manutd1972

wah....they're charging u for floor protection and chemical wash? 1.3k for painting? hw big is ur plc? condo? or EA? shower kerb also a bit ex if u ask me. typical price for shower kerb is $80 per kerb.

this is good and helpful to all of us. only thing is, some of the products and models in the australian market is different from those here. for eg. D* brand's aircon over there is completely different from the ones sold here. so i don't know how applicable the data will be. nevertheless, it is a good piece of information. we can perhaps use it as a general guide if there appears to be a running pattern amongst and within the brands of appliances.

ok, this is wat i just found out frm my aircon guy. but bear in mind, neither he nor I have any concrete numbers to back it up. this is based purely on wat his site "engineers" tell him. 1) all inverters will have this standby power drawn so long as the mains is not switched off. 2) M* brand does have a relatively high standby power usage, as compared to other brands, be they D*, P*, T* or any other inverter system. 3) if the time duration between switching off the mains and turning on the compressor to use the aircon is less than a day, it is still ok, and no significant damage is caused to the compressor. i take it that this means the compressor oil will not lose its temperature that quickly in order to effect its viscosity (thin out) and not be able to perform its function adequately. 4) if you're going to be away for a few days, u can either leave the mains on (thereby incurring standby power usage), or u can switch off the mains, but upon return, make sure u switch on the mains at least 6hrs before using the aircon. the above is wat is told to me. perhaps someone more technically-qualified or who has the actual numbers and technology know-how can advise us, end-users. thanks.

i agree. give and take a bit. moreover, it's not like they're seeking a change due to some frivolous excuse. rather, it's the birth of a baby. i'm guessing u've not had the chance to experience the joys of motherhood yet? imagine all the restrictions and inconveniences after having just given birth. in effect, what you're asking is for the wife to go down to HDB for the 1st appt date just 7-8 days after giving birth. How would u feel if it was you who had just given birth instead? How would your bf/hubby feel? in your case, there is still a possibility that the completion of sale will not be delayed. and even if there was a delay, it's not as if both or either of you would not have a roof over your head. imagine those who have already sold their flats, had the completion date of sale confirmed, and then have the sellers of their next flat delay the purchase. Now they have to move out of their current place 8 weeks after their 1st appt date, say on 1st Nov, but the 1st appt date of their new purchase is delayed by the sellers to 30 Sep. They can only move into their new place on 30 Nov at the earliest. Now where are they going to stay for the month of Nov? Rent a place? For only 1 month? Landlords tend not to be willing to rent out for such super short tenures. just sharing some thoughts to offer some perspectives...

hw often do you clean? if u clean only after a long long time, den yes, oil and grease buildup on glass is difficult to clean off. but if u clean regularly, like once a week or even once a fortnight if u dun cook daily, den glass is super easy to clean. easier than a lot of other surfaces tt also gives tt expensive, upmarket look, eg. stainless steel. Stainless steel is difficult to clean in that it is easily scratch by a lot of cleaning products. For glass, u just need to spray some cleaning solution tt breaks down built-up oil/grease, leave it on for a short while, den wipe it off with paper towel. rinse off the cleaning solution using a damp paper towel. if u clean off any oil/dirt immediately, it's even easier as u only need water and paper towel.

i see a lot of supporters of rinnai's inner flame cooker hob. but i don't see many posts in which shops give very very competitive pricing if only buying the cooker hob, and not a hob + hood package. basically, my desired combi is Rinnai's RB-2CG and Fujioh's FX900R. if i can't get that combi at a good price, i will settle for the Fujioh FG792GL + FX900R package. I gather that this package is being sold for $795 at almost all shops. Not too sure whether this price is bargainable. But essentially, this price of $795 forms the basis of my comparison. in other words, if my desired combi cannot be found at a total price lower than 795, i will settle for the Fujioh package. can anyone here help by sharing where i can get the lowest price for the Rinnai RB-2CG and Fujioh FX900R. I don't need them to be from the same shop. I don't mind going to different shops to buy different items as I have quite a tight budget for all the items needed. Thanks in advance.

same situation here. my banker also cannot give me a satisfactory answer. when i bought my current flat, i also dun remember my home mortgage insurance coverage starting months before the completion of sale. that time, the coverage was timed to coincide with the 2nd appt. this time round, the insurance coverage started way before my 1st appt. as far as i'm concerned, i'm paying extra for nothing during the few months between the coverage commencement date and the completion of sale. suppose sth happens to me during those months, the payout goes to who? logically, since the policy is suppose to cover the intended mortgage, the payout shld go to the bank. but since the mortgage has not been paid due to the sale not being completed, wouldn't the bank den have earned a tidy sum of money? now if the insurance co says since the loan has not been drawn down yet, so no payout is required, then wouldn't the insurance company have earned my premium for nothing?

there are 2 sizes of piping commonly used in the market. when one changes the condenser n FCU, one needs to check if the size of the existing pipe and the inlets/outlets of the new aircon fits each other. If so, then yes, the old pipes can be re-used. if not, the old pipes will need to be changed.

whether branded or not branded, genuine leather also need maintenance. genuine leather is skin, animal skin. nw when that skin is still on an animal, eg. a cow, it does not need oiling as the animal's fats underneath the skin naturally oils the skin. but when that skin is taken off the animal, processed and wrapped around a piece of furniture, it will need regular oiling to maintain its condition, its luxurious feel, shine, and comfort. hence, applying leather care cream or oil every 2-3 months onto a genuine leather sofa shld be sufficient to ensure that your genuine leather sofa lasts for years to come. if u dun do it, den no matter what brand of leather it is, no matter how high grade the leather is, it'll still break down sooner or later. As for PU or PVC, dun ask me how to take care of it. i dunno. didn bother to find out how to cos i wun buy them as far as sofas are concerned. for sofas, i will only use either fabric, or genuine pure leather. its just my personal preference.

If one were to read my comparison carefully, nowhere did I put down the Miele washer. Rather, I was merely pointing out another route of decision-making that some consumers may take or consider. And in truth, I would also pursue this course of purchasing action versus paying $4k for a washer that theoretically could last me 20 years. Yes, I would rather go through 3-4 machines during the course of that 20 years, than be using the same washer for the whole 20 years. In fact, who is to say that the other brands won't last 20 years? My very first washer, a Hoover, lasted me 10 years, in which I had moved house 3 times, each time without using the attached bolts to secure the drum in place before moving. It would have lasted longer had my 4th residence not already have a washer and had no space for a 2nd washer. I donated my Hoover to the Salvation Army and their guys who came to collect it even asked if I was sure I wanted to donate it. They had commented that its condition was still so good, they were sure I could continue to use it for a few more years. Mind you, I'm the lazy type. I don't clean, wipe down, or maintain most of my appliances. And I had paid only $1k for the Hoover. So assuming it only lasted me 10 yrs, and a Miele lasts 20 yrs, I would have gone through 2 Hoovers, costing me $2k. Still, I would have saved $2k overall. Would I want to do that? Certainly! As for being gentle with the clothes put into the washer, many other brands also have gentle wash programmes where silk and other exotic materials can be put into the wash and come out clean, and un-damaged. Your assertion that the Miele is the BEST washer shows that you are already biased. How can one claim that something is the best without considering the various standards of measurement? On what basis is the Miele the best? If the standard used is price, then the cheapest washer is the best. If the standard used is physical size, then the biggest washer is the best. If the standard used is capacity, then the washer which has the heaviest washing capacity is the best. If the standard used is the quantity of water used per normal wash cycle, then perhaps the Miele is the best, judging by the question raised by one of the users here. So on and so forth. Therefore, my good sir, I stand by my comparison and my earlier assertion that I am neither promoting nor putting any brand down. Merely, putting across another perspective. One which is just as valid, I believe. Your vehement support for and assertion that the Miele is the BEST washer, without due consideration given to the merits of other washers or to the possible perspectives of other consumers, leads one to wonder if you are not just a Miele user, but also a Miele staff.

Precisely! No matter how happy one is with any particular brand or machine, one should be aware of the many possible perspectives as well as individual preferences out there. One should not promote one's preferred choice without considering the merits of others.

based on this logic(not saying it's right or wrong), i suppose my practise would help to preserve the condenser, if my inverter aircon does employ a heater unit like the Mitsubishi unit. what i normally do is i program the aircon to shut off about 1.5hrs before i'm suppose to wake up. and even though i set the temperature to 25 deg C, apparently my dog and i dun seem to have any problems with the humidity or lack of aircon during that 1.5 hrs. now since the aircon is technically still on standby during that 1.5hrs, the heater shld be working to prevent condensation in the coil. when i get up 1.5hrs later, i switch off the aircon's main switch. i've been doing this ever since i got my aircon slightly less than a year ago, and i've noticed, even with about 6-8hrs of usage everyday, rain or shine, my utilities bill have only gone up by no more than $10 per month.

hmm.....just wanna express my humble opinion here. not supporting or putting any brand down, but just trying to put some perspective into this. $3k-$4k for a Miele front-loading washing machine: 1) how long will the machine last? 2) will the clothes washed in it last forever? 3) will the colours of the clothes washed in it never fade? 4) does it use significantly less water per normal wash cycle? 5) does it consume significantly less electricity during each normal wash cycle? versus $700-$800 for a typical Jap, Korean or European front-loading washing machine: Assuming the Miele washer costs $3.5k -> 3500 / 700 = 5. So for every Miele washer, one can possibly buy 4-5 other similar competing washers. Assuming these similar washers each last an average of 4 years of normal usage, the Miele washer has to last 16-20 years of normal usage. By the 10th year, I'm sure washer technology would have advanced such that it would be rendered obsolete, or at the very least, the new washers would have better features, better technologies, greener technologies, and consume less resources to operate. Would I then buy the Miele washer? Hmm.....

Universal Union at Geylang. they had a very good package price 1 mth ago. not sure if promo price still valid now. bt their prices are generally lower than most other stores, and i've been to several in the span of over 2 weeks.

i haven't used it yet....but from the other thread on cooker hobs and hoods, a lot of ppl have used the FX900 and they all swear by it. even my ID was sharing his experience with me at our last mtg. apparently his uncle is using it and he was cooking over there the other day, and after cooking, found that the floor was still very clean. he didn't even have to mop the kitchen floor.

huh? the flame will not flicker during cooking when the gas is running low? it'll just gradually go smaller and extinguish itself? and then cannot re-ignite? then food end up half-cooked....

wat's the procedure or SOP like for using LPG? 1) do we need to place a deposit with the company, just like wat we do for SP services? 2) for 1st-timer, wat other items need to get to use LPG for the first time? 3) everytime new cylinder is delivered, COD or they bill monthly? 4) how to tell if gas in cylinder is running low? any symptoms or the cooker's flame just goes out and cannot be re-ignited? thanks in advance.

Still nego? HDB's appeals committee only sits once a month. By the time they look at your case again, your 2nd appt will probably be due or only a couple of weeks away, leaving you no time to source for another loan should the HDB reject your 2nd appeal. Go take a bank loan as one of the members here suggested. Besides, the interest rates are so much lower than HDB's. And if you don't take one that locks you in for too long, you can re-finance after only 1-2yrs and keep re-financing until your outstanding amount doesn't allow you to do so anymore. By then, you would have saved tons of money just through the interest rates over the initial years, when compared to HDB's 2.6%.

hi all, anyone has Jimmy's contact no? Can i pls have it? Thanks.

hi all, can anyone PM me Jason's contact no pls? would like him to quote for roller blinds for my place. thanks in advance.

is Mr Chew still doing roller blinds? is his contact number unchanged at 965***89?

I'm quite sure that is incorrect. to be held legally responsible for one's comments online, one need not reveal one's name and NRIC in the open. if this is necessary, den the SPF wld not have been able to arrest the Facebook bloke who is using his FB profile to incite violence. do not confuse this legal responsibility with his act of inciting violence. cos ultimately, if the argument of stating one's name and NRIC in the open holds true, den the SPF wld not be able to attribute his online actions to him and thus, be unable to prosecute him even if the crime was to incite violence. remember, we do not even have to provide our NRIC nos when making a profile at Facebook. the basis of all such legal actions against online comments is that one's online profile is a representation of oneself. and as such, any written comments online by oneself, is in itself legally binding to oneself. therefore, even if one's name and NRIC is not revealed in the open, one is still open to legal action against oneself for comments made online, in a written form, or verbal if it is recorded and independently verified. so long as the medium used requires one to register oneself, and one's identity can be traced in any way, any medium owner/moderator is not obliged to provide the member's particulars to anyone requesting it for legal purposes unless the requesting party is the police, or has a valid court order requesting for the release of personal information. but if one's personal experience can be validated or backed up, den one should not be afraid to share one's bad experience online as the offending party will not want to bring the case to the courts, even if they did threaten legal action initially. the legal threat is typically used as a 1st tactic to "scare" people into submission and retraction. however, if one stands firmly on one's grounds which are valid, den on further thought and perhaps legal consultation, the offending party will usually not follow-through on their threat of legal action.

hmm....i believe some of the other "not-so-big" shops might also have credit card instalment plans. if not, den so long as they can accept credit card payment, u can still get it converted to an instalment plan by calling the bank. but before u do this, pls check with ur credit card issuing bank if they have this feature and wat is their processing fee, if any. For such items like aircon, the price difference can be in the hundreds, so even if there is any processing fee, it'll still be worth it as most times, the processing fee will prob be less than $100.

have read several comments in this forum on IKEA's blinds. seems the rolling mechanism always gives problems after a short time in use. they also employ stainless steel beads but as experienced by many IKEA's stainless steel products' users, they tend to rust after only a short time. was also told that IKEA's blinds are hand-cut versus others which are laser-cut. this gives rise to non-perfectly parallel edges of the blinds. potential problem of this: over time after many roll-ups and roll-downs, the blinds may become mis-aligned and u get uneven roll-up at best. At worst, the blinds get caught at the edge of the rolling mechanism. i also originally intended to get their roller blinds due to budget, but after reading all those feedback, i've decided to spend more and get proven, good roller blinds from professional roller blinds makers. prices can range from 200+ to 700+ per blind depending on size, materials etc. motorised roller blinds are even more expensive, but not recommended for half-height windows. and they come with remote controls. cool....

Zero or less than $10k COV? 3NG, corner unit, and within 2km radius of Bishan? in the current property climate? pls dude, wake up from ur dreams. the only way u can find such a unit is if it's either haunted, or someone died in it before. even for those units targetted by loansharks, the owners are still asking for at least $20k COV for units with those criteria. u think the agent's comm is that high to cover the possible COV? assuming u manage to buy at low price of say, $230k. most customers now neg the comm to 1-1.5%. Suppose even if it's still at 2%. 2 percent of 230k works out to 4600. now let's say u buy at high price of $300k. 2% comm equals 6000. which owner of the right mind would sacrifice $20k in order to save $6k? even if he's willing to lower COV to 15k, he'd still be sacrificing 9k (15k-6k). sorry if i sound a bit harsh, but buyers like you, are the kind of buyers that good property agents & owners like myself hate the most. they're a waste of our time. we take the time to open up our homes for your viewing, and then you give a ridiculous offer. can't afford the COV, dun buy now. wanna buy now with those criteria, be prepared to pay the asking COV. not to say such a unit don't exist. but u slowly find lor. by the time u find it, u'd prob have viewed anywhere between 50 to 100 units, taken 2-4mths, and more importantly, wasted the time of over 50-100 owners and/or agents.