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Hi all, Sorry if this is a double post. This is my first time on this forum. my wife and I purchased a resale HDB in Bishan at the end of August, and the renovation completed roughly 2 weeks ago. We were lucky to have chosen an excellent Interior Designer / Contractor, and I would like to share my experience with anybody interested. I would like to say first off that I am not profiting in any way by making this post. We started searching for contractors who were recommended by others through forums and friends. We engaged to such contractors (one was V-Max Interior), and we also randomly engaged two other contractors whose offices were near where we were staying at the time. Of the four contractors, a few things stood out for V-Max interior. 1. Vincent, our contractor, has a very can do attitude. We had some pretty tough requests which we ran by all four contractors (such as hacking down walls, moving doorways, and concealing certain piping). The other three contractors either simply said it couldn't be done, or simply tried to avoid making any promises. Vincent would patiently listen to our ideas, think, and then propose how they could be done. 2. The prices quoted by V-Max Interior were very competitive compared to the other three. Only one contractor offered a lower price, but he had a very negative attitude about what could be done, and noticably, some of our main requirements were missing from the contract he offered us. From the discussions with the four contractors, it was tough to make a decision as V-Max Interior, and another contractor both seemed very promising. In the end we chose V-Max Interior, and we are very happy with our decision. Our house is approximately 100 sqm, and the work we had done included the following main items: 1. Changing the flooring of the whole house except the kitchen and store room. We used HERF flooring which so far has turned out to be excellent (very beautiful too). 2. Re-tiling both bathrooms. 3. Completely changing the layout of the common bathroom (it involved a lot of hacking, and creating of new walls and doorways). 4. Redoing the kitchen carpentry and built in wardrobes in each of the three bedrooms. 5. Installing of kitchen and bathroom applicances and accessories (water heaters, oven, stove, sinks etc). There were of course a lot of minor changes/improvements. Vincent also did a survey of the house and pointed out a lot of issues that needed addressing. The entire renovation took less than 2 months, and Vincent himself was there almost every day to oversee the work being done. As we've only recently moved in, the place is a little messy, and we're still in the middle of buying some furniture. Anyway I quickly took a few photos and I've included them here: http://doaaron.smugmug.com/Other/2013Spnewhouse/32958936_Bhgfs2#!i=2856225878&k=HfzqB9d Honestly these photos don't really do the work justice. I will take some better photos when I have the time. If anybody has any questions, feel free to ask. In the meantime, if you are looking for a good reliable contractor, consider V-Max Interior. BTW, I am not profiting in any way by making this post. http://www.v-max.com.sg/ Aaron

Hi all, my wife and I purchased a resale HDB in Bishan at the end of August, and the renovation completed roughly 2 weeks ago. We were lucky to have chosen an excellent Interior Designer / Contractor, and I would like to share my experience with anybody interested. I would like to say first off that I am not profiting in any way by making this post. We started searching for contractors who were recommended by others through forums and friends. We engaged to such contractors (one was V-Max Interior), and we also randomly engaged two other contractors whose offices were near where we were staying at the time. Of the four contractors, a few things stood out for V-Max interior. 1. Vincent, our contractor, has a very can do attitude. We had some pretty tough requests which we ran by all four contractors (such as hacking down walls, moving doorways, and concealing certain piping). The other three contractors either simply said it couldn't be done, or simply tried to avoid making any promises. Vincent would patiently listen to our ideas, think, and then propose how they could be done. 2. The prices quoted by V-Max Interior were very competitive compared to the other three. Only one contractor offered a lower price, but he had a very negative attitude about what could be done, and noticably, some of our main requirements were missing from the contract he offered us. From the discussions with the four contractors, it was tough to make a decision as V-Max Interior, and another contractor both seemed very promising. In the end we chose V-Max Interior, and we are very happy with our decision. Our house is approximately 100 sqm, and the work we had done included the following main items: 1. Changing the flooring of the whole house except the kitchen and store room. We used HERF flooring which so far has turned out to be excellent (very beautiful too). 2. Re-tiling both bathrooms. 3. Completely changing the layout of the common bathroom (it involved a lot of hacking, and creating of new walls and doorways). 4. Redoing the kitchen carpentry and built in wardrobes in each of the three bedrooms. 5. Installing of kitchen and bathroom applicances and accessories (water heaters, oven, stove, sinks etc). There were of course a lot of minor changes/improvements. Vincent also did a survey of the house and pointed out a lot of issues that needed addressing. The entire renovation took less than 2 months, and Vincent himself was there almost every day to oversee the work being done. As we've only recently moved in, the place is a little messy, and we're still in the middle of buying some furniture. Anyway I quickly took a few photos and I've included them here: http://doaaron.smugmug.com/Other/2013Spnewhouse/32958936_Bhgfs2#!i=2856225878&k=HfzqB9d Honestly these photos don't really do the work justice. I will take some better photos when I have the time. If anybody has any questions, feel free to ask. In the meantime, if you are looking for a good reliable contractor, consider V-Max Interior. BTW, I am not profiting in any way by making this post. http://www.v-max.com.sg/ Aaron

Most interior designers it seems incorporate laminated wooden floors to their 3 bedrooms packages.It can't be by coincidence that they do so.I believe it's due to the warm feeling and cosyness they it bring to the bedrooms outlook,ala resort style.Unfortunately consumers are mostly duped into picking up laminate but the non quality ones as most designers tend to promote China boards due to the cheapness of it but at the client expenses.There are many good quality Germany laminated floors in the market out there namely,Kronotex,Sensa Floors and Krono original which is fairly affordable.Do not be fooled by interior designers who just sales talk.get the facts right and protect your investment,which is your home.Buy smartly.

I will like to share my experiences with you, now that my unit is 85% done. Since early 2013 i have been trawling this website looking for information and engaging in a self learning process of ways to renovate my brand new unit (just TOP). I just want to say that one of the most commonly made mistakes everyone here make is to fall into the trap of looking for something / someone that is the "cheapest" out there. I also played with the idea of getting a design drawn and hiring my own contractors to do the job. Well, i am glad i didn't. Here's why. 1) There is no way to compare 'quotes' from one ID with another. Unless the quotes are fully itemized (they never will be) and branded properly, there is no way to compare the quality of fixtures and materials used by one ID versus another. 2) Things are bound to go wrong during the renovation process. There will be delays, there will be ad-hoc problems to be solved. One should include the price that one pays for the ID to involve their problem-solving capabilities. 3) One of the biggest reasons why one uses an ID is their ability and responsibility of managing the main contractor, carpenter, soft fixtures (curtains + wall paper), etc. One cannot just look at their prices quoted and know how good they are in doing this. Keep in mind these people (contractors, etc) are a different breed - they are difficult to manage. You can read about all the horror stories posted here regarding them. Before selecting on my current ID, i went out and got 3 competing quotes. I almost fell into the trap of choosing the cheapest ID. Now that i am 85% done with my stuff, i wonder if i will be as happy now if i had selected the cheaper alternative. Here's why. 1) My ID is very much on the ball - so much so, he PUSHES me to meet all my deadlines. When there is a problem, it is an instant phone call and we work together to solve the problem. 2) My ID is passionate about his work and talented. So much so that many of my earlier suggestions have been proven wrong. 3) There is no limit to the number of times he has visited my sites to make sure the contractors are working on schedule, and constantly rectify things on the spot if mistakes are made by them. 4) He controls the timing and schedule of his workers very well and adheres very strictly to the proposed schedule and handover timing between us. So in a nutshell, i am blessed because i made the right decision. Is 1-4 a reason why i had paid a premium (10-20%) versus the cheaper alternative? The answer is yes. It's a small price to pay for 1) things to happen and finish on time 2) Furnishings and fixtures to be top quality 3) Full transparency of things paid 4) Ability to pay and set up things myself (furniture, soft furnishings) while he focuses on the (fixed features) to jointly reduce the total costs of renovating 5) High level of trust. Having read many threads here on selecting IDs, i would recommend that forummers here do NOT fall into the trap of going for something that is the cheapest Go for a personalized service and think if one will pay a premium for all the intangibles as what i wrote above. In short, go for someone whom your friend/family/relatives/colleague have used and have high marks for execution and talent. In short, use the power of referrals in your selection process. In my case, this particular ID was used by my brother and that's how i settled on him because he did a great job for him. Never under estimate the power of referrals and relationships when it comes to choosing the right ID for your renovation work!

The Wooden Platform, a (blooming/developing) design and consultancy firm of vibrancy, is dedicated to delivering the highest level of customer-focused and reliable design services. Our vision, built from a strong belief of constant care and innovation has guided our business operations since our very first clientele. We create your dream home, like it is our own. Our panel of BCA-qualified design consultants are here to provide ease of mind - from the very first meeting in understanding your needs, to perfecting your idea to a reality in the shortest frame of time. call 8161 3000 for more enquiry/appointment Check out photos of our designs! You can check out the rest of the photos at http://goo.gl/ivsis! There is also a promotion going on right now!! *FREE 5ft full ht casement door wardrobe as per design *Soft closing hinge for all swing doors **Optional upgrade from solid surface to high performance Quartz worktop @ 130PFR! 3 Room HDB Flat Normal Price $12,888.00 Promotion Price: $9,888.00 4 Room HDB Flat Normal Price $13,888.00 Promotion Price: $10,888.00 5 Room HDB Flat Normal Price $14,888.00 Promotion Price: $11,888.00 EA HDB Flat Normal Price $15,888.00 Promotion Price: $12,888.00 Or you can go to http://thewoodenplatform.com/ for more details!

Established in 2002, we strongly believe in designing your dream home with passion. Our philosophy is very simple, cutting edge design element that gives our customers' home a modern, sophisticated look with minimalistic features. This does not clutter your homes but yet bring out a sleek and cozy homes with clean lines. Space planning is one of the most important initial stage in interior designing, which also forms the flow of design combined with the essentials stages after. 3-D max drawings let customers have a feel of the closest effects of the final products with the layout and overall color schemes. Hands on site-supervision and coordination works let you have an ease of your mind while we will ensure the project to run smoothly. Check out our photographs of houses we have designed! You can check out our portfolio at http://goo.gl/ER8Uo ! Or go to http://www.spaces-living.com/ to know more! You can also call 6469 2443 /92338337 or visit us at 144 Upp Bukit Timah Road Beauty World Centre #02-19 Singapore 588177 .

It's finally my turn to share my happiness here after a year's worth of lurking around in Renotalk. After working for 40 few years, LB (老伴, Husband) decided that it's probably time for us to move and have a dream home to retire in. Now tell me how to contain my excitement! So far we're having all the luck, our journey to find a new home & ID came really fast&easy. Chop chop! The COV for this resale EM was within our budget, the view from the balcony seems to be not bad (Fresh air - 10th level) and we see the possibilities in transforming it to our desired living space! LB & I are high in spirits but apparently our bodies aren't really cooperative enough for us to visit every ID firms in Singapore. Believe us, if we could, we would! (Kiasu, Kiasi) So LB&I agreed on an ID referred by my friend lor, sweet and easy. Ps:// I've spent the couple of days forcing my grandson to teach me on how to post here. Muahaha, I must be the most irritating grandma ever.

Provide direct labour to Lay floor and wall tiles include hacking and plumbing, Licensed contractor, Offer reasonable price. Interested please call: 82008901 “Licensed contractor with offering a reasonable price.” Over a decade, Designer House Pte Ltd providing professional consultation, interior design & adaptation, decoration and fully turn-key services for all type of residential and commercial work. Specialized and direct labor for tiling work include hacking and plumbing. We continuously improve our service, quality and standard to make our customer happy and make their dream come true. do not click “Request to get contractor” button, it doesn’t link to us. You may direct email to me at ronald@designerhouse.com.sg