Maximus

Picked my paint colors yesterday .. from Dulux. My ID preferred Dulux over Nippon and i am ok with either .. So the whole house in general is going to be Barley White, the wall on the side of the feature wall in the living room alone is going to be Natural Linen, feature wall of Master Bedroom is going to be Champagne, feature wall of Bedroom 2 is going to be Luxury and of Bedroom 3, is going to be Majestic Yellow. Of course this only makes sense to those who have seen or have access to the Dulux catalog. Colour Codes:- Barley white WW25283L Natural linen WW22618L Champagne AL22801 Luxury AL24007 Majestic Yellow AL26004 Most of the colors above were suggested by my ID. The wife and I changed the room for one of the colours and changed the colours for one of the room. I think the painting should start sometime this week.

Hi Bluefly - Thanks for the very valid suggestions above. As you might have caught on from the first few posts of this blog, i am already neck-deep in my reno, with 50% of the scheduled project time already having elapsed. After debating between *****, *** and Ideal House, i chose to go with Ideal House as I felt we (my wife and i) 'clicked' with this ID, a relatively young chap in the trade. So far, things are going generally well and like any endeavor of this nature, there has to be a lot of dialogue and discussion with the ID so that the best result that suits our requirements can be brought out. Also, I am a first time owner so there are a lot of things that i am learning along the way too. When i formally do tell my ID about this blog (there is a good chance that he knows about this anyway), i will post his name here. The last thing i want is for my ID to worry about me passing judgments on him here neither do i want to cash out by telling him that he does a few things FOC and i will give him a good review here. I think everyone should beget the fruits of their own hardwork so if he does a good job, i will only have words of praise for him. In any case, so far things have been net-net positive about him. I will surely contribute to your appliance reviews. Can tell you outright now, that Aerogaz fans are not built to last (the pedestal fans). For me, they seem to have lasted not more than 6-8 months. Cheers Maximus

Hi Bluefly, Thanks for stopping by. You have a wonderful blog. I know mine is devoid of pictures at this moment but hopefully i can upload a few pics over the course of the next few days. I am still looking to buy a microwave with a built-in steam function, so kinda considering a Samsung model that the wife liked. Given that budgets are tight at this point in time, i might be forced to look at cheaper alternatives, nevertheless this particular Samsung model holds lots of promise. You definitely dont want recipes from me .. but my wife is an awesome cook (and this is a very objective opinion) and she would be most happy to discuss recipes .. How has your post-reno experience been so far? All well and good? Cheers Maximus

Reasonably productive weekend ... Went to the IT show to get a 24" LCD TV for the smaller room. Followed that up with getting a Hob (Electrolux 7332X), Hood (Fujioh FX900), and Built-in Oven (Electrolux 53000) from Mega Discount, Kallang Leisure Park. I cant wait for this month to pass. After then, i hope to be relatively free of renovation-related stress.

Man .. shopping for WCs is a tremendously arduous task. I have a Johnson Suisse in the place i am renting at now and i like it quite alright but in no place did i manage to find their models. Went to home and bathroom living today to buy a tall mixer for my master bathroom, and was looking to buy either a Grohe or Hansgrohe model as the shower fittings that i had already bought were Grohe. Found the Bauloop tall mixer which i thought was good for my bathroom but should have actually bought the Bauedge which is the same series as the shower. Hopefully can exchange tomorrow. Very helpful aunty/lady at the shop today who helped out last time too. And when i was there, i also happened to see their range of WCs. They carry Johnson Suisse and Toto (atleast these 2 brands for sure, dont know about others). I liked a particular JS one that i saw, so bought 2 of those (1 for Common toilet, 1 for Yard toilet). And for the master, i bought a single piece Toto. I was on a really tight budget so picking JS for the 2 toilets helped free up some money for buying the Toto. With this, i am now only left with buying the Electricals which i shall day after tomorrow. And the hob/hood/oven which i have already decided what i wanted but have to just now finalize where i am buying from.

Sent you the PM, TnJ.

Wow .. its been 3 weeks since my last post and since my renovation started. Things are going well .. so far so good .. bathrooms, tiling work has been mostly completed and kitchen tiling work has commenced. Will be finalizing laminates and wardrobe design this week, as well as paint colors for the walls. I think the one issue that i still need to resolve is which WCs to buy and from where. I have bought most of the stuff that i need otherwise. Here is a list of outlets/retailers that i finally decided to buy stuff from. Of course, i will post pics and share greater details soon. 1. UnikHome (furniture such as bed frames, dressers, display cabinets) 2. GR Link Marketing (washbasins, heaters, kitchen sink) 3. Sian Choon (furniture such as side cabinet, dining table) 4. Home and Bathroom Living (bathroom fittings such as mixers, showerheads) 5. Everjoint (refrigerator) 6. Ikea (Wardrobe for bedroom: but yet to buy) 7. Imperial distributors (Aircons) 8. MegaDiscount (Hob / Hood / Oven): Still to process ... a. Lightings: Undecided b. Ceiling fans: Undecided Cheers Maximus

Thanks all for your suggestions. I think i need to get it customized for sure as my platform measurements are based on my room size and my platform therefore is customized. I will try to have a look at Joo Chiat complex - do they do any made-to-order tatami cushions? Any shop names? Best regards, Maximus.

Hi All - I am thinking about doing a platform in my living room as part of the ongoing renovation works. I visited the Tatami shop at East Coast Road but find that there product range is out of my budget. Does anybody here know or can advise where i might be able to get value-for-money tatami cushions customized? Alternatively, are there other type of cushions that you can recommend for the platform? Any advice is much appreciated. Thanks. Maximus.

My renovation is off the ground !! Hacking works started yesterday. Will upload pictures here soon.

Added my space plan in the 2nd post. Created using Sweet Home 3D. This is a very basic one ...

Things have moved significantly in the past 3 days .. 1. Collected keys from my lawyer finally day before yesterday .. 2. Went to the house immediately after with my ID, where we collectively decided on a few things that would change from the assumptions in the currently contracted quotation 3. Bought (rather paid for) a Panasonic BY601xs fridge from Everjoint AMK - delivery in the first week of April (The 3 years of extended warranty i.e. 1+2 ended on Jan 31st so i had called them on that day to tell them to reserve one for me under the extended warranty offer condition. 4. Played around with Sweet Home 3D and created a major part of the envisioned lay out for my place. Will try and upload that soon. 5. Picked tiles for the master bathroom, common bathroom and kitchen from Hafary with my ID. This is just an initial pick at this stage - if the 3D doesnt look too appealing, we can reconsider. 6. Went to Heritage on Geylang road to shortlist some sanitary fittings. Need to look around a bit to see what is the variety and price points ... 6. Currently picking laminates for the vanity cabinets in both bathrooms as well as the kitchen cabinets. Happy New Year everyone - Gong Xi Gong Xi !! Cheers Maximus

Hi Diva - Thanks for stopping by and for the usual tips too.. we already have a sofa set which we plan to move over to the new place and decided on a 4+2 dining table - all based on requirements as well as the size of the new place, so you are right on the money as far as decision-making factors go. If you can recommend any good places to shop at and/or recommend brands for any of the products on my purchase list, would be very grateful for that. Cheers Maximus

You need a PE if you hack down a wall but i thought it wasnt more than 400$ to 500$ (i got this on 2 quotes for knocking down a kitchen wall). What has been quoted to you does seem to be quite a bit on the higher side.

Hey Jcase - The website is a fake website or what? Nothing about furniture that i can see... Probably one of those websites that makes money from viewers clicking on something on that page... would recommend you dont use it if you didnt have to.

Thanks Jcase - I will definitely give them a look. Can you be a little more specific about their location? I will try googling for them anywayz. Hi RMG - I just googled for it to give you the site address. You can get them in Singapore too - i believe Courts (Tampines) or Harvey Norman (Millenia Walk) or both carry ElectroLux models. Of course find out if you like the model and then get quotes from Goh Ah Bee (Hougang), EverJoint (AMK) or Kong Tai (Jurong). Cheers Maximus

The hood i was referring to is this one.

Jcase - Is this the same furniture shop that also has an outlet at IFC in Sungei Kadut on the 3rd floor? I had been to IFC this weekend and recollect going to a shop with the name "SC Furniture". Marshmallow - Thanks for this piece of info. I do think that a 3-in-1 should do as well and i saw this Panasonic one which has a separate water compartment to add water when you want to do steamed stuff like dim sum etc. My wife however is particular on getting a built-in oven as she thinks she will able to bake proper sized cakes and pizzas in it. While i am skeptical, i cant refuse. So let me try to again make her see the wisdom of buying a 3-in-1 and see if that works out. Btw, someone was telling me that baking in a 3-in-1 or 4-in-1 type of oven isnt all that great, because the temperatures dont get as high as a conventional oven and also that there are hotspots which doesnt make for uniform cooking. Have you experienced any of this?

We have a fair bit of things to buy but haven't done much of it yet. 1. Aircons - Currently considering Toshiba and Daikin. 2. Refrigerator - Decided on the Panasonic Inverter fridge (601L gross, storage capacity:551L) 3. Built-in oven - Tough one, cant seem to decide at all. Probably gonna look at a very basic Bosch or Brandt model. Any recommendations people? We are not going to be baking that often and to top it, we are vegetarians. 4. Microwave oven - Liked a Samsung model with ability to steam and has a turntable. 5. Hob and hood - Very confusing. Spoilt for choice. Have only decided that we need stainless steel over glass and that it should be 3 burner. For the hood, we want a slimline hood but most slimline hoods are around 400m3/hr suction power. I have no way of knowing if thats good or bad. Again considering a bosch bundle. Does anyone have an electrolux bundle cos i saw that their slimline hood has a suction power of 1000m3/hr? Any recommendations please? 6. 1 king size bedframe - Haven't decided where to buy yet. Mattress already bought though. 7. 1 Super single size bedframe - Haven't decided where to buy yet. Mattress already bought though. 8. Display cabinets 9. 6 seater wooden dining table 10. Tatami cushions for platform - Does anybody here know of a good place to get value-for-money tatami flooring? 11. Wardrobe for 3rd bedroom (Having my ID do up the MBR and 2nd bedroom wardrobes). Of course need to buy all the lightings and bathroom fixtures too but no point listing them here. I would really appreciate it if anybody here has some good tips on buying any of the items i have listed above. Cheers Maximus

Thanks Jcase. I shall try to do timely justice to the reno itself on this blog!

<Pictures to be updated here later>

First Look at IDs My wife and I first headed over to a Home Expo in November just to get a feel for what the ID thing was all about (as neither of us had any experience of this sort of thing) and also we thought it was a good place to get to meet several IDs in one place. Our intent was to just meet with a few IDs, get ideas, get their quotations and select one. Interestingly enough, it turned out to be a much long drawn out affair than this. 1. "Image" Creative - Nice works, good reputation, several awards. Met with an ID there and he followed up after the expo was done. We hit it off rather nicely and i was impressed by his experience, as well as willingness to show us around a past project which had been recently completed. Not too high on the design front but for sure execution would have been good. Quotation received. Finally decided not to go through due to budget constraints. 2. Rezt 'n' Relax - Stepped in to their stall for a quick chat where we shown around their kitchen package. Didnt really like what we saw. Zero follow-up after the expo. Hence auto drop. No quotation. 3. Ciseern - Shown around by an elderly gentleman with '20 years work exp' in the industry. They had some media personality's showflat up there but it wasnt our kinda style. Zero follow-up after the expo. Hence auto drop. No quotation. 4. Linewerkz - Young ID, talked to us for a bit, listened patiently to requirements. Followed up after the Expo to discuss but we found very slippery and taichi even before quotation. Dropped after a few talks. No quotation. 5. OrangeCube - Experienced lady ID showed us around their stall at the Expo. We really loved what we saw there and hence very keenly considered OrangeCube. One of the top runners for our selection of ID. The approach to design, the sensibilities of the styling all were very appealing. Quotation received. At this point in time, we didnt really want to get more quotations than the above but since what came to us as initial quotations were high and there was a wide variance from one ID to the next for even basic items, we thought it would be most useful to look up a few more IDs even though this would mean more work and time spent. But since its our place that we were putting in all this effort for, hopefully it would become worth it. 6. The Interior Place - Went down to their office and met with an ID who has done reno of some of the forummers here. Very nice for the first meeting but after that very elusive and hard to get hold of. If its like this before the contract has even been signed, i can only imagine what happens after the signing. Got advice from another forummer that she was having similar issues. Hence dropped. No quotation received. 7. ID Note aka Henry - Since there was so much internet traffic on that thread in the forum, decided to give him a look to see how things were. For sure, he gave the most competitive quote but his operations didnt instill any confidence in me that the aesthetic appeal that we were looking for would emerge. If you knew exactly what you wanted and didnt need too many design inputs, this would have been a very good bet. I considered for a bit and then dropped as I want to minimize risk as much as possible on the design front. Quotation received. Significantly enough, the other reason i chose to drop ID Note was that there was too many people asking for his contacts on the forum and i was pretty sure that if he converted even 20% of his prospects here, he would be very busy and my project might suffer in the midst of several others. 8. Inside Living - Went to their office and was met by a very young ID who seemed to actually have a fair bit of experience. Explained requirements, received a quotation promptly. Didnt meet my needs and hence had to drop. 9. Plush Living - Gave them a call and told them i was looking for an ID specializing in my preferred theme / decor (In fact on the second round of ID visits, this was my modus operandi. I would cold call the ID firm and tell them i want to meet with a senior designer who has done *** type of styling before. An ID from the firm would later call me back and i would go down to their office to meet). I asked by name for a specific ID (whose name i had come across in the forum here), and spoke to him. I went down to his office and was met by a very young ID (almost like a kid) and the senior ID never came down to even introduce himself or this kid. I was told that the senior guy is busy and so i should talk to only this guy. He was alright but i didnt want to hand over my project to too young an ID. Hence dropped. Quotation received. 10. *** - Approached them after a friend of mine had done his reno through them. Met with an ID who had very strong design skills and had been in the industry and with the firm for ages. Felt very reassured and was confident that *** would do a very good job. Met her several times and also had her come over to my place to look at the stuff i already owned. Although initial quotation was very high, we were able to rework the estimates over the next few iterations. Very strong contender for the final ID selection. Quotation received. 11. Ideal House - Dropped by their office and was met by a young, affable ID. Discussed requirements and asked around past experience of the ID. The ID followed up immediately with a very detailed quote and i was impressed by the fact that the ID's quotation for tiling specified the total sqft for each room used as the basis for cost estimation. ID was also willing enough to show us around a past project so we were quite taken up by the positive rapport with the ID. Strong contender for the final ID selection. Quotation received. 12. Earnest Interiors - Dropped by their office and met with a very jovial and nice ID who has lot of experience in the industry. He gave his personal points of view on some of our requirements and also followed up immediately with a quotation. While he was in the reckoning, i was forced to drop because of budget constraints. Quotation received. 13. Rhiss Design - The only firm i never got to meet personally and yet the ID was so responsive in speaking on the phone and then following up with the quotation. This despite the fact i told him that i am already in advanced stages of discussion with other ID firms. Hats off to his commitment. Had to drop as i didnt get into very detailed discussions with him as i had already got down to the shortlist of ID firms i would select from. So at the end of countless number of meetings with IDs, infinite number of explanation of our requirements and endless excel iterations, the final selection was going to be from one of these three firms (***, OrangeCube, IdealHouse). I will post more about who we finally chose and what swung the deal in their favor. <Review of IDs and selection to be updated here>

Thought that i would upload my attempt at a space plan rather than a basic floor plan ..

Hi All, As like many others, i have learnt a lot of things from this forum and benefited from a lot of friendly advice from fellow forummers. And now its our turn to pay it forward, and hence the reason for the existence of this t-blog. My wife and I recently bought a resale condo unit in the general Serangoon area and will be looking to do it up over a couple of months after CNY. I will post stuff on the floor plan, our theme, our buys as we go along. We are very excited about the next few months. And Gong xi fa cai in advance to all out there. Cheers Maximus

The per foot run for Black Galaxy India Granite seems to be $120 across most IDs. Does anybody here know whether this cost is inclusive of a glass backsplash running the entire length of the granite worktop (and of 2ft height)? Any valuable insight into this asap is most appreciated. Cheers Maximus