went to meet ID today to pass him 1st pymt and at the same time update on reno process. i was late... very late. supposed to meet him at 10am but i woke up at 1015am.. reached location at 1038am. eyes still red and swollen this morning when i woke up from all the crying last night... =(

these are the pics taken today. found out that walls for storeroom is concrete instead of hollow ones.. have to wait for HDB to give approval to hack..

tiring and sad week. just broke up with my girlfriend. =( kinda lost my motivation and strength to do up this house le.. sigh

the tiles are here.

the storeroom pending to be hacked off.

MBR

kitchen

common toilet.... i wonder why is the water heater and shower still there... -_-

hey guys... today during work received a very bad news...

ID called me and told me that our request to HDB for hacking of the storeroom is rejected

and there's not much my ID can do to get it approved.

i called up HDB and was told that the technical officer of our unit will give me a call shortly.

when i received his call, i was told that the walls in our block is not allowed to be hacked at

all cause this block is a PREFAB block. the walls of the storeroom is made of solid concrete

instead of the usual hollow wall, and hacking it off will cause damage and instability to the building.

i kindly asked if i could appeal or consult our own professional structural engineer to endorse HDB

with documents if they are able to evaluate that it is safe and ok to hack the 2 walls off, he told me

we could. but chances of getting it approval is very slim.

went back to my ID and told him abt it. he said he can get a PE for us to evaluate based on experience

and blueprints, but that alone would cost $450, and its not a 100% thing. and if we want to get the PE

to do a detailed calculation for weight and stress for hacking the wall, it would cost more, not a 100% thing

as well. meaning to say, after evaluating and calculation, even if PE tells us a NO-GO, we still have to pay

the PE. and even if PE says OK, final decision still lies with HDB.

seriously in a dilemma now. all along i wanted the storeroom to go, but now this is causing the whole reno

process to come to a standstill. if i knew this was coming, i wouldnt even have bought this unit. the storeroom

such an eyesore and it makes the whole house look even smaller. that space was suppose to be for the dinning

table. but now i dun even know where i can put my dinning table.

can you guys give me some advise on what i can do from here?

would going to the MP for Tampines help? since he's non other than mr mah bow tan himself.

or can i write-in to HDB head branch office to appeal or escalate? i'm slowly losing hope as

time goes on.

all these are causing me to lose sleep and concentration to work!

geez, we know how that feels - cos we also wanted to get rid of an RC stiffener @ our balcony initially so that the space could be opened and levelled out. the reno permit to HDB was initially approved; we were so happy when we checked the website. then the next day, ID called to tell us that the approval was revoked cos of some structural thing; even the PE endorsement didn't help money down the drain, beam left to stay.

no choice, had to level out the entire ceiling with the beam, so the space looks smaller and so much lower

try talking to ur ID and asking him what kind of proposals he has to counter this problem, so as not to make the space look cramp and small.

perhaps make it into some feature wall?

cheer up; there's a silver lining to everything... maybe u just haven't seen it

geez, we know how that feels - cos we also wanted to get rid of an RC stiffener @ our balcony initially so that the space could be opened and levelled out. the reno permit to HDB was initially approved; we were so happy when we checked the website. then the next day, ID called to tell us that the approval was revoked cos of some structural thing; even the PE endorsement didn't help money down the drain, beam left to stay.

no choice, had to level out the entire ceiling with the beam, so the space looks smaller and so much lower

try talking to ur ID and asking him what kind of proposals he has to counter this problem, so as not to make the space look cramp and small.

perhaps make it into some feature wall?

cheer up; there's a silver lining to everything... maybe u just haven't seen it

how much did the PE endorsement cost??

wah sianz... if can hack the storeroom, ur hse sure very bright and spacious.. Ask roy come out some gd idea wat he can do lor.. hahaha...

That's why I chose the flat I bought, the storeroom is not in the way because the master bedroom and 2nd bedroom are not in the same side of the house. There was another unit that I was interested in but was warned by the selling agent that the storeroom could not be hacked because it's Prefab.

ultimate sian now... but i am thinking... if PE deem its ok to hack off the storeroom. HDB shld approve it ma...

how much did the PE endorsement cost??

ours was way more exp than yours... after reading the PE costs of some of the blogs around, wonder if we were kenna kotok for that PE endorsement.

but after HDB revoked the approval despite PE endorsement, the flat blueprints were dug out, and confirmed not hackable... big SIGH

That's why I chose the flat I bought, the storeroom is not in the way because the master bedroom and 2nd bedroom are not in the same side of the house. There was another unit that I was interested in but was warned by the selling agent that the storeroom could not be hacked because it's Prefab.

just curious to know - what does prefab mean?

just curious to know - what does prefab mean?

im curious to know too...

im curious to know too...

i believe it means it's ready-made then assembled together.. compared to build with concrete on the spot. correct me if i am wrong.

i believe it means it's ready-made then assembled together.. compared to build with concrete on the spot. correct me if i am wrong.

does tt mean the whole building shares the same structure? meaning one whole block of concrete thru the whole building, tt why its a structural support?

else even its ready made, should pose no problems to hack mah

after repeated appeals and rejection of Tampines HDB Branch office, I've called HDB CEO's office and was referred to the Director for building development by his secretary. was informed that the unit head for building development in HDB head office will contact and liase with tamp branch office regarding my case.

anyways went back to my flat on friday to check out the reno process.

argh.. that damned storeroom.. still there standing and disrupting my reno process. tiles are laid till the area around the storeroom.

another view of the living room's tiles.

foyer area and steps will be using different tiles with small pebble stones.

floor tiles and skirting in bedroom has completed.

a closer look at the tiles.

new bedroom door frames are up.

Edited August 30, 200917 yr by natgw