to receive full quote. Just to check with all bro & sis if I have miss any additional stuffs. Kindly enlighten me. This will be a major job. & if u have any comments on the ID, pls inform me. Wish to have a smooth Reno. Your generous comments will be greatly appreciated.

Today, we did a preliminary visit to get an idea of choosing tiles for our home. Here's a quick summary: 1) Hafary @ Eunos Ave 3: Extensive collection. Lots of designs. We got lost . Most were pricey. Starting range for tiles were above $7 except for one section where they had $6 (China made) and below. Conclusion: Maybe their target here is for wealthy and high-heeled customers. 2) Hafary @ TradeHub 21, Jurong East: Good collection (not so much so that you get lost). Affordable range - although got a some high range ones. Their price range was reasonable. $4 - $7 for tiles, $12-15 for marbles (ofcourse got high end one above that), and $15 and above for granites. The sales person told me that they carry the tiles range which are usually fast moving. Conclusion: If you want to see affordable and popular designs without wasting much time, go here. 3) Soon Bee Huat @ Toh Guan Road East: Extensive collection. Lots of designs similar to Hafary @ Eunos Ave 3. But better lay out & segregation of areas such as outdoor, indoor, feature walls, etc., so you don't get lost. Price seems to be better than Hafary for few; for few more expensive (we didn't look into minute details at this time, since this was our first visit. I especially liked some designs of tiles @ $3 range some marbles @ $8 and granite @ $6-10 range. Conclusion: if we like the designs we may end up buying here. Unless we don't see any other.. 4) Another friend in Renotalk recommended Huatong88 Pte Ltd @ Katong Shopping Center, in Mountbatten Road. But when we went there – there was no such shop!

Great design

I just got my LED lighting all ready before my Reno starts. Tao Bao is a good investment, but, if you buy from the "wrong " store, you will not get the Watts you want. I tested every LED I bought. Strips, Down lights and even Hanging lights. I will create a Blog as the Reno on going, to share the good and the bad merchants and agents I had encounter.

The Case: 24 years ago, a couple got married in Johor Bahru – got Malaysian Marriage Certificate only. Female being a Singaporean, Male being a Malaysian who once held work permit in Singapore. Male cannot married in Singapore because ever held work permit before in Singapore and PR got rejected. They now have 2 Singapore Citizen children, one girl age 19 and one boy age 22. The mother of the 2 children is the breadwinner of the family with higher and consistent salary. This family resides in Singapore. But the wife and both children have been living in utter misery and sadness because ... The father has a violent, possessive and petty temperament and often suggest to fight physically. Whenever there is a dispute or disagreement, he slams and smashes things in the house and almost physically beat up the wife (he can’t because the children is big (age and size) enough to protect the mother). Last year September 2009, the father was officially diagnosed with Stage 3 Nose Cancer. Despite the fact that the husband’s monthly contribution has been barely sufficient for the family and inconsistent (because he works only 6 to 8 months in a year), the wife all along having to bear responsibility and burden of the home loan and all children related expenses solely on her own insisted that he should seek immediate medical attention. He underwent chemotherapy and radiotherapy at Mount Elizabeth Hospital. Why Mount Elizabeth? Because he is not local, does not have CPF. At Mount Elizabeth, treatment is immediate and he needs not travel to and fro Singapore – Johor Bahru. Having completed all treatments successfully, the doctors certified that he is now coping very well and is close to the pink of health. The wife spent around $70,000+/- on his treatments. The family strongly felt and thought that after this ordeal in his life, his character and behaviour would change for the better... but they were disappointedly proved wrong. His character and behaviour got worse. The wife and both children can no longer tolerate his nonsense. Questions: 1) Can divorce? The husband surely will not agree and will turn physical and attack every family member. What can be done to get rid off him? 2) How to ensure that he does not harass the wife and children after the divorce? (The wife and children do not want to see him.) 3) What will happen to all assets?? (not much but the wife bought insurance policies for both children using her AWS and her own CPF, some savings (not much less than $7k each) which the wife has been saving up for the children since young for education and rainy days) 4) What will happen to the one and only property which the family is now living in (considering the fact that right from the start the wife has been the only one paying for the house loan through her CPF and servicing the bank loan)? 5) Will the Singapore Citizenship of both children be affected? 6) Any other implications? Thank you so much for taking time out to read this lengthy post... can any kind samitarian/soul please advice on this matter as it will certainly salvage and bring new hope to the lives of this unfortunate family.