1 hour ago, petetherock said:

One thing you want to bear in mind is time..

if you’re really desperate to move in quickly for whatever reason, know that any major work will take much longer now and far more unpredictable right now… you don’t to be stuck and end up with a protracted project..

Yes thanks for the advice. We are also starting to realise that predicted timeliness from contractor can be volatile. We are mostly considering these options as we have the deadline to move in dec 2022. So I think latest construction to start by after cny 2022? Is that safe enough  

2 hours ago, Alkft said:

Ya up to line x2. But ya don't know if it's feasible. And if it is possible, whether there is alot of costs savings. 

Ah yes, I'm not sure about how excavator machine will reach the back. 

Is building a stairways up to the attic level considered increasing gfa? And would making the attic accessible and usable as a bedroom be a cheaper alternative versus extending to the rear for extra bedrooms?

And if there is  water tank at the attic, is moving the position down to first floor recommended for easier future maintenance? How can one check if we can go without water tank?

If extend level 3 up to x2, you need a PE to confirm if the foundation can support the new beams and columns and roof for the 3 storey or not. If foundation can support, then no need to touch the foundation. If can’t support, then doesn’t make sense to just tear down level 2 and level 1 at X2 to do the foundation and then build up again. Might as well extend all the way to 2m or 3m from rear boundary already.

staircase will be part of GFA so no difference have or don’t have. Once you extend the floor plate, it is counted as additional gfa.

You want to use attic as rooms means you need to add a physical floor which will increase your cost as well  

if your house highest water point is beyond 125mrl or 25m above Singapore datum, you need a water tank somewhere due to low water pressure. It might be possible to shift the tank down but it will take up space which you may want to use for other purpose. This will also mean your house plumbing needs to be redesigned to  accept the inlet from first floor rather than from the attic/roof.

2 hours ago, Alkft said:

Yes thanks for the advice. We are also starting to realise that predicted timeliness from contractor can be volatile. We are mostly considering these options as we have the deadline to move in dec 2022. So I think latest construction to start by after cny 2022? Is that safe enough  

Your massive A&A and you want to give it 10 months.... hmm... 

2 hours ago, petetherock said:

Your massive A&A and you want to give it 10 months.... hmm... 

Ah so one year? 

3 hours ago, snoozee said:

If extend level 3 up to x2, you need a PE to confirm if the foundation can support the new beams and columns and roof for the 3 storey or not. If foundation can support, then no need to touch the foundation. If can’t support, then doesn’t make sense to just tear down level 2 and level 1 at X2 to do the foundation and then build up again. Might as well extend all the way to 2m or 3m from rear boundary already.

staircase will be part of GFA so no difference have or don’t have. Once you extend the floor plate, it is counted as additional gfa.

You want to use attic as rooms means you need to add a physical floor which will increase your cost as well  

if your house highest water point is beyond 125mrl or 25m above Singapore datum, you need a water tank somewhere due to low water pressure. It might be possible to shift the tank down but it will take up space which you may want to use for other purpose. This will also mean your house plumbing needs to be redesigned to  accept the inlet from first floor rather than from the attic/roof.

Thanks for the highlighting those issues to consider! 

1 hour ago, Alkft said:

Ah so one year? 

Things are quite unpredictable, so you'll need to assess if you want to do major surgery. And if you persist, then you may need to add more time and cost. How much more is harder to say due to the current dynamic situation.

What you can do to reduce the time is to speed up on your own decision process, don't potter around when you decide on the designs, the tile selections etc.

Avoid lots of VO. Do check out the guy Alex Teo's youtube videos on renovations, I find them very useful. Can't post links here no thanks to the forum..

On 5/23/2021 at 5:14 PM, Alkft said:

Ya up to line x2. But ya don't know if it's feasible. And if it is possible, whether there is alot of costs savings. 

Ah yes, I'm not sure about how excavator machine will reach the back. 

Is building a stairways up to the attic level considered increasing gfa? And would making the attic accessible and usable as a bedroom be a cheaper alternative versus extending to the rear for extra bedrooms?

And if there is  water tank at the attic, is moving the position down to first floor recommended for easier future maintenance? How can one check if we can go without water tank?

Roof is the best place to put the water tank in my opinion. Mine is on the ground floor and it takes up space and is an eyesore. Maintenance is typically just annual tank cleaning so not a big issue. Should try to reduce scope of work to shorten timeline where possible so you need to decide whether the tank relocation is really necessary. Moving the water tank also requires licenced plumber to do PUB submission.

Agree with Kellhound to place it at rooftop, I had it at the rear of my attic. Easy to do maintenance and no obstruction. 

On 5/24/2021 at 12:20 AM, petetherock said:

Things are quite unpredictable, so you'll need to assess if you want to do major surgery. And if you persist, then you may need to add more time and cost. How much more is harder to say due to the current dynamic situation.

What you can do to reduce the time is to speed up on your own decision process, don't potter around when you decide on the designs, the tile selections etc.

Avoid lots of VO. Do check out the guy Alex Teo's youtube videos on renovations, I find them very useful. Can't post links here no thanks to the forum..

Thanks for the advice! The videos are useful! 

Hello, appreciate the discussion here, so useful. I’m looking for a PE to do an A&A for my terrace. Can anyone recommend a reliable PE? 
 

Regarding the quotes you've received, $55k might initially seem like a substantial investment, but it's essential to consider the value and scope of the services provided. The $40k quote from the consultancy firm covering submission, PE, and structural aspects, along with the $15k design fee from the interior designer, indicates a comprehensive approach to your project.

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