guojiawen 101 Report post Posted May 15, 2014 Omg. It's so tempting looking at the items bought haha. How much are the kitchen towel holder and rice dispenser? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
korilala 6 Report post Posted May 15, 2014 HDB DefectsI think HDB must be really glad to have buyers like me and the hubs, because we actually did not submit any defects report! As we did not engage an ID straight away, hence we only went to the unit and did our own simple checks for popping/hollow tiles, wall thickness, functioning/ rusty window panels etc. Things seemed pretty alright and therefore we ended up NOT submitting any defect report. Haha. However, we spotted two defects only after renovation started! First one was we realised that one of the switches in the house was not positioned straight. That wasn't really a major issue though, since we were going to change all the switches in the house anyway. Then, our ID pointed out a huge defect to us... our ceilings was sloped! We had a false ceiling installed in one part of the living room for our downlights, and after installation of the false ceiling, we realised that one side of the ceiling is actually taller than the other! That was quite a shock to us, as it really did not cross our minds to check that the ceilings were of equal height. However, we consoled ourselves with the fact that HDB probably won't be able to do much, since this is like a structural defect? And our ID also assured us that after painting works, the difference in height won't be noticeable as well, and hence we simply let it pass. Our Renovation DetailsThis being our first home, we decided to do a proper renovation, and hopefully be able to stay here for the next couples of years. Plus, setting up a new home is so tiring and pocket-burning, I doubt I would want to go through it anytime soon! After we confirmed our ID, we listed down a series of work that we would like to do for the new place. Some of the details are as follows:FoyerReplace tiles with dark colored tiles for Japanese genkan effectConstruct half-height shoe cabinetConstruct wall partitionLiving roomConstruct settee with storage by living room windowsConstruct TV consoleConstruct false ceiling above settee area for downlightsFlush recess wallBuild storage space (our mini store room)KitchenSeal up existing kitchen entranceHack and construct new kitchen entranceHack and replace existing service yard windows/doorsConstruct kitchen and fridge basesConstruct 13 feet top and bottom kitchen cabinetsBuild extra washing point in service yardStudyConstruct new walls for study Construct glass windows for studyConstruct full height bookshelvesConstruct full length study table with drawersBedroom 1 (Baby room)- (no work done)Bedroom 2 (WIW)Construct 2 sets of 12 feet casement wardrobesInstall Japanese-look alike sliding doorsMaster BedroomShift existing door entrance forwardFlush recess wallConstruct L-shape false ceiling for downlightsToiletsOverlay existing tiles with new tilesReplace existing HDB basinsReplace original toilet fittings with our own fittings purchasedAll in all, I think the bulk of our renovation cost went into carpentry work. We did toy with the idea of simply buying from furniture shops like IKEA and such, but aesthetically it simply did not look pleasing enough, and also there were many underutilized space if we bought off the rack as there would be gaps here and there. Hence, we decided to bite the bullet and splurge on our carpentry work, and we pray that the quality would turn out well, so that these can last us for many years. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
korilala 6 Report post Posted May 15, 2014 (edited) Hallow,The kitchen towel holder was slightly below $25 and rice dispenser around $30 after factoring in shipping charges. Omg. It's so tempting looking at the items bought haha. How much are the kitchen towel holder and rice dispenser? Edited May 15, 2014 by korilala 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
korilala 6 Report post Posted May 15, 2014 The transformation thus far...Sharing some pictures of our renovation work doneService yard windows/ door removedKitchen cabinet base and fridge base constructed. City gas pipes up!Toilet tiles laidStudy walls being constructedRecess wall in MBR sealedMBR entrance shifted forwardIt's been almost 2.5 weeks since renovations started. ID has been pretty on the ball, updating me on the progress and communicating with me pretty often via whatsapp. In fact, we have met up with ID for like 3/4 times during this period to discuss more details, and for her to confirm all the nitty gritty stuff. Painting will be starting next week and we have also already met up with the carpenter to discuss about carpentry details. It's been a joy working with our ID so far, but we will reserve our final comments and reveal his/her identity at the end of the renovation process when handover has been done. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
keyik 0 Report post Posted May 15, 2014 Our taobao/Tmall purchases thus far... (Part 1)Cute little fake plants to liven up the colors in the houseToiletries holderToilet roll holderTowel holderSoap dispenserShower curtain rodI bought the same shower curtain rod that you eyeing. the quality is good! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
legan 0 Report post Posted May 15, 2014 HiWhat's the reason to shift the MBR door forward? So you can use 2 rooms for yourselves? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
korilala 6 Report post Posted May 15, 2014 Hihi,Yup, I am combining the bedroom next to MBR together to form 1 huge MBR. The bedroom will be my WIW instead. Just did not hack the walls, so that in case we might need more rooms in future, always easier to change locations of doors than reconstruct full walls. HiWhat's the reason to shift the MBR door forward? So you can use 2 rooms for yourselves? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
razzberrie 3 Report post Posted May 15, 2014 Am a fan of quality Japanese goods too, love their design! Especially their wood products, drool... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Takaishi 44 Report post Posted May 15, 2014 check with you your shower curtain rod which one u bought and what size ah? i went to see omg each type got so many different sizes and so many types! LOL Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
4ddd 18 Report post Posted May 15, 2014 I also guess rakuten, just got myself registered at the Sg site, is it the same?... Glad you showcase your sales. See la, me can't work now =) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
korilala 6 Report post Posted May 15, 2014 check with you your shower curtain rod which one u bought and what size ah? i went to see omg each type got so many different sizes and so many types! LOL That one u probably gotta go measure how big is ur intended shower area first? Cos we measured according to the shower kerb set up by the ID first before finding one of the nearest dimensions. I also guess rakuten, just got myself registered at the Sg site, is it the same?... Glad you showcase your sales. See la, me can't work now =)The jap site is not the same as the sg one unfortunately. And most of them don't ship direct to sg, so you have to use forwarders such as Vpost or Tenso! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Songz 132 Report post Posted May 15, 2014 Very nice update with the loots from various source.Hope to see more update soon. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
4ddd 18 Report post Posted May 15, 2014 The jap site is not the same as the sg one unfortunately. And most of them don't ship direct to sg, so you have to use forwarders such as Vpost or Tenso!Thanks for the tip!! We are also those who never report defects too.. So far so good, Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
korilala 6 Report post Posted May 16, 2014 3D design and conceptualization Prior to starting our ID search, we (mostly myself as the hubs have left the entire designing part to me to decide on) already had a rough idea of what kind of theme we wanted and the possible layout. I did a brief drawing using Microsoft Powerpoint as below.After meeting and confirming our ID, we informed him of the design we were looking at and he went on to work out the 3D design from there. It took two weeks before we received the 3D drawings and even as the renovation is progressing, most of the 3D drawings are not accurate representation of what our new place is turning out to be, though we did not request for a re-drawing, as we were quite alright to proceed without them. Sharing some of the 3D drawings provided by my ID. The images are not very clear as these were taken from the original hard copies he passed us.Foyer areaLiving roomStudyWIWKitchenMost of the changes made were on the color schemes, as I felt that they did not bring out the Japanese feel I wanted for the house. Also, the flooring shown in the 3D drawings will be different from my actual flooring. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
korilala 6 Report post Posted May 16, 2014 Our major purchasesAs mentioned previously, we got most of our electrical appliances from Hoe Kee and Best Denki. Below are pictures of the models we purchased. (mainly for me to remember, so that I can refer to them when they are delivered)Panasonic 42" FHD LED TVSamsung inverter fridgeSamsung 7kg front load washerBosch 6kg vent dryerFujioh FS890 HoodFujioh glass hob with safety valveFrankly speaking, before we purchased these items, we did not do much homework as we felt that electrical appliances nowadays don't really last anyway and we just needed a basic unit. Also, replacements for these were far easier, so we simply picked those that seemed more pocket friendly, environmental friendly and less energy consuming. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
