lachesis

Welcome to RT! May the reno journey be smooth. It's our 2nd reno too, and yup, we definitely won't want to repeat the mistakes from the first reno. Looking forward to more pix

Welcome to RT. Good luck on the ID hunt.

Welcome to RT! Looking forward to seeing pix. Very interesting layout you got. Hunting for appliances and furniture is fun, but yes.. hard on the wallet. Do shop around for prices!

Hey hey, After the GSS discount, it's less than $1k Maybe can consider? Hee hee. Plus, this set is not pressure dependent, i.e. it can be used even if the pressure is <1.5 bar. The cool thing is the thermostat - you can pick the temperature you want. Don't have to fiddle with the lever to keep adjusting every time you turn on the shower.

GSS Fever... After much surfing of the Hansgrohe website and drooling over the fixtures, we decided to take the bold step to drop by their showroom. The girl who attended to us was extremely knowledgeable and very unassuming. Before you know it, we'd chosen the pieces that we like. We also did a price comparison with Home & Bathroom Building Product at Balestier - the GSS deal of 25% with Hansgrohe is a GOOD deal! And, the showroom obviously has a much wider range. Other perks of going direct to the showroom: - Place a 50% deposit to lock in the discount - Can change items along the way E.g. The Croma 100 Showerpipe is a KIV item for now. If our water pressure is between 1.5 and 2.0 bar, we will probably change it to the Raindance Series. - Can hold items for longer time (our delivery date is about 3 months from now) The Balestier place wanted us to pay up in full! We are so happy with our purchases... All prices below are the listed price, before the 25% GSS discount. Additional discount is up to your individual negotiation skills For the Common Bathroom: Crometta 85 Vario Shower - $82.10 / Focus E2 Single Lever Shower Mixer - $171.30 / Focus E2 Single Lever Basin Mixer - $ 166.10 For the Master Bathroom: Croma 100 Showerpipe with Thermostat - $1046.60 / Metris Classic Single Lever Basin Mixer (Highriser) - $ 621.90 The Kitchen Mixer: Talis S2 Single Lever Kitchen Mixer with Pull-out Spray - $667.40 Bidette: Hand Shower Bidette with Shower Hose (1.25m) - $114.50

Hey there, Yeah, seems like Mega@klp is quite 'popular' among forumers. Probably a good strategy to get prices from all the other shops first, then get them to match. Heh heh. You're right - MK2's is 88% Nothing wrong with picking the design you like.. matter of personal preference. Titanax's quote takes the cake... A bit hard to top his smorgasbord, so I won't try. Sometimes we as wives must let the hubbies think they have the last say... mwahahahaa

Grats on finally seeing the fruits of your labour! Your place looks great. Especially like the dining room - love that light, and where did you get that funky clock? Say, your kitchen sink mixer looks familiar - is that the Hansgrohe Variac Kitchen Mixer with Pull Out / Spray?? Ok, post more pix of the rest of the house soon!

Ha ha, good move. This way they know they're getting BIG business from you. Considering our timelines though, can't really order too early, unless you buy from the bigger stores. The smaller neighbourhood stores can only hold for about 2 months. Pretty much set that we're getting the mk2. Totally agree that the shape is less than pleasing (and that's putting it mildly), but if I remember correctly it has the highest fume/oil absorption rate at 85%. I love to cook, so the absorption is more important than the looks. We'll get used to the look of the mk2 over time... eventually. Heh heh. Hahaha.. CLASSIC. You truly are a fan!!! Eh, fess up - did you go and watch the movie again to get the wording for that right??? Hee hee. You forgot the best part of that conversation..... "how about I... give you the finger... and you... give me my goddanged phone call...." LOL

Oi oi... cannot go too slowly also. We'll be paying for storage while waiting for the new place to be ready

Hi there, Welcome to RT! Grats on the purchase of your flat, and wow, your reno is expected to be completed at the end of this month. Cool. Yup, the older EAs (and older flats in general) are bigger than the new ones. The previous owners bought the recess space (i.e. the corridor) as well, so that added another 5 sq metres. Take ne0mesis's advice - start a new t-blog... new t-blogs are always fun to read. All the best for your reno journey.

Yo ne0mesis! At last, your very own t-blog! Awesome - will follow it closely for updates on your reno journey. Haha, I love your forumla. But you're soooo right. Really have to play it cool (or blur) with sales people. Let you in on a secret - sales people are like predators, they can smell fear, or uncertainty, then they will swoop in for the kill! Before you know it you've put a deposit for a product you've hardly even read about but they said is better than the rest. LOL. What I find most amusing though, is how their attitude changes in a snap when you say you don't want to put a deposit, just want to get their namecard for future reference. Nice layout. Hey, good thing you're getting the Fujioh hood - crucial for your open concept kitchen. Wise choice! Okay, you have now officially taken the RED pill... there's no turning back. Heh heh heh.

Hee hee. Don't worry, we'll remind you.

Hey hey, Yup, we are definitely going for a rain shower (yes, the term is correct. heh heh), so gas heater is out. Plus, the current owner recently installed an Ariston heater, still has about 6 months left on the warranty, so why let it go to waste. Hope the pressure will be as good as the rain shower at my gym, but seriously doubt it. Still, better than nothing. Oh, a tip on rain showers - I've noticed that there are water marks on the rain shower at my gym. When you get yours installed, make sure to wipe the shower head regularly. Wouldn't want those water stains to become permanent! Yup yup, may both our journeys be nice and smooth. Looking forward to seeing pix of your reno... and your wedding too, if you don't mind sharing

Hey there, Not engaging fsm. When are you starting your reno? Ours should be early Sep. Probably sticking to the old-fashioned key and lock. Using those laser-cut keys, no complaints so far. But thanks for the offer.

Hey Dr A, Heh heh, think its perfectly okay for us consumers to share our experience with others. If we have a good experience with a product and really like it, of course we'll want to share. Think that's one of the best things about RT- can learn from one another so we don't have learn things the hard way! Hey hey, only about 2 weeks to 1st appointment (yours and ours only 2 days apart)... counting down...

Oops.. Is the extra 8 cm due to the your change in wardrobe design? Any other way to make more walking space? Hope it works out!

Is there a difference whether the tap is mounted on the sink, or on the solid surface (is one better or easier to mantain than the other)? Or is it just a matter of preference? This choice will also affect the choice of sink.

Hey hey, Yup, gas tariffs are definitely lower. Right now we only cook on weekends, and our gas consumption is super low, much lower than the national average. Figured at the new place we might cook more often, but that shouldn't cost that much more. Also thought long and hard about the gas heater as well, but we've seen the 'japan railway' that results from the running of the gas pipes. Plus, ours is an older flat, so no yard. Water pressure was also another concern. LOL, yeah was talking about your wedding dinner. 5 mths to go... JIA YOU!! Hope everything goes smoothly, and you'll be all nicely settled into your lovely new home come Nov! Also looking forward to Nov, b'coz that's when we'll move into our new home too!

The Rb-3CG comes with both inner burner AND safety valve. Win liao Couldn't have said it better

Hee hee, jeffcraze, don't have to be jealous. The planning for a house reno is really a 2-way street. As home owners, we must also do our homework and know what we want. Then we can bounce ideas off the ID/contractor. After all, the house is ours - we are the ones who are going to live in it, not the ID/contractor. Of course, our ID/contractor is also expected to give inputs to improve the design, on whether the design is practical etc, but ultimately the decision is ours. One of the reasons we really enjoy working with jaskel was that he could grasp our ideas immediately, unlike some of the other contractors, who gave us the 'huh, kong si mi' look when we suggested ideas. From following your blog, we can see that jaskel is very efficient and detailed. Yes, we count on our ID/contractor to manage many of the details that go into the reno. But as home owners we should also be prepared and informed, so that the whole process can be a smooth one.

Hey hey, Lol.. we are in the same boat. Sick at home but still can surf RT Yup, must definitely remember the masks! It's uncomfortable, and feels weird, but it definitely helps. The last time kena allergic reaction, I really end up looking like Quasimodo. OR... maybe I can try using it as an excuse to get titanax to do most of the packing... *evil grin*

Heya ne0mesis, Yup, the hood & hob combi is deadly alright! Think the Asian brands will know best how to cope with Asian cooking. The Fujioh hood is PSB tested for its oil absorption, so should be able to handle all the deadly frying, especially curry spices. Decided the go for the Rinnai with inner burner as the current owner says the kitchen is very windy. Though the inner burner is not wind proof, it's harder to blow out. Plus, it's supposed to heat things up faster - good for boiling soup. Had considered induction, but I think gas should be more economical than using electricity in the long run. Plus, changing to induction means changing all the pots and pans. Too much work. Haha. Besides, there's nothing like stir-frying in a wok for those yummy stir-fry dishes. Hey, all the best for your shopping and wedding prep, yes, very exciting! When's your big day?? ------ Lilith, Hee hee. Yes, it took some convincing on Titanax's part to go for the side-by-side. I was a bit concerned that the shelves are shorter (width wise), and the freezer was a bit big (219 litres). But considering our current fridge is only 284 litres in total, there should be more than ample fridge space, and the bigger freezer can be used to store all the meats that we are looking forward to BBQ-ing when we get our BBQ grill. Heh heh heh. Agree with you that white goes with most things. ----- Jaskel, Thanks for all the suggestions. Have to go check out the other laundry system before deciding. As for the height of the hood - we'll have to work something out when we get down to detailed drawings so titanax doesn't have a lot of baluku Glad we are giving you a chance to do new things with our house - it's a learning experience for you and for us. It's gonna be fun!

Now that we've confirmed our contractor, it's on to the next big 'headache' - doing up our wishlist for appliances! We have been doing a LOT of research, and after many extensive discussions, pouring over technical sheets, trips to various shops, here's our 'dream' combo: Fridge: Bosch KAN62V00 Side by Side Oven: Bosch HBA43B450A with Ecoclean Washing Machine: Bosch WAS2444ME Logixx 8 Hob: Rinnai RB3CG Hood: Fujioh MK II Aircon: Mitsubishi Starmex MXY-4A28VA System 4 Inverter Flooring: Quickstep Largo MBR Closet: Closet Design Pole System (17 ft) Still searching for: Ceiling Fans (shortlisted Crestar) Lighting Sanitary Ware Sinks, taps Sofa Coffee Table Curtains Laundry System Balcony items: Outdoor furniture BBQ grill Outdoor decking The kitchen appliances are the scariest - been keeping track of the cost - instant heart attack. But hubby says wifey deserves the best in her kitchen... so that wifey can bake/cook yummy stuff. LOL. Good thing I love to bake and cook, almost as much as he loves eating.

Hey Hzleaf, In the long run it's still better to wipe up any spills almost straight away. If you do spill anything, you probably have maybe up to 10, 15 minutes before the water starts to seep, thanks to the clip joint that Khengjoo mentioned. This is why you never use a very wet mop for laminate flooring, only a damp one. Also, remember to close your windows when you leave the house If it DOES happen, don't panic. As Titanax said, it happened to us before but but it dried out & over the week went back to the normal. Just try not to do it too often

Hey Dr. A, They're bringing in the Vogue range? Wow, not bad. Guess they feel there is a market here. Yup, remembered you said you'd sign after you 1st appt (in Jun). Have fun looking at the samples!