stardust205

Let's us know ur final decision, k?

I faced the similar problem as you too, but my old aircon casement window was in sealed condition, unlike urs. One of the contractors we talked to, suggested us to do a window at that hole. He quoted us $150-200. In the end, we decided to do a plasterboard to cover the whole wall. However I'm not sure tat will keep out water for ur case... HDB website has a detailed list on items of reno that are not allowed.

I thot of that too. Found out Jalan Molex is the place in JB to get furnitures.. but somehow ended up buying in Singapore anyway cuz we came across designs we really liked. hahaha... oh well.

Whahaha.. talking abt "making love in the wild".. my WTB actually wanted a stand-alone bathtub in the balcony! LOL..

Selecting tiles, laminate flooring Our contractor was kind to offer us a ride from our place to Sungei Kadut to choose our kitchen floor tiles. The place was White Horse. And in less than 20min, we're done. Efficient. Haha.. Chose the floor tile for below reasons Light color makes the kitchen look brighter Matt tiles for anti-slip - Initially I prefer glossy tiles as it is less likely to trap dirt, But WTB raised safety concerns on falls. (she's an occuptional thereapist. LOL) which I agree. Anyway, our tile wasn't that rough either. ## The actual color tone is actually slightly more to creamy light-brown. Guess the photo didn't come up too accuate due to lighting. Why laminate flooring? We chose laminate flooring for living hall, dining & all 3 rooms.. as the wooden grainy look gives us a homely feeling. Parquet for the whole house is way too exp, while homogenous tiles with wooden grainy design looks kinda 'artificial' to me.. WTB don't fancy walking on cold flooring in the early mornings, and tiles would sometimes get quite cold during the night. Actually I personally like marble tiles for the exact same reason. But anyway, marble tiles is out of question due to cost. We have to be careful with any water spillage problems in the future then. Both of us are easy with using Vista laminate floor tiles though it is not nearly as well-known as some other brands discussed in the forum.

ur 5-I unit looks so BIG!! And the splash of red in MBR.. is so WOW. LOL. We also got a splash of color in each rooms too, but we intend to use blue for our MBR.

Congrats on getting ur new home! Like 'angelbutterfly' said, u can compare a few quotations to get a better feel of the mkt rates.. though the lowest quotation might not necc means the best. Alternatively if you already have in mind what exactly you want.. can looks for a contractor instead. Easily can save at least 10%. That's what we did. If budget is a constraint, certain items you can choose to do at a latter phase (after you moved in).. so you can have more time to save up! Enjoy your renovation journey!

But would the balcony gets hot at certain time of the day? I changed the idea of hanging a swing chair in my balcony, and moved it into my hall instead as I reckon it would be more comfortable.

Scope of Renovation Work by Contractor Hack all existing built-in wardrobes, kitchen cabinet, partitions Remove old laminated flooring.. and dismantle mirror at dining area Overlay Laminated flooring (w/skirtings) for Living, Dining halls and all 3 rooms Fabricate cement bases for fridge and washing machine Tiling of Kitchen floor with homog. tiles Carpentry - Kitchen cabinet 44 ft, w/ solid surface table-top Run water pipes for kitchen sink and washing machine Plaster whole house Install plasterboards at (i) MBR wall and (ii) wall behind main door Haulage, Chemical washing, Laying of waterproof membrane, etc. DIY Renovation (spearheaded by my FIL) Electrical - (i) relocate points, (ii) replace wire trunkings, switches, (iii) install lights Painting of whole house, incl doors & door frames Replace (i) the spoilt storage water heater with an instant water heater, (ii) towel-bars, toiletries shelves Fabricate shelving for storeroom We're basically not doing anything much to the 2 toilets.. as our flat is already announced for 'Polling for Main Upgrading Programme'. Hopefully it will go thru, then we could save some $!

The Mirror Problem As you can see, the condition of the mirror at the dining area is very bad.. We reckon the problem is due to mositure seepage from the wall beneath the mirror, as the two toilets are located right behind this wall. The fact that the mirror in the living hall is still in good condition, confirmed our deduction.. A few possible options I found out: Inject some chemical into the affected wall to absorb the moisture... but I was cautioned this going to cost alot, and it is only temporary fix. Install acrylic mirror instead.. While it may costs alot less than normal glass mirrors, it doesn't resolve the issue either Replace the mirror and keep a gap btw the mirror and the wall beneath.. But on 2nd thots, how are we going to clean that void in the future?? After much consideration, we decided not to install any full-length mirror at that wall. Afterall, replacing that mirror doesn't come cheap.. and worse still, what if the problem resurfaces after a few yrs?!! Disappointed we were but there was nothing else we could do, unless we hack & replace that wall.

Thks thks! Yep, it is very windy. I like.

I was in a similar situation as you too! Paid 27K COV with the intention to do only minimal reno.. but ended up still doing alot more cuz the condition of the flooring, built-in wardrobes actually looked pretty worn-out on closer look (that is after we got our keys). LOL But we're not regretting. At least after the major revamp, the house design is now truely ours, and not of the ex-owners!

Thks marshmallow. yes.. me and WTB always love sea views! we also viewed another unit just opposite block but its seaview was obstructed.

Thanks for the compliment. your unit's views are not too bad either. Can see quite far!

Selecting the Contractor We wanted to enjoy the pride and process of designing the house purely by ourselves.. and thus we chose to go for a contractor instead of an ID. Besides, it would save some $$ too After meeting up 6 contractors and comparing their quotations, we decided to engage the service of Mr Lee from Randy Renovation Contractor. - Seems modest and patient to hear out our ideas - He advised us on things which are not recommended to do, instead of just taking on the tasks to rake more $ from us (eg; strongly discouraged us to fix the mirror at dining area based on concerns of moisture attack.. asked us to look to town council instead to change kitchen main pipe, thus saved us a few hundred bucks) - His quotation is one of the lowest ## Original Floor Plan ## Lay-out in mind

Thanks! It's a 5-I unit (118sqm)

Ex-owner Decor - Part 2 ## MBR has the old aircon casement window and some ugly aircon ducts (not shown here) ## Common Toilet ## We wanted a bath-tub but the existing one in MBR toilet is too small.. In fact, the toilet itself is abit too small for a 'lie-down' bath-tub..

Ex-owner Decor - Part 1 ## WTB loves the full-length mirrors. ## The old study desk/cabinet has to go ## All 3 rooms were of parquet flooring. We know this is 'good stuffs' but we didn't like the design & color

Hi Everyone! I finally decided to start my own T-blog before my hse reno is 100% completed! (Now only left painting & hse cleaning) House Hunting We found this place after spending ~3wks viewing close to 10 different units in Woodlands. We hadn't viewed that many houses I would say.. but the moment we stepped into this house, we knew that 'this is the one'! Very high floor at #24 Unblocked views Can see the Straits of Johore (both WTB & me luv seaviews.. heh) Bright & Windy Point Blk --> Corner unit --> Privacy Near my parents' place (5min walk) Decor of hse-owner gave us a cozy feeling during hse-viewings A glimpse into the views from our windows:

That's one feasible way. A fren of mine is doing so too. Right now I can't.. Almost all of my OA monthly contribution goes to paying the HDB mortgage loan.

Got. Emigrate But Western Malaysia not counted. can't beat the system by just relocating to JB

I agree.. How many of us actually able to reach the Min Sum component, esp when govt keeps revising it upwards?! Anyway, below is what I just copied from the CPF website, FAQ section: Q: What happens if my HDB loan is still outstanding when my total CPF Withdrawals reach the Valuation Limit (VL)? Can I withdraw more of my CPF savings? A: If your housing loan is still outstanding when the total CPF usage for the flat reached the VL and you are below the age of 55 years, you may continue to use your CPF Ordinary Account savings to repay the housing loan if you can set aside the prevailing Minimum Sum cash component. Savings in the Special Account (including the amount used for investments) and Ordinary Account can be used to meet the prevailing Minimum Sum cash component. However, if you are 55 years and above when the VL is reached, you may use the excess CPF Ordinary Account savings to repay the housing loan after setting aside your Minimum Sum cash component shortfall.

whahaha..

Nice reno! I like your contemporary style - sleek lines and gd color contrast. My hse reno is already 80% completed.. Now you made me tempted to start my own T-blog too! LOL It's never too late, rite?

Agree.. We probably will re-wire the whole hse when we change our aircon.. since it's gonna be a big mess to our hse anyway. Dunnoe how many more yrs our existing 8 yr-old aircon system can last though. haha