Jump to content
Find Professionals    Deals    Get Quotations   Portfolios

ucypmas

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Content Count

    76

  • Joined

  • Last visited

Posts posted by ucypmas

  1. Posted

    Very very big thanks for helping to check. I am thinking of Viewqwest because their fibre broadband is unconstrained, and I can pay a bit more to get the movies, with PPTV free via the VPN. Looks like it might still be Starhub for me then.

    The big move is next week. With a 9am start I hope its done by 3pm. We don't have much storage in our current house and as a result the existing "inventory" is pretty lean and straightforward so hopefully it will be ok.

    I don't think I will ever start a blog but I would add to your review that K is good - the journey is not 100% smooth sailing but he is very reachable, returns calls, and willing to follow up and act on owners request as long as he thinks it is reasonable. Anything he thinks is not doable he will say so without BS or dancing around the issue which I like a lot. The highlights are his tilers, carpentry team and painting team - these three I think are core to any good, long lasting renovation outcome and I think he has all three sorted pretty well.

    For pricing I have not seen the final invoice yet with VO but overall I don't think he is that expensive. There is a saying - "price is what you pay, value is what you get".

    Apologies to use your blog - but I think I'm close to retiring now for the 2nd time from this place.

  2. Posted

    another reason was because 2 separate salesmen were telling us that even though the suction is extremely good for the FX-900V, to clean it thoroughly is quite difficult because we'll have to break out the screwdriver (or was this nonsense?)

    Hi - please don't take offense I would like to say that the salesmen have been telling you nonsense. For those who go and view the Fujioh FX-900 and get this BS please ask them to dismantle three things for you to see

    1) plastic oil trap tray (usually I will fill this with water as it makes it easier to wash after a few days of oil collection)

    2) rectifier panel

    3) internal metal filter

    None of the above items will need a screwdriver. When all 3 comes off you can wash all three with soapy liquid. 80-90% of the oil residue retained by the hood will be in these three traps. The fan is one piece of equipment where you will need a screwdriver to take off and wash, but I have not seen the need to clean it that way yet after nearly 2 years - and nearly daily cooking now. Usually a wet cloth wrapped around a finger can wipe off the dust and some of the grime sufficiently not for it to be an issue.

    Obviously this cannot beat the "convenience" of filter-based hoods where you just change the filter paper and be done with it (mostly). However you will still need to wash the three metal grid panels facing the hob - extent of oil lodged there will depend on type and length of usage. I have used a chimney-based hood with filter before and it looks nice, but that is about the extent of its utility, but again like what someone has said everyone has different needs and preferences.

    Please note I am not a Fujioh salesman - just sharing my experience and hopefully people will find it useful and make more informed decisions about what they buy.

  3. Posted · Edited by ucypmas

    2) EF Slimline Cooker Hood ($350) [We wanted a chimney hood but they were too expensive. We were also very hesitant about getting a hood from EF but in the end, we caved because of the chimney hood motor and the strong suction]

    U got the Fujioh hob why didn't you get the FX-900V as part of the typical hob/hood package? Standalone FX900V is typically <400 delivered. We heavily cook virtually everyday and the oily fumes retention performance is superb. Only thing is it cannot really retain the smell but I have not heard of any in the market could do so effectively.

    Suction is not all that matters. A good hood needs proper catchment (i.e. wide enough to catch the fumes generated by the cooking) and well designed internal airflow that will slow the fumes passing through the hood sufficiently so that the oil particles will get trapped either in trays or filters, and then exit through the end without too much interference. Filter-based hoods typically require very powerful airflow rating because of the obstruction (i.e. the filters). Fujioh ones does not have filter but they have a so-called rectifier panel that draws in the exhaust air from all around the hob, and then slows it down internally to trap the grease before the fan pumps the exhaust out at the top.

    As for the burners - you get an additional small burner because there are times you may want to use just a small flame to cook something - e.g. baby porridge in claypot, instant noodles etc, warm up a small portion of soup etc, and where even the small flame on large burner would end up nuking it.

    This is for the information of others who are considering the same thing. Only thing is cost / and space constraint on your countertop as some homes have very limited working space and need to save every inch they could.

  4. Posted

    Hi ucypmas.

    I'm not sure if it has National Geographic/Animal Planet as the available channels are like BBC 1, BBC 2 etc. Will check it out when i'm home.

    As for drilling of extra holes, yes he will do it out of goodwill. We casually mentioned it to him when we made final payment though. And since he is doing out of goodwill, Got to accommodate to his timing though.

    Thanks. Will be good if you help check out your Viewqwest TV for those channels.

    My reno is nearly done now - washing/cleaning by Mr K on Thursday and handover end of this week. Monday will be installation of curtains and arrival of a number of items - TV, fridge, bedframe, study chair etc and followed by the big move on Wednesday.

  5. Posted

    Hi there - could you get national geographic content on VQ TV? I'm thinking of signing up with them instead of the legacy companies but one of the main reason is to get national geographic / animal planet for the kids to watch occasionally when they clamour for the idiot box.

    Btw when you got Mr K back to drill the extra holes - did you tell him in advance you might need him to do this? Kind of paiseh to ask him again to come in for various things after the house is handover esp those not in original scope of work.

  7. Posted

    Mr K was so busy... i called him up early in the month can only meet up with him near september... :thumbs up:

    Weekends he is usually booked out. If you do normal weekdays (not mornings before lunch because that is the time he visits his projects) - much better chance. Just my two cents.

  9. Posted

    Not defending Song Cho, but I don't think this is true. Past posting where someone actually said something that made sense... but this is does not give a complete picture, which I will elaborate on a little more

    as far as i'm concerned, if it's going to be used in any area where it would be exposed to water, moisture or high humidity, i'll spend the money to get 100% stainless steel(SS).

    reason why Song Cho is so ex compared to the others is cos they use 18-8 grade SS. this is the best possible grade that offers the highest resistance to rust.

    next grade, which is commonly used in a lot of SSl applications due to lower cost of material, is 18-10.

    for toilet accessories, wat i knw is that it's either 18-8 SS or chrome-plated brass. as far as i knw, chrome-plated brass is the next best thing to 18-8 or 18-10 SS.

    the cheapest alternatives are chrome-plated steel. really cheap too. but a big word of caution. these WILL rust in no time. the chrome is applied not to give it rust resistance, but rather, to improve its appearance. hence, it does not have any rust resistance properties at all. tt's also why some chrome items from IKEA rust within a few months of usage. cos these were essentially chrome-plated steel.

    Most shiny bathroom products have chrome plated onto them. This is different from alloying. The chrome plating offers a certain finish and protection from oxidation, but if exposed to moisture and rough usage, will wear easily and the steel underneath will then start to have some corrosion.

    Stainless steel on the other hand contains chromium and nickel, alloyed into the steel mixture. 18-8 often refers to the chromium and nickel present in the steel alloy that makes up what we call stainless steel. There is a grade where the chromium and nickel is present in 18%/8% ratios - this is like a reference grade upon which most stainless steel products are based. Song Cho uses the 18-8 as a marketing device, but basically their products are made of stainless steel alloys.

    The chromium functions to form an oxide (protective layer) over the material, which resists corrosion. Other alloying materials are also added to produce different grades of stainless steel, for different applications.

    For example, the HDB/household pipes often use 304-stainless steel pipes. You can read this from the lettering printed on the piping.

    Pharmaceutical and industry uses 316-series pipes, which are resistant to chemical-based corrosion, or instances where there are chlorides (acid) / or saltwater. There are people in this same forum who will insist on using 316 for their house - maybe they live 20m under the sea, and scream when the plumber charge them 2x the cost of materials.

    The Song Cho sales executive could be a numpty, who has zero product understanding and is talking garbage. Repeating it here does not make it the truth. One can listen, but always be discerning.

  10. Posted

    We now have lots of power points and it really helps in vacuming and also saves us the trouble of buying extension plugs.

    This was one of the reasons why I picked him over other IDs / contractors in my selection list. My electrical list is something like

    - full rewiring

    - 61 downlights

    - multiple cove lights in all bedrooms, living and dining

    - 6 light points - toilets, kitchen, yard

    - 25 units of 2x sockets

    - 5 LAN points

    - 5 ceiling fans

    - air con

    This is something like 8k+ in most other per unit price list. His is .... well lower. The house is now as well-lit as a newly built supermarket at night, as the missus wishes. In fact, it is blinding. :blink:

    He's not generous with discount. This is good as it goes to show that his pricing is "real"

    He actually came in lower than most designers i approached. For the benefit of those who are reading and keep asking for his quote, this is how he stands... quotes are gathered based on a standard request list.

    Indexation 100% = K's quote

    Contractor A - 90%

    ID A - 98%

    Mr K - 100%

    ID B - 155%

    ID C - 185%

    Everyone else did not quote electricals - most gave a per unit price list. The benchmark excludes electrical for K as well, who gave lump sum. I also benchmarked my quotes for their pfrs for measurable items

    Example standard pfr for master room wardrobe

    Indexation 100% = K's quote

    Contractor A - 100%

    Mr K - 100%

    ID A - 105%

    ID B - 175%

    ID C - 200%

    I'm sure some will argue there are differences in "quality", but I don't think I need to pay for ID to spend time shopping with me.

    Please do not PM me for his quote. Use the contact here and get it from him yourself.

    As for paperwork, he is no good with English. He tells me stories of people who call him and grill him about what is in his quote. Like what does his two liners include - no of drawers, type of laminates etc etc etc. So please cut him some slack.

  11. Posted

    So I presume you have engaged him too ?

    Yes. Mine was a rather major piece of work - 5-rm resale full reno.

    We started in early July - and is now about 2-3 weeks from finishing. The dirty stuff is over now. The house got cleaned and the marble floor polished yesterday - today or tomorrow the carpentry should start installation. End of next week will probably finish and then painting / doors / touchup / here and there work. Moving in mid-Sep.

    One thing about K's houses is that he does not waste any time - I actually go to my house nearly everyday (98% of the time) sans Sundays and there are things done every time you go up. I would not say that my renovation is completely fuss-free - but more often than not it is due to us (owners) not being that clear and some rework here and there is needed.

    I personally think his pricing is rather fair. However i think most people who come here are somewhat unrealistic in their expectations and wants a cheap and super contractor who will do whatever they want, very quicly at the lowest price. K belong to the fast and good, but not that cheap category.

    Anyway enjoy your house - it looks good!

  12. Posted

    Kitchen - Not sure if I'm correct, but this should be the cement skirting for my kitchen cabinets? Anyway, we like how Mr K matched the grout of the cement skirting with the floor tiles.

    This is the elevated base for your bottom kitchen cabinets. You either have a choice to suspend the cabinets, or to do it this way if you want the thing to sit on the floor. The base allows you to wash the floor without it wetting the wooden cabinets.

  13. Posted

    Hi

    That's a very fair review of him. I think he is trying to complete jobs as they come so that he can shuffle his teams to new projects, and he mentioned to me sometimes the carpentry factory can get a bit busy with various jobs (including non-renovation jobs - those from the bigger housing projects) so he tries to get things moving so as not to be hit by traffic jams when you want him to move.

    You must be the homeowner he said is taking 4 months to complete. Haa haa... :D

  15. Posted · Edited by ucypmas

    Hi who did you pick for the reno in the end? Did you get K to do the job or someone else?

    If you have time you could ask the ones in your final shortlist to show you one or two houses they did / in progress so you could see what its like. The older resale works they do would be more indicative of their ability as those jobs are generally bigger and have more tiling work and other "repair" that you could see.

  16. Posted

    Hi all,

    I was just wondering. Is it possible to install 2 aircon compressor for HDB maisonette? I remember seeing it somewhere perhaps in this forum but could not recall. Was originally looking at system 5 but IDs mentioned about this but today i heard another friend was saying that HDB will not approve. Anyone knows? Thanks

    If your block's electrical loading has been upgraded to 40A there's good chance it will be approved for EMs. You can check via HDB website. After that ask your aircon installer to apply - and you follow up directly with the HDB technical officer in your area to plead your case if required.

  18. Posted

    Some of the "silly" mistakes we made that others could learn from:

    1. Shifting of toilets.

    Not possible, so don't bother trying to make this work. If you do find a contractor willing to do this he risks a fine, demerit points, and you have to pay to get it fixed to the original state again. Not worth it.

    2. Concealed electrical wiring

    Not allowed, with the exception of the concealed wiring done by HDB themselves in newer flats. We still need to figure out how to make our house look as nice as possible without concealing wiring in the wall. We can of course run it through a fake ceiling, behind feature walls, etc, so hiding most should be doable. I'd like to hide a lot of cabling behind skirting as well, but let's see what Clifford has to say about that tomorrow.

    3. Expecting all these items from the ID/Contractor

    The ID/Contractor you engage will not do: electrical work, aircon, lighting. He/she will be able to advise on someone they have worked with in the past, but these are very specific trades that require specialist work. Keep in mind that when you get your quotation, this is definitely not the final amount!

    Hi

    Maybe you can be a bit more specific on what you meant by shifting toilets. You are not allowed to relocate the toilet (obviously), or move the position of the water closet (except in some EMs, I think). You should be able to move the toilet entrance in most flats. Mine was moved twice (once by previous owner, once by me, both times HDB approved of course).

    As for lighting - your ID/contractor should be providing you with a lighting plan. This should not have been randomly generated and would have included your inputs / preferences. The renovation quote should also include per unit cost of electrical work, which would be the cost of engaging the electrician of the ID to do the work at your place. From the lighting and power plans, you would be able to know the rough cost of electricals. Most people don't look at this until too late, then LL and pay up or reduce their requirements.

    You will of course need to buy your own lights - these are personal preferences and there are dozens of shops to look at and buy from.

  19. Posted

    You could try and work out a lighting, power socket, internet, tv point plan for yourself first and see how much it comes up to based on the unitised cost. That will give you an idea what to aim for the lump sum negotiation. You should target at least 30% off.

    There is a big difference between using normal ceiling light vs downlight/cove light cost. The latter is much more costly as there are many many lighting points to be installed. But it is a lot nicer, and allows ceiling fans to be used.

    Also, some of the IDs and their lighting electricians charge per cove tube, as 1 lighting point, which is a massive rip off. Under a per unit plan, you will find yourself cutting light points/power points to save cost, and can be quite unsatisfactory when it comes to actual usage. It is also not something that you can easily fix after renovation, unlike built-in wardrobes / cabinets which could still be added post-renovation.

    Contractors who can offer lump sum for electricals should be one of the main considerations for selection, in my opinion.

  20. Posted

    Headboard and bedframe can be had from most major furniture shops. I got a storage bedframe recently from Defu, cost about 1k. Delivery is 3 weeks from date of order.

    There are also cheaper models out there.

    For atas types there are King Koil storage bedframes from Robinsons go for about 1.8k ala carte before discounts. Their other non-storage models go for 800++ to about 1k.

    The normal ones without storage feature should cost about 600-700 for king-size, depending on finishing and how sian tao the sales people are.

    Actually for mattresses, it is the most un-transparent part of the furniture business. Like how do you know if the mattress, has a comparable model in other shops that could allow you to benchmark prices? Don't believe all this "promotion is over" thing - you can never tell. Just set a budget and buy what you think you like (hard, soft, with the top layer, without etc), and bargain from there.

  21. Posted

    We are the most kancheong people around.

    Our first appointment with HDB is only on the 2nd of August. Second appointment is targetted to be the 12th - 14th of Sept

    The reno hasn't even started and we've already started buying and ordering electrical appliances 8|

    Just to share - I was targeting a 60in TV. The LG model I was monitoring was released at 3499. Now its down to 25xx. No plans to get it until we are about to move in. Otherwise will live without a TV for a couple of months while waiting for entry point. Maybe its a better opportunity to talk to each other more often without a TV?

    Fridge was looking at a Samsung 2-door side by side. It launched at nearly 1.9k, then 1.7k, then 1.5k and is now down to 1.3k+. A call to the local electrical shops confirmed that they can ship at around that price.

    So i think you can give yourself more leeway and commit to electricals only when you have your renovation cost sorted.

  23. Posted

    you can from amazon page at the top click 'help', then on the right hand side of the page loaded click on 'contact us' button. then fill in some info regarding your enquires for question 1 and 2, then question 3 on 'how you want us to contact you?", choose 'chat'. then there will be an option to email the transcript of the chat to you after the chat ended.

    Hi many thanks for your help / reply.

  24. Posted

    I asked the customer service if it qualifies for free shipping, they say it is but their system not able to show the option when checkout at the moment. So they advise me to checkout with the shipping cost but they will refund it back to me. And they did.

    Hi apologies for more noob questions - did you call them or did email them via some link? I actually bought something else and paid the shipping charges indicated even when I met the amount for free shipping - so I am wondering if I could try and ask them again if I am eligible for any refund.

    many thanks in advance! cheers!

×