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It's highly likely that you have a choke. In order to get a proper analysis though, you can call Cool Serve to get them to give you a no-obligation analysis. Their customer service was excellent and very efficient. They assessed the situation for me and gave me a 2nd opinion. The repair guy even advised me to save my money from hiring Cool Serve to do the job but to instead, get my original air con installer to do the job for me -- which I did.

Congrats on your place! It's good that HDB can undertake some of the renovation for you. I think you'll save a small bundle! Just to share my experience on dustbin with you. My parents place (different configuration altogether) is nicely stored away inside a cabinet. It looks really neat and tidy but the consequence is a somewhat stinky cabinet. In fact, when I'm over at their place, I tend to keep the cabinet open just to air it a little. And you can still hear people tossing things down the chute even though they're on the top floor. My place (exact same configuration as yours, 3-room resale, 1970s design) didn't have a cabinet to seal up the chute. I didn't do it firstly because of cost (didn't want to pay for my kitchen cabinets/solid surface to extend all the way to the window with only a 10cm depth) and later on, for ease of cleaning. Every now and then I actually pour scalding hot water into the chute area and then follow-up with insecticide. Moved in for almost 3 months and so far the only cockroach we've had came in from the living room window, not kitchen-side. It's certainly quite an eyesore to see a dustbin in the middle of the wall but you quickly get used to it and by this point, the ease of tossing rubbish/stuff negates the ugliness IMO.

Maybe you should tell them to charge you less for not using laminate at the outer bottom instead! I think the default should include some form of 'laminate'. My bathroom cabinets (suspended) all have laminate.

I tested mine with a magnet and there wasn't any adhesive capabilities so I assume it's not S/S. Sigh. jpcc -- if you're getting a dish drainer, be sure to make sure the carpenter installs it correctly. Pass him a sample plate/bowl/mug and tell him to ensure during installation that the placements of the various parts fit your plate/bowl/mug

To check for levelling, use a spirit level. Water is a cheaper but messier alternative and you can't really test it in all directions. Borrow the spirit level from your carpenter or buy a cheap set from Ikea. I think they include in a basic toolbox set that goes for $18 or so.

I have to affirm yokine9a. The issue of cost aside, granite/marble are honestly one of the best work tops. In the previous place, we used granite top and it was wonderful! You could do almost anything on it and needn't worry about damaging it. Ours was a very dark-coloured granite so it helped to hide any dirt stains. In my new place, I used solid surface and regret it every single day because it's so impractical and such a pain to maintain. My parents' kitchen counter top was made out of tiles and even though dirt gets in the grouting, it's far easier to maintain than solid surface.

I'm pretty sure mine can't be removed with a scrub pad but I'll try it tonight. Thanks for this. I'll try CIF. I'll keep a look out for this S/S cleaner. i'll do the magnet test tonight 1st though to see if it's really S/S.

I didn't use the Blum system and my drawers close fine. At this point, I personally think they might be a little overrated. My sister used the blum system for her drawers aren't any better/lousier than mine. Perhaps it helps that my drawers are "full" and usually with lots of heavy stuff so "slamming" isn't really a problem at this point.

I've lived in my place for almost 2 months and so far I haven't had my white putty changing colour up until this point. However, I do agree with lawry that you really shouldn't accept the height differentials. Start off by asking if there is a reason why there is a height differential in the first place. It looks like a potential breeding ground for lizards/ants if there isnt' a tight seal between the granite top and your kitchen cabinets. That said, unless you are personally there to witness the granite top being installed, there is a good chance they won't change the cabinet for you. So make sure you use a spirit level to ensure the granite top is level, if nothing at all.

I only have 1 pair of runners. My drawer(s) are slightly less than 1m in length and I use it to contain all my heavy cooking pots/pans. During the testing of drawers, we actually put in several tins of paint (5L) to see if it would run nicely and there wasnt' a problem.

I'm fortunate with that. There wasn't a single mis-drilled hole although I do know it's quite common. (My parents' carpenter made quite a number of mistakes with my wardrobe!) However, they didn't position the angle our dish rack properly and we ended up having to get them to reposition it. (It couldn't even fit our dinner plates!) It was filled with ugly white putty. I suggest you check for other more structural defects and who knows, they may have to change the pc of wood with the wrong drill marks too?!

I've just noticed little rust spots on my dish drainer rack that were previously not there. We cook 3x/week (easy stir fries, bacon & eggs) and usually don't leave more than 5 sets of utensils to dry overnight. We get the morning sun (doesn't reach the dish drainer) and utensils dry very quickly because of the heat/sunshine we get. We've just moved in for 2months so I'm a little surprised to see the rust spots appearing so quickly. (Dish drainer at my parents' place have a similar problem but they've lived there for 6-7 years so naturally, some rusting can be expected.) Does any one else have a similar problem? How long did your rust spots take to appear? How do you get rid of them/if at all?

I wouldn't worry too much about joint lines on your laminate. Just ensure that the joint lines are at areas which aren't conspicuous (e.g., near the top, on the underside of cabinets etc). I didn't notice that I had a couple of those and it wasn't till I moved in for a week that I noticed it. What I did to "hurry" my renovations was to actually move some stuff in and then start locking up rooms/doors that were completed. It was to send a strong signal to contractor to hurry up. I also told him that I wld change the lock on a stated date and did so.

Actually, what I did throughout the reno was to spend several weekends cleaning up. I cleaned up even tho I knew the contractors would be working for 2 reasons: A) Idenfication of defects Only when the place is somewhat clean will I be able to tell if this is a perm stain or if it is just dirt. We eventually discovered several defects and they could fix it quickly before moving onto the next phase of work (e.g., carpentry) B) Makes the final clean up more manageable I think my weekend cleaning sessions paid off because as we prepared to move in, I didn't need to clean as much. Also, this "thin layer of dust" that lasts for weeks didn't seem to be there! Regarding the issue of lights. I actually feel the same. I was (and still am!) constantly complaining the place is too dark just with the regular lights!!! While the place is bright in the day, it's quite dark at night. Truth is, by the time I get home, the sun is already setting so I rarely get to enjoy this "natural" sunlight that my place gets. I don't know how large your place is but my 3-rm unit is 67sqm. Non-upgraded. Basically when I'm at home, my living room, 2 kitchen + floor lamp are on all the time.

My carpenter used my toilet to relieve himself while I was around and didn't wash his hands nor flush after the job!!! *gulp* The moment he left, I had Dettol everywhere he touched!