mae29

For double socket, the electrician charged me $16 extra. I believe he had already offset the cost of normal wall socket.

Location takes precedent over Facing! My FSM decided the location of stove and I fine-tuned the facing. I am just fortunate that I managed to find this model which has rows of knobs on right, which happen to be West direction; my Life Gua is 2. Anyway, I do not cook at home That's why I have all White kitchen cabinet.

Stove & Gua number I started a thread on this subject and some forumers had PM me with their queries. Now, let me explain it here: This model has the row of 4 knobs on the right side as you can see in the picture. If you stand and face South, then the knobs on your right hand will be facing West. If you stand and face North, then the knobs on your hand right will be facing East. Hope this explains how to take facing for the stove.

Take this model of Hob to illustrate my point: Let's say you are standing in front of this hob, and the 4 knobs (not the ring) are on your right. If you stand and face South, then the row of knobs is considered facing the West. If you stand and face North, then the row of knobs is facing East...and so on.

This is the coffee table which I bought from Mode Studio @ $399. ...and the 'half set' of 3-seater sofa. Original length is 1.85m but I asked to shorten it to 1.8m length. I also asked them to make the back cushion 'fuller' & firmer. Actually, the sofa set comes with 3-seater + chaise lounge, but my converted livingroom cannot accommodate the complete set. The original price for complete set is $2999, now selling at $1899. I asked the salesman if I can buy only half the set and was happy that he gives me the nod. So, bought this 3-seater at final price of $888, quite a good deal as the saleman told me he has to 'sell' that chaise lounge at $1000! For the coffee table, initially saw this set @ $499, at the main entrance to the shop. The salesman was very helpful and he brings it over to put it next to the sofa & let me see how they match. In the end, I find it too big and not that practical with the removable trays on top. So, I bought the above one instead, with 2 drawers for stashing magazines, leaflets inside. The shipment for both sofa (custom-made in China) & coffee table ETA Singapore 24 or 25 January 2011. I am keeping my fingers crossed that shipment does not delay so they can deliver to my door step on 28-January-2011. Otherwise, they have to 'loan' me the display set!

I guess most electricians here will stick to using the same trunking with internal compartment for dual type cables. Not much of a choice, but is the practice here. RimBlock, your electrician using the same trunking as mine?

Hi, hi I am putting up this reno-blog to keep my children informed of progress. We have moved out during this reno period, and sometimes, my children stay with their friends. So, this forum is our communication channel to keep them update on our reno journey. Further, as I am alone handling and overseeing the reno works, some good kind soul here can help me & guide me along the reno journey, providing useful & constructive feedback, suggestions, etc, so that I am in sync with current norm and work practices on renovations.

Progress photographs today: continued Painting started today with first white coat by 2 Singaporean Malay painters: The Livingroom, as viewed from the window opening at Kitchen I am looking forward to the kitchen makeover! ...and finally the toilet at MBR...you see the 30+year-old wall tiles? In 1999, I overlaid the floor tiles & changed the WC bowl when I moved in 11 years ago. Prior to that, my ex-husband (now deceased) and me had spent over $100K on our previous flat at Kim Tian and this sum of money was eventually gone down the drain when we sold the flat 5 years later!. So, I was like 'down-to-earth' and thought not wise spending so much on renotalk on this Pandan Garden flat at that point in time. Now, for my children's sake, the extreme makeover plan began in November 2010!

Progress photographs today: Glass works done.... Partial shower tempered glass screen for toilet @ MBR....too cramp for full shower screen! Glass block at Livingroom & Bedroom 4 is also ready. ID told me that they apply a coating on the rough side to prevent finger prints. The livingRoom is still bright after the TV partition and glass block are up.. A peep through the back door....

It is definitely useful as my children used all kinds of equipment / devices which comes with 2-Pin only. Even hair dryers also comes with 2-pin.... I asked the electrician to source for me. I paid additional $16 for each double sockets, and $9 for each single socket. It is cheaper than I got from Sheng Shiong which was dismantled, which I paid about $20 for each single socket. Here is the picture of the old one we installed..

Progress photograph.... How the plumber hide away the stainless steel pipes in toilet @ MBR, avoiding the shelves... The switches for the lights....... The 'problematic' toilet switch was relocated immediately after my ID called the electrican. Comes with 12 year warranty for such product? LOL ....and our unique 2-pin friendly socket...

Not sure if we bought the same table? Is it cultured marble or pure marble? I am really not sure...just like the 'marble feel'... I just confirmed it last Saturday. My table will be cut to 1m diameter instead, without lazy susan.

Progress photographs...continued from above post: Casement for pole system wardrobe at MBR is up....left plastering & painting to be done. I opt out laminate as I thought it will limit the choice of selecting the colors of bedsheets. I am the type of person who can get bored easily with seeing the same old thing for too long.....If I stick to what my ID has done up the 3D drawings, in less than One year, I will be tearing down the laminates for sure! Better don't waste material and choose solid color painting for the casement. The side of the wardrobe will now be painted Mosiac Grey, with White headboard c/w silver trimming. The sliding doors c/w aluminium frame with crystal white frosted glass for the centre big panel, and see-through frosted glass for top & bottom smaller panels on the doors. So, you see, not easy for my ID to handle this fussy customer with changes at the very last minute. Even this morning, I was telling my ID that I have made changes to the interior compartment as I need to think where to hide the safe box! Kudos to my ID for his patience and calmness!

We are all looking forward to the final completion, hopefully in 2 weeks'time! My children can't wait to move back to their private rooms! Progress as at this afternoon: Bedroom 3 - recess area boxed up and plastering done. Bedroom 4 - TV console & casement for pole system wardrobe plastering done.. The TV console at LivingRoom, viewed from my MBR.

Hardly get my son to make decision...yesterday was exception, perhaps my youngest son was in good mood! We were at Kallang and stopped by X'clusive Home to continue my search for the dining table & chairs. Saw this dining table comes in diameter 1.2m. Asked the salesman if he can make it smaller, and he replied 'Yes, Yes, can can!" and I thought my hunt is over! Then, when comes to the chairs, it is another round of headache. Either the chairs do not have good back support, or we don't like the design or material, or do not match our deco theme. Spent nearly one hour combing their showroom and practically sat on every piece of the chairs on display. Then, the saleman told me that if I do not have price issue, he will recommend another 'good quality' chair which retail price is $399 each! Asked me to wait, and he brings in from one far corner. This is so called a 'designer' chair, and the legs are in stainless steel. My son and me felt the chairs gave us good back support, firm cushion and quite comfortable due to its broad seat. Asked my dear son how he feels, and he gave me the nod to buy this set of dining table & chairs. (My son is 1.78m tall, and quite strong build guy for his age! ). Here it goes, 4 pieces of chairs in WHITE and the round shape off-white cultured marble table @ $1800. (without the 'lazy susan') One thing which pissed me off when I received the invoice was the statement that 'they try hard to deliver by 27-January-2011, or t-loan one normal table for our reunion dinner"!!! When I queried the saleman, he said he will definitely try to commit the delivery date, but just in case, as table is cut and made in Beijing, and inserted "try very hard to deliver" just to calm me down. My youngest son was with me and I don't want him to see the 'ugly side' of his mum! Otherwise I would have marched out of the shop empty handed! You will note from the invoice that my youngest son had decided to go along with what the saleman had recommended & confirmed the LaContessa mattress & bedframe at $1800. As I had mentioned in one my post, my youngest son is not easy to handle and he is very self-opinionated! I have already paid deposit at Sealy and confirmed a super single bed (model: Mayfair) same as my second son, but my youngest son is just the type who won't just listen to you. What to do, he had 'test' sleep on that 'no brand' mattress - cos I have never heard of this brand', and he likes it. No choice, I have to cancel his order at Sealy! Luckily the sales lady at Sealy @ IMM is my good friend, as I bought the previous King size mattress from her. So, she allows me to change our mind....and I changed my mind too....change the model of my Queen size Sealy Posturepedic mattress from Laissez to Kingbury.

I agreed! So, the only way out is to choose carefully the position of the knobs on the hobs. My old kitchen cabinet with the stove The model of hobs for my existing makeover plan: Coming up in next 2 weeks....my New Kitchen cabinet with the above hobs

Progress photographs: Yesterday, met my ID and finalised once again the color for the aluminium sliding door with frosted glass for the wardrobes of all rooms. Also met with the lady boss to discuss the interior for the pole systems wardrobe. It is good that my youngest son was with me yesterday and we went to her showroom at Kallang Way to choose the layout of interior compartments. Kudos to my ID . Donny proposed to change all wardrobes to pole system type, and we really like them. Yesterday, ID was also busy talking to the electrician to relocate a wall switch which the electrician didn't follow instruction and now this switch is obstructing the wooden sliding door at master toilet. ...also busy talking to the electrician regarding the cover lights connection underneath the platform at new bedroom 4. Donny again....busy confirming the dimensions of the shoe cabinet.

Managed to change model of mattress for MBR to Sealy Palatial Crest Unicased DSS Coil, model: Kingbury Euro-Top. Original price of Mattress alone is over $5k. Total with base paid after discount is $5736 for Queen size mattress with divan base, without headboard which I asked my ID to custom made. ( same design as 3D drawing). Also bought a dining set, round shape offwhite white cultured marble with 4 chairs at X'Clusive Home @ $1,800.

I re-post the original floor plan of our 5-Room flat, as earlier one its image was quite small. The original sink was placed near the windows....but my FSM advised to shift it away from that location. The original wall between kitchen & service balcony was removed by ex-owner, but I reinstate it in my current renovation plan, as I have shifted the stove out to this position and stove needs backing for feng shui reason. You will also notice that the original livingroom is now converted into a bedroom, and the Dining room into Living cum dining. The original store room was also hacked down and resize. That's why I choose the theme for my reno-blog "Extreme Makeover"!

The mirror sliding door @ MBR bathroom/toilet. There will be another wooden sliding door outside....! As mentioned in earlier post, I can't stand the slightest sound of water dripping in the PVC pipes at night!!! I guess next time I must stay at the top floor, or landed property in my next life! sighzzz This view is from the kitchen looking through the window ledge....my FSM will be happy to know that my livingroom is still bright bright....he had advised me that I must keep the livingroom bright, making it as Yang as possible because I am the sole bread winner & head of family! The ceiling at kitchen foyer is also done....also seen in the picture is the back door of the house, which you will seldom see in HDB flats. The nice unblocked scenery from the Bedroom 4, the livingroom before the makeover plan...and the white powder coated window with green tinted glass panel.

Progress photographs: pictures taken this afternoon when I was there to buy lunch for 3 ceiling workers and meeting with the guy for laundry hanger This photo shows how the aircon trunking cuts through the pole system wardrobe which casing is forming in progress in Bedroom 2 for my youngest son. MBR wardrobe - forming in progress. (The wardrobe is at the right wall of entrance....you may find it weird..but that is the only ideal location!) The partition with TV console at Bedroom 4 for my eldest son...to cover up the ugly beams. The partition to block the recess area where his bed is placed, at Bedroom 3 for my second son.

White is my favourite colour and I am now in process of renovating my all WHITE kitchen cabinet. Just last weekend, my ID had chosen 1mm thickness white glossy laminate with some sparkling dots for my kitchen cabinets, and for the store room cum shoe cabinets. 3D of my all white kitchen cabinets

I agree that home owners like myself must be sincere when giving any recommendations. Do not mislead consumer / home owners just because your ID / contractor did you a favour, or something else. When you claim that he/she is good, be truthful. Always back up with photographs to proof what, how, why, you think it is worth recommending. If your ID is reliable in project management, and frequently following up your reno projects, we must have proofs to show forumers...not just 'lip service'.

From my own personal experience, my house under renovation now, you can ask the existing owner to install the fibre box at a location far far away, utilising the free 15m length of fibre cable. As the previous installed box was obstructing our renovation, I was given greenlight to remove the box, and our electrician re-route the fibre cable, which is long enough, inside the false ceiling. Then, on my appointment date (I booked in late Nov'10 and my appointment is on 24-Jan!!), OpenNet will come to connect the Terminal Box for me. One good forumer "RimBlock' had given me constructive feedback, guidelines and ideas on installation. You can visit my post.....I don't know how to explain further.

My expensive kitchen cabinets.....!!!! These are additional items added to my kitchen cabinets: Additional $200 for the side panel to shield the view from back door. Additional $690 to change the white carcass to coloured polycam material (I choose grey colour interior). This is because the usual white colour carcass will eventually turned yellowish or have spots after sometimes. Additional $920 for Blum systems for all the drawers to hold weight upto 50 kgs! (I got them directly from supplier), strong enough to hold all stainless steel AMC cookery ware. I have also asked the carpenter to change the hinges to better quality type. I have also changed these 4 similar size drawers on the left to 3 instead: the top 2 drawers remain, but bottom 2 becomes one big deep drawer. You will note that I didn't buy any stainless steel sink. I asked my ID to fabriate the integrated single-bowl sink - that is using same material as the solid surface work top to achieve integrated seamless effect. I had installed stainless steel sink and ceramic sink for my previous flat. Now, just to fulfill my dream before my life expired!