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asoon88

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Posts posted by asoon88

  1. Posted

    Hi Everyone,

    My nephew Jonathan Wong is participating in this year's OCBC Cycle Singapore to raise funds for the National Cancer Centre Research Fund. I have done my part and would like forumers who have profitted from selling their properties to donate a small fraction of their profits to this worthy cause. No amount is too small.

    For those who spend a fortune on Feng Shui products, please channel some funds for this worthy cause because it is lives that we are aiming to save and extend for those suffering from cancer.

    We spent a fortune renovating our properties, buying furniture/ appliances and throwing good money away to con-men in the feng shui business ! Spare a thought for those with good intentions to raise funds for a cause.

    Please click on this link to donate http://www.everydayhero.com.au/jonmax014

    Thank you very much and may those who contribute be rewarded a thousand times in good health and wellness :).

  2. Posted

    Dear All,

    my walls have cracks just below the ceiling. I went to HDB to ask for help, they refer me to branch office then i went there after that they refer me back to head office, what the heck is going on? Any suggestion? They kept pushing me around

    If your flat is a new flat (within 1st year), get HDB to rectify the problem.

    If your flat is a resale unit and a pre-fabricated type, cracks like this is part and parcel of thermal linear expansion/contraction within concrete slabs which HDB may not bother to address for you unless the cracks is getting bigger and bigger.

    Just buy some cement powder n mix it with water and fill up the gaps. Paint over. Your problems will be over.

  3. Posted

    Married for 3 years 2 months. PR Wife admitted to adultery.

    Am I still liable for her livelihood after divorce?

    She admitted to meeting someone else 2 months prior on 11 aug which means marriage wasnt past 3 years. ( we were married on 24th June 2006). Is there a back track clause?

    Is Lam and Co. really that affordable? Anyone with other opinions or recommendations?

    Much appreciated

    If your wife wasn't a PR before she married you, get an annulment instead. Your status will be SINGLE instead of DIVORCEE.

    Show to the court, thru' your lawyer, that your wife manipulated you into marriage. Shouldn't be too difficult. If your dick isn't working, that's the best annulment excuse because the marriage wasn't consumated :) .

  4. Posted

    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

    Divorce is a serious matter. The fact the your brother and his spouse arrived to this stage cannot be the doing of one party only. His spouse is claiming an exhorbitant amount for child support. Unless your brother was (is) a rich man, coughing out $3.5K is no small change.

    I sense that your brother has done something grave enough to piss-off his wife. That is why she does not want the children to be near him at all.

    I suggest that your brother stop insisting on his 'right' to see the children. The cheapest and simplest way is to create a facebook account with an identity bearing the children's name + "father", eg. Trilyn Tang's Daddy or Desmon Goh's Papa.

    Soon enough, the children will have their own facebook account and somehow, things will connect. It can be on any other social website.

    I am a married man with 4 kids aged between 6 to 18 years. I know a woman can be nasty and unreasonable at times despite a husband's best of intentions. However, every party in a marriage must give-n-take including the children. Only time can heal wounds. Ask your brother to reflect on what he has done to cause his marriage to fail. He cannot be an angel. You know what I mean.

    I wish them well and get back together for the sake of the children. They are still young. Falling back in love isn't that difficult if one stops being selfish and point fingers :)

  5. Posted

    i keep having these white stains on my bathroom floor tiles when it dries. i have tried all means to scrub it off but it's still there when the floor dries.

    what's the root of the cause? Is there any way I can get rid of it and pevent it from coming back?

    the pictures can be found here

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/kwanwei/sets/72157623222912019/

    During renovations, the tiler usually mixes a bonding powder which is white in colour with cement to strengthen the adhesion between the tile and the cement mix. Try buying acid meant for washing floor tiles and see if it helps in removing the stain. I know it works in my own toilet.

  6. Posted

    Hi,

    Heard that some of my relative and friends said that the Exhaust hood is uesless,

    as the kitchen will still be 70% oily as usual.

    Is it true?

    Any way to lessen the oiliness in the kitchen except stop cooking:)

    Thanks.

    Have you ever been to a restaurant or coffee shop kitchen ? Even with their powerful suction hoods turned on, you can still smell burnt oil or nice garlic aroma depending on the time of day.

    I have used a cooker hood since the 80s' from Elba to present day Ariston and I insist on having one. The reason is simple, it removes at least 80% of the oil fumes. You need to maintain the hood because the carbon filter can only do so much as far as smell is concerned. Next, clean up the kitchen after every cooking session especially if you have deep fried something. Many people assume that having a cooker hood will keep their kitchen 100% clean and smell free. Well, it will if you maintain the hood by washing the filter regularly and changing the carbon filter at least once every 2 years.

    Many people's homes have hoods that smell like an oil tank ! They complain their hood is a lousy brand...hey, Fujioh, Rinnai, Ariston, Castor, lousy ??? I think the owners are just LAZY.

  7. Posted

    if you are talking about classic kitchen, i have been to their showroom. i love the carpentry they own at the showroom. but i think they are highend design firm, they only do carpentry works then the rest we have to find our own guys to do. but still put them as my first choice. the carpentry works really tip top.

    I used Classic 20 years ago for my first flat and was very impressed with their kitchen design and worksmanship.

    20 years later, I regret not using them for my second flat but trusted someone else to do them job instead. Results were miles apart ! If I strike TOTO, I will tear down my kitchen and redo it all over again....using Classic.

  8. Posted

    @asoon88 thanks for the update and tip! will definitely make sure I pay more attention to the details like the carpentry and such. have just gone through 1st meeting with them so have not gone into that much detail as yet. cheers!

    btw, was peggy a filipino? I remember seeing a filipino lady in the office so not sure if she's the one.

    You must have seen the maid !

    Peggy is a typical Singapore girl.

  9. Posted

    @asoon88 good to hear that things are going well for you in general. who was your designer? I'm now talking to Ken who was recommended by another friend. I hope I don't get into any hiccups with my permit later :)

    do keep us posted on how things are going. I'm guessing your schedule due to complete before CNY?

    Hi, my renovations are completed.

    I wouldn't call the person a designer but more a coordinator. Her name is peggy. Just a word of advice : PLEASE INSIST ON BEING INVOLVE IN YOUR CARPENTRY DESIGN INCLUDING DIMENSIONS, FITTINGS USED and ACCESS AREAS (how your want to put your cutlery,utensils,etc).

    I trusted the coordinator too much and I am stuck with a nice-to-look-at but sub-functional kitchen cabinet !

  10. Posted

    I would recommend Swift United Logistics - Tel : 6502-0025. Look for Sky.

    They charged me $680 using 2 trucks with automatic platforms to move out my barang-barang from a 5-rm flat to an EA. This includes handcarrying 3 floors down and up a 72" Glass Table The move took a total of 3 hrs to clear everything from point A and move to point B.

    Therefore, for those who thinks $680 is expensive, think again. These guys know their stuff. They protected everything with a glass or wood surface, eg. CRT TV, Glass cabinet,etc with thick cardboards and shrinkwrapping. Its a lot of work for $680. I felt pai-seh after the job was done but that was what Sky quoted me.

  11. Posted

    hi Asoon88, may I know how's ur renovation doing?

    is Xclusiv a good to go?

    doing some research for my renovation, ur comments will be helpful.

    thanks!

    I hit some hiccups with HDB permit approval and it caused a two week delay in work starting. Xclusiv made up by putting extra manhours. Overall, I am very satisfied with the people they use to do the hacking/tiling, painting, cornice,plumbing and electricals. Very responsible and easy to chat with I must say ! Carpentry work is average ( because of the heavy work load before CNY) but material used is good.

    If you are able to accept some hiccups here and there, I say use them. Anyway, they made good what they promised me.

    One advice which I told other friends of mine is don't depend on the ID person to do everything. You will see the complaints coming in thereafter like in this forum. You must have your own ideas....workable ideas and colour selection...then everything will fall into place including price $$ :)

  13. Posted

    I'm looking for a resale unit and chance upon one which I like a lot. However, the ceiling in the kitchen and toilet has extensive peeling paint but no water stains. However, the peeling is not so servere till the concrete is revealed.

    http://oraihin.dotphoto.com/CPViewAlbum.as...7201&Page=1

    According to the agent, the kitchen was last painted 3 yrs ago and I am wondering if these are initial signs of water seepage. Or is it just high humidity in the kitchen/toilets which can be rectified with better ventilation and a new paintjob... Any advice?

    There is nothing wrong with the ceiling.

    Just a case of poor preparation before painting that resulted in the peeling of the paint coat.

  14. Posted

    I've signed up with Xclusiv to do up my flat.

    Their pricing is reasonable when compared to other small renovation contractors and bigger ID firms in Singapore. Worksmanship is good judging from the progress I see in my two toilets. Workers are responsible too !

    What impressed me most was their commitment to deadlines. None of the other renovation firms that I approached dared to commit to the start and finish dates of my renovations. They did.

    I will provide forumers with more updates in the days ahead.

  15. Posted

    Hi all,

    I have an urgent query and hope you can help me.

    If I want to change the DB box for my resale HDB flat, should I rewire the whole house at the same time? Or can I just simply change the DB box without any rewiring?

    What's the correct way to go about doing it?

    Please advise.

    Thank you!! biggrin.gif

    You need to engage a qualified electrician to change the DB. It is up to you to spend money on the rewiring. If I were the electrician, I will recommend that you change everything because I can make money ! However, unless the DB's casing plastic is 'yellow' even after cleaning, a good coat of ICI Dulux paint will do the job. DON'T paint over the Switches !

  16. Posted

    Hi,

    Just to share with you all my worst NIGHTMARE n FRUSTRATION with a HSR Agent. I sold my current flat A on 2 Sep 09 (signed OPT form) and bought another unit B from this BASTARD HSR agent on 24 Oct 09. Knowing that I need to rent a place after handing over my current unit A n waiting for the taking over of the new unit B, I discussed with the agent before signing the OTP form n he promised me the owner will hand over the keys n unit to me ON 1st appointment with Hdb which sounds good that I don't have to rent a place n move my furnitures 2 times.

    When the agent n myself are discussing to request Hdb to bring forward the 1st appt date..he denied our promise n gave the reason as miscommunication. Saying the owner can only release the unit to me by end of feb or Mar 2010. We quarrelled over this issue n worst of all, he suggested I rent the unit from the owner while waiting for the transition period.

    No black n white documents so I'm at the losing end coz verbally doesn't prove anything. I wonder whether our corresponding sms through our handphones can serve as evidence. Anyone who has this experience before kindly help me n advice on this, thanks a lot.

    Friends recommended me to lodge a complain to his company n CASE. I wonder does this helps? 23 Nov 2009

    You made a serious mistake believing the agent that the seller will hand over his keys after 1st appt. The agent should have it written in black n white and signed off by you and the seller with him being the witness. Now it is your word against his. The seller can deny agreeing to any of this arrangement. As far as HDB is concerned, handover of keys should be during 2nd appt. Therefore, the agent's backside is covered.

    I suggest that besides lodging a complaint to his company, hold back the comm payment. His company can send you demand letters but that is only as far as they can go. They will ultimately try to compromise with you, eg.less $1K or 1 mth of your rental incurred.

  18. Posted

    actually i did not meant it as a leak guard but just to elevate it slightly so that when we wet wash the floor the washer base won't be exposed to the water.

    I see ....! Do you wash the floor often ?

    I have seen many homes with raised floor skirting to accomodate cabinets ,washing machine, refrigerator,etc. Many say it is for washing the floor. However, many do not wash their kitchen floor at all.

    What I normally do is to mop the kitchen with soap water and then do a rinse twice. The underneaths of washing machines and refrigerators can be cleaned if you move it out once a year. A raised floor skirting doesn't solve the problem because dust and our 'cousins' get trap and die beneath these appliances.

  19. Posted

    Anybody knows where we can get a get washing machine & dryer pan / base?

    I do not have a cement base so was looking ard for alternatives.

    I chanced upon driptite but it seems that there's no local distributor here.

    Why do you need a drip pan ?

    A washing machine is supposed to be waterproofed as far as its washing tank is concerned. If you fear leakage, better dump the washing machine and get a new one.

    I have been using washing machines for the past 25 years without any cement base, why the need for a cement base in the first place? Make the washing machine taller ?

    Just make sure you have a reliable washing machine that is used regularly and well maintained. Do not soak your clothes overnight in it. Do not overload it. Do not use ordinary detergents otherwise the suds will overflow into the drum mechanism and rust the bearings. Change the drainage pump every 3~5 years. Clear the lint deposit area monthly. Do not let water sit in any reservoirs,eg. gasket area or detergent / softener dispenser area.

  20. Posted

    hello all,

    I've been lurking here for some months, but finally offered the OTP and now waiting for all paperwork to be sorted before I get keys next year. meanwhile, I want to find out as much as I can about renovation processes.

    first, I don't have a floor plan of the house I am buying. should I draw one up myself?

    what do I first do for renovation? do I just call around some IDs/contractors and ask for a quotation, or do I have to go to the office?

    will the ID/contractor come down to my house before giving me a quote, etc?

    I have an idea of what I want to renovate for my place. can anybody help me with an estimate of how much it will cost?

    1. Hack two bathroom wall tiles, floor tiles, toilet, cabinet, sinks, bathtub.

    2. Hack the (non-load bearing) wall separating these two bathrooms (so to combine the two bathrooms into one).

    3. Buy and Install bathtub and taps

    4. Buy and Install toilet

    5. Buy and install mirror cabinet

    6. Buy and Install two sinks

    7. Buy and install taps (for sinks)

    8. Buy and install shower head + shower taps

    9. Install tiles

    10. Install shower glass

    Will the above cost me more than S$13,000? The two bathrooms combined will be about 4.5m x 2m. I think.

    Does anybody have any idea how much a cement floor will cost? Currently, the living room and kitchen is tiled with homogenous tiles. can it be cemented over without hacking? The living room and kitchen floor area will be about 700sqf.

    THanks so much if anybody can help!!!

    Very strange that you are so budget conscious when you can afford to buy a private property !

    I will recommend you a contractor who has been in business since the late '70s. His workmanship is good. He is a reliable and honest old man.

    His company is Kim Bee Loon Interior Renovation. You can email Winnnie at kblreno@singnet.com.sg or call him at 90115987. He is a very practical guy. So provide him your ideas and let his guys do the physical work. Don't expect him to speak English to you because he can't or draw nice pictures....he can't. Show him your concept and get him to follow it.

    His prices are by far the most reasonable that I have come across. He has brought me to see several units that were work-in-progress and I must say I am pretty satisfied. My mother-in-law's house was done by him 20 years ago, my sis-in-law in early 2000 and my own house soon.

  21. Posted · Edited by asoon88

    Hi,

    Just happen to see this thread and I think is good that we could share knowledge and further assist many more who need more advise.

    Here is my confusion and doubts... hope someone can advise me ...

    My client has a house which he had already paid in full since 2003. From my calculation he suppose to have at least $255k positive cash profit and about $100k return to cpf after selling his house. They had also a combine CPF of $80k.

    However, he could not take a HDB loan and will be using a BANK loan instead. From my understanding the bank could bridge the 5% cash needed for the 50% loan balance 45% using CPF but, The confusion and doubts lies here...

    My client wanted to purchase the next house in which the COV is around $30k. From my understanding this amount must be paid using HARD cash, but what I want to know is...

    1) Can my client go ahead with selling the house (A) and go ahead for the 1st appointment after that the buying of the house (B) 1st appointments comes later... or vice verse. Which appointment to go 1st... or can it be together ?

    2) Can they inform the lawyer to proceed with the sale of the house (A) and house (B) without the need to pay for the COV during the 1st appointment for house (B) since they had positive sale profit from house (A) and still using bank bridging loan.

    3) I could have a referral for you. Do you want to liaise with me? Since, if you could clear my doubts in here...

    This present house of your client must have been a second time he had taken a subsidised HDB loan. Therefore, he is not eligible to apply for a third time. OR he could be buying a similar size or smaller unit. Again this will not allow him to borrow from the HDB.

    With regards to Q1, he can buy House B if he has the cash to pay COV and other misc charges. If he doesn't have the cash, better to sell House A first and wait for 4~5 mths before doing so. HDB appts are very long nowadays.

    With regards to Q2, Lawyers don't give a ****. They just do up the paperwork. Buyer must pay Seller....period. Positive Sale Profit or not, lawyers cannot guarantee TIME. Neither will HDB. So long as all procedures are followed, your client will just have to follow through with the respective payments.....if he has the cash otherwise he will breach the terms spelt out under HDB's resale procedures.

    With regards to Q3, if you are an agent, you are poorly qualified one. I am not but I seem to know better !

  22. Posted

    Hi, my friend was asking me about this...

    She's looking to buy a resale flat and the total asking price by the seller is 550K (520K + 30K COV), but the seller's agent has told her that its a negative sale by the seller and is asking her to declare the actual transaction price as 542K and then the seller's agent will collect the remaining 8K (which is part of the seller's agent comm) from her.

    She got a couple of questions about this situation.

    1. Is it illegal?

    2. Will anyone get into trouble?

    3. What is a negative sale?

    4. What difference does declaring a lower value make in this case?

    5. Any other important things that she should take note of or ask before going ahead with this arrangement??

    Thank you on behalf of my friend...:D

    Your friend is very rich ! $520K + $30K COV and she can afford it ? These are the people driving HDB flat prices through the roof.

    Go ahead do the "under table thing". She can afford to pay the fine if caught anyway.

  23. Posted

    I have a point, but you need to build up your case convincingly, otherwise people won't believe you.

    no political agenda. just hope to educate as many people as i can. have come across too many people who are die hard govt fans who think that the govt can do no wrong and even high housing prices is good for us citizens. if only they can think a bit deeper and realise their own follies.

    if only they realise that the govt's here to suck the marrow out of our bones ...

    I believe you are truly one of us...Singaporeans. However, that's the problem with Singaporeans.....many of us are selfish, inconsiderate and greedy. Always blaming someone else for our problems.

    When I see people paying sky-high prices for their HDB flats and rushing to buy private properties as well as cars, it makes me wonder how come Singapore have so many rich people ? I mean local people with pink IC, gone thru' NS, voted opposition and yet simply allowing the market to suck whatever it dictates.

    I can only conclude that those of us who lament the current situation are only a small group of people. There are thousands of Singaporeans out there still frolicking in their nice cars, houses and spending habits and do not access sites like this to know what is good for them.

  24. Posted

    thanks. my point is, HDB is bull****ting and i have a hard time convincing die hard govt supporters otherwise. to them, govt is always kind and doing the right thing for the good of singaporeans.

    Dear TrulySingapore,

    Perhaps you may want to repost your thoughts in other politically charged forums,eg. ST Forum, CNA, TalkingCock.com,etc....

    Many of your postings are eating into our valuable reading time. Renotalk.com was designed to allow people who buy, sell, renovate and borrow money for their properties to share their experiences and offer good advice to others.

    Many of us including me have an axe to grind against the HDB and some govt dept policies.

    However, let all writers be short and concise about the issues and questions that they wish to highlight for others to offer their suggestions.

  25. Posted

    I also think you should get back 5K + $180 (valuation report)!

    It's a failed sale.

    The initial $1K is usually split between seller and the seller's agent. Unless both seller and his agent are 'decent people', they will not return a cent to the potential buyer.

    The same goes for the valuation report. You won't get a cent back because it is already done. Valuation company has been paid for their services. Submission charges to HDB of $80 is burnt too. Unless all parties including the HDB are "decent people", the poor buyer will have to accept the losses.

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