Kellhound

Lump sum is about $40K. No need for any submissions, I think? Mine is just "renovation" as I've decided not to do anything that requires BCA/URA submission. There's an earth bonding line item so is that the lightning conductors you're referring to? Does DB box really take up so much space? I was under the impression that it's just a small box....... I've planned for 10+ data points for rooms and POE CCTVs Does induction cooker really need 32A? Hmmm....provisioning for car charger is something to consider..... Electrician also quoted me $300 each for 5m LED strip with driver which seems rather exorbitant based on what I can find online. Plumbing is about $21K which includes installation of fittings and laying of new SS pipes throughout the house.

Hi I received the following quote and would like feedback if they're reasonable? They seem high to me so wondering if this is the "landed premium" factor being added on or is it that landed is really that much more complex to do. For example, lighting points will add up significantly e.g. probably 60-80 points range for the whole house. New 13A socket installation - $140 each New lighting point - $80 each Lighting installation - $20 each New fan point - $80 each Fan installation - $60 each Cat 6 data point - $250 each New 13A outdoor socket - $250 each Split from 1 DB on ground floor to 1 DB on each floor (3 floors) - $8K+

Hi Snoozee, So you only have grilles for your ground floor? Which means you can't fully enclose for aircon?

A pity that grilles significantly affect the overall aesthetic. The best option I've found for folding glass doors is folding grilles. Takes up double the space for the tracks and looks bulky when it's folded to the side. Example here:

Haha...if like that, I might as well don't renovate. Even better. 😂 The house I'm moving into looks quite scary now in its current state

I've lived with extractor fans in my toilets for 10+ years. After this experience, all I can say is that I resolved to only buy homes with toilets that have windows😀 Issues include: 1. The startup noise of the fan can be noisy as the fan gets older and may wake others in the room if it's an attached toilet. 2. In my case (condo), there is a continuous air duct running from the master toilet to the common toilet and finally terminates at the kitchen yard. Sometimes, heavy cooking from the kitchen can cause smells to "backflow" from kitchen to the toilets and eventually the rooms. So be careful where your fan ducts go 3. Mold is a big issue for poorly ventilated toilets.

Hi Snoozee, I've been sourcing for gates, especially bifold ones as they are trackless. However, quite a few vendors discouraged me as they said that the bifold mechanism is a common point of failure. They added that there must be a reason why bifold gates are rather rare in Singapore. How has your experience been with the bifold gate?

Hi, I notice that there is a trend of doing away with window grilles and having full length glass doors on the ground floor without grilles. While burglaries are indeed very rare, I would like to find out from others as to what security measures you currently use. Just IP CCTV?

Hi, I saw quite a few estimates online that peg tiling costs at $10-$12 psf (inclusive of labour which is valued at around $7 psf). Of course, COVID may have caused prices to rise since. Does premixed cement cost more than normal cement? What's the difference between the two?

I just received a renovation quotation which included supply and and laying of floor and wall tiles at an average of $15 psf. This seems rather high to me and the explanation given was that it includes cement bedding and the need to use pre-mixed cement. Does this sound reasonable?

Silicone doesn't last forever. It's just a matter of time before you need to redo the waterproofing. So just need to do the cost benefit analysis.

Hi, I'm trying to modernise the exterior facade of a mid-90s 3 storey house (pitched roof) with the typical orange wavy clay tiles. I want to switch to gray flat tiles and remove the roof eaves at the top of 1st and 2nd floors to achieve a cleaner look. Research on the internet tends to indicate that the roof eaves prevent erosion/staining from rain. However, I noticed that most of the newer houses do not have roof eaves anymore so are they really necessary? So would like to invite comments and feedback on this.

Hi Just wondering how you guys are getting digital TV reception? Separate indoor antenna for every TV? Is there a better way?

I believe I'm just outside the central tree conservation area. The issue is that the current owner planted 4-5 trees within a 5-6m wide kerb space outside the house. Along with large potted plants, it looks a like a small jungle. Thus, I also want to declutter the area as well by removing some of the trees.

Update: I checked with 3 other houses (all with 3+ floors) within 200 metres of mine and they all do not use the water tank/pump. 1 did not install at all. The second catered for space on roof for tank but did not install and the 3rd installed pump/tank but do not use it. Will consult my contractor/plumber to see if I can get rid of the tank/pump

The owner of the house I'm interested in said that they did piling for the house when it was built in the mid-90s and claimed that this was much more stable than most other houses which usually did "just a concrete foundation". I'm just wondering as to how true is this?

I'm lucky in the sense that my main gate is not adjacent to my neighbours. I currently have about 12-13m of kerb width between my gate and my neighbour's so should be more than enough as in My gate (current 3.5m)----12-13m of kerb---My neighbour's gate (~3.5m)

Hi Snoozee, I'm considering widening my gate to 4.5m wide as well and I have 3-4 trees in the pedestrian kerb outside. In your opinion, is the likelihood in general high for NParks to approve removing the tree/trees? How much did you pay for the removal/disposal?

Ok, this house is a bit of an exception. It already has an approved attic under the pitched roof but the owner said that when they wanted to build a staircase to access the attic, apparently BCA told them that they need to build a fire escape that leads outside to the side of house and downwards. Alternatively, they needed to install a fire sprinkler system. This was in the mid-90s to early 00s and they abandoned the project in the end. Perhaps things have changed now??

I agree...in the overall scheme of things....the cost of the plans is nothing

I actually requested to see the BCA approved building plan before putting down the 1% to verify and compare if there were any "unapproved" alterations present.

I'm looking at a corner terrace (built mid-90s) and the owner bought the building plans from BCA and gave me a copy. However, my contractor requested for the structural plans as well but the owner said this was not available from BCA. Is this possible (maybe too long ago) or perhaps the owner is not looking in the right place? My contractor said not possible as you need both building and structural plans to get CSC.

I'm considering to install as well but heard that the ROI of the solar panels is not great. Anyone here can share their experience?

Hi, my key consideration is not so much economic but that I want to reclaim the space. I don't have a roof terrace to relocate the tank to so I wish to optimize my backyard as best I can. I note the sizing and structural loading requirements. Thanks.

Hi, Does anyone have contacts for good installers for water tank/pump? I'm buying a house with existing tank/pump but it's 25+ years old so I think it's time to change. From the plans, my car porch reduced level is already 136.30 so it looks like there's no escaping having a pump/tank. Current pump/tank occupies a huge 1.5m x 1.5m (1000-1500 litres) space in the centre of my backyard so I'm also trying to see if I can get away with a smaller tank (as I have a family of 5) and shift it to the corner.