5a Resale Flat Renovation

[hapimint 0]

Hi, Feeling very troubled by the $ issue and would like to know how much should I put aside.

My hubby and I bought a 5A unit but actually, it is a Jumbo, (2 3-room flat merged into one by the government) so we have a big area. 133

We are planning the following changes.

have a bar counter in the living room.

take down all the existing cornices

Redo some wiring

Kitchen

Take down all the cabinets

Build kitchen cabinets.

(BTW, my kitchen floor tiles are blue in colour, what colour should I look for my cabinets? Poor with colours)

I hate my kitchen wall tiles so I need to know

Any of you kind souls used wall coverings? lay over the tiles? or hack?

Which is the cheapest and more effective way?

Bathrooms

My two bathrooms are those old type and so have a stupid wall in the centre. My husband hates it and want it hack off.

I read somewhere that hacking of one wall is the same cost as hacking of several walls. Is it true?

I need to hack off the walls of the bathrooms and redo it again.

And as the kitchen wall tiles and toilet wall tiles is the same set, need to either do wall covering, layover or hack? still not sure. Can kindly advise? anybody did similiar things?

Master bedroom

I have a balcony at my master bedroom and intend to change it into a study area for my hubby to work. So got to custom make a table and cabinet.

I wish to have a walk in wardrobe. So hope to hack off part of the storeroom wall, seal up its orginal door and make it part of my WIW.

If I go for contractor instead of ID. would it cost alot too? I am getting worried. I went Ikea and they quote me 5.5k for my kitchen cabinets alone.....

Kindly advise? Any advice would be appreciated.

[mattmatt 0]

Hi, Feeling very troubled by the $ issue and would like to know how much should I put aside.

depends on what you want to do. to be realistic, prepare 25 - 60K. its the small little things that will suck you. 300 here, 250 there, before you know it, its 60K already.

My hubby and I bought a 5A unit but actually, it is a Jumbo, (2 3-room flat merged into one by the government) so we have a big area. 133

We are planning the following changes.

have a bar counter in the living room.

take down all the existing cornices

Redo some wiring

Kitchen

Take down all the cabinets

Build kitchen cabinets.

(BTW, my kitchen floor tiles are blue in colour, what colour should I look for my cabinets? Poor with colours)

I hate my kitchen wall tiles so I need to know

Any of you kind souls used wall coverings? lay over the tiles? or hack?

Which is the cheapest and more effective way?

if you have the money hack away the tiles and re-tile. else, just lay over but personally, i rather hack and re-tile.

blue floor, depends on what kind of blue. can try different shade of blue with white and steel

Bathrooms

My two bathrooms are those old type and so have a stupid wall in the centre. My husband hates it and want it hack off.

I read somewhere that hacking of one wall is the same cost as hacking of several walls. Is it true?

I need to hack off the walls of the bathrooms and redo it again.

And as the kitchen wall tiles and toilet wall tiles is the same set, need to either do wall covering, layover or hack? still not sure. Can kindly advise? anybody did similiar things?

Master bedroom

I have a balcony at my master bedroom and intend to change it into a study area for my hubby to work. So got to custom make a table and cabinet.

I wish to have a walk in wardrobe. So hope to hack off part of the storeroom wall, seal up its orginal door and make it part of my WIW.

if you have the space, go for wiw else dont bother.

If I go for contractor instead of ID. would it cost alot too? I am getting worried. I went Ikea and they quote me 5.5k for my kitchen cabinets alone.....

if you know what you want and willing to spend time monitoring and supervising reno work, go for contractor. else, go for id. but seriously speaking, most of the id in spore cannot make it, just rehash and copy design. you will get better idea from decor websites and magazines. cost wise, if you are willing to shop for contractor, you can get gd price. dont forget, dont sign anything without getting several quotes. i say, get minimum 5 quotes and compare.

Kindly advise? Any advice would be appreciated.

[hapimint 0]

Thanks mattmatt for your reply.....

We are kind of cash tight so I think I will lay over. How much to lay over? the range if I take the cheaper ones?

How about wall covering? those wall papers for bathrooms and kitchens? anybody used that before? isit lasting? I heard that the material is called Vinyl.

I went to check online. It is not too expensive to buy but the issue is that if I buy online, the contractor or ID may do a shabby job cos I dun let them earn enough......

As for toilets, think if hack away that wall, will need to change positioning of my toilet bowls and basins, so have to hack away floor tiles too... correct?

So is it true that hacking away a wall is the same cost as hacking 3?

Lastly, is ikea more expensive than outside? I wonder they quote me 5.5k, is it reasonable?

[mattmatt 0]

Thanks mattmatt for your reply.....

We are kind of cash tight so I think I will lay over. How much to lay over? the range if I take the cheaper ones?

How about wall covering? those wall papers for bathrooms and kitchens? anybody used that before? isit lasting? I heard that the material is called Vinyl.

I went to check online. It is not too expensive to buy but the issue is that if I buy online, the contractor or ID may do a shabby job cos I dun let them earn enough......

As for toilets, think if hack away that wall, will need to change positioning of my toilet bowls and basins, so have to hack away floor tiles too... correct?

So is it true that hacking away a wall is the same cost as hacking 3?

Lastly, is ikea more expensive than outside? I wonder they quote me 5.5k, is it reasonable?

in my humble opinion, for ur kitchen cabinet, its better to custom made. depending on the material and length, you can get it cheaper than ikea.

wall covering in toilet, not advisable. better to use tiles unless its totally dry toilet which i doubt so.

hacking walls and tiles, depends on ur contractor. some charge u less for hacking but charge u more for other items. if u get most of the items from a single contractor, then bargain. ask for discount. dun get sucked in by the free gifts cause nothing is free.

choosing a contractor sometimes depends on ur luck. if they charge u much cheaper than competitors, then something is obviously not right. dont just go for lowest quote. ur relationship with ur contractor is very important too.

lay over depends on floor size. material. ceramic? homogenous? why dun u post ur floor plan here

[hapimint 0]

in my humble opinion, for ur kitchen cabinet, its better to custom made. depending on the material and length, you can get it cheaper than ikea.

wall covering in toilet, not advisable. better to use tiles unless its totally dry toilet which i doubt so.

hacking walls and tiles, depends on ur contractor. some charge u less for hacking but charge u more for other items. if u get most of the items from a single contractor, then bargain. ask for discount. dun get sucked in by the free gifts cause nothing is free.

choosing a contractor sometimes depends on ur luck. if they charge u much cheaper than competitors, then something is obviously not right. dont just go for lowest quote. ur relationship with ur contractor is very important too.

lay over depends on floor size. material. ceramic? homogenous? why dun u post ur floor plan here

Great!!! happy to know that Ikea is more expensive so if I get from outside contractors then should be cheaper... hehe

hmm... think you are right.... I guess wall covering is not a good idea... wanted to save money for my hubby mar....

I laying over wall tiles actually. I dun want to touch the floor, unless no choice, like the toilets... cos if reposition then they got to hack the floor to redo the piping?

Then I probably go for the tiles that the contractor have bought in bulk previously... I think its cheaper like that.... Not really very picky as long as not slippery....

My hubby not free to handle the renovation and letting me take charge completely... so thinking and thinking how to do it nicely and yet not so expensive.....

cos my budget is only about 20k.......

Edited May 3, 2008 by hapimint

[mattmatt 0]

Great!!! happy to know that Ikea is more expensive so if I get from outside contractors then should be cheaper... hehe

hmm... think you are right.... I guess wall covering is not a good idea... wanted to save money for my hubby mar....

I laying over wall tiles actually. I dun want to touch the floor, unless no choice, like the toilets... cos if reposition then they got to hack the floor to redo the piping?

Then I probably go for the tiles that the contractor have bought in bulk previously... I think its cheaper like that.... Not really very picky as long as not slippery....

My hubby not free to handle the renovation and letting me take charge completely... so thinking and thinking how to do it nicely and yet not so expensive.....

cos my budget is only about 20k.......

if ur budget is 20K, then tell the contractor its 16K. u can actually go to city plaza and chk out some of the contractors there. dont go there to commit, just to get a quote.

u r right, to save cost, just do a lay over. simple and fast and clean.

[hapimint 0]

if ur budget is 20K, then tell the contractor its 16K. u can actually go to city plaza and chk out some of the contractors there. dont go there to commit, just to get a quote.

u r right, to save cost, just do a lay over. simple and fast and clean.

city plaza? where is that? see lar... I lady... not too sure about all these... but got to learn... haha... cos he not free....

[hapimint 0]

Hello... here is my floor plan...

TIA for all the help!

[mattmatt 0]

city plaza at geylang serai

take mrt to paya lebar, 7 mins walk. can stop over at tanjung katong complex. few reno contractors too

[hapimint 0]

city plaza at geylang serai

take mrt to paya lebar, 7 mins walk. can stop over at tanjung katong complex. few reno contractors too

Thanks.... hmm.... I hope to find out more and ask for quotes... but now preparing for exams and everything is just guessing.... haiz....

Also need to know how long to do all these? haiz.......

[mattmatt 0]

Thanks.... hmm.... I hope to find out more and ask for quotes... but now preparing for exams and everything is just guessing.... haiz....

Also need to know how long to do all these? haiz.......

3 - 8 weeks, depends on how much reno you doing. looking at your brief description in first post, i say abt 3 weeks unless contractor delay coz not enuf manpower.

st rm as wiw not a great idea as st rm is too small. if me, i combine bedrm 3 and mbr and do a proper wiw in bedrm 3. the wiw wl take abt half of the space

[hapimint 0]

3 - 8 weeks, depends on how much reno you doing. looking at your brief description in first post, i say abt 3 weeks unless contractor delay coz not enuf manpower.

st rm as wiw not a great idea as st rm is too small. if me, i combine bedrm 3 and mbr and do a proper wiw in bedrm 3. the wiw wl take abt half of the space

I cannot hack any rooms... cos my hubby is the eldest son and has promised to let his parents stay over when they want...

My parents also want to stay with us... so we are only left with one extra room and decide to make use of that room for children in case we have any.....

I was thinking of hacking the non pillar part wall of the storeroom... then that will only be part of the WIW... the other part will be from the door of the masterbed room... so in all it will be the size of two storeroom....

But my master bedroom will become smaller lor... so really still thinking if it is wise.......

[mattmatt 0]

I cannot hack any rooms... cos my hubby is the eldest son and has promised to let his parents stay over when they want...

My parents also want to stay with us... so we are only left with one extra room and decide to make use of that room for children in case we have any.....

I was thinking of hacking the non pillar part wall of the storeroom... then that will only be part of the WIW... the other part will be from the door of the masterbed room... so in all it will be the size of two storeroom....

But my master bedroom will become smaller lor... so really still thinking if it is wise.......

k cool. maybe i wl give more tots to it n give u some ideas.

[hapimint 0]

k cool. maybe i wl give more tots to it n give u some ideas.

Thanks a lot....

[michealchang 0]

like what e other bro says, every little things counts & cost. before u know it, already exceeded your budget of $20k. Im in e ID line, judgin from e work that need to be done, it's really abit tight budget. Maybe u can consider doing up bit by bit instead of doing it all at a time, who knows u &your husband might have diff concepts along e process. Nevertheless, Congrats on your new home!