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Kerio

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Posts posted by Kerio

  1. Posted

    oops! haha one of our shortlisted ID used debit/credit notes lor.. are u taking reno loan? do u know if there are changes after the loan is approved, can still resubmit to increase/decrease loan? i trying to see whether i can include all my reno costs in the loan lor.. trying hard to save as much cash as possible for our wedding next year.. hmm..

    Oops haha! As long as there's a common understanding and you trust the ID, shouldn't be a problem right :)

    Yup we're taking Reno loan.. But we won't need to adjust it cos we're taking the full quantum, and even if there're adjustments that need to be made, there're just minor ones that will probably be absorbed by Reno changes along the way.

    I also forgot to clarify, ID only found out about the bathtub when she took a physical look at the place.. Maybe sometimes the floorplan is too misleading I guess :)

    Still waiting for Reno permit!

  2. Posted

    Hi, it might be better to pay them gradually in stages rather than 50% straight. That's to safeguard you just in case something happens. Don't need to feel paiseh as it is a common practice.

    Thanks for the advice! In this case we need to give her 10% upon confirmation and 40% upon commencement, so we need to give her 50% once work commences :)

    i think paying 50% is ok as long as you are comfortable with it. but do look out for signs where the ID tries to get more from you when there's only a little done.

    Yup, I've been stalking renotalk for some time, so I know some of the tricks some IDs try.. Hopefully nothing of he sort will happen though :)

    hmm.. seems to me your ID is quite new in this line.. coz she didn warn you in advance of the obvious.. since u make quite a number of changes to your original design so did she do a revised quote? or just use debit/credit notes to effect the changes?

    haha ya totally understand how u feel, coz i went there kaypo last week and we just step near 601C only and the contractors all swarmed towards us lo! lolz.. but i think u just need to tell them nicely that u already got your own contractor n they will leave u alone.. ;)

    We're still consolidating the can and can't-dos, but I'll definitely request for a variation order or a revised invoice.. Debit credit notes sound really unprofessional!

    Ya that's what I did! I was like "have Liao have Liao" and scuttling away quickly with my wife in tow haha..

  3. Posted

    yeah. that's quite a big restriction already based on the limitations.

    for small families like mine, just hubby and me, and not much cooking will be done that kind, a glass hob is fine i supposed.

    but for bigger families, especially when you have family gatherings and all, it would be very limiting to get a glass hob as you'll need a bigger pan/pot to do your cooking and for the long run, i think the glass will give way sooner or later.

    i got my glass hob from turbo few months back for my new home. currently waiting for the renovations to be done before fixing in all the fixtures and all. hopefully it's something i will not regret since it's so pretty looking.

    you better make your decision quick! some of the stores have an exchange policy for a week?

    I've changed to a stainless steel hob! Actually the good thing about buying from mega discount is that as long the items are not delivered or installed, you can change it with no questions asked :)

    Still using an EF brand hob though:)

  4. Posted

    ID went down to take a look yesterday, and updated us on a couple of issues:

    1) She'd need to get a permit from HDB to hack the kitchen wall and floor, because of the "problem" of the HDB kitchen floors overlapping into the living room if we knock down the wall.

    2) The MBR bathroom is too small to fit a bathtub, so we'd have to make do without (wifey and I discussed it previously and we're ok with doing without).

    Looks like we'd have to shift the money from the construction of the bathtub into a shower screen and the MBR platform.

    Also, on a separate note, the contractors hovering around the block every day (and night) are really getting on our nerves. We understand most of them (or maybe just some of them) are honest businessmen and some may even have high standards of workmanship, but seriously, we're more put off than intrigued when approached like that. Choosing contractors for House renovation is not quite something you make decisions on off the cuff, anyway.

  6. Posted

    I have reservation on cheap furniture from Ikea, they don't last. Last time when I tried to get rid of some old furniture, Salvation Army told me that if it is Ikea furniture, they would not take due to bad quality. Though I tend to disagree to a certain extent, those that cost more are quite okay. But their cheap range really cannot make it. But if you know that you would not use it for long, then it's okay.

    Ya, I agree that some cheaper furnishings from Ikea don't last very long.. especially the cupboards! Almost all the cupboards I bought from ikea were decimated within 2 years. Think their beds should be alright though - the manstad one, for instance, costs $1,199, which is the normal market price for good quality sofa beds. I think I'm going to check out OM also.. though wifey says sure over budget one.

  7. Posted

    Coincidentally, I'm eyeing on the manstad as well; there's 2 colours to choose from.. what is your choice that is out of stock?

    May I recommend Dozz bedding @toa payoh. They have a range of sofa beds as well.

    Good luck.

    Mine is the biege one :) We may need to order/buy now and have it delivered at a later date I guess..

    Do you have the full address for Dozz bedding? :)

  8. Posted

    Bought one from Ikea 9 years ago, cost 700plus and still using it and still in good condition.

    Thanks! Wife and I just came back from ikea; saw a few really good ones but still looking for alternatives for comparison if possible. The new manstad one (L-shaped) that we really like is temporarily out of stock too.

  10. Posted

    hmm.. do you still keep all the documents u signed with hdb? i did a check and there is one option form called Optional Component Scheme and it stated clealy what u opt and also opt out lo.. and also under another document Option to Purchase, under first schedule, it also break down your purchase price and state down these optional components as well.. ;)

    think if i kena this thing, sure tell hdb to hack away foc for me lor!

    Ya, that's the thing.. We can't find the copies -..- we vaguely recall stuffing it into some nook or crevice in my tiny room, but after 3 years, all I've managed to find with my frantic scrabbling would be dust, books covered in dust, and unrelated dusty documents. Haiz, just have to go on with the floor and build doors lor.. Anyway doors cheaper if we go for the normal ones :)

  11. Posted

    Nice Layout! Looking forward to the transformation!

    Thanks! :) as expected, the layout is good though a little small heh heh :)

    ha i think even after the delay, u are still in good time to complete your reno and move in before christmas lo! :)

    so did you make alot of changes to your final design? The ID got charge you extra for that?

    Yeah, we hope so!! We flagged out several defects which will take a while, though our ID expects the Reno to be done in about 6 weeks (which is really fast considering the amount of work to be done).

    We tried not to make any changes, but there was one MAJOR problem- we thought we had opted in for the doors, but turns out we had opted for the floors! So our Reno plans need to shuffle a bit, and flooring is a rather major component. Now need to see if ID can find doors for us haaiz. Though to be honest, I STILL think we opted for the doors judging by the price we paid.

    Other than that, we also added a platform in the MBR (est $900), and besides the kitchen wall electrical points need to shift and the living room tv point need to shift (and that dratted opennet thingie, of cos), shouldn't be anything other additional items :)

  12. Posted · Edited by Kerio

    Went by yesterday to flag out all the defects in the apartment - mainly cosmetics issues (e.g. painting around frames very messy, a few windows had issues with their locks and a few dents in the door frames). Service centre staff was very polite :)

    Total defects found: 14! And that's with us being very chin-chai to leave the areas we intend to renovate alone.

    Rectification will take around 7-10 days, so Reno will be delayed slightly (it was supposed to start on Tuesday), although the service centre staff mentioned we can start Reno while rectification works are going on.

    In any case, it might work to our benefit since it gives us time to get the cheques for our ID; I think it feels wrong to have them commence work without giving them the first 50% (10+40), even though we did put in a 1k deposit.

  13. Posted

    congrats to getting your keys!! envious! haha.. :)

    u stay at top floors right? only top few floors had bay windows and as the window is "protuding" out, so the grills are installed as a saftey precaution.. if i not wrong these are safety features installed by hdb so u need to apply to hdb if u wan to remove or u intend to change if u find it ugly.. :P

    Oh i see.. Haha, no worries, I rather like the grills, and save money too:)) yup yup, I'm on 14th floor:)

    You were intending to hack the wall separating the kitchen and the dining area? There's a power point and a light switch on the wall, so might need a PE to check (not sure since it doesn't affect structural integrity). We had drawn out plans to remove the wall and install glass doors; looks like it might be slightly tricky >.< need to discuss with ID see how:)

  14. Posted

    @banned: Ya, but I didn't post any leh, so you saved me a lot of effort struggling with my touchpad heheh :)

    kerio, ur mbr jin nice. lots of potential! ;)

    Thanks! :) the MBR is niiice! Hopefully our ID's magic touch can transform it into something nocer.. Despite our meddling hehe:)

  15. Posted

    Wow congrats!! How come ur MBR come with the grills ah?

    Heh heh, thanks for helping me convert into pix :) was trying to do it when my PC hang -..-

    Dunno why the MBR has grills, since it wasn't in the specs when we applied for it haha.. think maybe for safety reasons? Perhaps hard for private contractors to do it correctly? The new windows a bit problematic though, there's a buffer used to close the windows and it snapped off when we tried to close it.

    img3179d.jpg

    Also, painting was quite shoddy and some hairline cracks along the walls.. have to report to HDB tomorrow :)

  16. Posted · Edited by Kerio

    Key Collection Day! Pics of the house :

    http://img37.imageshack.us/img37/6774/frontdoorzg.jpg

    Front Door - looks like pretty good material.

    http://img205.imageshack.us/img205/7435/livingroom2h.jpg

    Living Room - a little smaller than we imagined, but the large windows are nice. One of the locks was faulty, will need to report to HDB.

    http://img295.imageshack.us/img295/9278/guestroom1.jpg

    Guest Room.

    http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/4364/studyroomt.jpg

    Study Room - good potential! :D

    http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/113/mbrg.jpg

    Leading to MBR

    http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/3960/mbrview.jpg

    MBR.

    Http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/9096/cdshelter.jpg

    CD shelter- the door doesn't close properly.

    Http://img168.imageshack.us/img168/5198/front door peephole.jpg

    The peephole is rather stylish.

    Http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/3602/kitchene.jpg

    Kitchen; a little smaller than we envisioned it to be.

  17. Posted

    Happy for u! :)

    just curious are u doing any hacking works? i intend to seal up my original entrance and hack another entrance along the passageway to the rooms, and based on my research this most likely will need to engage PE and so reno permit will not approved so fast.. not too sure whether am i right anot..

    and i thought the first 7days is for rectification works by HDB, if any? u dun wan to wait for them to retify first before u start reno?

    Yup, I'm hacking my kitchen wall and shrinking it until it reaches the service yard door; this is so we can build a bigger breakfast counter and make the space neater. Not sure if mine will need a PE, though it may be possible because there's a beam along the ceiling that connects to the kitchen wall. This is also the reason why my ID needs to take measurements and see the place before she can apply for Reno permit.

    Are we allowed to change the location of the front door? I thought anything that changes the exterior outlook would not be allowed?

    And yeap, first 7 days are for rectification by HDB:) but if there're no rectifications (we're hoping), then work can start ba? Otherwise doesn't make sense to leave the house empty for a week for no reason :) one thing I'm concerned about is that it may take a while to get the Reno permit approved though.

  18. Posted

    Just met with ID again just now - she was super-efficient! Decided on tiles, wall colors, laminates, etc all in he space of 2 hours. Also walked us through the designs again and confirmed some details. Starting work next Tuesday if the Reno permit doesn't present any problems.

    Collecting keys tomorrow afternoon!! :D

  19. Posted

    yup HLE approved le.. now really have to see hdb will drag how long to gve the keys.. :rolleyes:

    my missus wan to wait until we get the keys then confirm ID but i persuading her to make the decision beforehand.. otherwise even if we get keys in oct, unlikely we can complete our reno before cny lor.. wan to get keys liao immediately can start!

    think i will go research more about the opennet thingy and share it here.. haha guess i will be a parasite here since i dun have my own blog yet! :P

    Think the subsequent blocks should be quite fast! We were thinking there'd be at least a month from our HLE approval to the actual key collection, but it turned out to be less than 3 weeks :)

    It's definitely a better idea to get your ID now rather than after key collection! Even barring issues like actual selection and shortlisting of ID, there's still design and space planning and 3D designs, all of which take quite some time. My ID, for instance, has had to change the designs 3-4 times so far over 2 months, and we're still not satisfied because what we requested just isn't in there. Today going to see her again to finalize some details before actual key collection tomorrow, and Reno is expected to start the following week! So in the next week, colors, materials etc all have to be chosen and confirmed. Super rush! >.<

  20. Posted · Edited by Kerio

    haha true true.. electronics is a hit n miss thing.. buy very branded also will not guaranteed that u might not get a lemon.. haha initially i oso plan to kiv this entertainment room as well but think think better do it one shot during my reno.. so that when i do the false ceiling, i can incorporate the placement of the speakers into the design too.. haha but then think these are all excuses to get my own play room. :P

    I want a play room too!! But wifey is all pumped up for the housewarming, and I also think it's more critical to get the main stuff like living room, kitchen, toilets and MBR up, so these are the items we're doing first.. budget constraints, so bo pian :( Looking on the bright side, at least I can build up the project room and customise it slowly hee :)

    Thanks! hmm.. think i will go research more on this opennet thingy.. me also very confused about this..

    Ya, the opennet thing is a major headache adding on to all the other headaches!! At least the SCV point has been standardised so don't need to think too much -..-

    oh ya u getting your keys on wednesday right?? congrats! happy for u! :)

    Heh heh, thanks! I'm getting keys on Thursday afternoon, so should be in time to pop by with our ID to do an on-site survey :) Has HDB given you a date yet? HLE approved le?

    So far ID's progress a bit patchy - 3D designs not confirmed yet, so we don't have a very clear picture of how the house will look like haaaaiz. Meeting her tomorrow night to discuss some stuff (missus wants to change the kitchen configuration, and we want to see the 3D drawings if they're ready).

  21. Posted

    oh seems like a gd deal! but i dun like philips.. :P haha.. how u intend to mount the 2 back speakers? i planned to convert one of my rooms to a movie/entertainement room so actually i intend to do false ceiling for the room and pull the wires all the way back for the speakers.. but not too sure whether issit feasible.. hmmm..

    that mean u going to lay the cat 6 wires through the whole house? how much is the wire psf and the rj45 faceplate? didn consider this option before lo coz it sounds expensive..

    Ya, I don't like Philips very much either haha.. but it's cheap and functional, so as long as I don't damage it by being too rough with it, it should be fine. Anyway, I have a TCL television (think it's some obscure china brand) and it's lasted me for 8-9 years with no issues until recently, so Philips can't be lousier than that right? (I hope)

    I intend to get my ID to help mount it, though Mega does offer installation and mounting I think - most likely it'll be on the top left and right of the living area; since I have a false ceiling should be easy to pull the wires through (if they're long enough). Considering philips doesn't have a really good reputation and I may change the system in the next few years (and shift the philips one to the study room), I think I'll assess the area first to see if I can hide it somewhere at ear level diagonally in front, so the speakers spread out in the front like a fan.

    My study room will be my entertainment room! But it's my KIV-ed project until the rest of the critical reno is done up.. considering a projector and sound system - hopefully will be able to conceal the wires properly then. Think if the wires are messy then bo pian lor.. just have to organise the wires properly and tape them to the walls where necessary (neatly of course).

    I'm not sure about the cat 6 cables leh; I think there's a thread on it, but I can't really find it; based on my notes, the cat 6 cables should be around $1.5 per metre, and the faceplate is $18.75 per piece - can get at sim lim tower LHS level 2. But do note that I'm not quite sure how the set up should be like, or what those things are used for hahaha.. I read through the thread once and everything was greek to me -..- Think I'll just email opennet to check about the details before meeting our ID on Wednesday night :D

  22. Posted

    did you go to the opennet website to take a a look? quite informative imo.. there are also 2 short clips here that u might want to watch too.. :)

    http://www.opennet.com.sg/consumers/what-to-expect/hdb/

    Yes I did! I read from the opennet thread here that wireless may not fully optimize the high speed capabilities though, which is why I'm considering getting the Belden cat 6 wires and the RJ 45 faceplate. Getting them is not as big an issue as actually using them. Most likely I'll just hand them to the electrician and see what he can do. If I understood it correctly (not sure if I did), I'm supposed to pull the Belden cat 6 wires through the house to the various rooms, and use the RJ45 faceplate in the various rooms to plug in the PCs, TVs etc.

    In other more non-hysterics causing news, I've changed my tempered glass hob to a stainless steel gas hob! And also, gotten myself 2 sound systems:

    - Philips HTS-5560 5.1 5 channel Hi-Fi Blu-Ray System (for the living room, 5 speakers with 2 behind and 3 in front, including subwoofer)

    - Philips HTS-5120 Soundbar (for the Main Bed room; SUPER overkill, but they didn't sell the smaller one it seemed a pretty good deal)

    Total price of purchase - $1100.

    Will get electrician to help me set up wahahaha :D

  23. Posted

    i see. i didn't really go and look at every hob on display. but i got a turbo stainless steel hob. my grandparent-in-law's place is using turbo and the fire is strong enough for chinese cooking, so we decided to get the same one. lol

    not too sure about their air conditioning systems there. we only went to the outlet selling kitchen appliances. they have another outlet, which is just diagonally opposite, selling all the tv, fridges etc.

    as for glass hob, many ppl have been telling us not to get a glass hob. reason being when you're cooking, you also got to take extra care on the glass. i think that alone is enough to make me choose stainless steel. lol

    Agree. Wifey tells me s/s hob hard to clean, but I'm quite used to them though. We consult our ID first lor :D Maybe tomorrow will go check out the Kallang Leisure park Mega also lol.

    Currently looking through the Opennet Installation details on RT... The accepted method appears to be to get the contractor to drill a hole from top of the front door, and run trunking all the way to the SCV point, pulling a draw rope throughout to facilitate the pulling through of the fibres. Not very clear, however, on what is required for the 13A Powerpoint/Sockets (are they like, normal sockets?), RJ45 patch panels, and Cat 6 cables (which apparently should be run throughout the house? How to run? Through false ceiling? I read there're only 4 ports, so what if we need to pull to 5 places?). Mwaaa so confused :dunno:

  24. Posted

    i went to kallang outlet. their selection is not that big also. but what you mean by gas hob ah?

    Hahaha, I meant stainless steel gas hob :P My wife was thinking of getting an induction hob, but some of her colleagues told her the heat may not be as high (i.e. not good for chinese stir-fry), and of course, the standard cast iron or steel pots and pans for induction hobs are quite costly. Did you happen to see air-conditioning systems there?

    We saw another type of hob at the United Square Mega outlet; it's a ceramic glass hob (looks like an induction hob), except there're heated rings below the glass that heat up the pot when you're cooking. Quite ex though, and not sure if really hot enough or not.

    Then she considered a tempered glass hob with a cast iron ring and gas cooker, and thought it was alright, though I was worried because :

    1) If you search for "tempered glass hob shattering", you'll find quite a lot of posts, although mostly from 2007 - 2008. Not sure if there's still that problem now, but the shattering usually occurs after the 1 year warranty, so replacement of the tempered glass may not be free.

    2) The sales person told us to be careful with the hob, don't chip it or scratch it, don't drop things on it, don't use too much force when cooking etc etc. That really cramps my style, because when I cook, I tend to violently attack the hob with a frying pan, then toss the food in the pan by moving the pan on the iron rings with a great deal of vim and vigor. And why spend so much money to stress myself? A stainless steel one would do, I think.

    Still considering whether or not to swap our glass hob for a stainless steel hob. Anyone else have any experience with glass hobs?

  25. Posted

    wow wow!! big purchase u have make.. hmm.. ya we are still researching on these appliances.. but think after we engage Id then make purchase lor.. one of the Id we visit already say why we so fast buy furniture liao, then our reno options will be lesser coz need to match the furniture we bought.. :rolleyes:

    ya everyday check hdb website and mailbox to see whether hdb got any updates anot.. going crazy liao! haha

    Haha I know what you mean! I was checking the Hdb website every 2 hours when I heard someone in my block had gotten the Key collection letter :rolleyes:

    My ID told us to buy the stuff on discount if we wanted to, though to play safe we only bought electrical appliances for the kitchen, and tv ;) tv should be standard black mah, so quite ok heehee:) all our accessories are stainless steel to match the black and s/s theme in the kitchen. So far haven't gotten actual furnitures yet:)

    Which ones did you already get?

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