Minerat

Thanks for the advice. Roof leakage I kinda expected...but I didn't know we still have termites in urban Singapore The last time I encountered termites problem was in my kampung days in 1980s. Then again, I was also staying "landed" then

With the way property prices are going, it will be very soon we see a $1mil HDB.

Do you have to declare and pay taxes for the lights?

Oh, i think mine is 3 phase then. Also scv and opennet ready already. Do you think it's possible to have a dedicated 16ohm socket built into the porch so that next time if i were to ever buy an electric car, i can charge it at home?

Hey thanks. Can share some of the difficulties / issues you have gone through so that I can learn from them? This is my first landed. Very scared. Yes, I do have a green patch of land in the front porch.

Erm...how to tell mine is which phase? And what's the benefit of phase 3 over single phase?

That's a good idea. I didn't think of that. Thanks.

What is this?

Congrats and keep me updated. I like to watch TV

Your split level is pretty high. Is that the norm for your area?

Okay, I need to make a note of what I need to do / buy, and what has been completed. I will update this list as I go along. I may add new things, or take away...depending on the weather, I mean my mood So many things, so little money!!! List of things to do Renovation - ID Confirmed (Summit Design) Pest Control Roof Checks and waterproofing External Wall Checks and waterproofing Change Front Gate (TBC) Insect Screens (TBC) Window Solar Films - VERY IMPORTANT Landscaping (Suggested by a forummer ) Alarm (Still considering as my house will have ppl 24x7) List of things to buy TV for living room TV for 2nd floor family area TV for MBR Wallpaper - Completed (The Wall Story) King Size Mattress for MBR Fridge Sofa Washing machine Dining Table (TBC) Coffee Table (TBC) Lights (not confirmed what kind and for which rooms yet) Mattress for BIL - Completed (Sealy) Toilet Sanitary Wares Ceiling fans Accessories

We probably did not spend as much time choosing an ID as we would have wanted to. Time is a luxury we cannot afford to waste when we are working adults with 2 young children. We were quite torn initially on whether to go for an ID or a contractor. We knew what we wanted done, but yet we would also appreciate a creative or design element to enhance our house. Our first stop was the Home Decor Fair at the Singapore Expo. One designer from One Design Werkz really interested us very much. We really felt the chemistry with her and felt the designs in her portfolios were very much a style pleasing to our eyes. We went back the next day and spent a fair amount of time to go through our requirements with her. To be frank, we were prepared to go with her. But right after we have discussed, she dropped a big bombshell - she wanted us to signup and pay a deposit of $3K first before she will do anything. And I mean ANYTHING! I was flabbergasted! Is she seriously expecting us to commit ourselves without even a quotation for us? On top of that, she was very reluctant when asked to show us some of her works. She was always trying to tell us to sign up so that she can start designing for us. Everything else is secondary. Needless to say, we walked away. I also started reading Renotalk and tried contacting some of the IDs or contractors highly recommended. Most did not even revert to me. Guess the value of my renovation is too small for them. There was also an ID recommended by a friend. After giving us a quotation, he "disappeared". There wasn't any followup, none, zilch...WOW! Not even a call to check if we are ok with the quotation. Is this how the world of ID works? It was then that OnTheRoad recommended me to her ID, Donny and James from Summit Design. I've also read alot of positive reviews about Summit from this forum. I contacted them, and the rest, as they've said, is history. We signed up with Summit Design on 12 Jun 2012. From the beginning, Donny and James were very prompt to our requests and requirements. More importantly, they showed a genuiune interest in our house. This is a very big contrast to some IDs who provided quotations but no followups thereafter. Or some contractors who basically just tell us they can do everything but not really showing us what they can do for us. We are happy to have gotten that out of the way now...

Hmm, good question. We are likely not to touch the yard and wet kitchen, parquet floorings, wardrobes in all the rooms... And that's it. Everything else should be going, including hacking away and redoing all toilets. Btw speaking of toilets, the 3rd floor toilet even comes with its own skylight? I intend to keep it. Hahahaa

Flats have their own beauty We would love to visit yours

Take turn lor. But think mine will be last cause reno also not started yet.

Yeah, fellow terrace owner. I've been following your transformation too!

This is our huge wardrobe in the next room! Nice View

Master Bedroom Bedhead will be removed. Looking at it makes me giddy! This entertainment area was carved out from the toilet. We want to convert this area into a study room with a sliding glass door.

I've always believed that renovation should be an extension of your personality. Many people have asked why do I still need to renovate? Well, the most expensive or elaborate renovation is useless unless it reflects my personality and preferences. So here goes, some pictures of the interior. Most of the bedrooms are quite bare, except for a wardrobe, so I shan't show them. Living Room Basically everything will go, tiles, console etc. Everything. Dining Room & Dry Kitchen Owner hacked away existing wall that separates dining room and dry kitchen. This open concept not only made the place looked bigger, it also makes it brighter. Everything here to go as well.

Exactly! In fact before this we'd also made an offer for a property at Meragi Close. The price was agreed with the agent but as i was on my way to sign the otp, she called and said owner wanted 1K more. 1K mind you, not 10K or 100K. Most people will give in. But i dunno why, somehow i reacted very strongly against that and called off the deal. Imagine calling off a deal in excess of $2mil because of 1K. But now i thank God for guiding me because He knew that wasn't His plan for me

You are right. We thought we have good ideas, but God always lead us to better ones. He probably had a hand in us communicating also

You are right. We thought we have good ideas, but God always lead us to better ones. He probably had a hand in us communicating also

The back Bedrooms this side faces a plot of empty field. 200m of unblocked greenery....where to find for a terrace? Enjoy it while it lasts...

The owner hacked away. The whole 3rd storey is one big Master bedroom. Owner hacked away toilet and wardrobe in the MBR. Then build a big wardrobe spanning full 2 wall lengths in the other bedroom. He also hacked away the door and created a sliding door at the staircase entrance. So effectively he had a whole bedroom of walk-in wardrobe!

The Floor Plan Well, I only had this from the marketing brochure, which I manually photo-shopped to include the structural changes done by the owner. I also had the copy from BCA but it's too huge and I haven't found a way to scan it in yet. So I have been using this copy to talk to contractors and IDs on my requirements. The Facade This is how my house looks like from the front. Stay tuned...more pictures of the interior coming up...