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Hi dedavinci, Thanks for the reply. Your seller is really very nice to let you start renovation early! Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately), we don't have an agent so we deal with seller's agent who don't seem to be very helpful (then again, she's not inclined to be nice to me ). Am at the mercy of the seller's agent. Contemplated going to see seller directly but don't want to seem too confrontational. Hope to settle asap since we are getting our keys in a few weeks' time.

I'll be sure to buy your book! Really love this thread you started. Thanks! I just love looking at floor plans!

Hi roger, Thanks for replying. You applied your permit through your seller too? Did you have to explain what the form is for? My seller doesn't understand what the form is for and she doesn't seem to want to talk to us about it, leaving us very puzzled about the whole thing. Before this problem arose, we already had a tight dealine. Now it's made super duper tight! Sigh....... At wits' end............

Hi there, Just wanted to check if anyone knows why we need seller to sign the indemnity form if our renovation works will be starting only after second appointment? Is it because at the time of applying for the permit, they are still the rightful owners? Our seller (according to the seller agent) is not agreeable to signing the indemnity form for us to start reno works 2 days after getting the keys. So now trying to understand why HDB has such a form and if there's any way to go around this. Appreciate any suggestions/insight to this matter. Thanks

Great! When you starting your renovations? Hope things go smoothly for us both. (PM-ed you my ID)

Took the plunge and signed with Urban Design today. Hope things turn out well

Hey Jerry, Congrats on your new place Hope you find a good ID/contractor soon! Just wondering if you are considering putting the extra bedroom nearer the dining so that all the bedrooms are together? That way, dining is also nearer to the kitchen. Just my two cents’ Enjoy your new place!

Hi giny, Did you get a second quote? I'm currently hunting for IDs and contractors too and I realise it's good to get a few quotes to compare. Or maybe some of the experts here can give you a better estimate. Good luck with your renovations!

Thanks Plastic3! I sure didn't know Starbucks was 24hrs! You mean the one at Northpoint? (Silly question i guess since that's the only place they would house a Starbucks)

Hey all, Just wanted to ask if there are many 24hr places in Yishun? Being a nightowl, i'm always on the prowl for 24hr places. I only know the coffeeshop at blk 848, i think. The one near the NTUC - which i think is also 24hrs. (Goody! ) Would appreciate any input! Thanks!

Hi all, Just thought I'd share something and probably also to add on to therat's earlier post. When we exercised our OTP with the seller a few weeks ago, their valuation report was about to expire and so we had to request for a new one upon submission of our resale application. Our new valuation report just came out and it's 20k higher than their previous valuation. Which makes our COV now 20k less than what it was at OTP. So if HDB takes the price at 1st appointment or confirmation like therat said, then I suppose that's why reported figures are so low compared to what people are asking when you go for viewing?

Thanks kobelala! Can't wait to have new experiences in a new neighbourhood!

We just had our fsm over to our "soon-to-be" house just this past Sunday. And this is even before our first appointment. We needed him there because the timeline for us to do renovation is very tight. We are doing an "overhaul" thus thought it necessary to have him in early. The owner was very understanding. As long as the owner is okay with it, it shouldn't be much of a problem.

Hi all, So happy to find this forum. Not yet in Yishun but if all goes well, my parents, brothers and I should be moving in sometime in December. Been told by my friends who used to live there or are still living there that Yishun is a great place to stay. Hope to discover it for myself!

Hey nimm, Yup, I think it's rather far from town. But I guess that's wat makes people like it, away from the hustle and bustle and near the sea? Not sure, but we just like the serenity in the area. And lately i've had the good fortune from my fsm and a fellow forumer to know why it's so quiet... But anyway, i think 100k is too steep too. That's why we usually walk away from units asking 6 figures for cov alone. Hi snaem, Does "move-in" condition play a big part in valuation? I remember long time ago, my friend whose dad was a valuer told me that the number of toilets, location, amenities, low/high floor will play a big part. Interior design don't count for much even if you spend 100k on sprucing up your place. Not sure if that's changed now. Anyway, yup I also very sian of people "spoiling market"... Especially those just "testing water" and not serious sellers. Interesting! Thanks therat. Good to know. But it sure feels like their information may have an even greater gap. Just feel that the general public has been misinformed for so long. Then again, what's new...

We have been house hunting since March in areas like Pasir Ris and Hougang and I notice that the COV has been going up since then. Even before today's article came out about COV, i notice that ST has been reporting wrong figures of average COVs being $20k since March. None of the units we have viewed asked for anything less than 50k. None. Maybe cos we only look at EAs but even when i look at propguru 4-room flats, some COVs are more than 20k. I wonder where does ST get their figures from. *scratches head* Just to share with you, there are a good number of EA units in Pasir Ris (especially those on high-floor, and it gets worse if there's even a sliver of "seaview") that are asking for 100k and more. And the thing that gets me is that people do actually pay for such high cov. *shrugz* While i agree that COV is subjective to the unit's condition and "feeling", i wonder when the prices will stop spiralling out of control.

Hey eden, Now that you mention, I think it was cos of wealth area too. Haha! Note to self: Ask more questions for next house. Make notes if not included in the audit. Remember where the audit report was stored.

Oh, i'm interested to know too. Hope someone who knows can share. Thanks!

Hi chronograph, Most welcome to 'hijack'. Haha. My fsm, when he did the audit for my current house, also told us to keep our stair lights on 24/7. Said it was too dark. Like you, I don't think we asked indepth the reason why, He probably mentioned but nothing worth remembering Now that everyone here has gotten me very interested in fengshui, when we get our new place, i'm sure to be asking many more questions than before!

Hi Mae, Wow.. The renovation works done by the seller is indeed impressive. Love the kitchen! Sadly, i think the floor plan looks scary even before i read the lil comments u put. The sharp corner in the living room is really a put-off. Difficult to design plus it feels very unwelcoming. Your sis is indeed lucky to have you to help her see. Hope she found her ideal home already. My fsm encouraged us to find squarish layouts and not those with weird corners. He also highlighted the sharp corners facing the unit from neighbouring blocks and buildings. There were a few things we were asked to take note too. He said not to find those near hospitals, schools and temples. And one other thing he mentioned - if looking for high floor, make sure the unit cannot be eye-level with the neighbouring block's sanitary outlet at the top of the building. He's either very careful or enjoys making my life difficult in finding a nice place. Haha.

Thanks mae! I'm going to read them now. Thanks for sharing!

Hi friends78, Yup we gave it a miss already. Moved along to look at other houses. Made an offer on a house which the fsm seemed most optimistic about so far. So hope the agent comes back with a positive. I'm getting more intrigued with all these fengshui stuff you guys are discussing here.

Hi bepgof, I read from one of the forums that someone actually shifted his toilet bowl to a different location - he re-piped that toilet, for fengshui reasons. Not sure if that helped his situation but my fsm says won't be much use cos the main pipe is stil at the problem area.

Hi Ivy, Yup, he says there are remedies. But he says not 100% cos he wouldn't know how "fierce" they can be. I have heard stories from friends about relatives getting illnesses cos of such things and other similar happenings so we don't wanna take the risk.

Wow, I sure didn't know that. Interesting thing to take note. Thanks. I'm not very widely-read in terms of fengshui. Looks like i need to start reading.