Jump to content
Find Professionals    Deals    Get Quotations   Portfolios

neubie

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Content Count

    1,135

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    1

Posts posted by neubie

  8. Posted

    new things are always nice looking one, after a while scratches from daily use will render u immune to it. same applies to a new flooring or repolished one. after all, the granite flooring is factored into your cov. hacking it means literally throwing your money to the drain n spending more to redo.

  10. Posted

    http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1158640/1/.html

    From Wednesday, flat buyers will be able to enquire about the transacted resale prices within a 500-metre radius from any existing HDB block or DBSS project.

    They can do this by specifying the HDB block or DBSS project and a summary table on the range of transacted resale prices by flat type within a 500-metre-radius of the target property will be displayed.

    They can do this from 10.00am on Wednesday using the enhanced e-Service on the HDB website.

    The website will also include the range of floor areas and the number of resale transactions.

    HDB said it is part of its effort to provide enhanced e-Services on its website.

    Currently, the public is able to check for resale transactions made over the last one year but there is no enquiry facility for users by distance.

    With this latest enhancement, the HDB said the public will have better information on resale prices near the particular property they are interested in. This will enable them to make an informed decision before committing to buy or sell a flat.

  12. Posted

    normal for hdb/condo. nothing much u can do. but if u can plan from the start, the non-parallel wall/floor edge can be "hidden" by larger furnitures like wardrobe, bed, sofa, cabinets, carpets, etc, u can tell ur ID/contractor to start with a datum edge.

  15. Posted

    haha, regarding IKEA items:

    I only buy decoration items from IKEA, I always tell ppl don't buy furniture from IKEA as they are not durable. My brother bot the shoe racks from IKEA, within a month it collapsed. When I bot my first house, I bot many IKEA items as they are cheap and nice, but most are spoilt or replaced not even after a year.

    Regarding stainless steel, you'll be surprised many stainless steel do rust. There's once I bot a pot from OG, there was rust on the top after 1 usage, I brought back for refund. The guy told me the rust is becoz in our water, it contain steel element, any stainless steel left with water for long term, will get the rust, which he said is not from the stainless steel but from the water. Although at tat time I don't buy his explanation and insisted on refund, now I do see my other stainless steel item get rusty. But strangely this rusty level is like, get worst for those not so good quality stainless steel. Anyway now I'll just clean the rust away if possible. But the rust on the IKEA item is really too much, I don't believe those products are truly stainless steel, i think they're chrome.

    Btw even my Rinai stainless steel hob get rusty. So in a way i start to believe wat the salesman from OG told me.

    there's different grades of stainless steel. if u see songcho Welmi's bathroom products, they are REALLY rust-free, so good that they provide LIFETIME warranty for all their products. downside is it is expensive, but you do get what u pay for.

  16. Posted · Edited by neubie

    smooth plastering does not equate straight n flat walls. its during reno then u will see hdb construction quality is lousy....walls slanted, crooked, not right angle with adjacent walls. the only time u can see straight flat walls is when they use gypsum board to make L-boxes n covelights. live with it. manage your expectations well.

    u should only evaluate after they complete the painting works.

  18. Posted

    I too have prob with my Mitsubishi Starmex inverter system 4. Its not cold, imagine I have to set it to 16 degree celsius and at the same time on my ceiling fan !. Its coming to one year and still not resolve. Now kinda worried as after 1 year no more warranty ???

    ask ur installer come check gas pressure enuf or not.

  21. Posted

    http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1149129/1/.html

    SINGAPORE: Demand for resale flats has fallen by about 20 per cent since the raising of the income ceiling for Build-To-Order (BTO) flats.

    This is according to property agents who added that the cash-over-valuation (COV) prices are also starting to fall.

    The income ceiling for BTO flats was raised less than two weeks ago from S$8,000 to S$10,000.

    But property agents Channel News Asia spoke to said they are already getting fewer queries about resale flats, as prospective buyers switch to BTO projects.

    Another agent said the new rules may be making resale flat sellers more cautious in setting COV prices.

    External factors also come into play.

    OrangeTee research & consultancy head Tan Kok Keong said: "These measures come at a time when the external economic threats have increased, which probably play a part in the slow down in market activities over the past two weeks."

    But the real impact of the new measures on resale flat prices, said property agents, would only be seen in three to six months' time, when more BTO projects are launched.

  24. Posted · Edited by neubie

    http://business.asiaone.com/Business/News/Story/A1Story20110816-294661.html

    Income ceilings raised for singles

    By David Lim

    MORE singles can now buy resale Housing Board (HDB) flats as the income ceiling for those who qualify has been raised.

    This group of buyers will also receive more financial help from the Government, in terms of housing grants. The income ceilings for two other groups of buyers - families and the elderly - have also been lifted so that more will qualify for an HDB flat.

    These new measures, implemented with immediate effect, were announced yesterday by National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan during his first visit to the Pinnacle@Duxton.

    Singles aged 35 or older who have a monthly income of up to $5,000 are now eligible for a Central Provident Fund housing grant of $15,000, along with a HDB concessionary loan, when they buy a resale flat.

    Previously, the income criterion for this group was capped at $3,000 and the housing grant was $11,000.

    For singles who want to buy an HDB resale flat with another single person, the joint income ceiling has been raised to $10,000, up from $8,000 previously. Their total housing grant also gets bumped up to $15,000 from $11,000.

    As for singles who wish to buy a resale flat with their parents, the income ceiling has been lifted to $10,000 from $8,000. The housing grant for this group of buyers remains the same, at $20,000.

    On the rationale to revise the income ceiling for singles, Mr Khaw said: "(The rise) takes into account the salary adjustment over the years and it's a reasonable adjustment. Don't you agree?"

    He also gave more details on changes made to the income ceilings for those buying build- to-order (BTO) flats and new executive condominiums (EC), which were announced by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong during his National Day Rally speech on Sunday.

    The household income ceilings for BTO flats and ECs went up from $8,000 to $10,000 and from $10,000 to $12,000, respectively.

    Explaining the revision, Mr Khaw said that applicants for BTO flats are "now quite different from several years ago".

    He said: "People are marrying later and, with that, (comes) salary adjustment. (Hence,) the salary ceiling needs to be adjusted to take that into account."

    For couples with a combined income close to the previous cap of $8,000 - where a pay rise would have disqualified them from buying a BTO flat - the new ceiling is a welcome relief.

    Civil servant Gabriel Seow, 31, and his fiancee, Ms Melody Tan, 25, a marketing executive, whose combined income is close to $7,500, are one example. He said: "I think there is a need to (raise the ceiling) as private housing has become unaffordable for those earning $10,000."

    Yesterday, Mr Khaw also announced changes to the housing grant for first-time EC buyers, which is now tiered according to their household income.

    Eligible households with a combined monthly income of not more than $10,000 will continue to receive the current CPF housing grant of $30,000.

    If the combined income is between $10,000 and $11,000, the grant offered is $20,000. Households with income of between $11,000 and $12,000 will get $10,000 in grant.

    Responding to a question on the tiered grants, Mr Khaw said in Mandarin: "I think it's very fair. If you have a higher salary, the subsidy that you need is not as high as what those who have lower incomes need."

    For the elderly, the income ceiling for buying a studio apartment has been raised to $10,000, up from $8,000.

    Mr Khaw also said that HDB will launch 5,500 BTO flats next month and 4,000 BTO flats in November in towns like Punggol, Sengkang, Hougang and Jurong East.

    Next month's launch will be complemented by the launch of at least 2,500 surplus flats. This means a record 8,000 flats on offer, which will give flat buyers more choices.

    With the two BTO launches, HDB would reach its goal of launching 25,000 BTO flats this year. It has also committed to launching 25,000 BTO flats next year.

    Mr Khaw said the 50,000 flats in total would be almost the size of Ang Mo Kio, which has about 48,000 flats.

    This means that "in three to four years' time, when all these units start materialising, the (supply-shortage) problem would have been largely resolved", the minister said.

    The stock of rental flats will also increase by 11,000 units by 2015, bringing the total number to 57,000.

    Mr Khaw said that the construction industry would be able to cope with the building of the flats in the next few years, but he added that this could mean the need for more foreign workers. He urged Singaporeans to be "more tolerant" of them.

    "In order to keep up with the demand for flats, we need these foreign workers. Otherwise, there's no way we can accomplish the goal," he said.

  25. Posted

    Neubie i was told by ID it is the contractor responsibility...

    responsible for life? dun think so. is the same as ensuring the casement windows are in good working condition n dun fall off n crash to the ground. dun worry too much about the bolting. just enjoy ur new flat.

×