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RyanYTH

My Modern Zen 2-Room 35sqm (Type 1) HDB BTO Apartment Renovation Journey

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Blog Entry Date: 9th May 2017 Tuesday

An Introduction.
First of all, thank you very much for taking the time to check out my humble little blog,
and i'd like to take this opportunity to share my renovation journey with you. I hope the information
I put here may be useful to anyone (especially fellow 2 roomers) who is also starting on their renovation soon! :)

As of the time of writing, I have not yet gotten my keys and according to HDB it'll be around Q3 2017.
As time goes by, I will post whenever possible right from Concept 3D Design to ID selection up to Completion of Renovation.
Hopefully, everything goes smoothly. This is also my first time writing a blog so please be gentle with me! :D


Please note:
I've also made a backup of this blog on Wordpress incase this post is taken down by Renotalk for
any reason in the future. Other than a few slight formatting changes, the contents will be identical.
(This is also a preferred link if you prefer reading the blog from beginning to end with no interruptions.)


The Website is:
https://hdb2roomrenovation.wordpress.com/

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How to Use this Blog:

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND to use the Table of Contents to navigate because it shows the correct sequence of events, without needing to go thru
pages of comments to look for each Blog Entry. It is also easier for folks who want to instantly jump to which section they are more interested in.

Whenever you need to jump back to the Table of Contents, simply click on this link:
Click Here to go back to Page 1 - Table of Contents to instantly jump back to Page 1 of this Blog.
This link will be available at the Top and Bottom of every Blog Entry that I add.

Additional Addendum:
I have now added direct links to the next blog entry at the end of every post.
They look like this: (Click Here for the Next Blog Entry:)

Found it abit silly and unfair to request for readers to always go back to Table of Contents just to go to the next entry.
So sorry for the inconvenience, this blog should hopefully be less confusing and flow more smoothly. :P
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Table of Contents:

01) HDB Floorplan and My 3D Design made with Planner 5D

02) The Search for an Interior Designer for my Project begins...

03) Tile Selection at Soon Bee Huat

04) Selection of Laminates

05) An RC Event I attended which showed for the first time how my apartment would look like!

06) My First Obstacle...one of my ID left without informing me! Oh Dear...

07) First look at the 3D Drawings from my ID! (Living Room excluded)

08) Voicing out my Concerns to ID, Schedule Check and some photos of selected Laminates and Quartztop

09) Revised 3D Drawings from ID (Living Room Included this time)

10) Pre-Key Collection Day!! What to prepare for Key Collection.

11) Key Collection Day!! Defect Checks and Buying all my Lightings!

12) Close Up Views of Bedroom Sliding Door and Living Room DB Box.

13) 1 week after Key Collection. BSC Defect Rectification in progress, Laying of Aircon Piping

14) 2nd week after Key Collection. BSC Defect Repair done. Hacking away False Wall and Bathroom Door, Electrical Wiring and a BIG BILL SHOCK.

15) 3rd week after Key Collection. Electrical Wiring in Progress, Ceiling L-Box and Aircon Trunking Box-Up done. Tiling starts for the Bathroom and Kitchen.


16) The Hunt for a Modular Pole Wardrobe system and something to keep the Main Door from closing  

17) A quick update of Tiling done at the end of the 3rd Week.

18)
4th week after Key Collection. Tiling completed, Important Milestone reached. A Prepping Week for the next Milestone.

19) My Mid-Renovation Review of my Interior Designer 

20) Kitchen / Bathroom Fittings Shopping at SaniQUO

21) Meeting with my Carpenter for Discussions

22) 5th week after Key Collection. Painting, Delivery of Lightings, Bathroom and Kitchen Fittings

23) Shopping for Furnitures and Electrical Appliances

24) 6th week after Key Collection. My Lightings are a Mess!!

25) A little Curtain Experiment - Part 1 / 3

26) A little Curtain Experiment - Part 2 / 3

27) End of 6th week after Key Collection. Lightings still being worked on, Bathroom Door is Replaced.


28) End of 7th week after Key Collection. Carpentry Works - Part 1 / 3

29) End of 7th week after Key Collection. Carpentry Works - Part 2 / 3

30)
End of 7th week after Key Collection. Carpentry Works - Part 3 / 3

31) 8th Week after Key Collection - My_Quartz_Counter Tops are Up. Also Updated Schedule till End of Renovation

32) End of 8th Week after Key Collection – Glass Measurement, Plumbers installed Sanitary Fittings and More


33) End of 8th Week after Key Collection – Installed shelves for DB-Box, Solving Electrical Issues and a Special Look at the Completed Works so far!!

34) 9th Week after Key Collection - Ceiling Fan is Up

35) 9th Week after Key Collection - Electrical Issues are ALL FINALLY RESOLVED

36) 9th Week after Key Collection – Chemical Washing Done. Everything is SO CLEAN!!

37) End of 9th Week after Key Collection - Final Tasks: Aircon, Glass and Painting

38) Renovations Completed! – A Final Look just before Handover

39) Post Renovation – Furnitures and Appliances (Kitchen)

40) Post Renovation – Furnitures and Appliances (Living Room)

41) Post Renovation – Slidearm and HDB Bomb Shelter Walk-In Wardrobe

42) A little Curtain Experiment - Part 3 / 3

43) One Year Retrospective 1/5 - Walk-In Wardrobe

44) One Year Retrospective 2/5 - Kitchen

45) One Year Retrospective 3/5 - Bathroom 

46) One Year Retrospective 4/5 - Living Room

47) One Year Retrospective 5/5 - Bedroom

48) Epilogue

Edited by hdb2roomrenovation
 

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Blog Entry Date: 9th May 2017 Tuesday
Click Here to go back to Page 1 - Table of Contents

HDB Floorplan and My 3D Design made with Planner 5D

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To start things off, here is my floorplan as provided by HDB:

House Dimensions Scan.jpg

Here is the Proposed Layout as provided by HDB:

5911fc7b26912_hdbproposedlayout.JPG.9d0829e625680099de660758fbcbf82a.JPG

As you can see, this is a very small area and I need to focus my design on maximizing the space.
The theme I have chosen is Modern / Zen Minimalist. Main Colours will be Black and White.

Here are some preliminary elements that I have in mind:

1) Instead of having the Dining Table as shown by HDB's proposed design, I intend to have an integrated dining table in the kitchen instead. And where the Dining Table area used to be, would be a small office / computer corner.

2) I like the idea of Cove Lighting and would have a cove light in my Living Room.

3) Due to the lack of space, I would convert the Existing HDB Bomb Shelter and turn it into a "Walk-In Wardrobe" using modular pole systems.

4) I intend to go for an unconventional Dark Kitchen and Dark Bathroom to complement my style.

5) The sliding door between my Living Room and Bedroom will be removed to allow me to have a more open space.

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Before going for ID selection, i figured i would want to do my homework first and sketch out
a general look so IDs would be clear on what I would want to do instead of having no idea at all when visiting them.

I highly recommend this Home Design application called "Planner 5D" as it is free to use.
(Sorry, Android Version. Not sure if there is an Apple Store version of this.)

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.planner5d.planner5d&hl=en

You only need to pay if you want to add more furnitures to your design. I paid around $30 to unlock all furnitures. I like it that you can run the program on either your computer or smartphone, and if you need to show someone your 3D design, you can just give them a link and they can immediately open it up on their web browser or phone without the need to install any additional plug-ins or software.

It takes abit of practice to do it, but once you've done it, it makes it very easy to do space planning and furniture positioning.

Here is the link i've sketched out.
With the help of many forum members contributions and advices, the design is tweaked and re-tweaked.


3D Sketch (ALL Furniture and Appliances)
https://planner5d.com/editor/?key=25773b3b5fe8c94a52ab6074a9c7d80b

3D Sketch (Furniture and Appliances REMOVED)
https://planner5d.com/editor/?key=2afff664ccd4039229be51b566bcc22a

I've tried my best to follow as closely as possible to the exact measurements given in my HDB floor plan, so the scale is probably 90%++ accurate as far as I know.

Please use either Firefox or Chrome for Optimal Experience.
(Once the page loads, it will be a 2D drawing as shown in the below image. You will need to click on the "3D" button on the right toolbar to load the 3D Virtual View. Use WASD keys to move around, scroll wheel to zoom in/out and hold left mouse button to look around.)

press-the-3d-button.jpg?w=555&zoom=2


Click Here for the Next Blog Entry:
The Search for an Interior Designer for my Project begins...

Click Here to go back to Page 1 - Table of Contents

Edited by hdb2roomrenovation
 

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Blog Entry Date: 10th May 2017 Wednesday
Click Here to go back to Page 1 - Table of Contents

The Search for an Interior Designer for my Project begins...


With my 3D design sketch done, I am ready to look for IDs to help turn my vision into reality.
I set my budget between $16k to $18k initially but after checking with the various IDs, budget would need to be increased to about $25k+.

What I did was to send out request to quote via Renotalk and other renovation forums and I had a bunch of IDs calling me requesting for a meet up.

My basic requirements for ID Selection are:
Company MUST be registered in HDB's "Listing of Registered Renovation Contractors"
Company MUST have ZERO demerit points.

You can use this link by HDB to search if your Interior Designer has any Demerit Points:

https://www20.hdb.gov.sg/bn25/isos118p.nsf/List+by+Company?OpenView&Count=15&Start=1&RestrictToCategory=A#

To be fair, if the ID you like is NOT in the list, it doesn't automatically means that its a bad company. I made this requirement for peace of mind that at least the company i chose is a HDB-licensed company. Apparently to even qualify to be on the list, some sort of screening test is required by HDB and if they accumulate too many demerit points, they can have their HDB license suspended.

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The Search Begins...

1. C from T**L****I*********
Status: Dropped
C's company isn't actually in the HDB List I mentioned but I chose to meet up because I found out that she has a personal Youtube page and even Art Page where she showcased her artworks. (I wanted an ID who has good artistic sense that can complement my 3D design. What better way than to find an ID, who is actually an Artist right?)

There was even a customer who had a very demanding request and a very punishing schedule
(Renovation can only be done if the Customer's Mom who was the one having dementia is not
around so as not to frighten her
) to design a dementia-friendly bathroom and she was able
to fulfill it which won praises from the customer's review of her. Impressive.

Sadly, when we met up, she didn't give me the impression that she was proud of her Youtube or Art webpages, and when I asked her more about the dementia friendly bathroom she designed, imagine my disappointment when she actually said "My company advise me not to take such projects anymore." 

At this point, i'm not sure if I want to hand over my project to her at all. While I learnt much from her during the meetup, she gives me the feeling that she's burnt out being an ID. Got her quotation 2 weeks after the 1st meetup though.

2. R from U****D*****H****
Status: Dropped
R is a soft spoken Malaysian guy who gave me the impression that he was previously a Contractor first before turning into an ID. While he did not give any new ideas apart from the 3D Design I made, he did have very constructive and practical knowledge of what can or cannot be done. Sadly, after our initial meetup, he seems to have disappeared and never replied even after 1 week later when I chased him for the quotation.

3. J from N**D*****
Status: Dropped
J was someone I had originally wanted to visit right from the start, because of many good reviews about her work in Renotalk and various other forums. There was this customer who had a very unusual request for a Victorian Gothic Black style which is not a style used often in HDB apartments, and it looked so lavish and impressive!

Because of how impressive it looked, even before submitting my request to quote to Renotalk to look for IDs, I actually personally emailed to her company and CCed to her. Unfortunately, she took 1 week to reply to my email, and while the meeting was a good one and I learnt much from her, she never got back to me again another 1 week after the meeting even though she said she would. Maybe she's too busy?

4. L from 3*I**********
Status: Dropped
L's company is large and have offices all over Singapore. While he sounded very polite, He didn't give me a good impression when he forgot the date/time of our meetup even when it was confirmed on Whatsapp. And when I did meet up with him, he was in the middle of attending to a customer and had me waiting for at least 20mins before he attended to me. When he did attend to me, he was completely unprepared and did not have the information I emailed to him prior and had to take more time to print everything.

At this point I really felt like leaving but I remained nevertheless, hearing what he had to say.
During the meeting, he gave me the impression he's more of a sales person and he was enthusiastic about saying he would get his quotation to me in about 2 days. Already had the intention to drop him which was well and good because I never heard anything from him even after 1 week later.

5. P from I*-E****
Status: Dropped
P's company is also a very large one, and they apparently have their own carpenters, electricians with their own huge workshop. Sadly, I didn't enjoy my time with him. He gave me the impression that he was designing a home for himself rather then for me. Even when I told him I would do some light-cooking in the kitchen (I enjoy cooking), he actually suggested me NOT to cook as cooking according to him is very troublesome. He even goes so far to recommend me to buy packet food instead. WTF??

Any design or technical question I asked during the meeting seemed to annoy him and give me the impression I was wasting his time. I suspect he probably has a few pre-made template designs and was probably using one of them. And I was probably right, because immediately the same night after the meeting, he emailed me his quotation. He will then constantly call me to pester me if i'm ready to sign with him. No thank you.

6. Jason Tan and Aida from 96 Degree Designers: 
Status: Selected
Originally, i was contacted by Aida for a meetup, and when i actually reached there, the person who met me was actually her manager Jason Tan. Aida was there only assisting Jason by taking notes and such. Jason is very meticulous about his work and throughout my discussions with him, I find him extremely knowledgeable and we click very well.

He does use alot of technical jargons however, and whenever I asked him to explain something, he would not hesitate to show off a photo or a drawing of the concept. Sometimes he gets so carried away and explains so much, it can be abit overwhelming lol!! :D Throughout our meetings, I can feel that he is very proud and passionate about his work.

In fact, what impresses me most about Jason, is that among the IDs I've met, he's the only one who actually always has a pencil ready to physically draw out a 3D sketch of anything we discussed. Looking at him draw is kindda fascinating tbh LOL!! :D 

Although I had to remind them 1 week after the 1st meetup for quotation, they were the only ID that requested me to go meet a second time to go over the quotation which I felt was quite sincere, instead of other IDs just emailing me a quote without requesting for 2nd meetup.

Haven't found any bad reviews about him on the Internet so far, and the only 1 bad review about the company wasn't aimed at him, and yet was personally handled by the company's director which I'm impressed that they have the integrity to not even delete bad reviews.

While the quotation price is kindda high, (6k for Bedroom!) I felt that handing the project to him was a right choice as I'd rather pay more to have peace of mind then pay less and keep having arguments with someone I don't click with.

Only time will tell if my decision was a right one.

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From what I understand so far:
After paying $500 deposit and signing with them, they will take me Tile, Lighting, Furniture shopping, and 3D design concept would be produced which will be 90% accurate to how my future apartment is gonna look like. Well, i've paid my $500 deposit and signed with them and I hope all goes well.

Phew! Thats the end of my search for my ID, and I'll post more as I go along.
Wish me luck!! :D

Click Here for Next Blog Entry:
 Tile Selection at Soon Bee Huat

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Edited by ryanyth
 
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Blog Entry Date: 15th May 2017 Monday
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Tile Selection at Soon Bee Huat


Well this is the first time i'm meeting my ID for Tile Shopping.
And the place we are going to is Soon Bee Huat in Eunos.
Didn't take photo when I was there, so I grabbed a picture from the Internet to let you see how it looks like.

This place is basically TILES HEAVEN lol! :D
3 storeys of nothing but tiles, tiles and more tiles!
soonbeehuat.jpg.9b9991c88ef739a07eead3a42edca7be.jpg


Before going with ID for tile selection however, I recommend going yourself first to reccee and
check out which tiles you might want first.

And it was a good idea to come here yourself before the ID takes you there, because once we were there, there was so many tiles to choose from, I suspect 2 hours would not even be enough.
So before ID brings you tile shopping, do your own homework and go there yourself to look thru the tiles to get a feel of what you fancy so you can show your ID what you think looks nice when the both of you are there.

Do take note there are some tiles sold there that has special remarks like:
("No Acid" meaning such tiles cannot even use detergent wash when u want to clean them,
or "Shade and Colour Variation" which means every tile has a different pattern and you cannot reliably predict how the overall look will be like)

Just for additional information, as I opted for OCS Component from HDB, most of my tiles are already laid by HDB. I'm looking for tiles to overlay both my Kitchen and Toilet because i want both of them to be a dark styled.

Because i've done my homework earlier, I showed Jason a couple of dark coloured tiles I had my eyes on, and when we were actually there, he would give his comments and most interestingly, he would take the tile and show me how it might look like under different lighting conditions.

This is something new to me, because as a layman, tile is just tile right? :huh:
But apparently in Interior Design, choosing a tile will also need to take into consideration how a tile may look like under different light conditions. A tile that may look nice in the afternoon, may suddenly not look nice during nighttime when lamp is shone upon them. :blink:

Anyway, after spending much time checking and choosing. (Actually I didn't choose much, because as a layman I'm not good at visualizing how nice a tile would LOOK like when its laid. My role in the trip is to FEEL the texture of the tiles i wanted.

Some basic criteria i needed from the textures of the tiles I want:
1) Flooring for the Kitchen is going to be mildly rough because if I do some deep frying and make the kitchen oily, it will not be as easy to slip and fall compared to a more smooth floor.

2) This next concept will be abit harder to explain. Because i'm opting for a dark area basically, i want the area to be dark, yet have tiles that can contrast nicely so that it would not feel too claustrophobic due to the dark style i choose.

3) The floor at the Wet area of the Toilet must be very rough. Sandpaper rough. :o 
I know this is a texture that not many people will want because of how unnaturally rough it feels and also how hard it may be to clean too.

I purposely chose a super rough texture for the wet area because of the many near misses and falls I've encountered while bathing in my current bathroom with smooth tiles lol. Safety first, so make it super rough all the way!! :D

So after selection, here are the tiles I've chosen: (Top 4 tiles are for my Toilet, and the bottom 2 tiles are for my Kitchen)
tiles.jpg.03aacc037fdec1fffebaf1acabeee573.jpg

 

Yes i know what you're thinking.
Aiyoh....why all so ORR LUU LUU one right? LOL!! :D

Yea i also cannot visualize how they'll look when tiled, but Jason and Aida advised that they will incorporate them in their upcoming 3D design to let me have a look how it is going to be. So i'll have to leave it to their judgement. I'm also in no hurry actually because I've not yet gotten my keys yet, even if the colours aren't nice, i can still have time to reselect other tiles.

So yea tile selection went by in a flurry, once you've selected your tiles, Soon Bee Huat will give u a nice little baggie with a couple of sample tiles.

On my side, i've also touched up on my 3D Sketches after yet more design discussion with Jason, and the earlier links you visited are now obsolete. I've now made 2 versions. Hopefully these are the FINAL FINAL versions. I doubt so tho lol! :D

3D Sketch (ALL Furniture and Appliances)
https://planner5d.com/editor/?key=25773b3b5fe8c94a52ab6074a9c7d80b

3D Sketch (Furniture and Appliances REMOVED)
https://planner5d.com/editor/?key=2afff664ccd4039229be51b566bcc22a

Oh yea while browsing around in Lazada, I found THE EXACT LAMP that i wanted for my BEDROOM!!!!! OMG!!! :wub::wub::wub:

Wow, but at $50 each, they aren't exactly cheap, :( but ..... MEH why not right? I went ahead checked with Jason about their dimensions, and once he says they are fine for the bedroom, i proceeded to buy them. I look forward to seeing them when they arrive!! :D

If anyone is interested in this sort of lamp, the link in Lazada is:
http://www.lazada.sg/mumolife-japaneses-classic-simple-lamp-black-wood-base-bed-deskliving-lamp-square-intl-15687102.html?ff=1&boost=2
Price as of writing is S$48.25

Addendum:
Ahem. For folks who actually clicked on the Lazada link above,
you’ll probably find my bad review there for this lamp. LOL.
In case Lazada decides to delete away the bad review, I wrote:

“You would think for $50 a lamp, they would at least give a branded led lightbulb like Philips or Osram but no. The LED bulb u get is a no-brand Made in China product that didn’t even work when it was delivered and I had to buy separate replacement bulb myself.
While the product is good looking, the materials used isn’t worth $50. Don’t buy this unless you really like the look and have no other choices.”

I still stand by the review I’ve written.
And it seems that ever since I wrote that review, they dropped the price to $35.70 (as of 6th November 2017) At this price, its much more palatable then the close to $50 i initially bought. Although a further price drop would be even better. Still, only buy it if you really like the design and really can’t find such design anywhere else.


lamp.png.801db9f044cacd70b06ee9b20fd08e92.png


Phew! that was a whole lot that I wrote, I hope you enjoyed this blog entry.
Next up, i'm either going for Lighting Shopping with my ID or waiting for them to do my 3D Design which will take about 2 weeks.

Thanks for being patient and thanks for reading thru this whole wall of text.
:yeah:I'll see you in my next blog entry! :yeah:

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Selection of Laminates 

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Edited by ryanyth
 
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Blog Entry Date: 18th May 2017 Thursday
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Selection of Laminates


Today I met up with Jason at the office for the choosing of Laminates.
(Laminates is this synthetic plastic "Skin" that is pasted onto a surface like cabinet)
(BTW, Aida wasn't around because she was down with a fever :(...Get well soon! :))

Again, to a layman like me, laminate is just laminate right?
Oh ... how very wrong again! :o

There are so MANY types of laminates, each with a different feel, different colour and texture.
And again, colour coordination and how light affects the laminate can make a whole different feel apparently.

Here are the pictures i've taken of just some of laminates available for selection.
Theres even books dedicated to nothing but laminate samples. See until blur liao. :blink:

wall.jpg.d23251c1638618af983a926872c4776f.jpg

book.jpg.2cdaca64213c0043c663b5b60db087f7.jpg

Crazy huh?
Things that I thought is very simple to choose like tiles or laminates can be very overwhelming lol. Luckily Jason was very patient as usual and very enthusiastic to explain to me clearly how to select. Once again, as I am not very good at visualizing how the look would be, I left colour coordination to him.

After doing Tile Shopping and today's Laminate Selection, I realize because most of us have no prior experience in Interior Design colour coordination, alot of things are really left to the ID to help us decide because if we really one by one choose ourselves, really choose until cows come home also cannot choose finish LOL!! :D

Oh yea, remember I mentioned how impressed I was from his impromptu sketches
whenever we discussed about design elements and measurements? I wasn't kidding when i say he REALLY ENJOYS SKETCHING.

I managed to snap a couple of such sketches that he made. Sure, its not Leonardo Da Vinci standard, but I really love that whenever we meet up, his pencil almost never leaves his side and he's ready to sketch at any given moment to give me an immediate idea of what design and measurements he is proposing.

A simple plain piece of paper can literally become a MESSY BATTLEFIELD OF CRISS CROSS LINES in an instant! :D
sketch1.jpg.4d46e6d30a4bc092250f6763f43d24ec.jpg

sketch2.jpg.df3028a99ab7b8509767d1f0dc738a93.jpg

That said, once again, because Jason can be so OVERWHELMING in his explanation and discussions, we couldn't quite finish our laminate selection even though we started at 4.30pm and ended at 7.30pm (close to 3 hours!) :o

Did manage to confirm laminate selection for my Bedroom and the countertop quartz look though (Sorry didn't manage to take pictures of the samples) :D

I'm still glad that progress is still being made though, and it has been another fruitful meetup.
Will probably be another arrangement to discuss about Laminates for the Kitchen and such.

Bonus Picture:
ramen.jpg.72330a12dacaeb31c9c170984ab18c27.jpg

See lah, from discuss so long discuss until me super super hungry.  :blink:
Went back, passed by OneKM mall and decided to enjoy a Ramen Meal at Baikohken Ramen.
Tasted good, broth is rich and meaty but overall wasn't mind blowing though, but still pretty filling. LOL :D 

Aight, thats all for this entry, see ya'll in the next one! :yeah:

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An RC Event I attended which showed for the first time how my apartment would look like!

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Edited by ryanyth
 
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Blog Entry Date: 23rd May 2017 Tuesday
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An RC Event I attended which showed for the first time how my apartment would look like!

Over the weekend I attended a HDB Roadshow that was basically a RC event to
familiarize everyone in my future estate on our future neighbourhood in Admiralty.

Interestingly, they also took actual onsite photos of apartments of people who chose OCS components for their apartment and displayed them as a slideshow. (This is very useful information because for the first time I can finally visualize how it actually looks like when my apartment is completed and this is good info to show my ID.)

I understand some people are not able to see the 3D design I have in my Planner 5D links, so I thought i'd capture screenshots of the 3D design and do a direct comparison shot between my 3D concept and the actual real thing.

Waddya'll think? :D

Kitchen:

20170521_111730.jpg.5acd747c3d533d3df17c0d6af31a4d86.jpg

Screenshot_2017-05-23-14-12-08.png.6ea30547d4653b8225feff84f7f9abf5.png

 

Living Room Area Shot 1:

20170521_111735.jpg.1b8564db1b5f36a1c988587ea1cf1226.jpg

Screenshot_2017-05-23-14-06-30.png.589006ed4b6495c127507dcb48b018a0.png

 

Living Room Area Shot 2:

20170521_111739.jpg.36e2f6f5f9841e0cc282dfdce5e7088e.jpg

Screenshot_2017-05-23-14-00-45.png.6d9c04f6e5a31b3e7212c26eee269fc6.png

 

 

Bedroom:

20170521_111745.jpg.a8b5f0c559307fa19ee524b0cad491b2.jpg

Screenshot_2017-05-23-13-59-08.png.7ce301fe711f40d3aca541e65c316625.png

 

Bathroom:

20170521_111750.jpg.efaf67447e7b2c63fc7f7c5759eb3c77.jpg

Screenshot_2017-05-23-13-54-43.png.2c12cb6b52e28a1376a8c8e0a9cedfa9.png

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My First Obstacle...one of my ID left without informing me! Oh Dear...

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Blog Entry Date: 20th June 2017 Tuesday
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My First Obstacle...one of my ID left without informing me! Oh Dear...


Wow, so sorry folks.
Almost a month has just flew by since my last update.

Actually I have some good news and bad news.

Good News:
HDB finally updated my Key Collection Date and finally puts my PCD (Probable Completion Date)
at End August 2017 instead of the vague Q3 2017. So at least now I have an estimated date to look forward to.

I'm assuming i'll get my actual Key Collection Date at Early Sept 2017?
That's about 2 more months from now!! *excited* :D

Bad News:
Aida has left 96 Degree Designers.
While I understand people may join and leave an organization, i'm worried because I wasn't even updated about this.

Scenario:
On 1st June 2017, I was informed that I'll get my 3D Drawings in a week and from then on, I've heard nothing else from them, so I thought maybe they were busy and since I haven't even collected my keys, I wasn't in such a rush.

It was only today 20th June 2017 when I messaged them why the delay and ONLY did they tell me Aida left!:o While i've only 100% been conversing with Jason since the start, and Aida only doing admin stuffs, this still got me VERY WORRIED indeed! 

Only paid $500 deposit, already must push and push only to be known last minute that someone left the project. What will happen when I pay my first deposit? Will they keep me in silence again then suddenly AWOL on me? :o

People who have done Renovation before, I have a few questions:
Does this sort of issues happen often? Do IDs often walk out of projects they engage halfway in?
Do you think this is considered a warning flag?
Should I just let go of my $500 deposit and go through the process of finding another ID all over again?
Should I stick around and see how they react?
What would YOU do in my situation?
Am I over-thinking too much?

I guess my first challenge has finally begun....:(

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First look at the 3D Drawings from my ID! (Living Room excluded)

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Blog Entry Date: 27th June 2017 Tuesday
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First look at the 3D Drawings from my ID! (Living Room excluded)

Firstly, a very Selamat Hari Raya to my Muslim friends! <3

After my earlier distressed post, I guess is time to post something more cheerful. :P
Im glad to report that I finally got my 3D Drawings from Jason. This is a 1st draft and would have
more changes and corrections. So far he has responded promptly to my Whatsapp enquiries.

Still yet to arrange for a meetup to discuss and address my concerns so that'll come later.

Anyway, the tiles you see are exactly the ones I selected at Soon Bee Huat.
At least now can visualize how they look like.
Honestly I think I like how they turned out! :D
Hopefully final product looks the same.

What do ya'll think?

IMG-20170627-WA0001.jpg.f5c90ccd32215b5e42c06f580af1db1c.jpg

IMG-20170627-WA0003.jpg.fafbcf917b0f0aab75d55ead14cea2a7.jpg

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Voicing out my Concerns to ID, Schedule Check and some photos of selected Laminates and Quartztop

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Blog Entry Date: 3rd July 2017 Monday
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Voicing out my Concerns to ID, Schedule Check and some photos of selected Laminates and Quartztop

Just came back from a meeting with Jason to voice out my concerns.
He's apologetic about the issue with Aida and I'm fine with it seeing how he did produce some nice 3D Drawings. Moving on, today's meeting is more of a schedule check and to tie up on what is to happen in the days to come.

Just in case I have not posted this information, here is the schedule payment:
1) Pay $500 for booking deposit and get 3D Drawings

2) After get key, they will do defect check for me to submit to HDB.
Pay 10%

3) After HDB / BCA does its repairs and rectification (normally about 1 week).
Pay 40% for renovation to start.

4) After masonry, tiles overlay, electrical, ceiling works, lighting installation, hacking, plumbing, painting, hacking completed.
Pay 40% to start on glass works and carpentry works.

5) After glass works, carpentry works are completed.
Pay final 10% after final defect check.
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Oh yea, previously I didn't take the photos of the Laminates and Quartztop i'll be using, so here they are. :P These are the exact same items that you see in my 3D Drawing. Laminates are from Formica, Quartz is from Neutra.

I'm so sorry the pictures turned out so Orangey. Its due to the Warm White light they had in the studio. :P You can show these to your ID to see how they actually look like. I'm sure every ID would have a sample of these.
20170703_183845.jpg.9f83ecffd259217b452e0c4bd0913882.jpg

20170703_184307.jpg.3d2c594d66a33e70ac6ad7442897d43d.jpg

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As for the 3D Drawings, today we talked about the little modifications and alterations to be made.
As im already satisfied with the overall look in the 3D drawing, theres nothing too drastic to amend,
just little alterations and mistakes to be corrected.

:yeah:So yea, thanks for visiting and I'll see you in my next post!:yeah:

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Revised 3D Drawings from ID (Living Room Included this time)

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Blog Entry Date: 12th July 2017 Wednesday
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Revised 3D Drawings from ID (Living Room Included this time)

Gonna be a short update this time.

Attached are the final 3D Drawing drafts of my apartment. (Including Living Room this time)
I have no issues with all of them, and as for Living Room, while it feels cosy, but I feel the tatami mat
and feature wall is gonna be very troublesome to clean especially if accidentally spill any drinks.

What do ya'll think?
IMG-20170712-WA0003.jpg.d15c669645aca2ac3fb2e664d6b90a29.jpg
IMG-20170712-WA0001.jpg.f552c2aebe39a3c87187085ce0153726.jpg
IMG-20170712-WA0005.jpg.b2ef207a1e215cf4ee3525019669672d.jpg
IMG-20170712-WA0002.jpg.31c54101d5d46b7feede1486e268e001.jpg
IMG-20170712-WA0000.jpg.28adaaaefb22f662e1d4d6d071e6e179.jpg

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Pre-Key Collection Day!! What to prepare for Key Collection.

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Blog Entry Date: 15th September 2017 Friday
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Pre-Key Collection Day!! What to prepare for Key Collection

Phew...it has been about 2 months since my last blog update.
And as of this post, it is actually less than 16 hours more till I finally get my keys from HDB!!

How time seems to fly by!
For 3 years I have been waiting patiently, and now, the day I am waiting for is just right around the corner! Honestly it kindda feels very surreal right now for me. :D

But enough of my ramblings.
Since today is the eve of my key collection, I thought i'd post the items that I've prepared, (both Ceremonial, and for Defect Checking)

20170915_171724.jpg.28ec7cf89a86a7d5e8a33728acf34119.jpg

So as you can see from the pictures, here are some of the things I've prepared.
I'll do a list and also indicate the reason why I bring them. I hope this will help anyone
who is also going to get their keys soon.

Items For Ceremonial Purposes Only:
As you know lah, we Chinese do everything also want to be lucky and of course 1st day Door Opening is no exception lol. I'm not a particularly pantang (superstitious) person, and the items I list here, isn't the full list of traditional items to bring. But if you're like me, not particularly pantang but still abit pantang, here are what you might wanna bring. LOL!! :D

1) Pineapple
In Hokkien, a Pineapple is pronounced as "Ong Lai" which roughly translates as "Luck Arrives"
So the procedure is supposed to be after door opening, roll the pineapple into the house, and at the same time, shout some auspicious phrases.

Phrases that you normally say during Chinese New Year won't go wrong, such as:
"平平安安“ (Safety Safety)
”出路平安“ (Safety to whoever enters or leaves the house)
”开开心心“ (Joyous and Happy)
”大吉大利“ (Great Fortune)
”天天发财“ (Everyday HUAT AH!!) :D

2) 5 Oranges
Honestly I have no idea what it is for, as I was recommended by Jason to bring some.
I suppose the idea is for prosperity also I guess? Anyone knows?
The idea is after rolling the pineapple, to arrange the pineapple and oranges together where it stopped rolling. (I think)

3) Sea Salt
Salt is supposed to be something that helps wards off evil and bad luck and is practiced by
several cultures, and it is supposedly better to use Sea Salt rather than Common Table Salt.

So guess what, I went the extra mile and bought Korean Sea Salt supposedly extracted from
Jeollanam-do, a UNESCO site in Korea. http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5484/
Abit crazy i know, but at only about $2.50 per packet sold in Sheng Siong, i figured why not right? LOL!! :P You are supposed to go to every corner of the apartment and sprinkle some salt to ward off bad luck.

4) Addendum: I can't believe I forgot to add this lol.
While throwing the Sea Salt, I also said this phrase in the 4 Main Languages of Singapore.
Hey, Singapore is a multi-cultural society right? :D
Don't worry about pronounciation, its the thought that counts lah. :D

English:
"Hello, I'm the new owner of this apartment. If there are anyone still around, please kindly leave this place thanks."

Chinese:
"我是這裡的新屋主,如果還有誰在這裡,請多謝離開這個地方,謝謝."

Malay:
"Jika ada orang masih ada di rumah saya, tolong blah/berambus dari rumah saya. Terima kasih."

Tamil:
"Vanekkem. Angu yaaravathu irenthal, thayeve seithe angirunthe sellungel. Nandri."


So Ya. What i've listed is only just a rough guide.
Feel free to add on anymore auspicious items or procedures you will need for your own door opening.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Items For Practical Purposes:

Ok now that we've got the ceremonial items covered, we come to the more practical items that is useful for Defect Checking:

1) Bottle of Water
You will need to pour some water at your bathroom floor and wait to see if the water will drain away properly. This is to ensure that HDB has done the water level correctly for you when you do defect checks.

2) Measuring Tape
Well of course its useful to bring this along for any measuring required.

3) Masking Tape and Marker Pen
Used for both marking the defects and also to do mockups of the dimensions of
cabinets, tables, structures etc for you to visualize easier how they are gonna feel.

4) Mobile Phone Power Charger (Optional: Power Bank if Electricity is not available.)
Used to test if the Power Points in the apartment are working well.

Phew!
I guess thats all so far, and if you haven't yet realized, i'm REALLY REALLY EXCITED to finally get my keys! :wub::wub::wub: 

Tomorrow, i'll post more. My ID Jason, will also be there doing Defect Checking with me.
:yeah:See you all soon tomorrow!! :yeah:

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Key Collection Day!! Defect Checks and Buying all my Lightings!

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Blog Entry Date: 16th September 2017 Saturday (My Longest Post so far :D)
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Key Collection Day!! Defect Checks and Buying all my Lightings!


:lol::yeah:It's KEY COLLECTION DAY!! :D:wub:

What a Day it has been!! Phew!!
Woke up bright and early to greet a morning rainshower!
Its not a bad sign, water according to Chinese beliefs means FORTUNE and MONEY!! LOL!!

Anyway, as usual made my way to HDB Hub at Toa Payoh and here are the general things I did there:

1) Take queue number from the Electronic Kiosk.
(The stupid machine actually only start operate at 8.00am, and silly me was there at 7.30am!! LOL!!)

2) When your queue number is called out, proceed to the designated office (same as when you first select your unit)

3) PLENTY OF PAPERWORK omg. Literally mountains of em. Even for me when I don't need to take loan, there were still TONS of forms to sign. This part can take up to at least half hour.
(Take note, those who take HDB loan will need to buy Compulsory Basic Fire Insurance from Etiqa. I don't need to take loan, but I also buy lah just to play safe lol. Protip: Buy the insurance online before collection day.

4) Halfway through, you will be asked to go 3rd Floor to pay Conservancy Bill thru NETS. About $25++ dollars.

5) Next, proceed to SP Power to activate your Water and Electricity.
(Some people don't do this because can save abit on the bill. For me is just heck care lah just pay lah, one shot settle all.) This part I read was a very long queue for some couples. But lucky me, since my appointment was so early, I was literally the only one there, and service was fast and prompt.

6) Go back to your original admin office and......the moment I've been waiting for so long!!
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So yea, your keys are given to you in this pouch bag in addition to a few more informational pamphlets. (Other blogs mention getting a free copy of Home & Decor magazine, but I didn't get any. HDB probably cutting cost lol)

And thats pretty much it!! My Key Collection is done at HDB!!

----------------------------------------------

And now we come to the main event....
The inside of my humble little 35sqm home. (Sorry if the images are a little shaky)
I might retake the pictures again.

The Entryway:
Yes, you can see the little cute pineapple and oranges from here. :D
1entryway.jpg.cd472eb03f012ac677004cd936d5b024.jpg

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The Kitchen:
Not gonna lie, Kitchen area feels small.
It is gonna be a challenge whether it is gonna match up to the 3D Designs.
Kitchen.jpg.f80b3fd58f08ffacf6bde8a6c27658bc.jpg

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Living Room:
Honestly, this feels larger than I initially thought. A solid 65" LED TV should have no trouble in here. Can say i'm happy with my living room.

(Addendum: While a 65" TV can fit, 55" is a better choice as the border around the TV will look nicer. as shown in the 2nd picture where i put the masking tape to illustrate what I mean. Smaller rectangle is 55", Bigger Rectangle is 65")
3livingroom.jpg.f2451ad7dae0bcac2a8f35f929b88698.jpg

20170919_170558.jpg.a37cf60e4201064e091322d13caf3c25.jpg

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Bedroom:
Bedroom feels ok, but a tad bit small. No issues with laying a Queen Size bed from my 3D Design. BUT that sliding door definitely has got to go. The stupid thing is hard to pull,
sometimes even get stuck. And there's a bad rust smell. Ugh. :angry:
4bedroom.jpg.ea01a11c05753e76970be44e1784f7cd.jpg

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Bathroom:
5bathroom.jpg.a1478f1c82243a90965c89e111a9670b.jpg

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And here are some pictures of Jason doing defect checking.
All I did was to just stand around while he combs the place. Process took about an hour or so.
He's really meticulous. (Even brought along a mirror to check on the top of things)
That said, even if ID will do Defect Check, I would still recommend to recheck yourself
again too to spot anything else that he might have missed.

Actually, other than a few cosmetic things, there weren't much serious defects like
misaligned wall which some of my neighbours in my Facebook Group encountered. (Thank God)
Well, the bedroom sliding door is a defect, but I'm gonna remove it anyway so it doesn't matter. :P
jason1.jpg.0cbf4a64faa9931290cc80b05ade6e99.jpg

Checking the Windows.

jason2.jpg.8587897a7eb508a10d752bac8a2f9892.jpg

Taking a Mirror to check on top of door to make sure there isn't any defect.
(Protip: If you are doing Defect Check yourself, bring a mirror + and a very tall friend) :D
jason3.jpg.456262d6ee063548a9994353bdc00e92.jpg

The bolt in the door was a little stuck, but thats because due to some pieces of debris
that was stuck in it. Removed em and it worked fine.

jason4.jpg.6cf1bae6873dd6e945cd1129b874fce4.jpg


So after defect checking was done, we filled in the form provided by HDB
and went to my estate's BSC (Building Service Centre) to submit.

Someone from BSC will than come up to your unit to do further inspections.
From here, it will take about 1 week or so for BSC to finish up fixing all the defects you've listed.

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After defect checking was completed, I brought Jason to my selected Lighting Shop.
All my lightings are bought from here, and the designs are what I like.

I feel the prices are quite reasonable. The total cost of my Lightings is $1323.80
I was even given a discount of $73.80 which makes the final total cost of ALL my lightings to $1250 Not really sure if this is the best price in town, but its a price i'm comfortable with. (LOL my own laptop already costs more than this) :P

If anyone is interested, this is the company:

Home First (S) Pte Ltd
21 Woodlands Close #05-07 PRIMZ BizHub
Singapore 737854
https://www.homefirst.com.sg/
Tel: 67107994

Interior View of the place.

HomeFirst1.jpg

HomeFirst2.jpg

Here's Jason and Mr Tay from Home First discussing dimensions of my LED Strips
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And thats it for this Blog Entry. More information will be posted as I go along.

(Due to lack of anymore space, subsequent postings here, will be catered for actual renovations. I'm aiming for maybe 1 week 1 post to see the progress.

Posts concerning purchase of appliances, furnitures, etc will be posted as new posts.

Not to worry, when everything is completed, I will do a "Table of Contents" with one-click links that will be easier to navigate instead of reading thru tens of pages for information you are interested in.

Well, my first real step towards creating my dream home has begun! :D

:yeah:Thanks for coming, I'll see you in the next Blog Entry! :yeah:

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Close Up Views of Bedroom Sliding Door and Living Room DB Box.

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Blog Entry Date: 23rd September 2017 Saturday
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1 week after Key Collection. BSC Defect Rectification in progress, Laying of Aircon Piping


So here we are, 1 week after key collection and here's my progress updates:

1) BSC Defect Rectification is still going on, but much progress is made.
Chipped paintwork is repainted, drainage are unclogged, but most importantly,
the stainless steel bracket connected to my movable laundry rack is finally removed!

(Left picture is taken WITH the Stainless Steel bracket, Right picture is taken WITHOUT the Stainless Steel bracket. Just take a look at what a big difference it makes. At the very least, my laundry rack no longer feels too low now.

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I understand that once BSC has completed the list of defects to rectify,
they will contact either ID or Me to go down with them for final inspections if more rectification works are needed.

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While BSC is hard at work doing defect rectification, Jason and his Team weren't slacking too.
He activated his Air-Con guys to start prepping and laying piping and copper cables for my Air-Con installation.

Even better, they even went the extra mile to remove the AWFUL sliding door that BSC
was supposed to remove in the first place. Such a relief to see that TERRIBLE thing finally go!! :D

Daikin Team was also here, because the Air-Con i have chosen is the Daikin Smile Series System 2.
Yes. THAT TV commercial with that cute (or annoying) jingle lol! :D


Jason's Aircon Team in Action.

Aircon1.jpg.cbef845772ddbea9a56bc6e6db5a3308.jpgAircon2.jpg.cbdb7e8b40431f0dea6626cfa8724645.jpgAircon3.jpg.9ff9c23b7317a9537438f1ea0f927b86.jpgAircon5.jpg.6049e227182e2ec79c52baae7df6a604.jpg

And heres the Aircon Piping done, and routed to outside the apartment where the Aircon Inverter will be sitting at:
59c68ce538c3c_Piping3.jpg.f12225ea83a95073357821081db905c4.jpg59c68cdd5888f_Piping2.jpg.be706e8518f47cb9f036e5ddfc1f9e12.jpg59c68cd9d9251_Piping1.jpg.6148304225d82b75eda869ddaa612cda.jpg59c68ceb0638a_Piping4.jpg.d60231971a8543bd7beda4ae0adb48df.jpg


Good Riddance to that AWFUL Sliding Door! I won't miss you! :D
Look at all that space freed up! Yes that small partition wall between the bedroom
and living room will also soon be hacked away, for even more space.


59c697c17e488_SlidingDoorComparison.jpg.ab0e891d9ade44219e3af052239c4064.jpg


This False Wall will also be removed later.
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So yea, thats the basic summary of work done and progress 1 week after Key Collection.
Everything seems to be moving smoothly. Once BSC has completed defect rectification, actual renovation will finally start.

Once again, thanks for reading, and I hope to see you in my next blog entry pretty soon! :wub:

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2nd week after Key Collection. BSC Defect Repair done. Hacking away False Wall and Bathroom Door, Electrical Wiring and a BIG BILL SHOCK.

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Blog Entry Date: 30th September 2017 Saturday
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2nd week after Key Collection. BSC Defect Repair done. Hacking away False Wall
and Bathroom Door, Electrical Wiring and a BIG BILL SHOCK


2nd week after key collection and here's my progress updates:

BSC Defect Rectification is finally completed! :D
BSC Office gave me a call told me everything was done,
and what I did was went down onsite with Jason did a final inspection before I signed off,
thus completing BSC's defect rectification and officially the start of my renovation!

------------
Earlier in the week, Jason brought in his Ceiling/Tilers guys to prep and start measuring the amount of my false ceiling required, L-Box Cove Lighting.

Materials shipped over to prep for tiling.

Ceiling1.jpg.a4c8744d6d43e7ce9ced4fbdeae7a616.jpg
59cef9081719c_TilesPrep.jpg.edb773f34e9748273a869b2bb8b6c81a.jpg
So much Tiles standby ready for Tiling Next Week.

59cefe36553dc_CeilingGuys.jpg.cdcc17b8cf8db6eeefa5302e200ca939.jpg

At this point, I meet my first bill shock of "Extra Things" that are charged but not covered in my renovation quotation. (This is probably first of many to come).

According to the Ceiling guys, they recommend doing a "Box-Up" to cover up the Aircon Trunking
I have in the Living Room, Bedroom and Bathroom and say it will look much nicer.

A "Box-Up" in this case, is a false partition panel that is used to cover up and hide all traces of the aircon trunking and it is either painted over (in the case of my bedroom/living room) or overlay and tiled over (in the case of my bathroom) And to do this "Box-Up" is going to cost roughly $610 $375 extra. Ouch.

*Addendum*
After mmoh's advice, aircon pipe will spoil and if it does, this boxup will need to be removed.
This will be especially horrendous for my bathroom boxup if removed since i overlay tiles there.
I can imagine if removed, and if i can't find the exact tiles i used to overlay the bathroom, there's gonna be a big ugly empty cement patch there!!
:o

I'll still be doing boxup for the living room trunking though, because even if the boxup is removed, is still not so bad since I don't overlay any tiles there, and any imperfections can just be painted over.

Thanks mmoh!!
You might have just saved me a giant headache in the future! :D

Here are some mockups of how the "Box-Up" is going to look like.
The area highlighted in Blue is the "Box-Up"
BoxUp1.jpg.f736029de25699ef0eea856d521972d0.jpgBoxUp2.jpg.3d0066f2c8148b4169c3096c4dfd7c6f.jpgBoxUp3.jpg.90e4636ce8c2b9195c40dc3aee0a1418.jpg

$610 $375 is alot to pay IMO. But ... I also feel covering up of Aircon trunking is important to
contribute to a clean look that i am achieving...In the end, Heart wins the Mind, so thats $610 $375 go bye bye.

*Addendum*
Heart wins, but Mind also win. Box up will be done in the Living Room but not at Bathroom. :D
I will be painting the aircon trunking at my bathroom black colour. Sure it may look abit off,
but in the long run i will save myself a bigger headache.


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Bathroom door hacked away to prep for Bathroom overlay tiling (It will be replaced with PD Door)
59cf08ef744c3_BathroomDoor.thumb.jpg.84b8e29cebe74032682c7caba252d921.jpg


Remember that my Sliding Door was Removed? Now my False Wall is also gone. What a relief!
Finally that area is completely bare. Here's a comparison image of what's being done.
Looks much cleaner now right? :D

falsewall.jpg.f25b10ffb078e7ccc4cfdb23ab0d15c9.jpg

Close up look at the much needed freed up space now that Sliding Door and False Wall are removed.
20170929_170714.jpg.25a1ae7d451dcf531eff37b52440f51d.jpg

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Next up, during this 2nd week, the Electrician (Sky) also came onsite to do site survey.

This is a VERY IMPORTANT person, because he will be the one who can decide where I can lay my electrical cables, position of power switches, position of power plugs and also position of lights. Basically anything electrical will need to go thru him.

Looking at Sky and Jason go to room by room and babble all sorts of technical and electrical jargon just made me lost lol.

I'm just there to give inputs on where I would like switches or power points to be located, and he would give his advice whether practical or not. It was certainly a very interesting experience to see how they worked together.
59ceffa98768b_JasonandSky.thumb.jpg.cec2df82b41b6e14ea9c85f063107789.jpg

Sky1.jpg.e1b87cf453dfbc411e4e49993aaa781d.jpg

Electrical symbol doodling to mark out areas for concealed wiring trunking
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Apparently because Im doing extensive tile overlay of both my Kitchen and Bathroom, quite a lot of power points need to be shifted and moved.

Not only that, I opted for concealment instead of trunking, which means, instead of a typical ugly trunking running all over the place, my cables where possible will be hidden in a trench that is dug into the wall. The end result looks completely invisible and nice. (Not exactly HDB approved, but yea.)

Cost of Electrical Wiring total comes up to $3000. Ouch.
Unlike the earlier Box-Up which is optional, this cost for electrical is die die must pay. If don't pay, means no electricity lol!

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And so....we come to the next "Need to Pay Extra" bill. uh-oh.:o

Oh dear...its only 2nd week after my key collection, and below are the extra amounts
I have to pay on top of my renovation  quotation of $25k. Ouch ouch ouch.

Electrical and Wirings: $3000 (This one can't be helped is must pay one.)

Box-Up Concealment of Aircon Trunking: $610 $375 (This one is I backside itchy wanna pay to look nicer)

Change of DB-Box Cabinet Swing Open Door to Sliding Door: $750 $650 (after negotiating)
(Still feel like kena chop carrot for this one, I blame myself for not doing research properly. :angry:)

Total so far comes up to: $4360 $4025 extra I need to top up! :wacko:

$750 $650 just for removal of DBBox Door and installation of Sliding Door. *faints*
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So yea....that was a basic summary of how Week 2 went by.
Really Painful...need to pay so much extra money extra...ouch. :(

Phew!! Such a long entry... Anyway, thanks for visiting, and I'll see you in my next entry! :yeah:

Click Here for the Next Blog Entry:
3rd week after Key Collection. Electrical Wiring in Progress, Ceiling L-Box and Aircon Trunking Box-Up done. Tiling starts for the Bathroom and Kitchen.

Click Here to go back to Page 1 - Table of Contents

Edited by ryanyth
 
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Blog Entry Date: 4th October 2017 Wednesday
Click Here to go back to Page 1 - Table of Contents

3rd week after Key Collection. Electrical Wiring in Progress, Ceiling L-Box and Aircon Trunking Box-Up done. Tiling starts for the Bathroom and Kitchen.

Hello Everyone! :)
Its the middle of the 3rd week and here are my progress.

This week is all about electrical wiring, false ceiling and tiling.
Yes i know its a little early to post seeing how its not the end of the week yet, but theres alot that happened! :D
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Earlier in the week, Sky (The Electrician) sent his men over for the wiring of my place. Removal of plug sockets to prep for tiling overlay, rewiring of electrical points etc as shown in the below series of images.

(I thought is looked quite cute Electrical Guy wear Crocs when working :D, but its important to wear shoes because that can help "Ground" you so you don't get electric shock I think. Sorry, electrical knowledge all throw back to teacher liao. :P)

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Next came the tilers and ceiling folks.
As you can see in the below series of pictures, my false ceiling in bedroom and L-Box Cove Lighting false ceiling are being set up. They add a sort of metal skeleton before adding the ceiling.

(Sorry for the blurry pictures. I will try to retake some better ones.)
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Remember the Box-Up Im doing to hide my Aircon Trunking in my Living Room area?
That is also pretty much done. A huge improvement i must say. :D
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Below series of photos show the Tilers in action.
Overlay of Tiles are done in my Bathroom and Kitchen.

(Box up for the Bathroom to hide Aircon Trunking has been scrapped, so tiler go ahead and lay something called W1 which is a kind of ceramic glue over to prep for Overlay of Tiles)

In addition, cement has also been added at the Kitchen as base to prep for Kitchen Cabinets which will come later.

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Last but not least, i'd like to give a
Special Mention to Rufus58's ID friend!! :D

Instead of $650 that I have to pay for the DBBox doors, I was quoted a
less heart attack inducing price. Thanks very much Rufus58!! :)

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Progress looks to be quite smooth so far. I can't wait to see how my tiles are going to look like when completed! :D

Thanks for visiting, and I'll see you in my next entry!

Click Here for the Next Blog Entry:
The Hunt for a Modular Pole Wardrobe system and something to keep the Main Door from closing

Click Here to go back to Page 1 - Table of Contents

 

Edited by ryanyth
 
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