studioflatter

hey bro, i have 35sqm 2rm flat too. How is your kitchen so huge, with 3 windows! Is one of your rooms smaller than mine? Can PM me your contractor details? ?

Hahaha now I geddit. ?

Oof @BunniBoi Your 3D looks amazing, and your bathroom is so huge, can put longish shower screen wor. I always wanted to ask haha, how come there are so many bunnies here? Issit that rabbits live in tiny homes? I didn't know

Yes. OK thanks. Thanks bro @ryanyth

Not Nicholas. I took your advice on him and rejected him. Because you are right, I am his paying customer, not his counsellor. Cannot move in yet, kitchen heavily flooded from badly constructed cement sink support, plumbing and pipe chokage.

I did because I had foot fracture and had to move in in a hurry due to rental lease expiry. Reno was incomplete, promised move-in date was 14 Sep, but he had to leave else none of my sub cons could work. The contractor intentionally refused to put cardboard protection on vinyl because I did not buy it through him, and he even sent me 13 angry Whatsapp msg in a row late at night to defy my request to put cardboard protection, even though it was in the quotation, before and after glassworks, causing puncture hole damage to my vinyl, drilled into my vinyl, purposely placed glass too close to prevent PVC skirting although reminded. Cardboard protection only laid on the day of carpentry installation, after glassworks and more cement wet works, but damage already done, so the floor was extremely filthy. In addition, the Contractor told workers to put cement screed and plasterboard powder and their equipment in my bomb shelter without my permission even though I said not to, staining the walls grey and black and making the floor very dirty and dusty. The cleaning supervisor offered to repaint my bomb shelter but could not find the same colour paint code, so he cleaned my bomb shelter by hand until it looks like new. I am so grateful. Furthermore, the contractor's plumber "left" a plastic bag full of nails, bolts and screws (photos attached) inside the WC then the workers used the WC, causing choke and overflow of sewage onto bathroom floor, so I could not move in. I asked the WC supplier for help and they sent their plumber to fix the problem, but the floor had sewage overflow when the WC was dismantled to discover the blockage. Now I am having to deal with the kitchen cement sink support flooding due to poor masonry and plumbing, HDB suspects the contractor or his workers poured cement down the kitchen pipe. The contractor warned me many times he would make me regret not applying to 2 banks simnultaneously through his own contacts to route 2 reno bank loans of 36k to his company name for his quote of 18k, and he would make me pay a heavy price for not buying sanitary and kitchen fittings from his friend's shop Ezze Galleria which charged me >5k which I easily bought for 3K+ from other shops, for not allowing him to earn more money by finding my own AC supplier, and finding my own sub cons from electrician to vinyl flooring to blinds. Every single sub con I engaged found their work damaged or compromised due to contractor interference and omitting essential structural components or building masonry or carpentry over their work so they were unable to perform the necessary layouts agreed with my sub cons, myself and contractor, with reminders to the contractor. I haven't been posting here because everything from masonry wet works, glass works, carpentry, plumbing are so badly done, wrong height, wrong measurements, etc, eg: intentional refusal to leave hole in shower kerb for AC PVC water pipe as AC is my own sub con that I pay directly to. My dream home has been destroyed by the contractor and his workers, I'm constantly having to repair damages eg: fix backflow, chokage, flooding problems caused by renovation in WC and now kitchen pipes, paying so much out of pocket for repairs, but I am choosing to love my tiny home and see the beauty of all the hard work of my sub cons coming so many times to help to rectify and make my home livable so I can move in soon. I am spending more money on rectifications, and even more on rental due to reno delays. Some of my sub cons can see how badly the works are done, and noted how the contractor has repeatedly impeded their work which prevents my moving in 4 weeks ago on 14 Sep, but they have never complained, and they are doing their best to help me. I am so grateful. I miss you guys. Hello again.

Thanks @ankle agreed, @CaseBlue tot so too! Dropped that ID.

Do you know how many coats of paint did your walls get, and how much did painting cost? I nego with an ID who told me only 1 coat paint and minor touch ups to bring down from 1.3K to 1.1K. Cuz I found PuHua eco Diatomacrous Earth paint that offer 2 coats paint at 1.1K.

Ah thanks, I meant how do you wait for the delivery of the WC, storage heater, bathroom and kitchen sink, oven and cooker, needed at the initial stage of reno?

Thanks ankle and mmoh Where did the beige tiles come from? The spare tiles are grey right? OK Looks like just vinyl will do then. Yay. Is there a wheelchair friendly ramp from corridor to the main entrance door? Or like a step in the photo? O How do you wait for delivery at your new BTO without fan or A.C.? Do you bring a huge battery operated fan and chair to sit and wait in the flat for 4 hours?

Ah great idea! Can show photo? Cos someone advise to change main gate with the bottom part got metal panel to block splashing ( like those to keep pets in or out), but quite expensive ...

Whoa, that takes a lot of space ... I can barely walk without tripping on table or chair in my tiny rental room ... good training for the 36m2 BTO! Can I ask those who have vinyl flooring, does the weekly TC corridor washing splash dirty water onto your gate, vinyl floor or under your door? Do you need to wipe off the water to prevent gate corrosion, seepage into vinyl or stains?

Thanks @ryanyth! Appreciate your kind help. Really appreciate. Thanks for the reality check. One step at a time. Breathe. Whew ...

Join the club. Looking forward to your progress and updates! What's the theme? By the by, sale alert, many many year-end sales to be found in The NEw PAper and online portals, esp 12 DEcember ... those reno now so lucky, so many promo during year end ... my friend advise me to buy now, but I got no space to keep WC or kitchen sink or oven or fridge in my tiny rental room for 8 months wor ... even if have, maybe by then the sink shower taps all rusty already ...

I reserved 90cm floor space for 500L fridge. As tall as possible. Intend to be very healthy so lots of fresh food need to keep in big big fridge!

Hi all, may I ask what is this on bathroom ceilings? Is it mandatory? I am on the top floor, so no piping to conceal right? Looks like some sort of lighting but seems to take up a lot of space ..

Hi y'all, where would us 2roomers live and shower if we reno our bathroom, say 5 years later? If we only have 1 bathroom / toilet in the BTO, and we are currently renting with no other accommodation options, do we rent a hotel room for 1 week while the bathroom is being re-tiled? We would need to rent nearby to visit the reno works right? I'm being quoted very ridiculous prices of 30-40K for simple reno by IDs, so I was thinking of cutting costs now and overlaying bathroom / kitchen wall and floor tiles maybe 5 years years later when I have more money. Hope for some serious replies. Thank you all so much.

@Ankle : I found them by thoroughly scouring the internet for ID with spectacular 5* reviews and photos, did so much research and homework, wasted so many Saturdays travelling to their offices in ulu industrial estates and carparks (???), paid some deposit, sat through scare tactics to take bank loans through them and gotten scammed and ghosted, and so far I've only gotten 1 skyhigh quote. I'm too exhausted and ready to go the way of doing the 5 random IDs route. @spikeling : I was told that if you put the electric heater inside the false wall, you would need to hack the false wall to change or repair the heater. Is that correct? The false wall costs about 1K right? so heart pain to hack away and rebuild for another 1K, or is there a way around that? @mmoh : I'm definitely buying MagicSeal netting for all the windows ... thanks for sharing! To have or not to have: 1) Does anyone have opinions on ceiling fans for top floor unit? I was told that top floors are prone to leaking ceilings over time, and ceiling fans cause vibrations which can make the ceiling cave in faster. Even if HDB repair the ceiling, still need to deal with all the dirt, debris and water seepage from broken ceiling. So no ceiling fans? 2) Should there be full length mirrors on bedroom wardrobes? I thought they are the norm, but I didn't see mirrors on any bedroom wardrobes here or in condo showflats, and also pple say no need because why would I need to look at myself when I wake up? Besides pantang reasons, and reflecting how messy the bed looks, does anyone think this is a good idea?

@Ankle So clever, good thinking! @daztan89 Thanks, I didn't know about water piping. The HDB insurer is Etiqa, if they give free, that's nice. i'm also extremely stressed over reno fees. So far I've received quotes of 25-40K for basic reno, not yet including fixtures / electricity / lighting / curtains / furniture / aircon, with no help on designs, themes or ideas, they say scared I steal their ideas, so they want me to pay 10-20% deposit first then they discuss ideas. I felt I wasted so much time and energy meeting IDs, maybe it happened that the IDs I met are very young (<30yo) and new in the industry. most are rude. some shout at me when I ask questions. In the end, I have to research and do everything myself. Problem is I don't understand Chinese, but I really want to buy from TaoBao to save money. I would also like to go JB to buy furniture but the Grab driver says I need to know which shop to go. I'm extremely exhausted and frustrated asking for help and getting the "you tell me what you want, I tell you can or not" or "no space. cannot be done (with no input of alternative suggestions)" or "pay first then we talk" attitude. @mmoh Thank you for your kind help these past years. Thank you for sharing. Thank you for your advice. Thank you for overseeing this thread and helping so many. Tonight, after 4 years of planning and researching, I have finally completed my own layout, my own design, and my own theme. Very tired but grateful.

Appreciate your input. Thanks, thanks and thanks @mmoh!

I just posted but it's hidden. Any idea how to unhide post? Why is my post hidden?

I just posted but it's hidden. Any idea how to unhide post? Why is my post hidden?

@mmoh appreciate the reply. I had checked with Etiqa that is the HDB approved insurer, the premiums are around 120-180$ / mth for 2rm flat to insure contents. The 100+ per yr is just for mandatory HDB home insurance for walls, ceiling and floor structures. BTW, I have plans to build a glass partition study room in the living room to put a table for computer and handbag and stuff, as bedroom no space for table. Cuz if I put a table with stuff in the living room, it's gonna be so messy and no privacy. This is my best solution for putting computer and books and papers. Wadayall think? It will be next to bomb shelter at the wall furthest from the window. But I haven't figured out the ventilation part or the door type yet.

But if we are outside, and the smoke detector goes off, what are we supposed to do?

Thank you so much for the detailed explanation @Joterloh I now realise all no need, just need buy the door bottom insulation and stick myself. Saved me so much headache and money, thank you so much! 1. OK good, saves me money 2. I tot my flat won't catch fire as everything from heater to cooker will be electrical, no gas. It's just in case my neighbour's flat catch fire and burn my apt. But yeah, you're right, electrical can also short. and boom. I won't get fire extinguisher as I don't want to clean up the chemical mess. I will just pour water or put a blanket over the fire. 3. Yes, correct! 24/7 aircon. Like hotel or spa. Nothing dead or alive with more than 2 legs allowed in my apt. May I ask a follow up question, if anybody chose to insure the contents of the flat which costs more than 100$ / mth for insurance? Because your neighbour can accidentally start a fire and burn down your flat. OR is it smarter to re-reno and rebuy everything from scratch?