de_Pierre

Hi all, its not tad i'm trying to bad mouth City Designs here... Overall, their reputations is very well known among senior contractors for its numerous bad points... Especially it becums a hot topic in 'Singaporebrides' forum before... Well, to point off again, a Company is jus the backing of sales done by its employee... Tad employee is the 1 who's dealing everything... Whether gd or bad, depends on him/she, indirectly, the company also can't get unblamed... (i better stop here or gonna write essays again...) U guys do the research bah.... Wait, there's 1 thing gd abt City Design... Their quotes r always 'attractive'! But u really gotta study well, NO VERBAL PROMISES, Ask for black n white!

Erm, i got no comments... But there's some comments made from our fellow formers... U might be interested... http://www.renotalk.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=18237

Then got find new contractor anot???? Hehehe, i smell business coming...

OMG!!! No wonder he quote u so cheap... If u did demolishing of walls w/o permit, u'll get troubles if u wan to sell ur hse... Its not too late as no work is done, u may go to 'small claims' him... *Not all contractors r HDB licensed. They either apply permit using their respective company, Or, apply through using other companies' license...

ermmm... In renos, too many things to compare... well, guess its our habit to compare lor... $$$ easy to earn but hard to keep...

Oh, u got me!!! Wad is 'iridium stainless steel'???

Stainless steel will not break, can withstand heat better, easier to maintain etc lor.... Glass is brittle w/ glossy surface, whereas stainless steel is hard w/ matt(got chrome 1s also) The choice is urs.. ^^

Our friend richman here is talking abt his 'newly built' HDB flat... Not resale 1s... If i'm not wrong, its a new 5Rm flat... Tilings @ toilet's wall n floor, kitchen's wall is all done up... Wiring for all necessary lightings is oredi there also, simply buy lightings to fixed up will do...(Unless got false ceiling works...) yes should be staying for more than 10 yrs. why not for living hall? cos of water etc? just find the flooring quite ex ....total abt 5.6k anyone know abt those in papers like 3.2k for 5 room? reliable? -richman Its too cheap to be true... Rem, cheap things never comes gd, gd things is never cheap... (Imagine i can get laminate floorings @ $2.60 per sq ft from suppliers, i used them once n tads it... Tads my experience)

Of cos lor, tads wad we mean by getting a product from supplier @ contractor's price... Owners only buy their product once... We contractors did sales wif them frequently ma... Contractors support them, they also sure support us ma...

I think tis not a big issue of exchanging unused items wif them... Maybe u can look for the sales person whom u took orders from, or u may look for Justin Ong.. (he's a great friendly boss) Jus give them a ring 1st, u might need to top up abit to change ur items (Transport at ur own cost)... (no shops does cash refund even u return sold goods de...) If its ur contractor intro tad shop to u, ask him/her to assist u on tis... Probs can be solve surprisingly... Designer Lightings @ Balestier rd.... TWO THUMPS UP!!!

U may visit 'Guardians" to purchase those portable PVC sitting WCs... Its meant for old folks de, without any reno done... Simply place it onto where u 'put put' will do... kekeke

Oh gosh, y not replace the glass wif stainless steel sheets leh? Its more practical ma...

hahaha, u guys r abit confused by definations of IDs n contractors liao... ID = Interior Designers, no doubt they do designings but they r considered contractors also... Let me use 'food chain' method to explain... ID is top of the chain, follow by the so call main-con who did the co-ordination n supervision works... These works can be carried out by a single ID himself if he's knowledgable in practical works... ID n Main-contractors: They share the same scope of work by co-ordinating/supervising (depends on their abilities) The only diff is tad Real IDs got designing certs whereby contractors dun... ID is more focus on designings but contractors r more focus on work constructions practically. Tads how we differentiate IDs n Contractors... The lower 'food chain': Tilers, electricians, plumbers, painters, hackers, etc... These ppl r the 1s who doing the job practically... In IDs/ Main-cons view, they r sub-contrators... In almost all renovation firms, sub contracting is practiced. (as affording the expense of employing the lower chain of workers under 'office workers' is so brain cracking) These workers r doing contracting works n shall we named them Contractors as well??? Definations of Contractors is so wide...

Hi tingwei, congrats to ur newly arrival of ur 'Product'... kekeke Nice try out on ur buliding of wardrobe... But frankly, u lack of knowledge in constructing... U need fix n tighten the carcass (against wall, floor n ceiling) using 'water level' ruler de... Stuff n stack the perimeter carcass is needed... The perimeter is use for trmming the uneveness... All floor n ceiling is not even de, tads y u need tis ruler to mark the right angles for ur sliding doors... Wardrobe w/ casement door is easier than sliding... Eg. total ht is 2650mm. minus top 100mm n bottom 100mm allowance, ur cabinet size will be 2450mm... always use the floor as starting point.. After constructing water level base, slot ur rdy made cabinet carcass onto it... Same like playing 'lego', stack from bottom... Wads left is the top allowance opening, same thing, stack till its unmovable... carcass is up... So on n on.... Water leveling ruler is a vital hardware for constructing customized cabinets... When ur carpenters starts hands on wif u, u'll say many "orh, ya hor, should do like tad hor, y i so careless ar".. Many orh n hor etc de.... kekeke lmao My teaching comes abit too late liao... (I did my own 12ft build-in wardrobe when i was 21. My Technical n Maths scores A in my 'o'level, imagine how itchy my hand is... But my english got a 'D'.... kekeke) Went to my uncle's factory to work n learn for part-times during my school age, like to glue laminates (glue smell quite nice leh), drilling screws for fun (zernnn zernnn), use hammer (kongg kongg kongg) To think bk olden days, So fun n exciting yet gain knowledge w/o stress... hahaha Tingwei, enjoy ur construction ar... PS, dun 4get to feed ur 'product' every 2hrs at night ar... Let ur lovely 'producer' REST WELL ar, so she'll willing to produce more!!! kekeke

Services from Designer Lighting is quite different from others... After sales purchase, if ur bulbs or any lightings purchased faces any probs, they'll send their technicians on site to do the rectifications at no cost... Even their delivery also very gd, no delays, complete stocks delivered, even will double confirm the delivery timing... Wonderful service i can say... Even the lightings they tends to DESIGN their own lightings (By switching some compatible features) WOW! Its 1 of their selling point... Maybe some Lighting shops also does it, tads y they refuse others to take pics in their showroom... Scare competitors steal their ideas... They ain't selling lightings alone, services is wad i like from them... Tads y i had been supporting them for abt 3yrs, not a single hip-cups... True enuf, their pricing isn't the best in town... Its the same difference between ID n contractor ma... Same Theory de...

There's a very well known company selling kitchen systems... "Blum" equipment @ Defu Lane 10... If i'm not wrong, its along the Hougang Ave 3.... U can try to walk in... They got tahan 50kg de... (U go n see 1st, know these prices... When we meet up, i'll further discuss wif u...)

Its a common practice for owners to purchase those 'additional' kitchen systems to allow carpenters to fabricate... Bcs usually wad the carpenters provide is those common 1s... Usually contractors dun absorb/provide these 'additional' items bcs these items r too widely ranged... Preferbably provided by owners, therefore no conflicts... (^^,) (hi simlim, rem to SMS me ar)

Based on my experience, jus ur kitchen alone will cost u at least abt 12k liao... 1) Hack the kitchen wall (about 5 1/2m) *wall panels to be hacked where got 5.5mmetres?? From plan view is abt <3metres only leh... +/-$1200 w/PE submission 2) Tile the floor and kitchen wall include hacking +/-$4500 3) Kitchen cabinet with granite/solid top +/-$7000 Ur Open concept kitchen can't be fulfiled wif ur 5-6k budgets... 5k sterling pound maybe can... kekeke

Aiyoyo, u buy tiles w/o knowing wad r they?? Wad u mean by identify them? Ceramics, homogenous, slates, marbles, granites? Chances r Homogenous n granites... Differentiate them by their thickness... Homogenous r thinner...

For small items like tis, can consider ok la... Its like quote for a 1k job, they earn 10%... For $480 job, if earn 10% only, they eat grass liao... Hope u can understand ar...

If ur grilles area is more than 200 sq ft, then consider reasonable liao...

The quote is depends on the conditions of ur marble... Its better to get professional to view the floor n confirmed the extend of polishing / patching... Fine polishing n re-grinding pricing range diffs alot... Scope of work is diff also...

I dun agree wif tis leh.... True enough, contractors may not have Designers' room in their office... But doesn't mean all contractors r lack of knowledge in design leh... Not all sales personel in ID firms r designers also ma... So wad do we call these ppl leh?? Contractors? Real IDs got cert de, therefore no cert = contractors... kekeke (Mischeviously, u can try asking ur ID to produce their cert, u see if they have...) These 'contractors' also ask their in-hse-designers to propose n draw ma, contractors also can engage freelance designer draw de... The diff is only paying method to the designers... Contractors might charge 3D drawings from owners, purely to pay the Designer... Although Id firms pay high salary to their designers, but these salary comes from where leh? In the end also inside the quotation for u to pay de... No definately conclusion between them de....

Dun mention, bro... I'm jus being free n have the chance to KPO here... (^oo^) My essay on Exhibitions is for every fellow forumers also... kekeke

To be frank, most ID practice hard sellings at expo. Create tempting packages for owners. On top of tad, most IDs r furbish wif great sales talkings. But some isn't knowledgable in construction works, 'unqualified contractors'. 'New birds' in reno firms. All reno firms can take in any type of ppl to works as IDs, no requirements needed, as trainings provided, a manager will 'look after' them. So long got mouth n urge for earnings, can aldy... These 'green horns' is fresh to reno markets, therefore have the 'abilities n guts' to do persistant sales. Any company also will have black sheep... Everything u say, they'll reply no prob, small issues, no worries etc... But in the end, its all verbal agreements... Wad they wan is to make u sign up... Beware, dun get brain washed by them... These packages is done by IDs, only exhibitional period then can give promotional price??? Tis is only part of their sales tactics... I personally detest reno exhibitions bcs too much unhealthy competition among ID firms... The packages can sell below cost!!! Then find ways n methods to gain it bk from owners (tis is the origin of conflicts), leaving bad impression of contractors, market spoilt eventually... Haiz... Almost every month also got reno exhibition at Expo, look, how intense of the market becums.... Think twice b4 signing up at Expo... (I've been in ID firms b4, attended uncountable times of exhibition fairs b4...) Hi morgulboy, my advise for u. Jus 'try' to get the drawings then let the matter rest... To pursue, ur effort, time, n anger u put in, is definately worth more than $800... Y wanna waste more than '$800' wif them? Take it as a lesson ba (no hard feelings ar). Most importantly, Dun let tis matter spoil ur health n mood la...