Small House Holding Our Big Dreams

[bykaraanne 30]

Hehe, I am the anomaly also. I opened my doors without the huat process during 7th month, started renovation not long after. Stay almost a year already, bo dai ji leh. Also was rather smooth with contractor.  

Dont say other races, everyone around the world also renovate all year round!  

Jiayou!

[Catt 8]

31 minutes ago, bykaraanne said:

Hehe, I am the anomaly also. I opened my doors without the huat process during 7th month, started renovation not long after. Stay almost a year already, bo dai ji leh. Also was rather smooth with contractor.  

Dont say other races, everyone around the world also renovate all year round!  

Jiayou!

Thanks Bykaraanne...I've been warned with all kinds of horror stories, but good to know it isn't all true!

[Ks Toh 74]

5 hours ago, Catt said:

Thanks Bykaraanne...I've been warned with all kinds of horror stories, but good to know it isn't all true!

This kind of things I think nobody can prove true or not. It's up to the individual.

If you don't believe, don't bother about it. If you believe, you should follow. Or if you are like me, which is basically no idea whether to believe or not, just follow what my contractor tells me. As long as you start renovations before the month (for 2016, it should be 3 to 31 August 2016), it should be fine. So, before 3rd August 2016, just take a hammer and whack away a few tiles, and you are good to go anytime after that. 

Edited July 31, 2016 by Ks Toh

[kingandbin 13]

Same for me! Contractor advised to knock some tiles to symbolize the start of reno first but erm... we aren't doing any hacking works for the house leh. So he suggested removing some plumbing fixtures such as toilet bowls and sinks. Will just trust him when he says it's sufficient. 

And your tile choices are really nice! The patterns on the toilet tiles are interesting and lends a luxe feel to the space. Kitchen's looking gorgeous as well    Actually the chute cover looks pretty good in white (though i know it's just a protective sticker) - blends in well with the wall. Haha.

[Catt 8]

@kingandbin yah... I don't really know if it makes a difference whether we start before or during Hungry Ghost. I've just been nagged nonstop about it. What's interesting is that I'm nagged by younger friends, whereas my parents just rolled their eyes when I mentioned it . 

I like the tiles for the toilet too! Love at first sight...

Yeah I thought the chute was white, till I took a closer look and realised it was a protective layer. Chey! But stainless steel is ok too.

[trcd 13]

On 31 July 2016 at 0:22 AM, Catt said:

@trcd I totally agree on the HD vision eyes. I'm quite a 'focused' person so I don't notice things that aren't on my mind to be noticed that particular day. It's been extremely helpful having another pair of eyes to tell me that something's not quite right. 

Colours! OMG I empathize with you deeply. I could't figure out the colour of the kitchen tiles and at one point thought they had sent the wrong colour... now I'm reluctant to send in my paint colours as I think they will turn out to be not what I think they are. Laminates too!

I hope you manage to solve your door issue!

My paint colours all turned out a little lighter than expected because I was quite scared the small place would end up looking too gloomy.

The colours usually turn out darker for larger areas, as compared to the samples in the paint catalogs. But no worries, can always repaint if you really don't like it. It's not too much effort! (at least no need to paint the ceiling...)

I love how your bathroom is turning out! Would suggest having a ventilator fan there. I would hate for mould to hide underneath those gorgeous granite shelves! 

[Catt 8]

@trcd I'm quite kiasu. I have 2 ventilator fans as the bathroom is quite humid

[trcd 13]

5 minutes ago, Catt said:

@trcd I'm quite kiasu. I have 2 ventilator fans as the bathroom is quite humid

you WIN!!

[trcd 13]

Btw did you manage to salvage your windows?

[Catt 8]

No...changed it. Some were in a bad state and I just heck it all and changed it to save me the OCD worry.

[Catt 8]

1 Aug'16 Update:

I took half-day leave yesterday since the contractor told me that the electricians and pipe-work/ plumbing guys would be there in the afternoon and I also had to receive the Kraus sink from DHL.

Little did I know that I would be faced with an army of people and it was utterly chaotic. I couldn't really take pictures because that would mean squeezing under someone's armpit, stepping on someone's foot. Most of the time the only safe place to stand was in the bedroom, and I lost my base when the plumbing (?) people came and snatched away the WC, sink and heater to install. I ended up hiding in the utility room while my father joined in the demon horde. Everything seemed to be moving very fast to me since the renovation had been moving at a leisurely pace for the past month. Piping was done up in a hour or two, and the electricians came to change the trunkings that were torn. Citigas turned up way too early when the contractor was not around and they fixed the gas pipe too low. Now he has to ask them to come back again. Wah lao eh..sibei waste time and money. The sub-con for the sandblasted toilet door and shower screen also turned up to do measurements, and he and the contractor kept warning me that the sandblasted door would show fingerprints and oils, and for it to look 'even' I would be required to wipe the entire piece.

Normal sized toilet bowl in a tiny toilet. This was placed there but not fixed yet, so it's not in its final placement. Also that is not a piece of poo on the ground...think it is some of the un-plastered doorway that fell. My father asked me why I bought such a big WC.... Heater partially installed. They punched a few holes through my beautiful toilet wall so that they could run the water pipes from the back of the kitchen counter through to the washroom for the sink and shower. My mixer is useless one... I bought it as part of the Grohe package, but my hotwater comes from the heater, so the hot/cold function won't work on the mixer.

  

Some ugly piping/ trunking pictures for your viewing horror. I keep telling myself that this is what happens when you don't have a L-box or false ceiling or upper cabinets to hide them. The water pipe doesn't look that bad. Initially I chucked a princess tantie but I felt sorry for my dad who was supervising the plumbing guys on the best way to run it, so I shut up and went to the bedroom to console myself by stroking the Kraus sink. Trunking should look better after it is painted over...and the water pipe is an industrial element RIGHT?!! Darkling Half added oil to fire by gasping in horror when I sent her the pictures, so I told her to shuddap.

   

Lastly, room full of 'presents'. Everything is in this room except the lighting. I will arrange for delivery sometime next week I guess. I think UU shipped their resident warehouse cockroach along with the toilet bowl. My dad squashed it with the box that the toilet lid came in but the little devil was still alive. Yuck.

 

Sorry for the boring pics, guess there will not be anything exciting till the carpentry goes up.

[yakult 3]

Your writing are so humorous! Especially how you deal with reno set-backs!  you will made a good script writer uh  

Anyway, looking forward to see your reno complete! So exciting to see the outcome of having knocked down 1 room & transform it to be part of the living room.

[georgieporgie 0]

Hello Catt, just read your entire blog...

How do you met your contractor? You didn"t engage ID 1, 2 and 3 i assume. Mind sharing how much are you are paying for the caeserstone? Nice apron sink, did you email the CSO before or after your bought the sink to waive the shipping? Oh and lastly, mind sharing your contractor's contact? cheers

[georgieporgie 0]

Haha the part about you throwing a tantrum and stroking your kraus sink... mind sharing the make of your water closet and shower set?

[Catt 8]

On 8/2/2016 at 9:15 PM, georgieporgie said:

Hello Catt, just read your entire blog...

How do you met your contractor? You didn"t engage ID 1, 2 and 3 i assume. Mind sharing how much are you are paying for the caeserstone? Nice apron sink, did you email the CSO before or after your bought the sink to waive the shipping? Oh and lastly, mind sharing your contractor's contact? cheers

Hi georgieporgie you are very patient to get through my rantings 

I stumbled onto one or two forum postings on this contractor (H**** - google and you can find the contractor's contact and FB.The company's been around since 1981 apparently). And decided to go with a straight-forward straight-cut contractor since his quote fitted in majority of what the IDs couldn't. Of course you need to have an idea of what you want  (and I really don't recommend the electricians he used) ...don't bumble through it like me!

Caeserstone for this particular model was the so-called premium range so it cost about $220psf. I believe they have other ranges that are under $150-$250. I didn't chose it purposely for being 'premium'- I chose it for the quartz design (Vanilla Noire) which I really like.

The only reason I believe I had my shipping upgraded and waived was because I'd bought this on 4th July and 10 days later my order still had no delivery ETA. I believe they made a booboo because after I emailed Amazon, they immediately offered to waive and upgrade saying that the sink was OOS. I called the CS the same day and a different person told me that the sink had 11 in stock and her colleague made a mistake. Anyway it all sounded rather nonsensical because I was told despite expedited shipping it would arrive on 1st Sept. It got here on 1st Aug....wth...