timpanister

Anybody has experience with Buy and Fix electrical stores? Are prices are attractive or not when compared to others? Service?

Hi, being the first time owner of a property and planning to rent out the unit, I have encountered a few pushy housing agents. I would like to share my experience. 1. Decide how much your apartment is worth renting for 2. Decide about the type of furnishing that the tenant will get 3. Get tenant to sign on Letter of Intent and Tenancy Agreement before meeting Landlord to reach an agreement on the clauses provided within the 2 documents. Then the agent will say he/she went through all the trouble to get booking deposit cheque, to meet the tenant to sign this and that, and then Landlord wants to change some of the terms and conditions. 4. Moreover, I notice different agencies have different "styles" for the Letter of Intent. For Knight Frank, it is apparently not stated in the LOI that the tenancy agreement must be signed within XXXX days. For another agency, a decision has to be reached within XXXX days after signing of the LOI. 5. Make sure the pre-termination clause is stated explicitly. Coz the agent will say for a 1 year lease and if the tenant is Singaporean, there is no need to have the pre-termination/diplomatic clause coz he is a Singaporean, and it is implicit or "standard practice" that there is no such thing as pre-termination. After arguing with the agent for some time to include it explicitly in the TA, he relented. It is very interesting how they will exploit "standard" clauses. One moment they say, no they can't add or amend the clause to your liking. Then next moment, they would say, by right, the tenant need to give 2 months notice of termination but here the tenant requested 1 month's notice instead. 6. Before the TA is signed, never proceed to get the requested stuff by the potential tenant for the house. I have a case where the agent says the couple is desperate to move in because their current lease is running out and so I need to get my curttains and light fixtures done. But then 2 days later, agent called to say another potential tenant wants to view the unit. IN other words, the desperate couple has "poofed". To make things worse, the agent recommended some company for the light fixtures and the quotation was $100 more expensive than others and also that company did not follow up with a proper written quotation. Luckily I did not get the lights done. Meanwhile anyway, this particular agent has found another tenant for me who has signed the TA but before I agreed on the terms and conditions. So I am keeping an eye on the situation and see if the deal pulls through or not. If it doesn't I will remove my unit for his sale listing.

Hi.....may I know how does one maintain parquet floor? besides keeping water off the floor and taking care not to dent and scratch the surface...

That's what I thought too, as the terms and conditions of the tenancy agreement are not laid in stone. But the stupid agent representing me or serving tenant. Keep increasing list of wanted items and reducing the tenancy by half. And said that market practice is 1 month good faith deposit. When the place has just TOP and so are the furnishing and furniture, and they want a 6 months tenancy. They probably want to use my developer's 1 year warranty to practice themselves of any damages they made during the tenancy. Luckily I did not enter into a tenancy agreement yet. Well, certainly I am learning a lot from dealing with the many agents who are interested to market my place, and also the many salesmen and IDs who are interested in getting my business. Many are unreliable.

Hi, What are the terms and conditions for 6 months lease or lease <1 year? Can we request the tenant to pay 2 months security deposit?

Thanks for the comments. I am not able to post the pictures here because the outdoor salesman who promised to send the pictures did not send them. Nor did he send a proper quotation as promised. He only gave a handwritten quotation (on a blank piece of paper) on site. Which goes to show that there is some fishy business here. (Actually the guy was recommended by a housing agent who had some desperate tenants looking for a place to move in ASAP.) Luckily I did not buy from him. And I think I will scrap this agent from my list too. So just to check, normally the prices in the shop are inclusive of lights too? Also, what the difference between electronic and normal ballast? I was told electronic ballast will break down after a few years.

Thanks for the comments. I am not able to post the pictures here because the outdoor salesman who promised to send the pictures did not send them. Nor did he send a proper quotation as promised. He only gave a handwritten quotation (on a blank piece of paper) on site. Which goes to show that there is some fishy business here. (Actually the guy was recommended by a housing agent who had some desperate tenants looking for a place to move in ASAP.) Luckily I did not buy from him. And I think I will scrap this agent from my list too. So just to check, normally the prices in the shop are inclusive of lights too? Also, what the difference between electronic and normal ballast? I was told electronic ballast will break down after a few years.

Hi, First time house owner here who would like to get opinions on this lighting quotation for my unit. Quote is from Focus De Lightings...they do outdoor sales so can do onsite quotation and recommendation. Round ceiling lamp, 45 cm, 40W, Glass. Atco ballast. $90 x 3 Hanging outdoor lamp, energing type of bulb. $40 x 1 Downlight, square, 7 x 7, PLC, 18Wx2, glass cover, $56 x 2 Downlight, square, 7 x 7, PLC glass cover, $45 x 1 Transportation $30. Installation $8 per light. Total: $550. Reasonable? So far, the salesman looks credible and confident in his recommendation.

I am thinking of building 2 concrete steps to my planter box (rather than having an expensive and not durable timber deck). Possibly tile up the steps and the planter ground too. Do anyone have lobang for such a simple masonry and tiling job?

Hi, Interested in getting the Samsung washer/dryer for my new apt.

Hi, My Apt just TOP. Size 597 sqft, with a planter box area, and 1 bedroom with a baywindow. There is a huge sliding door separating the bedroom from the living room with only a narrow strip of solid wall to place the TV Any suggestions on how to maximize the space in the unit? what would a realistic budget be like if I am going for minimal renovation, such as lighting, timberdeck, maybe a mirror to increase size?