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It's been so long since we updated and we just noticed that the photos which were uploaded onto the renotalk gallery are all gone now... Can't really remember what we had posted in the first place so guess we have no choice but to leave it as such. Anyway, the main purpose of revisiting our blog is to close this renovation chapter as all the rectification works have been completed for now. Since our last post, we had some hiccups in the post-renovation period which ultimately took more than 2 months to resolve... It started with me trying out the built in oven while cooking dinner one evening and after a few minutes of switching on the oven, I experienced a blackout. My built in oven which had been passed down by the previous owner was faulty and we decided to replace it with a table top oven. We had already anticipated something like this might happen given that the built in oven was old and hadn't been used for a long time and so, during renovation, specifically told our ID that we do not want to fix the built in oven into the kitchen cabinet in case we need to replace it with a table top oven. We had expected him to design the cubicle similar to the one which houses our microwave oven and so, it was a shock when we removed the built in oven and found this instead: We didn't even have a socket even though it was specified in our contract and the interior was totally bare. When we flagged this up to our ID, we spoke to his supervisor initially as he was out of town for the week. What ensued was a shouting match as the boss tried to insinuate that it was our fault for the miscommunication which resulted in the wrong design while we were adamant that we were not going to pay extra to fix a problem when we thought we had already made clear our design intentions regarding the space for the oven. Luckily, our ID returned to Singapore the following week and promptly promised to settle this issue for us. He arranged for the carpenter to come down to our house to take measurements of the space and ordered the laminate to be used to cover the interior of the cubicle. However, other hiccups popped up along the way as the original laminate we chose for our kitchen cabinets are no longer in production and we had to choose another laminate which is similar to our original ones. Finally, after the carpenters finished fixing the new laminates, we had to wait for the electrician to come down to fix the socket for us. All in all, the whole process took almost 3 months but the end result was pretty much to our satisfaction. We are pretty grateful to our ID for settling this for us without additional cost and we have to commend him for arranging his worker to come over and help replace a leaking bidet hose without any fuss. It has been almost 6 months since we've moved in and the carpentry has been holding up well so far. All in all, even though our renovation costs were slightly over what our initial budget was, we have no regrets going with our ID and we're thankful that we have a fully functioning house despite this being our first renovation attempt.

It's been a long journey but as of now, all outstanding renovation items have been settled. The last thing which got rectified was our study table... We started using our study table properly for the first time 2 weeks after moving in. One day, while using the desktop, my fiance accidentally hit the edge of the table and a piece of the laminate chipped off On closer inspection, we realized the edge of the table was not sealed with ABS trimming, thus making it super uncomfortable to rest our arms against and making the edge really vulnerable to chipping. We immediately messaged our ID who promptly promised to send his carpenter down to take a look. We only managed to arrange for them to come down last Saturday as we were super busy last week with first week of work/school and wedding preparations...When the carpenters came down, they decided to replace the whole laminate and add on the ABS trimming for us. This was the end result after hours of hard work. I wasn't at home when the carpenters came over and so, my fiance had to clean the room by himself after the work was done. He said it was super dirty and dusty...so thanks BB First thing I noticed when I came home was that the laminate used for the front profile of the table edge had been changed! It is the same as the internal ones used for the drawers so I was happy to accept that...my fiance didn't even noticed the difference Comparison of before and after rectification photos...the table is so much more comfortable to use now...made us wonder why the carpenters didn't put it on in the first place... Nonetheless, we're just glad it was fixed and with little fuss from our ID or the carpenters. Must really commend our ID for being so efficient in addressing our complaint even though he handed the house over weeks ago... And so, that sums up our renovation journey...(for now)

Hello! Thanks for dropping by our T-blog I think the Sealy mattress was one of our best buys! It's too comfortable and I have difficulty getting up which is bad...coz I have been reaching my workplace late since we moved in We got the prestige - hotel collection but it's best to go down and try the mattresses yourselves coz everyone has different preferences...the sales person should be able to advise you further on that

Wow, your concrete floor looks really spectacular!

You changed our nick! My fiance thought it was another person who commented on our T-blog as he is more familiar with your old nick

Thanks panjangowner! We had to be patient as we didn't want to sour relationships while our renovation was still ongoing...although my fiance did explode a few times I think majority of the issues which cropped up happened when we outsourced work to other contractors and my ID probably did not foresee the consequences of certain work done i.e. the running of aircon pipes blocking the gas pipe. Nonetheless, we were happy that he was responsible enough to admit his mistake and try to proactively find solutions for us. Eventually, our VO came up to an additional $2K and this includes electrical so we thought it was actually reasonable. Another thing we were pleased with was his willingness to come back and rectify/touch up any areas which were not up to my expectations, no matter how minor even after we had made full payment. And yep, we weren't charged a separate design fee although I think the cost must have been factored into the final price somehow By the way, congratulations on getting your new place and all the best on your renovation journey! That's such a steal! This iRobot is really useful especially if you have pets who keep shedding fur...

Another item to strike off the list! Our new sofa and side table were delivered yesterday albeit way beyond the agreed timing I spent 4 hours waiting for the delivery guys and was worried they messed up my order again...Luckily everything was settled by 7pm; old sofa removed and new one delivered by 2 different delivery teams. The new sofa and old one for comparison...I really like this color and the stitching makes it look less plain It's also a lot more comfortable to sit on! Which makes me wonder if they short-changed us on the old set Anyway, we're just glad this whole sofa saga is officially over! View of the free side table given as compensation for the delay...it's been useful so far! We used it to eat dinner in front of the TV last night

Our other inhabitant

Thanks Luxexplorer! Good question there...the piping was done by the aircon installer and as long as it's not obvious in the rooms, I was alright to go ahead with their suggestion to pass the pipes through the lourve window in the master toilet I'm not sure what the usual practice is though... As for the sofa set, we've already confirmed delivery of the new one in light grey this coming Monday...so cross fingers that the new one will look as good!

That's a super daring concept! At least the steam won't accumulate in your toilet

The rest of the rooms have also been completed except for the dining area as Vincent realized my ID actually ran a casing within the space allocated for the blind's rod when he came down yesterday. He proceeded to drill the holes and prepare the brackets but said he needed to modify that set of blinds and so, it will only be installed next week. Our guest room where we store our miscellaneous stuff at the moment... Our study room...the book shelf was assembled ourselves as we bought it from Taobao Our master toilet in lived-in conditions...pardon the mess! The other side of our living room

It's been awhile since we updates as we've been so busy with moving in and settling down! Never imagined it would be so tiring... Since our last post, we've gone and returned from a short trip to Hong Kong. On the day of our return, we learnt from my fiance's Mum that the auspicious date for moving in as given by the FSM was 16 Dec. So, it was a mad rush within the next 3 days trying to pack our essentials and transport them to the house before the move in date. We didn't hire any movers as we only had clothes, shoes and miscellaneous accessories which could fit into the boot of my car...and so, we shifted the items from our respective houses bit by bit every day... On the first night when we moved in and my fiance took his first shower in our master toilet, he noticed the tile which was supporting the upper hinge of our shower screen had cracked! We immediately took photos and sent them to my ID. Our ID said his workers will come down to rectify together with his painter and carpenter for the remaining touch ups which were scheduled last Saturday. So fast forward to Saturday, the carpenter came in to replace the strip of chipped laminate above my oven in the kitchen and the painter also touched up those areas I wasn't satisfied with (I'm more picky than my fiance ) The glass installers also came to uninstall the shower screen so that the tiler could replace the broken tile. Luckily only 1 tile was affected and we had extra tiles left. We had to wait for at least 1 day before the shower screen door could be re-installed so we went without one for the next 3 days until yesterday. The shower screen and tiles look as good as new All in all, I'm happy that our ID was still as responsive and willing to rectify any issues which surfaced only after we moved in even though the fully payment had already been made. Another issue which cropped up just before we moved in was our ID didn't realize the base of the plasma TV given to us by my friend was so wide! The TV console he built had only 36cm of depth while my TV base was 46cm...there was no way we could place the TV on the console without risking the TV toppling over...so we had to source for a new TV. Before my friend gave us the TV, we were actually looking at getting the MiTV and now that we had to buy a new TV, we decided to just go ahead and purchase one from Taobao...we used Daigou for shipping and the TV was delivered last Saturday! We took quite awhile to un-crate the TV and even broke our hammer head in the process In the end, we were both very pleased with the TV although my fiance said he would rather pay more to get a TV locally as the self-assembly process was too tiring! Our curtains and blinds were also installed yesterday! Super happy and satisfied with them Vincent and his Mum came down and installed everything in 1 and a half hours! Without further ado, I'll let the pictures do the talking...

Congrats Yakult! Your journey is coming to an end soon Are you hiring cleaners to clean up your house before you move in?

Is your door single or double leaf? I changed my main door too and because it had to be double leafed, fire rated, it cost a bomb

Quite a long story...I wrote it down in this post: http://www.renotalk.com/forum/topic/72746-our-first-home/?p=917500 Basically, sofa came in wrong colour and different design from the original and initially, the factory lady gave some rubbish excuse for the error...after a lot of ding donging back and forth for a week, finally managed to get them to promise to send the replacement on 28 Dec...which is like 1 month after our original delivery date...now got to cross fingers, toes and eyes that the replacement sofa will be correct and up to standard...

We actually got ours from Hommage Lifestyle at Jalan Pemimpin. The sales person Eric is super friendly and patient. Most importantly, he's not pushy and knows his products speak for themselves! While the showroom has limited range, you can always order from catalogue too. Can try taking a look there?

Definitely worth every cent if your sofa gets delivered without complications! I paid so much for mine and I still had to deal with crap...

Hey Yakult, your marble soap ledges are really beautiful!

Hey nextstep! I personally like the structure of the wooden bed frame better but agree with the rest that the black one looks more comfy and suits your theme better...if you still have time, maybe can look around more? Maybe you'll find something that combines the best of both elements

Thanks nextstep! We're still waiting to get the moving in date from the FSM...apparently he's overseas at the moment We're also waiting for the installation of curtains on 16 Dec and for the new sofa to come in on 28 Dec...hopefully we will get to move in by the end of the year! In the meantime, we're just moving in our stuff bit by bit first

Thanks xhomesweethomex! It's fast and furious as I don't like to be inefficient so I pushed my ID really hard. After reno was over, I asked him if I was his most difficult client and he replied in Mandarin,"Still ok lar..." Thanks for the compliment! I've always wanted a dishwasher as I really hate washing dishes...when I showed the picture of the electrical appliances to my future MIL, she exclaimed in Mandarin,"Huh! You all two people buy what dishwasher?!?!" I sheepishly told her it can wash pots and pans too Hope it doesn't become a white elephant!

Renovation Reflections (Choosing ID) Decided to pen down my thoughts on the whole renovation process so that perhaps, I can revisit this thread in future if and when I need to renovate again... As mentioned in the first post, we started looking for an ID once we decided to purchase our flat. We met a total of 7-8 IDs. Some of the IDs contacted us when I left my requests for quotation at renovation websites while others were via recommendations from other Renotalkers. Can't remember all of them but I shall just write about the more memorable encounters 1) C from Ken Home Design - The very first ID we met ended up being the one we signed up with! At our first meeting, we actually didn't really have much idea on what renovation would be like and how we want our house to end up looking. I only knew I wanted to go with black, white and grey colours while my fiance just wanted something simple, functional and within budget. C sketched out our requests on the floorplan we emailed him prior to the meeting and introduced some ideas to us which we felt were practical. He wasn't pushy and we were comfortable talking to him. However, as he was the very first ID we met, we decided to look around and compare before deciding. He sent us the quotation the very next day even though we met on a Sunday which I thought was really good as it showed his sincerity in wanting to work with us. The quotation was detailed and it eventually became the basis for comparison with other IDs. We met up another 2 times after the first meeting to revise the quotation as we had gained more knowledge and ideas on what we wanted to after meeting with other IDs. He also brought us to view 2 of the projects he had on hand to take a look at the work done which was really useful. The quotation given by him was the second lowest and eventually, we decided to sign on with him as we felt we had the most chemistry with him. Now that renovations have been completed, I must say we have no regrets giving the job to him. Granted, there were mistakes made along the way but most importantly, he was able to resolve the issues which cropped up and he took responsibility for any mistakes made on his part or by his workers. Another good thing about C is that he is super responsive. I only need to whatsapp him any issues I spotted during the reno and he will respond within 2 hours and get them rectified ASAP which is essential for an OCD like me. All in all, we're glad to have worked with him. 2) K from * Interior - He was the other ID we shortlisted as the quotation given was the lowest! Also, as the company is quite well-known, we thought it will be safe to go with him as my greatest fear is to have the ID run away with our money We also met up 2-3 times with him to revise the quotation but eventually decided to drop him as we didn't really feel the chemistry with him. My fiance and I agreed that since renovation is such a huge project, it's important to work with an ID whom we are 100% comfortable with. I must commend K for being really persistent though. After we informed him that we have decided to work with someone else, he kept texting us and asking us to look at the work done by his company in the hopes of changing our minds. Unfortunately, we decided chemistry with our ID is what we appreciate and so, decided to drop K. 3) L from Diva's Interior Design - We got his contact from another Renotalker who gave him really good reviews. We met L at his office and we found him to be pleasant and down-to-earth as described. There were 2 things which made us drop him in the end though. 1) The company is not registered with HDB and 2) His quotation was at least 10% higher than the others and this was already after some items were taken out! So essentially, it was more expensive for less stuff... When we informed him that we have decided to appoint someone else as our ID, he replied our whatsapp with a " " which I thought was so cute...he also asked what his problem was so that he could improve which I thought was really commendable! I think if he was able to include the items we wanted to at least within close range of our budget, we might have considered working with him. For the rest of the IDs we met up with, I won't be naming them as we had issues with them. 4) A - Was contacted by the ID through one of the renovation websites and went down to their office to discuss our reno plans and ideas. The office is super posh-looking and the ID informed us that they have a different business model in which the customers have to put a $1500 deposit for the 3D drawing before even giving the quotation. He was super glib and explained how this model will reduce variation orders and so have less dispute in the end. He was also extremely adept at drawing out the design we wanted on the spot and we were really impressed by him. At the very first meeting, he asked us to put down the deposit first but we declined as we were hesitant about the fact that the company is not registered with HDB. We wanted to go back and think it through first. He was super nice about it and said no problem. Thereafter, we communicated via whatsapp and we included a list of items we wanted the company to put down in black and white before we even place the deposit. He always replied, "Sure sure!" until we informed him that my fiance is a lawyer and after that, the quotation that was promised never even came. Thank goodness we didn't place the deposit in the first meeting... 5) B - On the very first meeting, he kept us waiting for at least 1 hour...claiming he got caught in the jam as he rushed down from his brother's wedding... Despite that, we waited for him and when we met, we found him to be super enthusiastic. He had a lot of ideas and "money saving tips" which he said he would tell us along the way. He followed up with the quotation a few days later and we found it to be a bit on the high side. Nonetheless, we decided to give him a chance as he was very eager to show us a project he had recently completed. However, when we went up to the place, the style was totally not to our liking at all. He kept exclaiming some of the features as "chio" but was a definite "over my dead body" response for us...needless to say, we dropped him after the house visit and when we informed him of our decision, he just left the group chat immediately. 6) C - A young chap we met up with and the first sign of trouble was when he didn't even print out the floorplan we uploaded on the renovation website. Luckily, I brought along a hard copy but even then, the first impression was not good from the start. Next, as we informed him of what were some of the items we wanted to do, he just took a piece of paper and started jotting down what we dictated. He gave no ideas/suggestions whatsoever and seemed really inexperienced! Promised to follow up with the quotation and never did. Oh well...we would never have gone with him anyway. 7) D - Went to his office after reading really good reviews of his colleague. Unfortunately, there was no chemistry from the beginning and the quotation was higher than the rest. He also didn't seem that enthusiastic to work with us so we didn't bother to follow up with him. 8) E - Another ID highly recommended by fellow Renotalkers. Apparently he's super busy...probably got very famous after the reviews done on him and we only communicated via sms. We contacted him in August and he just warned us that we will only be able to get the renovations completed after next year despite not even knowing what needs to be done for our renovations. All in all, we felt he was too busy with his projects on hand to be interested in our project and when we informed him that we had chosen another ID which could complete our reno by Christmas, his reply was, "Really? Good luck with that." which we felt wasn't very nice of him... There were a couple of IDs whom we communicated with but nothing fruitful came out of those encounters and so, we can't really remember them now! So, that sums up our search for IDs and how we eventually decided on our ID.

Good choice in converting it to a cabinet! Space for more shoes!

This looks like a recording studio!