LLChing

My fault lah! He told me on 1st appt that window still good, no need to change. I was ok with it. Subsequently, due to hacking and such, grille at kitchen window may have to be taken out (he will replace me with a new one if need to FOC); common toilet window has to be replaced to accommodate shower screen. Then might as well replace MBR's toilet too. I also want the 6 panel glass panes at the balcony to be changed to frosted glass and all locks (window and grilles) changed to new ones. So troublesome .. might as well change everything lah! that's when he goes .. "HUH?? The aluminum now hor, not so good leh! The locks can change one!! No problem! Don't waste moneee!! These 2 days, you look at your windows carefully ah!? On Monday, you go see the difference!"

With the black mold on your toilet ceiling, it means your neighbour's toilet is leaking. Any way to get a HDB official to have a look see? If it is really your neighbour's fault, they have to re-waterproof their flooring. Cost will be 50% bore by HDB and 50% by both your neighbour and yourself. I suggest you call HDB on this.

Huh? You mean this is not normal practice hah? Andrew is not an ID even though he knows how to draw abit. He is a technical cum sales cum co-ordinator.

KILL IT!!!!! :fire: So morbid.

I think he is concentrating on us now and try to finalise things before he gets tied up with your reno. Do you need to hack anything? HDB approval for hacking is a bit slow. They have approved the tiling works (1 wk) but not the hacking yet.

Schedule for Monday 23/4. Andrew will pick us up, go Soon Bee Huat at Toh Guan to look at tiles. We can go a 2nd time if undecided. Then we will go Geylang to look at toilet stuff. In order to convince me not to waste money changing my windows and grilles, he insisted that we go to a newly reno flat done by him in Toa Payoh and see for myself the difference between new and old aluminum windows. Can see workmanship as well. Another 2 more booklets of lamination to choose from. Then back to our house for measurements again and sort out any small details. Told us he will be spending almost the whole day with us that day so that everything will be well prepared ahead of time.

Option 3 got my vote too because of its smoother flow and unblocked pathway to the the rooms.

Hi 5, Valerie. I practically kill every plant my hand touches. Money plant, African violet, chilli, tie shu, Kuanyin zhu, Japanese bamboo, palm, Pandan leave, kumquat, aloe vera and yes, cactus too. It didn't dry up but became mouldy and dropped off from the base. I watered it only once a week. Sigh! I just don't have a green thumb.

I bought the chopping boards 2+ years ago at Tangs. If used correctly, doesn't stain and unlike woody or white plastic ones, didn't get mouldy YET. I didn't regret buying the pkt of 2.

Ah Hah! Battle, you're back! Andrew will be back today from China. Gonna get my hands on him tomorrow regarding my reno permit. We seems to be able to smell everyone's breakfast, lunch and dinner leh. Got used to it liao.

We faced the same problem as you after TC did something to the old antenna at the rooftop. CNA,okto are ok. C5,C8 are wavy. For no reason, sometimes we can watch TV3. When we subscribe to SCV and plug into the digital box, no such problem.

I see him old man mah, should be retiring very soon. Afterwards his pension gone because of my complain, then I may have to "feed him" leh! haha. No lah! I always give people 2-3 chances before I REALLY complain. Then hor, sure die one!

I think area office HDB officer got different mindset. They'e got to see sooo many people's problem (mostly the same like spalling, efflorescence of concrete, leaking pipes etc since it is the same OLD estate)that they became immune to any requests and have a fixed format answer to every problem. Eg my case: Spalling at kitchen ceiling was so bad that my 6 hooks cast iron bamboo holder came crushing down one day. Called and officer came and told me "don't hang your clothes there lor. Hang at the balcony". Asked him, cooking how? "Then don't cook lor, can buy from outside"???????? :bangwall: Don't know whether he was joking with me but subsequently after no further action from him, I wrote an email regarding the status of my spalling ceiling. Within a week, contractor came and do up my ceiling. I think that officer retired this year liao.

Yesterday recd reno permit to lay wall/floor tiles for kitchen and both toilets nia. No tampering of existing structures is allowed???? Apa ini? When I saw who the officer in charge is, almost faint :bangwall: . He is rather yaya papaya and has the brain of a scarecrow. Let's see how Andrew handles him I want my open concept kitchen and WIW!!

Not sure about lacquer but my brother-in-law painted his whole 3 rm flat using gloss paint (yes, those for the doors) and alamak! Don't know whether it is psychological or not, his house very, very hot leh!

Thank you all for the sound advices

Hehe, it seems after that case, HDB in that estate treated him differently. Faster approval.

Iron bars in walls? Can hack meh?? I thought only empty walls can hack. This maybe one of HDB's imperfection when drawing floor plans as mentioned by my ID. He quoted a case done by him where floor plan shows wall can hack. But upon seeing iron rods, afraid that it might be structural walls, he informed HDB who sent their officials down to check b4 hacking continues. Verdict - Cannot hack. Weird thing is: Few families upstairs and downstairs already hacked! So, don't understand why subsequently listed as cannot hack liao. Maybe his is a unique case.

Saw your input on LynZie's blog regarding low cistern WC. I was tempted to get them too but thanks to you, I will check on it 1st b4 purchasing. Hate it if full flush no difference from normal half flush. Hope no problem with the wood below your defective dish rack.

This is "ren suan bu lu tian suan". Someone up there feels that you're qualified to have 3 mah! uh, maybe 4 or ..

Oh forgot one! "Cash for Trash" for spoilt, broken items. Just categorise them by plastic, metal, paper as they pay differently by weight. To them, electronic stuff is considered plastic So, instead of throwing them away, get $ for them. But if you need to travel by car or bus just to get to the designated 'Cash for Trash" setup, then it's not worth it. They pay peanuts. My area has Colex Recycle Collection on alternate Wed. So I regularly "donate" my clutter. Collector will knock on my door if they did not find my regular blue bag of old newspaper outside.

Since moving piano is costly and a huge hassle, ID told me no need to move my piano and Q bed frame. Just secure piano/bed frame with plenty of protective wraps especially the corners and he will designate a place for it in the house. He will put wood board below and instruct his workers not to move the piano out of the boards. He will be revanishing my bed frame, so leaving it behind is a wise move. I will store my fridge, washing machine,dry cabinet, TV, Q mattress and cartons of stuff at my sister's unlived 3 rm flat(only fit to store things, not to live).Then, just bringing our clothes and laptops, we'll move to a short term rental place for 2 mths. Check out temporary storage warehouses. They charge units big and small on weekly, monthly basis. Jurong side, there's IMM. Geyland area has one called Orange Storage, I think. There are many of these around.

For new and hardly used stuff, you can sell this online (ebay, I think)or print leaflets and stick them on the notice board outside certain cold storage store. I know Great World City has one. Or you can sell the whole lot to cash converter. Can get some $$ back. I've done that with old toys etc For still usable old furniture, call Salvation Army and see if they are interested. They will get their workers to carry it away. I got rid of my old sewing machine and whole cane furniture set that way . For spoilt stuff, sori, you'll have to cart them to the rubbish dump. For bulky items like mattresses, try asking TC how to get rid of them. If not, chiam siong with your TC cleaner lor. For bank statements and confidential documents, I would shred them, mixed them up a bit in different plastic bags and throw on different days. Hehehe. I know this is extremely kiasu If not, you can burn them in a metal container. Don't think you should burn them in the public incense burner though. I've done all the above except going online. Stuff not attractive enough to post mah. Friend had sold handphones, laptop, branded jeans/T-shirts online and got good $$ too.

True, true. Just signed contract and looking at the reno cost makes me paranoid liao. Every little gritty change or installation is $$$.

If you didn't mention that its a 5Am, I would think that it's a Em. Exact layout leh minus 1 room nia! From what I see, minimum reno can already. Place is so well kept. Congrats!