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Umaisarah

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Posts posted by Umaisarah

  1. Posted

    Just realised that you are a fan of the famous Red Devils football club. I suppose your house is done up by now. Ready to go?

    Cheers.

    Hi England. No, I'm just going to start :)

    This Wed, the electrician is going to start doing the electrical works, then followed by false ceiling, then lights, then carpentry, then final painting, and THEN I move in. So, in all it will take about 4 weeks, give and take.

    YES, I'm a RED DEVIL all the way :P. Am feeling a little bit blue now because they seem to be out of the title race now. **** you, Chelsea!

    But they're still doing better than Liverpool :D My DH is big fan.

  2. Posted

    oh u went down already? how is the price range like for the chairs cos I saw on their website some chairs that I'm interested in getting for my study table and dinning table...if too expensive then I will give it a miss....

    another one u can try is S&C. some of them say they can also custom make some designer lookalike which is also good quality.

    Price range was about $150-$400 per chair, I think.

    The plasticky ones would be cheaper. I liked the Allure chair but my DH thinks the 'holey' portion will not last.

    There were swivel ones (with no castors) which the kids like for their room. Unless I can't find better ones elsewhere, I might get those.

    Where is S & C? Do they hv a website? I'm also thinking of getting a bookcase, since I'm most likely not going to bring over my mouldy sideboard. I'm salivating over this design (Shelflife and Mikado) :dribble:

  3. Posted

    u can try comfort furniture... www.comfortfurniture.com.sg

    Thanks Sam! We went to the main branch at Eunos last weekend. So many chairs there, but didn't see chairs like this.

    Mbe need to go down again and take a slow walk :)

  7. Posted

    Do they add distance from 1 place to another into the cost?

    You mean, SG Bros? Nope, it's just $30 per diversion, so if I want to divert to two places, tt's $60.

    If the house is not on lift level, then its $40 per diversion.

    And they're using the same lorry as your main stuff, so in a sense it's better cuz you're not paying extra for another lorry if the stuff you're diverting is not tt much.

  8. Posted

    that's actually why I'm considering it also! coz it's eco-friendly... but can you lift the panels up to clean underneath? I have visions of dead lizards and dried leaves accumulating below the decking that's why am considering laying teak tiles instead... so easier to lift up and clean!

    BTW, went to look at the bamboo bathroom caddy in Howard's storage world the other day, looks very nice.. will deffo get some when I've moved in.

    We did ask them this when he came down for site measurement, and he said there will be one part which is removable for us to clean the bottom and clear the drainage outlet. But to be sure I will ask him again when he comes down again for final round of measurement.

    Went to Howards two weeks ago and really liked so many stuff there, but prices not cheap leh... :( Really liked the resin shelves which was like $300+ I think. Ikea also has something similar but it's wood or wood-based, so not sure if can tahan the moisture.

  9. Posted

    Met up with a few movers over the last week. DH already so confused, asking why I ask so many to come down.

    Anyway, got quite varied quotes, so am putting them down here to get comments or feedback from others who have used them.

    But first, an idea of how much stuff I'm bringing:

    Abt 50-60 boxes of various sizes

    1 3-seater sofa

    1 chaise lounge

    1 wooden bench

    1 armchair

    1 dining table

    6 dining chairs

    1 buffet board

    1 tall display cabinet

    1 large wall mirror

    1 metal daybed

    3 single-size foam mattress

    1 chest of drawers

    3 bookcases

    1 2-door fridge

    1 washing machine

    1 42' plasma TV

    2 tall speakers

    1 Centre Speaker

    1 subwoofer

    1 Amplifier

    1 28' LCD TV

    1 iMac

    2 printers

    and about 15-20 small loose or hand carry items like floor & table lamps, telephone table and seat, floor vases, etc etc

    Quotes received:

    1. Kenny, Citimap Movers - quoted a lump sum of $900 which includes transporting 5 items to my Mom's place, and disposal of bulky items I'm throwing away like double-decker bed, sofa, etc. Price includes abt 70 boxes, FOC. Providing 1 box lorry and 1 open lorry. Shrink Wrap and normal protection.

    2. Sky, Swift United - quoted $480 for my stuff and $180 for Mom's stuff. Giving abt 40 boxes, FOC. Nvr mention wat type of lorry they're providing. Wanted us to cfm then and there since he's got boxes available. Shrink Wrap and normal protection and I hv to apply for condo permit and give refundable deposit myself.

    3. Alex, Soo Seng Transport - $850 for my stuff and $250 for Mom's stuff. 70 boxes with $2 refundable deposit. Box lorry. Shrink wrap and corner cardbox protection. Will apply for permit and give deposit on my behalf.

    4. Paul, SG Bros - $390 per 15-foot lorry load. Pro-rated for less than full load. $30 for each diversion. 70 boxes with $2 refundable deposit. Shrink wrap and carpeted protection (claim he's the only company to do it). For my and mom's stuff, he estimated 1.5-2 lorry loads, so tt's max $810, including diversion to my mom's place. Exclude $140 for the boxes, which is refundable.

    Still awaiting quotes from Frederick, DKNH Logistics and from Shalom Movers. Soo Seng Tpt looks very experienced and professional, but comes at a price. Citimap is not bad, but too bad they didn't give a breakdown. Switft Utd also ok, but the guy who came seemed too laid back and easy-going, and I hv to do the permit appln and deposit myself.

    This is the 1st time we're using professional movers. The other 2x, we had used own labour (hubby's friends) and borrowed friends/relatives lorries. So we really don't know what to expect. What me and DH is scared abt movers is the surprises during the move itself, eg need extra lorry so more $$, or 'your furniture bulky, so need more $$', or "your lift lobby far, need more $$".

    So far, leaning twd Paul from SG Bros. Quite an interesting character and he really explain in detail how his company does the move. Interesting approach in tt he charge per lorry-load which makes it more transparent, in a sense. He charges extra if the lift lobby is far, not on lift landing, etc etc, which I think other movers do but his difference is that he breaks it down so we know exactly what the charges are so there's no misunderstanding later. Also, my hubby likes him, and tt's important too :P

    So unless the last two gave us fantastic quotes and vibes, we're most likely going with Paul.

    Btw, 100% of the movers were recommended by RT forummers in one form or another :D Cheers, RT :yamseng:

  10. Posted

    congratulations on getting your keys!!!

    I've gotten my keys a while back but reno hasn't started yet....

    BTW, can you share the contact of kent for the bamboo deck, would like to see it, how much would your entire deck cost?

    Kent, Styline H/p 9173 9939. Tell him Rose from Casa Merah refer you so he will do me a good job :D

    His shop/showroom is at Jln Besar area, near City Square. He quoted me about $2,600 for my living and MBR balconies.

    Total area is abt 6.8 sqm. I remember the price was comparable to the quotes I got for chengal wood and teak.

    but bamboo is 'greener' product, tt's why I chose it. Tt's my little contribution towards saving the earth :D

  11. Posted

    Went for HDB 1st appointment yesterday, and finally met the female half of the couple who bought our flat.

    So young, and so loaded already.....wah!

    Soooo many pple at HDB, only managed to meet the HDB officer about an hour after our alloted time.

    Signed this document and that document, then it was over.

    Buyer agreed to completion date of 19 May, and let us stay for 1-2 more days as we're only moving out on 20 May.

    But today they're coming down with their FSM and getting my DH to sign a reno permit application cuz they scared cannot get it approved in time.

    Heard from my agent that they plan to spend abt $60-70K on renovations :jawdrop:

    Anyway, enough of the gossip (and hope they don't surf RenoTalk, haha!). Just one more day before we get our hands on the keys to our new home!!!

    I so excited, feel like taking today and tomorrow off from work :P

    Had a minor glitch with my chosen electrician. Never respond to my simple request to resend an email he sent me which got lost in cyberspace (which makes me doubt if he had sent it to me in the 1st place). Each time I sms or call, he say he will do so when he comes home, but I wait and wait, he never did. In the end I so fed up, I fired him via SMS. And he didn't even respond to THAT! Good thing hvn't paid him anything. But sad thing is that his rates were **** good. Ah well, always a catch.....

    Managed to find alternative electrician, with slightly higher rates, but sounds reliable (over the phone). Will be meeting up with him and my ID this Saturday afternoon.

    And then next Monday, the reno STARTS! :horse:

  12. Posted · Edited by Umaisarah

    After much debate (heated ones) with three or four people from Lightings.com.sg over the phone, they finally agreed to come down to install the light for free. The light comes with a frame, a part that has the ballast etc, 4 packs of rods and crystals and i box of halogen light bulbs. They told me that is the 'standard practice'. They explained that it is not advisable for the rods to be fixed to the frame before installation because once fixed, the light becomes very heavy and will be difficult to install. Also, the rods may knock against each other and get scratch during the delivery. I agree with all their points, but to me, they should fix and install everything when they deliver the light to my house. They cannot expect me, a customer who may not have much experience in fixing electrical stuff, to assemble every part myself. I am not buying lights from a DIY shop, am I? If they have told me upfront that I need to pay extra for the installation, I probably would have gladly agreed to it. I am unhappy with them for exluding standard service that other lightings shop provide to make their pricing look good and then charging the customers for the service after the sale is confirmed. By the way, you mentioned that you were told that there is no installation charge even when you asked the salesgirl? Then I think she is dishonest and you should demand for free installation.

    As for the fan, my model is crestar 54" SV. But I think it doesn't matter which model. All ceiling fans require proper balancing duirng installation to ensure that they don't wobble when turned on. I agreed to pay lightings.com.sg $35 for this because my ID's electricians could have done it have they been more skillful.

    When I asked the salesgirl, she said there was no need for special installation, not that there was no charge.

    I can't remember if I asked them what's the charge if I get them to install.

    For my case, I've decided to ask them to install the dining light AND the fans since they would be more skilled in it. The shop will waive the $18 delivery charge since they're going to ask the electrical contractor to bring the stuff I bought. So on that day, I will hv 3 contractors in my house - my chosen electrician to install the downlights and other ceiling lights, the shop's electrician to install the dining light and the fans, and my curtain contractor who will install the curtain tracks! They have to play 'musical rooms' :D Should be fun to watch..... :P

  13. Posted

    The 3D drawings are nice. Just one small advice from my own reno, which is going to be completed on 9 April (Is that the day you are collecting your keys? :yeah: If you are using light colur laminate for your carpentry, the edges may have some obvious dark lines unless you have ABS trimming for all your shelves and cabinets. My ID told me that usually ABS trimming is only for cabinet doors. So when I saw my book shelves for the first time last week, I was rather disappointed because the dark edges of the book shelves really spoil everything. Luckily, my laminates are close to white colour so I ask my ID to paint the adges white. After the painting, the shelves look very much better. So you may want to discuss with your ID on this first.

    Are you referring to the white bookcase? Actually I'll be bringing over my existing Billy Bookcases, my ID put them in the 3D drawing just to make it complete.

    But I do hv light colour laminates for the other room, light green and cream. Will chk w my ID if there'll be dark lines or not.

    Thanks for the heads up! :D

    9 April, yeah!!! Important and happy dates for both of us.:dancingqueen:

  14. Posted

    can you post a picture of your shoe cabinet from Crystal Homes?

    Oh, I didn't take a picture of the cabinet, but the design is similar to this one in their website. Only the colour of the model I chose was walnut for the frame and white for the doors (or is the other way round??).

  15. Posted

    yes, i did call them up....they said they have moved form former hdb bldg and now at jln kilang timor..

    about mounting of mirrors, how did they do it the last tiime? do they stick it to the wall like using some form of glue?

    Aiyo, they r really playing hide and seek :-)

    No, they did a proper mounting job, with hooks on the wall.

    But I suppose depends also on the type of mirror you buy.

    Dun think u shd glue though, even for a small mirror, for sure not strong enuf.

  16. Posted · Edited by Umaisarah

    I bought this light:

    IMG_2075.jpg

    oh, no!!!! Tts e light I bot! Must b they clearing old stock, all e salesppl pushing it :( how was it delivered? R the glass rods separated? So it means we got to fix it up

    one by one??? Can Keep me updated how u did it leh....?

    Wat abt yr fan? Wat model is it? Is it e elmark VIP series?

  18. Posted

    I bought most of my lights from Lightings.com.sg because it has very good reputation in this forum. But my experience doesn't seem to be as positive as most of the forumers here. My wife and I were served by a lady Noel. Frnakly speaking, I find her quite rude. First, she bluntly commented that the dining light that I wanted to buy is not nice when my wife showed preference for a more expensive one. Then when we were looking at the bathroom lights, she kept pushing us to buy some lights which I personally think don't look nice at all. When we asked her the power consumption of the energy saving lights we were looking at, she said that it will be higher than the normal ones because they are brighter. To me, this is illogical. If the light has to consume more power to give more light then it is not energy saving! I think she needs to upgrade her knowledge in lightings! Another disappointing thing about the shop is that they don't really have many designs. Most of the lights are the same as what we saw in our previous visit two months ago. Anyway we still bought most of our lights from the shop becasue of its supposedly honest pricing and good aftersales service.

    Yesterday, my ID told me that the dining room light from Lightings.com.sg is not assembled completely and wanted me to call them to send someone to assemble. Also, the ceiling fan will require specialised technicain to install. When I call up Lightings.com.sg, I was told that I have to pay $25 for them to assemble the lights and $35 for installing the ceiling fans. While the amount is not a lot, I am uncomfortable with the additional charges which they did not mention when we purchased the items. I spoke to a man over the phone. When I asked him why I was not told of the possible additional charges at the point of purchase, he said it was because I did not mention that I need installation service from them. I am really pissed by this answer. Well, I don't buy lights everyday, so how would I know that I have to check with them all these hidden costs. Isn't it the responsibility of the sales person to explain everything to me clearly?

    Maybe their net price with hidden costs included is still competitive, but my experience with them is certainly not pleasant.

    Hi SGK! May I know which dining light and ceiling fan you bought? I oso recently bought lightings from them, and scared tt if same model, I oso kena hidden costs when it comes to install. I did ask the salesperson if the dining light need their ppl to install since it's glass and got hanging rods, and they said no need, the light comes in a complete piece, no need to assemble. They didn't mention anything abt the fan.

    Did u go to their main branch at 515 Balestier? I think I know which one u referring to. She got long hair, right? Ya lor, she quite blunt but I find her ok lah. She the one who recommended me the dining light.

    On the plus side, I won a PS3 in their fortnightly lucky draw, heh heh :D

  20. Posted

    For those interested in buying Clipsal Zencelo switches, got these prices from Choo Chiang:

    W=White, C=Colour

    1-gang: $5.50(W), $6.50 ©

    2-gang: $9.00 (W), $10 ©

    3-gang: $14 (W), $15 ©

    1-gang, 2-way: $8 ©

    Was disappointed the switches only come in either all-white or all-coloured, cannot mix and match :( .

    I really like the dark-switch, white faceplate combination I saw in their online brochure.

  22. Posted

    You can go to the web site for more details bah. I know about this shop because everytime i take the east bound mrt I see a rooftop with wood furniture in geylang area. :P . pagoda teak

    I went to their website. Their designs not bad. Will chk them out soon. Thanks for the tip, Zelly! :D

  23. Posted

    Hi, PNC welcome to RT! I currently live across the MRT track from you :D

    I send my kids for swimming lesson at the pool every Sunday.

    but we going to move to eastern side in a few months time :(

    Going to miss the area cuz spent all of my childhood there.

    Hussein was also the one who served us when we were at that 'big chain reno shop'! Was quite a nice guy but didn't quite like his pushy tactics (was saying tt special price valid for a few days so must cfm early). And tt time, we weren't sure if want ID or contractor....

    Saw him again at Expo last weekend when we went to consult with our ID, I think he recognise us, so we quickly change direction, we so pai seh cuz never came back to him :D

    Eh, post your floor plan and pics leh so we can hv better picture of the place.

    How many rooms is it? This is one of the 'newer' flats right? What do you intend to do? Will it be a major overhaul.

    My friend told me recently that an EA or EM house at Stirling Road got sold for $900K! Wah liau, crazy price!. Dunno true or not. Price like that cuz the layout is very unique. The bedrooms are all downstairs (?). Do you know what kind of layout is this?

    Actually, I'm in love with the HDB terraces along C'wealth Ave West, near the CC and mosque. Hope they're still around when I move back there in 15 years' time!

  24. Posted

    Yes. I agree totally. :good: They do give us the dimensions rite. It is our 'duty' to ensure the dimensions arewhat we are okie with. After all, we are the end users. Many thought hiring a ID means u can sit down and relax but it is not true at all. :)

    Yes, yes :good: No relaxing even if you engage the most famous and expensive ID.

    RT is full of stories of pple who take their ID and contractor for granted and got burnt.

    Unless you the type who heck care and dun mind living in a house which doesn't hv any of your personal touches or inputs at all.

    That's why I like your home, Mickey! :D When pple see, they sure know it's yours :)

    Very unique and different, with its own personality. Something you said in your blog about other houses being almost the same, with the same feature wall, TV console etc, really strike me, cuz I think that's what my house is going to be :( No $$ to make it unique and anyway, can't change a lot to the structure of the place. But hopefully with the soft furnishing and the odds and ends, it'll look more like Umaisarah & Family home.... :D

    Can't wait to see the final completion of your house. Take so long leh..... but you're like the 'real' Mickey Mouse...I nvr see him throw a tantrum! :D

  25. Posted

    Anyone heard of Koan Lighting? It's an online store, based in Singapore which sells 'Asian-inspired' lights.

    I dunno how I came across their website, but I ended up ordering 2 sets of their ZE Light. They have a buy-1-get-1-free offer, so in total I hv 4!

    What is ZE light? Well, its a DIY light which you assemble yourself according to the design you like.

    I liked it cuz it was just the type of light me and DH wanted for our MBR and it was cheap. $39.90 for a 30-cm diameter lamp (without the light cord and bulb).

    Here's a pic.

    4476324664_4d39b33db4.jpg

    They sent it to you in 30 plastic pieces and you're supposed to fix them up together like a jigsaw puzzle. I bought 4 sets, so tt's 120 pieces, and I can make a 60-cm diameter lamp.

    Tried to superimpose the lamp in my MBR 3D drawing and this is what I came up with:

    4476324548_320fb37c73_o.jpg

    Look quite nice, I think :P

    The walls of my MBR look quite plain, so I'm planning to get some decals. Found one at Winkplay which matches the ZE lamp perfectly :yeah:

    4476324856_839f08661b.jpg

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