bepgof

You sure can survive in Mongolian tent. Mongolians put rug to make uneven floor smooth, they roll up the rug and "GO". Nowonder the German can't understand why Singaporeans: - Buy expensive house and let maid stay, himself seldom at home. -Park expensive car at home and take bus to work, just to save parking fee. -Put "cheap" rug to "protect" granite flooring ?

I've 8 pillars in hall, 3 at TV feature wall, 3 at study area, 2 at dining area. 5 pilars = $600. I have some on/off switches mounted on them. These pillars are made of ply-wood, hollow, covered by laminate. Originally asked ID for "full, side wood" - can't find? Then ask ID to make slightly "round" corners at 4 sides of a piler, laminate can bend but cannot hold firm for long time. I've 5 cement beams within house - 1 in kitchen, 2 at hall, 1 in dining, 1 in study area. Feel "pressed" by beams, so install false ceiling to reduce effect, but found "too many" horizontal edges at ceiling after those L-box, square/rectangular boxes, so decided to make sometime 8 verticel pilers to counter the effect, pilers allow wind flowing through as well as not so much blocking light.

Agents must have been taught(by their upbring education, agencies)to "judge/perceive" a potential client's purchasing power & intention of buying, by whatever ways & means, philosophy is " HIT THE TARGET WITH MINIMUM RESOURCES". Judgement/perception follow by attitude, behaviour & actions & these J & P are a one-way ticket decision making, with 50-50% accuracy. They have forgot the wise saying: "Never judge a book by its cover" If I've intention to buy and the serving agent is of the mentioned "one kind", I'll ignor him & look for another one immediately to show him my "another kind". My style is do homework first before walking into any showroom. Will look at floor plan, filter out those having "evening sun", 8 storey & below, stacks at L junction( 2 roads)......

Here are the pict 1. Original is the "entrance" to kitchen, built half-wall, half is 10mm-thickness glass(25sqft), transparent. Left side is the 12-ft mirror. http://img269.imageshack.us/img269/7915/dscn0598x.jpg http://img94.imageshack.us/img94/4357/dscn0738m.jpg 2 Orginal is wall, knocked down whole wall, built up left & right walls, centre is 44 inch(original asked for 48inch), top hung, 10mm thickness tampered glass, 2 piece, sliding. Glass door=$650 http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/5117/image0194.jpg http://img708.imageshack.us/img708/7931/10002577.jpg

This forum is good, on many practical topics.

Can show some pictures for better understanding? I'll post the 10mm glass door pic later.

Can post the pictures?

-After reading your posts, find interesting. For more than 17 years, I do all the home repairs, from electrical, building, sanitary, glass, etc. Never see the water dropplets as much as in the pictures. Gasket leak is not like that. - From the wall stains, there are some fine "gaps" between the sink edge & wall, gaps cause likely due to mechnical stress(body knock, plates weight, etc) after sometime, the "alignment out. Putty or cement (hard types) are no good to seal the gaps, use silicon, best use black color. If use transparent or white, after some time will develope "fungi" black spots here and there on the silicon. - Your "under sink compartment" links to any stove or any possibility always having "warm" air trapped there? Condensation occurs only when "hot" air with high humidity meets cold object(sink) - My MIL who cooks, sometime on & off leave the sink's under cabinet door open. My 10-door shoe cabinet doors also leave open sometime for "air-exchange".

You are right about the offer, acceptance+ consideration = legal contract, whether spoken or written, in eye of Singapore Law, however, must see the OFFER & ACCEPTANCE, which in this case is the HDB flat. Gambling is exceptional. - Allowing "somebody" other than the owner, to stay without consideration (rental) and is out of "gift" or "goodwill" from owner, it is ok. - Allowing "somebody" other than the owner, to stay by accepting consideration(rental, $) by owner, in this case, breaches the HDB's MOP. Owner is in the wrong. NEVER do this. - If this case is brough up to HDB, very likely HDB will advise both seller & buyer to adjour the 2nd appointment date to suit both. But look at OTP doc carefully, any period which is >8 week , starting from 1st appointment to 2nd appointment date, can render the whole transaction VOID, unless "special permission" is granted by HDB. My opinion in this case is: Bring this case up to HDB, get prepared to get "longer" 2nd appointment date, will make the buyer "happier" - without paying instalment yet letting seller to stay for free ! This kind of seller is too much, need to be taught a lesson ! "Prolong" the 2nd appointment is the only neutral solution for both seller & buyer. HDB's facing more such situation where sellers , sell than buy hdb for own stay with today's long timing in 1st & 2nd appt. - In fact, HDB should enforce "contra" facility on sellers who sell HDB unit and want to buy back HDB unit for stay !

Believed the air-con installation comes with your renovation of house, so can "hide" some., therefore appeared not so "messy". In 1995, already stayed for 3 years then decided to install aircon system, 3 rm + 1 study, main compression place outside the block near MBR. Can imagine the "pipes + wires" from each FCUs went to the main compressor. Another drainage pipe, linking 4 FCU & "routed" to MBR's tiolet. Between room & room need to "hack" a hole for the trucking(pipes + wires)...

1. Very interesting case yet sad for buyer. 2. Once complete sale (2nd appt) the flat is legally your & you'll start serving your mortgage loan, why let the seller stay free? 3. The course of action already mentioned in the HDB web : You should scan & forward the "agreement" to HDB officer in charge of the resale, asking for a LATER 2ND APPOINTMENT date. Bring this up to HDB office, you are now at upper hand, cos HDB will stand at your side in this case. You can use "ignorance" as excuse to void this agreement( 3mnth free stay), and realised the information in the HDB web only after the 1st appointment.... 4. If you take bank loan, & have signed any form - transfer of CPF, quickly stop it until the NEW 2nd appointment date is known. 5. Quickly bring this up to HDB officer's attention.

1. I have a 10mm thickness, tampered glass, 25sqft cost me $350 last yr. 2. 10mm thickness, tempered glass, 2-pieces top-hung sliding, door width = 44 inch, cost $650. I'm particular about kitchen entrance, must be "big enough"-originally requested for 48 inches, but the 2-pc door cannot be retracted fully, so choice give some "discount" from 48 to 44 inch. Personal note: A small entrance make ppl feel "cramp" esp when more ppl in/out kitchen - give ppls a "stingy" feeling.

1. After 1st appt, you need to see lawyer to discuss details payment, using CPF, how much, from whose acct, etc. Need to fill up HBL forms. Verbally tell lawyer the date for 2nd appointment. So the lawyer can do the necessary calculations of money. 2. HDB's lawyer will inform yr lawyer on the date of 2nd appointment. 3. If you intend to do partial payment, some time after 2nd appointment, go directly to CPF brance to process. (1 month notice to take effect) 4. If you intend to do a Full Redemption, MUST approach the same lawyer again, the lawyer will advise you accordingly.

Forget about the names, use the "eye ball" to read the colour. A small "patch" of sample is very misleading, must see at least 1meter x 1 meter to have the "feel". In 1992, after "seeing" the sample, bought "apple white" in 1992 & DIY, whole room became "green apple", bought another "pure white" to paint over it. After so many years, now "clever" already.

-How "big" is the dinning table? Rug can be removed "easily"? - My table is 1.8m length, 6 seater, full teak, 10mm thick glass on table. Weight almost 100kg! - I never put rug, collect dust easily, absorb all sorts of liquids, once stained hard to clean, unless wash the whole rug! Why take the trouble. Want to be "cosy"? - I never like "fabric" sofa - use palm hit the sofa, will see the "powder" flying around. Same for rug! - Seen many Malay families like to put rug at hall, then also see the rug at "common corridor" for suntan! Why the trouble? - So far, have seen only one chinese friend put rug (EM) at hall, dusty/dirty like s h i t. If not for the gathering, I would have walk away immediately! - I have viewed (actually just stepped in only ) one resale flat (EM, bedok reservoir), with one big rug at hall, wow, I "stepped in & stepped out immediately" and told my wife, "forget it". - I'm not discriminate any body, I just cannot stand ppl putting rug - I can imagine their "housekeeping" altitude. Instead of putting a portion, why don't put carpet the whole house & air-con it?

Some forumers here complained about GC, refer them to manufacturers, pipe leakage, etc. I "supervied" the installers during process, insisted copper all new, no joining halfway, drainage pipe from high to low, conduits avoid "sun shine" areas, etc. All FCUs switched on tested 16deg C with all windows open for 1/2~ 1hr, ensure no condensation.

- As I've written earlier, "open concept kitchen" is for "making salad, cutting tomato, plaster kaya onto bread, making instant cup noodle ". - No gas cooking, all electric lah, microwave oven, built-in oven, electric-induction cooker, ....... - If you insist on "open concept" and insist on gas cooking/frying/steaming, then be standby to face : floor sticky sticky, sofa/cloth smelly smelly, furnitures/lightning oily oily.......

1. Personally come across a PR buying 4-bed rm at Livia, ended mortgage loan not approved, 5% bye bye. 2. Come across a PR buying HDB resale at blk 32, bedok south, bank loan not approved, $1000 bye bye. I was there almost wanted to buy, but found COV was crazy high, not worth, but this PR went ahead of me & paid $1K, then.....agent keep calling me: "seller willing to lower COV.....", sigh..

In 1995, I've a system4, costed me almost 7K, also seldom turned on 4 FCUs at one time. What made me "regret" was "too many pipes" here & there. The "common drainage pipe" linked to all 4 FCUs then went to tiolet's floor trap. Wall opened holes here & there. 32A isolator switch. Think twice if you don't like so many pipes.

I think HDB staff are most welcome u to do such, so less work to do. By bank loan, you can up or downgrade any time, so long as the bank wants to lend you money.

Simple lah, if got agreement for seller to remove yet they fail to do, back charge charge the seller, show him the receipt. If no agreement, good luck to you.

Must breakdown into many items first (eg, medical, tpt, angbao(give away), .....) & sum up these, reflect mre accurately. Those mentioned in newspaper can "read", can't believe. When I "more free", will do a sum up, ok? I'm back: aportion to monthly base 1. Transport (car, fully paid)- $200(petrol), maint($100), insurance +roadtax($150)+ parking($120) = $570 2. Daily expense (food + misc) - 30 x 15 = $450 3*. Angbao = 0 (out=in) 4. Special occassions(see movie, entertaiment) (say 2 in a month) - 2 x 50 = $100 5. Normal sick, GP (1 in 2 month) - 50/2 = $25 6*. Personal Insurance premium = 0 7*. Hospitalisation = 0 8. House loan (fully paid)=0 9. Clothing(inc underwear, shoe, sock, etc) - $50 Any more? 570+450+100+25+50 = $1195, round up to $1,200/per month (present money valve)

Almost forgot! Take pictures & keep receipt as evidence for work done (replacement or repaint/washing....), claim back from ah long once he get caught.

Westerners' got 4 sides open, can make only salad & mix drinks, bread + kaya within kitchen. Can imaging if fry fish/veg? Singaporeans' most likely to be "1 side open" only, not so bad.

Go Hong Lim Park to partition, have face shown over puble media.