studioflatter

Hi all May I get your advice and opinions if anyone consider soundproofing the flat (so no noise from neighbours and v v) smoke detector and sprinklers all doors / windows made airtight to prevent cockroaches & lizards entering even main door, and get mosquito screens for windows? All these cost more money, but I was wondering if it was smart to do at the beginning or unnecessary?

Hi, I need to get a reno loan, can some people give recommendations on how much to borrow? Because I heard costs can escalate halfway during reno. How much should I budget for the unknown? How much should I borrow for reno loan? (furniture costs not included) Any help would be greatly appreciated. Borrow too little then how? Borrow too much have to incur early repayment penalty. Should I apply for reno loan before or after key collection? Should I apply for reno loan before or after I find a responsible ID? All banks pay the contractor directly, not to me, so if reno is badly done, and I change contractor halfway but the bad contractor still gets the initial payment? Thanks all!

Hi all I visit condo showflats to get ideas for reno, and their shower floor is just gently sloping upwards by 2-3cm from the wet to the dry area. Shower is partitioned from the rest of bathroom with glass door in a tiny space same as BTO squeezy size. It is barely perceptible, but the property agents confirm no kerb is needed to keep the water out completely and explain a gentle slope looks better and is also wheelchair friendly. I would also like the gently slope to separate the wet and dry area, but it seems IDs insist a 5cm curb is necessary? Or have I been talking to the wrong IDs? How come HDB needs 5cm kerb but condo can have gentle 2-3cm slope? Isn't it possible to overlay the dry area 3cm higher and slope down to the original HDB tiling to get the gentle slope with no kerb?

Hello beautiful people =) I was admiring all the beautiful modifications to bathrooms, but I am curious how the sanitary fittings were rearranged within the bathroom? I am still waiting for replies from last year (I just resent the queries, asking for anyone else except the relationship manager to help please) before I can go to ID (or can I just approach now? One ID turned me down as he only wanted to work with me if I am collecting keys in 3 months. That leaves me with no time to look around or negotiate contracts!) to tell them what I envision and get their opinions. I ask this because I got this reply from HDB: You will not be able to rearrange the layout of the toilet, hand wash basin and shower in the bathroom due to compliance with PUB's requirement of the maximum distance (2.5m) of the length of discharge pipe (from the floor waste/ floor traps) to the discharge stack at the air-con ledge. Rearranging the position of the sanitary fittings, floor traps and floor waste will also compromise waterproofing in the bathroom walls and floors. Is this TRUE??? Weekend hugs and kisses <3

Good morning everyone Does anyone know if my plan to knock down the walls marked with a red X would work? I live on the top floor, so I don't understand why there are walls (not in black) that enclose space in the blueprint. I think they are walls for piping? I would also like to build a shoe cabinet next to the front door, indicated in blue, because there is no space inside the flat near the front door to build any shoe cabinet. I had asked the relationship manager all these questions in last year in Oct, but no reply as usual, so I emailed central support who forwarded the query to her, only then did she email back that she will ask and revert, but already 4 months and still no reply. It is like this with all queries - does anyone have issues with getting answers from their relationship manager or are responses very prompt? I appealed to change the relationship manager or just get ANYONE from HDB customer service to answer the queries, but HDB said the relationship manager cannot be changed and are supposed to handle all BTO queries of a particular precinct. Also, a sidenote, seeing the bathroom is square (~1.6 x 1.6m) and small, does anyone have ideas how and where to put the glass screen so the shower doesn't splash onto the toilet area? I initially wanted an L-shaped shower screen, but due to lack of space, I would be very happy even with one glass partition to separate the wet shower from the dry toilet floor. I also need to squeeze in a sink, that's why I can't really put a glass divider in the middle of the bathroom? Thank you everyone!

Someone was asking about cement rendering? I got this reply from CPF: We wish to clarify that with effect from 1 Oct 2014, the HDB has ceased to provide the Smooth Floor Rendering (SFR) service that had previously been provided on a goodwill basis upon request. We are sorry we are unable to provide the SFR for your new flat. Does anyone have ideas how to fit a sliding screen / L-shaped sliding door in a square-shaped 38m2 flat? I have been tinkering with diff designs & dimensions, but if there is a glass screen in the bathroom, it seems there is no space for me to enter the bathroom??? The bathroom is square-shaped, around 1.6m x 1.6m

Hello everybody!! Hello MMoh!! MMoh! Your flat is so beautifullllllllllllll! But how come your apt looks so enormous? There is so much floor space! When I went to HDB showflat, I practically could only do pirouettes. In the bedroom must walk sideways like crab. I've attached pics of wooden bathroom flooring that I mentioned last year. I had wanted uniform vinyl flooring in the entire apt for consistency, otherwise the flat comes with bi-fold door, sliding door, diff coloured flooring in bathroom and kitchen, then my own vinyl flooring for bedroom and living room, looks like lego land. Does anyone have problems getting answers from the assigned relationship manager? My questions get ignored for months by the lady unless I email central helpdesk to notify of no reply by the relationship manager for months.

Trivia quiz: What's up with the beautiful gorgeous full height wall-to-ceiling windows for every single room I see in recent HDB BTOs around Telok Blangah and Kallang Trivista, painted all white? How come all HDBs can't look so clean and modern no matter where they are located? Projects are by tender and the lowest bidder wins right? So how is it logical that white coloured flats with full length windows in every single room the cheapest tender in good locales, but ugly colours with half height windows the cheapest in ulu areas? How come BTOs in ulu areas like mine have to be painted dark brown and have half height windows??? Best answer wins bragging rights.

Ok thank you so much mmoh. I was given a case manager's name and email during signing of lease to contact, and told to quote my registration number everytime I had a query about the flat. My questions were like, how high is the ceiling cuz I booked the top floor unit and I heard the ceiling is higher than lower floors, cuz at that time I wanted to create my own haven by installing a waterfall feature for feng shui and relaxation, and a loft concept to save space; whether I could knock down the bedroom sliding door and build a wall and door, and replace the bathroom bifold door with a sliding door. I also really wanted an ice-cream machine and dedicated freezer in addition to the fridge unit for making smoothies and ice cream, and then a food processor and blender and microwave oven and electric oven because I'm such a foodie, but where to put everything ... so cluttered will start resembling an old HDB flat. Really wanted a queen bed but the showflat so cramped, so I thought a good idea was to switch the bedroom and living room, and build a wall blocking outsiders from looking through the front door ... and of course, the mandatory deep soak tub to hide in my oasis ... ... Now I look at the floorplan and talk to you a bit and saw your photos, and think back how I could touch both walls of the bathroom and corridor with my arms outstretched at the HDB showflat, like everything cannot. Too **** small. I'm so tall, I want a higher ceiling so it's less claustrophobic. But you're right. See the real thing first, and have a general concept is better than planning so much.

O thanks mmoh! Yep, this should save time. Do I go to the branch nearest my current residence, or the branch nearest the BTO? The new flat doesn't have a postal code yet. When I keyed in the address of the current and BTO to find nearest branch, also no results. Did you quote your registration number or block number or NRIC when you emailed in to ask specific questions about your flat? Did different pple respond to you by email, or the same case manager assigned always replying you?

O thank you! Is it convenient to share the ID / contractors here, or possibly over PM? OK thanks mmoh, I will strategise with kyooko once I figure out how to use the @ sign to add someone into the convo. I have a burning question to ask anybody and everybody: the case manager assigned to me does not reply for months. My last 2 emails from June and July have not been answered yet. Previously, I waited a month before going to HDB Hub to ask the same questions, which got routed as urgent to the case manager who then deigned to respond, after Customer Service was alerted to her behaviour. But AFAIK, she is the only point of contact I have, since I have registered for a flat, and CS only handles general queries. I asked for a different case manager who would reply but was told it cannot be changed. Has anyone emailed their case manager and been ignored? How would I handle an errant case manager who just ignores queries? It is frustrating to wait for weeks, and inconvenient to go to HDB Hub just to get Customer Service to alert her to respond. Help anyone?

Ah I see, no point planning until I can measure the real thing in person then. I really wanted a bathtub, but the smallest was 1.2 x 1.2 m, and the bathroom is only 1.6m. I could almost touch both opposite walls of the HDB showflat when I stretched my arms out. Where would flooring in the sequence of renovation works? Vinyl seems only available through flooring specialists, the contractors I have been recommended don't do vinyl; so should the flooring specialist be contacted to do the floor first? Or the contractor to install, paint, do capentry, then the flooring man comes in? Thanks all =)

Thank you mmoh! Floor space looks so big! Or did my eyes see wrongly? Would I be able to put up a mirrored wall behind the front door with this 38sm floor plan? Looks like a wall behind the front door would obstruct everything from the kitchen to bathroom to bomb shelter entrance ... When I used 3D rendering (HomebyMe)to measure the floor space to design the flat, all the dimensions on the floor plan did not match when measured with the software's measurement tool, even with 15cm wall allowance ... how did you guys design your home in virtual programs? Is it by agar-agar methodology? Studioflatter

Hi there arnold, Thanks for sharing about your renovation progress. As a first timer, I don't know who to turn to as well. Could you pass me your contractor Boon's contact details please? Much thanks and appreciation!