Aiky

Messaged you the contact. Yeah, the building process was a steep learning experience. Lots of hassles and headaches but it was also satisfying. I was overseas during most of the construction and so could not monitor as closely as I would like. But thankfully, I had a very experienced and hands-on main con (apart from that combination of oversight). One of the things I did learn is that so many things can go wrong in building a house and there is no perfect design. Usually there will be some minor defects to fix shortly after moving in.

Your case sounds like mine. My open rooftop terrace started leaking on the external wall (thankfully not into MBR below). I think its due to (1) only 1 drain-hole and gradient which doesn't drain fast enough from one section during downpours; (2) layer of anti-heat sponge under the floor which left gap for water accumulation; (3) waterproofing at a section of wall-floor joint not done properly. Spoke to a few "premium" specialists at first. All gave different diagnosis and peddled their own product (naturally). Also tend to be quite exp due to "special technology". Some promise quick and easy solution, which was tempting. But I started to have doubts when the more specialist I spoke to, the more different answers I received. In the end, for long term peace of mind, I decided to tear up the entire floor, remove the sponge, relay waterproofing, concrete and tiles. Also added a polycarb roof to deflect part of the rainwater away. Was a real mess and hassle for couple of weeks. This was done earlier this year so I dare not vouch for anything, besides I'm now overseas and my parents jaga the place. Btw, I engaged a contractor who does mostly roofing and leaks (he's just the main boss, the bangla supervisor was the leak expert). Found him via classifieds. He's ok, workers gave me some frustrations. End of day, most of them have their peculiarities and patterns, just as us. Hope you solve your problem swiftly. I procrastinated and it was more pain in the end.

Yes, best is to get your builder. If not convenient (as in my case), I would recommend to get at least 3-4 specialist/contractors to take a look. First, if the problem is hard to diagnose, they may have different opinion on the source and proposed treatment, which will hopefully give you some idea (and consensus) where to start. Second, the quotes can vary a lot. My personal experience is that cost does not necessarily correlate with quality. More important to talk through the issue with the contractors and find someone you are comfy working with.

In addition to above factors, do also consider which stage of career you are in. If career in early stage with good salary prospects over long term, then 8K shd be ok. Risks are always there but the relative youth with few liabilities is a huge advantage. If more towards mid-career with not much more leeway for salary to go north, it becomes harder to justify unless you have already squirrelled a pile of cash as safety net. I doubt anyone wld be asking this question as a near-retiree. At today's property prices, say suburban condo ard $800K-1mil, the typical monthly mortgage can hit 3-4K.

Bro Hope you chill a bit. We can take this discussion offline to let off steam. No doubt most folks have got good/horror stories about various doctors/hospitals. I'm not sure spilling the beans and naming names online is all that right. I like to think I have been circumspect in my comments. As much as I found NUH the right place for us, I know it will not always be the best choice for everyone. And as much as we had - urm less positive - experiences elsewhere, many others have great praise where we felt let down. I do not wish to run anyone/place down, what we say online or private often carry much bearings beyond that moment of shiokness of saying it. Peace.

If I may deduce from our experiences - the core element of positive/negative experiences perhaps boils down to the doctor. We happened to have found the right (given our circumstances) ones at NUH and I suppose you found yours elsewhere. So back to the mantra of third party advices - personal mileages will necessarily vary! I also thought your chance encounter with the Malay family was a blessing to be thankful for, and a reminder that sometimes, doctors don't always know everything. We also learnt the last part the hard way. Cheers and best regards.

Guess the waiting time depends on the gynae. Glad you had a positive experience at TH, as I am sure did many other couples also. Waiting time is not a deal killer for us. In fact, we went TH twice because my wife insisted so. Both times were sort of a let down in terms of the outcome. Ofcourse, it is unfair to blame TH for pregnancy/medical outcomes beyond their control. But rather the way they responded and managed crises, how to say, when the chips are down. For just about every successful and normal delivery, I'm sure there wld be nothing to complain about. Anyway, parents (to be) just be mindful that every hospital has its limitations. In the rare event of medical complications - touch wood and I dont mean the usual pregnancy complications - ideally you want to be where the experts are or at least people who know what they are doing. As for the students at NUH, not as scary as you put it lah! I do find the students intrusive, mostly because the newbies don't know how to handle patients with tact. We usually tell them to bugger off and they will respect. Just have to be firm (sometimes like talking to kids) - remember you have patient rights too! Anyway, all part of their learning process to deal with rejection and stuff. All said and done, the doctors at NUH saved my firstborn's life. We went through some tough times, found great comfort in the doctors there. It was a no brainer for us to go back to NUH for our second baby, even leaving aside the fantastic pre-natal facilities there. Just relating my own experiences. Ofc, NUH is not without areas for improvement too, and YMMV.

If you are not fixed on these two, I wld recommend NUH. We went Thomson for our firstborn, given its reputation. I dont want to elaborate on my experiences, suffice to say we had a far superior experience at NUH for my second baby. Expertise, hospitality, facilities, advanced equipment etc etc. Profs/doctors are tops, just cut some slack for the MOs (they all need to start somewhere right?) The other thing is I spent a lot less time waiting at NUH. At thomson, often had to wait up to 2-3 hrs to see gynae. I suppose they dont cram as much patients as a private hospital which probably seeks to maximise profit. In the end, I suppose most couples want to find a gynae whom the wife is comfortable with. Prices are all about there in the thousands - giving birth is not cheap in Sg. Best of luck!

Have you talked to the seller? Maybe remote chance that he also changed his mind about selling. Maybe in the interim he received a better offer and does not mind rescinding your OTP. Maybe can grovel and negotiate some settlement on whatever personal reasons. Just my thoughts on how to get out of a hole dug in haste. As others have pointed out, it would appear you have no other legal recourse.

We use a few at home. LEDs are far more expensive than normal downlights, so you have to weigh the pros and cons. Ofc, there are some rich enough to place LEDs all over the house. The light dispersion is also very focussed and narrow, almost like a torchlight beam. Creates a cosy effect, but definitely dim for those who like their house lit up. I think newer LED have been designed to give broader dispersion and brighter (using more bulbs with higher consumption). Newer LEDs also have better colour temperature, obviously also at a cost. Other than that, we liked the sleek look of some of the LEDs, plus were told that they use as low as 1W electricity per LED bulb. So we put LEDs in walkways or doorways where we might leave the light on overnight, where they are bright enough to see at night but not too bright to affect sleep or night ambience. The other advantage of LEDs is they run cooler than say halogen.

Katong Shopping Center, on the 3rd floor. You can see the shop window with giant words LED from the main road. Specialises and sells all (as far as I know) kinds of LED bulbs.

we use black glass and aluminium frame. from our experience, anything wood in toilet will eventually warp or split open from humidity, especially under the vanity counter. rather not have to worry about these sort of degradation in due course. moreover, we happen to prefer glass look but that's really personal preference.

hi I have black granite tiles with rough, flamed(?) surface. The other day, the construction worker said they were going to use acid wash to clean up the tiles. I am thus concerned now that the earlier post pointed out acid wash should not be used on black tiles. Can confirm and explain why pls?

Hi Yoongf Tks for suggestions. Kianso looks interesting, will check it out. The treads are meant to be structural for mono-stringer staircase with no concrete support below. Boon Khim, I am not sure how exp $7.50psf is in relation to the market, but size, quality of timber and workmanship can make a lot of difference. Walking barefoot on different types of timber floor, all supposedly burmese teak, can give vastly different feeling. Some texture **** shiok, some feel only slightly better than laminate floor. Aside from seeing the contractors' actual work done in other places, can get quote from reputable company like Wooddoctor etc as benchmark.

Hi, Hope don't mind if I borrow this tread. I am looking to use teak planks as stair treads for my open staircase, but the asking price for burmese teak planks have shot up (eg in excess of $200 per plank, 45mm thick or thereabouts). Alternatively, chengal is much cheaper ($50 per piece), but the texture and aesthetics are poorer. Wld you recommend other wood, or any advice on where to look?