All things Cozy and Homely - Home Renovation

Optimum Recommended TV Size For Living Room

2017-03-29T05:23:00.004-07:00

Size of the apartment is falling behind...the dimension of the TV!

The dimension of TV has been steadily increasing over the years. However, ironically the size of our Singaporean apartment has been consistently shrinking at the same time!

What does this phenomenon mean to us?

"Will a 70" TV fit into a 3 bedroom HDB or a 2 bedder Condominium? Is this TV size monstrous?""What TV resolution should I use for my bedroom? Which resolution is the most suitable?"

To answer these common questions which many homeowners faced, here are some useful inforgraphics which I managed to scour from various sources.

All you EVER need to know; choosing an ideal HDB flat

2017-03-29T05:17:00.000-07:00

If you are reading this because you are not sure how to choose your HDB unit after you have received the much awaited notification letter, you are in the right place! However, even if you are looking for a Condominium unit, the following tips, which are especially compiled for first-timers like you, would still be relevant in helping you to narrow down your preferences.

Yes, today I am going to leverage on my experience and share some pointers, in the order of execution, on how to choose your ideal unit.

Read the pointers here.

8 things homeowners need to know before they renovate their Kitchen

2017-03-29T05:12:00.000-07:00

The kitchen’s role has certainly evolved over the years; it used to be a place solely for cooking. Now, due to the shrinking size of the apartments, the kitchen has to pull double duty and be a place for dining and entertainment of guests.

Nevertheless, I have listed the considerations, in the order of importance, that will influence how we renovate the kitchen.

Read the list here.

Does Renovating Your Home Increase its Value?

2016-10-30T02:20:00.000-07:00

What exactly is Personal Capital?

Personal Capital is running a social media campaign #renovationrundown and so, I have decided to share my take on how to renovate your home to increase its value and how you can keep track of the value of your home effortlessly.

Personal Capital, an online financial adviser and personal wealth management portal, gives you an digital overview of user finances along with access to Personal Capital’s financial analytic and planning tools. In fact, you can easily track the value of your home while you budget and monitor your home remodel spending effortlessly online. It also hosts a net worth calculator to help you see how certain renovations can affect your net worth. Furthermore, before you sell your property, you have to go through a valuation process to find out how much your property is worth. Well, this step can also be done easily through the Personal Capital Zillow' services, since it uses Zestimate to derive an estimated market value for your property.

Beyond up keeping your home and maintaining it in a good condition, these are the 2 general guidelines to keep your property appealing to the a wider audience:

1. Functionality and Practicality of the Renovation

A well executed renovation that is both functional and practical would generally enhance your property value. For instance, renovation works which do more than making your property more aesthetically pleasing include the relocating of an ill conceived doorway or wall, building of a partition or tearing down of walls to improve the flow of the traffic and lighting.

2. Renovation works that make the property more appealing

Although a home overhaul that is aesthetically pleasing will attract a higher price for your property, that does not mean that you should opt for an extensively renovated place with fanciful features. This is because what the property hunters have in mind might not be in sync with yours; investors are looking for a property that requires minimal costs to upkeep whilst some homeowners already have a design concept in mind. Therefore, one of the most popular aesthetically pleasing renovation works recommended in such a situation would be the ones that make your property look bigger and brighter than it really is.

To make your home more inviting and airy, you can perform the following:
1. Draping windows with light cotton or chiffon curtains in order to let in more diffused natural light;
2. Using light paint colors such as white, cream, pale grays and pastels;
3. Installing big mirrors in strategic locations to bounce off natural light to make the place open;
4. Using dark colors for ceiling since a dark ceiling creates depth by creating the illusion of height when it draws your eye upward;
5. Using multipurpose customized furniture so that to reduce the number of furniture pieces used and;
6. Using customized storage solution such as platform storage to hide away clutter.

3. Market Conditions

It would be challenging to sell your property when the prevailing market is very bad. Therefore, it is even more important to consider home renovation to make your property more appealing, stand out from others and marketable.

So how much value does a Renovation Project add to your property?

Here is a simple inforgraphic to highlight the potential increase in the value of your property after a well planned and executed home renovation.

Image from http://www.renovationkingdom.com.au/how-to-add-value-to-your-home

Space Planning Basics!

2016-08-10T09:32:00.002-07:00

Space Planning Basics!

Image from freshome

A friend of mine just asked me...

What does a typical Singaporean couple do once they finally secured either a HDB or an Apartment? What should be the recommendation for the couple?

My answer?

They will either start to discuss the types of home interior design theme they should adopt for their love nest or shortlist the various types of furniture and electronic appliances. They should have done a space planning exercise before they embark on deciding which theme to use.

Well, deciding on what type of home interior design theme to adopt straight away is akin to deciding on what dress to buy and wear, without considering whether if the cut of the dress, the material and design is suitable for the wearer's body shape.

Picture this, a lady with an apple body shape chose to wear a body hugging cocktail dress. The result? The dress draws attention to all the wrong areas!

Image from freshome

What is Space Planning?

Space planning is essentially maximizing a room's available space and adjacencies by considering the demographics and needs of the occupants before proposing the purpose of the room and placement of the home interior furnishing. In this way, the room stays functional and efficient.

How does one Space Plan?

The process is extremely straight forward and basically involves a scaled floor plan and a furniture template ruler.

Image from aliexpress.com

Before proposing the placement of the home interior furnishings, you should sit down and discuss the following with the would be occupants!
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How long would the occupants be staying?

If a young couple decides to upgrade from a HDB to an EC after 5 years of stay, a minimal renovation with a simple design theme and furnishing should be suffice. Anything more will be a waste of money - unless the couple is loaded of course!

Will the number of occupants increase or decrease during the length of the stay?

A young couple may be looking at expanding the family; an elderly couple may foresee their children leaving to start their own family. In short, a family's needs change over the time!

What are the demographics of the occupants?

Due to my petite size, the kitchen countertop cannot go beyond a certain height. Night lights have to be installed along the corridor way so that my elderly mum can find her way to the toilet at night.

What is the lifestyle of the occupants?
Does the family play host to a lot of friends over the weekend? Is cooking the favorite pastime? Do the occupants enjoy lounging at the living room or hanging out at the balcony?

What purpose does an area serve?

Does the kitchen double up as an entertaining room for the guests? Does the small kitchen has to pull double duty due to lack of space and so on?

What are the physical characteristics of the room?
Years ago, Mr Diva has enthusiastically proposed a feature wall for the living room. He was absolutely proud of his proposal - until I reminded him that the air con trunking and ubiquitous ceiling beams will spoil the look he was trying to achieve.

In short, do pay attention to placement of the windows, water and aircon pipes, electrical outlets, beams and so on.

What are the space allowance needed?

Remember that leaving inadequate clearance space between the furniture, walls and walkway are a must! Examples include approximately 70 cm to 80 cm for the hallway, 80 cm between the dining table and chairs and the most common example, 2.5 m to 3 m for the distance between the television wall and the sofa so that you will not be cross eyed after a TV session!

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After going through the above questions, you might finally realize that the original home design theme which you have in mind might not be suitable after all. :)

Invaluable - an e-commerce site for Fine Art, Antiques & Collectibles!

2016-08-09T05:00:00.003-07:00

Invaluable

Formerly known as Artfact, Invaluable is widely used by auction houses, galleries and dealers and is one of the fastest growing e-commerce sites for fine art, antiques and collectibles. With headquarters in Boston and global offices situated in the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Germany and Australia, Invaluable has been featured in prominent sites such as Wall Street Journal, The Boston Globe, ArtNews, Architectural Digest and TechCruch.

Wide range of choices for Homeowners

Antique, fine art and collectible lovers rejoice! Invaluable has actually over $10 Billion items listed in its online site (and counting) ever since it has launched in 2009. You can find bits of history tucked into every corner of this amazing site, ranging from fine art, decorative art, jewelry, collectibles, furniture and so much more!

If you are performing a remodel for your home right now, it is a perfect opportunity to hunt for a special new treasure for your home! Instead of traveling all over America to treasure hunt, now these items are just a click of a button while sitting in the comfort of your own home. You can download the Invaluable's app for iPhone or iPad to bid for the item and even stay updated on sales around the world!

Quality Home & Decor items at an affordable price!

Aside from shopping at the thrift stores, such online stores are the best for picking up quality antiques and home decor pieces this summer! In fact, to illustrate just how affordable these items are, here are some of my personal favorites!

Mirrors
Aside as conversation pieces and works of art, mirrors are very useful to visually enlarge a room and reflect light to brighten up the space.
Lot 37: Camusso Sterling Silver Mounted Plateau Or MirrorEstimate: USD $1,000 - $1,500Description: Camusso Sterling Silver Mounted Plateau Or Mirror. Signed Sterling 925 Camusso Made In Peru. Light scratches on mirror or in good condition. Measures 27-3/4" x 20".
Shipping: USD $125.00

Lot 1032: AN ELABORATE SPANISH INSPIRED SILVER LEAF SCROLL FRAMED MIRROREstimate: AUD2,400 - AUD2,800
Description: AN ELABORATE SPANISH INSPIRED SILVER LEAF SCROLL FRAMED MIRROR

Paintings
Paintings jazz up a plain wall and inject creative splashes of color in an otherwise mundane home.
Lot 546: Misty Park by Afremov, LeonidEstimate: $150 - $200
Description: Leonid Afremov's masterful use of color and texture make his paintings unique collectibles that are sure to brighten any wall. "Misty Park" is a limited edition giclee on stretched canvas, numbered in verso with Afremov's authorized signature. This piece comes gallery wrapped. Includes Certificate of Authenticity! Measures approx. 18" x 24"
Shipping: We ship internationally. FREE SHIPPING in the USA!
Lot 121: Under the Gaze by Afremov, Leonid
Estimate: $150 - $200
Description: Leonid Afremov's masterful use of color and texture make his paintings unique collectibles that are sure to brighten any wall. "Under the Gaze" is a limited edition giclee on stretched canvas, numbered in verso and bears Afremov's authorized signature. This piece comes gallery wrapped. Includes Certificate of Authenticity! Measures approx. 18" x 24"
Shipping: We ship internationally. FREE SHIPPING in the USA!

Tips for shopping @ Invaluable

1. Set your budgetWork out the amount which you can afford. Find out whether if there are additional costs such as currency conversion, shipping charges and taxes, especially if you are purchasing from overseas.

2. Check out the historyYou can look up past auction records in the company’s price archive. Invaluable has a knowledge database of what people have paid for art and collectibles; in fact, it has records of nearly 60 million sales!

3. Stay updated!Remember to sign up for their newsletter and get the latest news delivered to your inbox.

How do Homeowners from Singapore purchase from Invaluable?

As highlighted in my writeup, some of the items featured do ship internationally. For others that do not offer international shipping, you have to use services like Comgateway. :)

Transforming my Living Space with Laurel and Wolf

2016-04-12T08:48:00.000-07:00

Inspired by Laurel & Wolf, it made me think about how I would remodel and transform our living room, a very intimate space which I share with my lovely husband, to cater to our lifestyle.

What is Laurel and Wolf?

"Transforming the way people live, one space at a time."

This one liner basically sums up what Laurel and Wolf intends to achieve and its belief; that everyone deserves to live in a space that is customized to their needs and reflect their unique personality and lifestyle.

What is so different about Laurel and Wolf?

Laurel and Wolf is the world's premier online interior design marketplace; that virtually connects you the clients, and their vast pool of designers, through a digital platform. The entire engagement happens online, where you first describe your needs and requirements by taking part in the Style Quiz, followed by selection of the designer based on the custom First Look concepts. The collaboration with the selected designer will take place via the online Design Time and finalise your chosen Final Design via the Buy for Me service. You can read the steps here.

Furthermore, Laurel and Wolf features many inspiring designs and home interior furnishing ideas for homeowners via their various social networking media such as twitter, blog, instagram and pinterest! In short, it is truly a one-stop portal for homeowners when it comes to overhauling their homes!

Case Study: Re-modelling my Living Room

I usually use mood boards to visually illustrate the style that I wish to pursue for my home interiors and Laurel and Wolf's instagram and pinterest proved extremely useful in executing this. Here are some great illustrations for my choice of home interior theme: Pastel Hues.

I would envision my revamped living room to have more feminine touch...bright and breezy and draped in hues of soft pastels, complete with cozy soft furniture and cushions. Of course, since this is a shared living space with my husband, soft grey with light colored azure, turquoise or teal , complete with white grey marbled or wooden coffee table should be more in line with his taste.

This would be the ideal place for him to catch his TV shows while I curl up in the sofa with my favorite book.

Furthermore, here is an excellent blog post which showcases tips and tricks of using pastels in home interiors! :)

What is my final take?

I personally find the rich combination of resources provided by Laurel and Wolf extremely useful in helping me in conceptualizing, defining, planning and finally executing my ideal home design. :)

Chairish - an Online Store for Best Vintage Finds!

2016-03-15T08:31:00.001-07:00

If you are looking for an amazing high quality, vintage furniture prices at a reasonable price, this should be the site for you - Chairish!

Chairish is an online portal for passionate design lovers to either buy or sell amazing high quality vintage furniture and decor safely and securely.

This hugely popular portal is the brainchild of Anna Brockway and her husband, Andy Denmark, Eric Grosse, Gregg Brockway and Giacomo DiGrigoli. In fact, this talented and extremely experienced team has brought our furniture and decor online shopping to the next level!

Why do I adore this site?

First of all, the site is extremely straightforward to navigate; a few clicks is all it takes for me to find something quickly. Secondly, I can use common terms to search for the design styles that I want. Thirdly, I easily shortlist items within my budget and the photos provided are very clear too. Lastly and most importantly, I can bargain with the seller by making a counter offer!

Which items are my personal favorites?

At $85 USD, this pair of industrial leather stools is so much cheaper when we compare them with the Dempsey Swivel Iron Bar Stool, Brown Leather from Houzz which retails at $119.99 USD each!

Industrial Bar Stools And Counter Stools by Chatsworth Furniture & Accessories Great Deal Furniture

However, one of my favorite vintage finds is this working Polaroid 900 Electric Eye Land Camera retailing at only $50 USD!

Does Chairish ship overseas?

Awww....Chairish doesn't ship to Singapore; we have to use services like Comgateway for the shipping to Singapore. :)

12 Kitchen Renovation Quick Tips

2015-11-14T18:53:00.004-08:00

Credits to Renonation.sg

12 Master Bedroom Renovation Tips

2015-11-14T18:52:00.001-08:00

Credits to Renonation.sg

Bacteria Timebomb in your Bathroom - How it affects your renovation decisions

2015-11-14T18:50:00.001-08:00

Credits to Renonation.sg

Homeowner's guide for Renovation Proposal

2015-11-14T18:48:00.002-08:00

Credits to renonation.sg

30 Creative Bicycle Storage Ideas which every Bicycle Enthusiast Must Know

2015-11-14T18:47:00.002-08:00

We have a complex love hate affair with our bicycles; on one hand we love the adrenaline rush and sense of freedom when the wind gushes around us... with world becomes a colorful blur as we ride; yet on the other hand, we hate the hassle of finding a place to park the bicycles indoors...especially when we don't have the luxury of space!

Well, this made us seek out the many creative ways which other homeowners have explored when it comes to storing our beloved bicycles indoors.

So, here is a quick compilation of our favorites!

1. Let It Hang...Against A Wall!

Hanging the bicycles against the wall is the most popular storage option for the homeowners. This method of storage kills 2 birds with one stone; Firstly, this provides an elegant way to store the bicycles since they are instantly turned into breathtaking pieces of art. Secondly, hanging multiple bicycles meant that the vertical space is fully maximized. In certain designs, additional storage for the helmet and accessories are also set aside.

Image from notapaperhouse.com

Image from alleideen.com/

Image fromartnau.com

Image from pinterest.com

Image from apartmenttherapy.com

Image from flickr.com

Image from housetohome.co.uk/

Image from mikili.de

Image from etsy.com

Image from designbuildideas.eu

Image from apartmenttherapy.com

Image from hiconsumption.com

Which by the way... is the bicycle storage solution that we are using right now..

Image from homeanddecor.com.sg

2. Defy Gravity...Ceiling!

Homeowners can consider installing a rig up pulley system that hoist the bicycles up to the ceiling to completely get them out of the way!

Read the rest from renonation.sg

Happy 50th Birthday Singapore!

2015-08-08T18:50:00.000-07:00

Image credits to keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk

Will be back with more renovation related posts...so do have a tremendously fun long weekend! :)

With Love...

Bizarre HDB Floorplans which will leave you Flabbergasted

2015-07-05T06:23:00.003-07:00

Do you know that HDB came up with many interest floorplans?

Here is a peek!

1. Fan Shaped Floorplans From ...

Sembawang Blk 468A to 468D

Pasir Ris Blk 150, 153 to 154

2. Pointy Shaped Floorplans From...

Bukit Batok Blk 383-395 and Farrer Park Blk 11-15

Pasir Ris Blk 712 to 717

Read the rest here... Bizarre HDB Floorplans which will leave you Flabbergasted

17 cases of fallen windows in first 5 months of 2015: BCA

2015-06-14T07:46:00.001-07:00

Image fromTodayonline

There were 17 cases of fallen windows recorded in the first five months of 2015 - 10 fewer than the 27 cases recorded during the same time last year, said the Building and Construction Authority on Friday (Jun 5 2015).

In most instances of fallen casement windows, it was found that aluminium rivets used to secure the friction stays were not replaced with stainless steel rivets. These aluminium rivets were found to be corroded, the press release said. As for sliding windows, most did not have safety stoppers and angle strips to secure the window panels and the windows were not able to slide smoothly along the tracks, it added. Under the Building Control (Retrofitting of Casement Window) Order 2004, homeowners are required to change the aluminium rivets of casement windows with stainless steel ones. This applies to windows in all residential units except those in landed properties and the ground floor of buildings.

Read the rest at Channelnewsasia

There were a total of 43 recorded cases of fallen windows from both Housing and Development Board (HDB) and private residences in the first eleven months of this year, according to a joint report released by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) and HDB. Out of these, 23 involved casement windows, 18 for sliding windows while the remaining two fall under other types of windows. In a press release today (Dec 12 2014), BCA CEO Dr John Keung said that the cases “pose a safety risk to the public and (can) potentially be fatal”.

Read the rest at Todayonline

What does this mean to you?

Please perform a bimonthly check on the aluminium rivets of casement windows to see if they are rusted and need to be replaced. In addition, if you are purchasing resale HDBs, do consider replacing the aluminium rivets with stainless steel rivets during the renovation!

Awesome Cloud Light Decoration With Cotton And LED Lights!

2015-06-14T07:45:00.000-07:00

Tiffy Quake shows how to make a cloud light that glows and “rains” and looks fun hung from a ceiling or backyard. You’ll need paper lanterns, LED curtain lights, clear string, a wooden dowel, a glue gun and lots of cotton batting and a friend to help you hang it!

From reshareworthy

DBSS Centrale 8 Woes

2015-06-14T06:57:00.000-07:00

Seems like buyers of Centrale 8 units have been facing a lot of troubles.

First, Centrale 8 made headlines for being the most pricey HDB back in 2011...

".... Centrale 8 has launched at about double the price fetched by The Premiere four years ago. The launch price for a five-room flat at The Premiere was between $308,000 and $450,000 in 2006. Prices for a five-room flat at Centrale 8 were between $685,000 and $880,000 when the showflat was opened to buyers on Thursday last week. This has led to some interested buyers baulking at the asking price of what are set to be Singapore's most expensive HDB flats."

Then, the buyers were upset over the delay in handing over of keys in 2014....

"After getting their letters from Sim Lian Group, the home owners were told early last month that there would be a delay in the handing over of keys because of the vesting process, which involves the Housing Board. This process involves transferring the entire development site to the HDB for lease administration, and to the Town Council for maintenance of the common areas and carparks. When contacted, a Sim Lian Group spokesman said: "Buyers should note that the expected vacant possession date is an estimated one and actual delivery of vacant possession may occur before or after the vacant possession date." Property experts said developers do not usually issue such letters to buyers unless they are absolutely sure of the dates. ECG Group chief executive Eric Cheng said: "Owners might commit to the date given and, if the deadline is not met, the reputation and credibility of the developer would be doubted." But, as long as the developer has not busted the legal date of completion, it has done nothing wrong. "I would also recommend that owners be prudent and not take these dates as foolproof."

Now, around a year later, Centrale 8 made headlines again for making homeowners upset about the quality of the finishes and fittings in their premium flats..

"At least 30 residents of the Design, Build and Sell Scheme (DBSS) project told The Straits Times that they hope the developer, Sim Lian Group, can extend the one-year period for which the developer is required to rectify any defect in the units. Some also want compensation in cash. The Tampines Central development has 708 three- to five-room flats which are being sold from $389,000 to $778,000. Nearly all the units have been sold. Residents started moving in in June last year. Centrale 8 caused an uproar in 2011 over the units' high indicative price tags, after which the Housing Board suspended the DBSS scheme."

If you take a look at Sim Lian Group Limited, suffice to say that they have a strong presence of nearly 40 years...

"Lian Group began in 1976 as Sim Lian Construction, a building and construction firm with extensive capabilities and expertise in construction. In 2001, in response to changing market conditions in Singapore, the Group embarked on property development with the formation of Sim Lian Land. Sim Lian Group has since added property investment and other supporting divisions to its business. It is now recognised as a comprehensive property player with an extensive portfolio of residential, commercial, industrial, retail and mixed-use projects in the region.
Milestones 1976 Founding of Sim Lian Construction 2000 Sim Lian Group listed on the Singapore Exchange 2001 Sim Lian Land formed, marking the company’s foray into property development 2006 Sim Lian Group becomes the first private developer in Singapore to embark on the pilot HDB’s Design, Build & Sell Scheme (DBSS), The Premiere @ Tampines 2010 Sim Lian Group launched its first Malaysian property, Taman Bukit Bayu, a landed home project in Senai, Iskandar Malaysia 2011 Sim Lian launched KL Trillion, its first integrated development in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Prime office units were released for sale 2011 Sim Lian Group launched its first industrial project, UB.1 in Ubi 2013 Sim Lian Group launched Hillion, its first integrated development in Singapore in the heart of Bukit Panjang. First phase of Hillion Residences condominium units were released for sale 2013 Sim Lian Group acquired its first Australian property, a commercial building at the heart of the Sydney central business district (CBD) 2014 Sim Lian Group made a second Australian acquisition of five investment-grade neighbourhood shopping centres in Eastern Australia"

What could have gone wrong?

I noticed that Sim Lian has always been playing it safe, by reusing DEAD SIMILAR design and materials for ALL their housing projects; be it DBSS, EC or Condo (The Premiere, Centrale 8, Parc Lumiere, The Tampines Trilliant and Waterview @ Tampines - believe me I have seen all of their projects!).

Yet, with such a long history and presence, does it necessary mean that the workmanship of the developer can be trusted?

Let us look at the BCA CONQUAS rating of Sim Lian Group Limited for their past projects...

For the uninitiated, the purpose of CONQUAS was to: Standardise quality assessment to benchmark quality of construction projects. Measure quality of constructed works against workmanship standards and specification. Improve the quality standards of the Singapore 's construction industry.

What does CONQUAS cover in a project?

"CONQUAS assesses the quality of workmanship in: Structural works - this covers the structural integrity and safety of the building to safeguard the interest of the building occupants. Architectural works - this covers the aesthetics of the building in the workmanship quality of the finishes and components. This is the part where the quality and standard of workmanship are most visible. Mechanical & Electrical (M & E) works - this concerns the performance of selected mechanical and electrical services and installations for the comfort of and use by the building occupants."

In summary, Sim Lian's scoring has been at the lower end to average (from 64 to 86). If you are wondering who are the top scorers...here is the list. I am surprised that the China developers such as China Construction (South Pacific) Development Co Pte Ltd and Qingjian made it to the top list. If you wonder, as of today the lowest score is 53.

In short, having a long time presence of a few decades doesn't mean anything if the Company is only concerned about profits and expansion and not improving the quality of their projects.

Hence I am not surprised by the reports of poor workmanship.

An amazingly easy but effective DIY to keep lizards out of your household shelter!

2015-06-11T07:54:00.002-07:00

Do you abhor Lizards? If you do and wishes to keep them out of your Household Shelter, this DIY post is right for you! :)

" Like 99.9 percent of Singapore household, I have a love hate relationship with these nocturnal, cold blooded reptiles.

My resident lizards have this creepy habit of staring at me with their reptilian unblinking eyes as they hang motionlessly on ceilings and walls. As if to keep me under their tight surveillance, their tiny heads will follow every step I take while I pace around the house.

Image from nature-brains

Image from earthporm

Geez! What are you staring at?!

Actually being watched isn't that bad, the really annoying part is when I unconsciously move too close to them while performing the household chores. You see, the younger ones would sometimes lose their footing and fall either onto me or onto the floor with an audible 'piak' when they try to scramble frantically out of my way.

Furthermore, the insolent ones sometimes would sunbath, in their naked glory, on my windows.

Yes you heard me right.

Sunbathing lizards.

Image from jlnavarro

Image from earthporm

Unbelievable?

Picture this, a pink rubbery looking black eyed fella parks cozily on the window glass panel, its internal organs clearly visible underneath its translucent skin! Gosh! Doesn't it have some decency to keep out of my sight?!

Honestly, these irritating habits do not drive me up the wall - yet. It is actually the waste that they leave behind that make me go bananas! In fact, these common house geckos have absolutely no toilet manners and make huge sticky messes whenever they take a dump...

Ya..ya...I admit that the logical part of me is relieved that these resident creatures are at least working hard; more droppings means more household pests such as flies, insects and spiders have been eliminated.

Nonetheless, imagine the absolute horror .......

Image from sciencebuzz

When I discovered that they have been coming in and out of my household shelter freely!

Gotcha!
What on earth have you been doing in my household shelter?!

On hindsight, this is hardly surprising since the household shelter is cool, dark and has many hard to reach places - certainly a perfect hideout!

To keep out these four legged nuisances, we decided that the ventilation holes have to be covered up. However, since the HDB household shelters are especially constructed to serve also as a civil defense shelter in times of emergency, we have to be mindful not to make unauthorized modifications, alterations or tampering with any part of the ventilation openings, plates, and mounting devices such as bolts and nuts...because we might need it!

Nonetheless since "closing or covering up of ventilation openings by removable aesthetic or architectural finishes is allowed, provided that at least 25% of the total area of the two openings shall be left uncovered for ventilation purposes during peacetime", this amazingly simple less than an hour DIY has proved to be both economical and effective!

The idea is simple, to erect a removable perforated cover over the household shelter ventilation openings. In fact, this we got this idea from the failed DIY privacy screens for the door grille; the leftovers plastic perforated sheets are simply perfect for this project! ;) "

Read this post for the Step by Step blog post on how to do it! :)

Trivelis developer may extend warranties

2015-05-26T23:20:00.001-07:00

Saturday, May 16, 2015

- See more at: business.asiaone.com

The developer of a troubled "premium" housing project has said financial compensation for residents is possible only if there is "strong justification".
But EL Development (ELD) continues to maintain that Trivelis - a Design, Build and Sell Scheme (DBSS) project in Clementi - was built "according to specifications and approved plans".
Meanwhile, it is considering extending the one-year warranty on all furnishings and fittings and offering free safety films for glass shower panels as part of a "goodwill package" for residents.
Trivelis - an 888-unit project - was advertised as containing "choice fittings" and "quality floor finishes".
But when owners began collecting their keys in January, some discovered problems such as rusty dish racks, poor quality laminate flooring and glass shower panels that shatter easily.
An ELD spokesman told The Straits Times it is looking to help affected owners and working with the Trivelis residents' committee.

"We will look into the residents' requests and issues and offer what we can, within reasonable boundaries," he said. "Right now, we have not concluded the discussions so there's no concrete plan on what we will offer in terms of the goodwill package. As for defects, we want to assure residents we will rectify them."
He added that the company's response would be on a case- by-case basis and "not a one-size-fits-all treatment".
However, the response did not wash with all residents.
Public relations manager Eliza Soh, 31, said: "We are not here to haggle for freebies. What we want are long-term solutions to the bigger problems that are going to affect our lifestyle.
"To the developer, Trivelis is just another product but to residents Trivelis is our home."
Mr Stephen Yip, a 34-year-old civil servant, bought a three-room flat and has faced problems such as rainwater seeping into his unit and a faulty tap and window latch.
He said it is fair for the developer to extend the warranty of the furnishings and fittings, adding: "I didn't do any renovation in my kitchen and the items don't seem to be of high quality so I'm not sure how long they can last."
Project manager Andy Tan, 33, said: "It really depends on what are the things they are offering. I still prefer cash over freebies."
ELD said it has already cleared drains after rainwater collected in corridors and it will continue to monitor the situation.
It is understood that the authorities do not regulate interior renovation or quality of the furnishings.
According to the Building and Construction Authority (BCA), after construction, the authorities will perform checks on things such as fire safety, sanitation and drainage and accessibility features. A BCA spokesman said "matters such as defects and workmanship quality" are between the developer and buyer.
While the Housing Board oversees DBSS projects, the projects are designed, built and sold by private developers who are responsible for any defects. The DBSS scheme was suspended in 2011 after a public outcry over high indicative price tags for units at Centrale 8 in Tampines.
Earlier that year, ELD had beaten 10 other bidders for the Trivelis site, offering $224 million or $271 per square foot per plot ratio.

Trivelis is the first public housing project taken on by ELD, a "boutique" developer with 20 staff members. Its other projects include condominiums such as Rosewood Suites in Woodlands and Stevens Suites near Bukit Timah.
A spokesman for the Trivelis residents' committee said: "We certainly hope for the developer to consider offering a goodwill package soon. The details of the package are for ELD to consider... We hope that the offer made to residents will be acceptable."
More than 200 residents on Thursday met their MP Sim Ann, who called a goodwill package a "move in the right direction". ELD did not attend the meeting.

My Thoughts

DBSS is a dubious scheme offered by HDB back then. I was left scratching my head and wonder why in the world HDB decide to release land for profit driven companies to bid and jackup the land prices to be resold as public housing? Didn't they already have EC to address the middle class housing needs?

Nonetheless, we have to be clear why are we buying a home; for stay or investment? And since there are so many choices such as standard, premium, DBSS, EC and private housing to choose from; we have to be clear why we choose one type over the other.

Hairline cracks found on walls of new Punggol flats

2015-05-26T22:57:00.001-07:00

The Straits TimesFriday, May 22, 2015

- See more at: http://business.asiaone.com

Three weeks after moving into their new flat in Punggol last month, technician Jumani Samat and his wife Mazuwina Mohamad noticed cracks on the walls of their living room and bedrooms.
They called the building services centre of their Build-To-Order (BTO) project, Waterway Banks, and workers came to their flat twice to plaster over the cracks. But more cracks started appearing after that.
"We are worried about safety," said Mr Jumani, 35, who lives in the four-room flat with his wife and two children.
The Straits Times counted at least 15 hairline cracks on the walls and ceilings of all the unit's rooms when it visited yesterday. Some were about 2m long.
"It's very unsettling because it keeps recurring. You patch up in one place, and another crack pops up next to it," said Mr Jumani's wife Mazuwina, 34, who is a housewife. Other residents in the development said they have spotted cracks on their walls too.

The Housing Board, in response to media queries, said less than one-fifth of the 850 households that collected their keys since last November have reported wall cracks.
An HDB spokesman said these cracks are "non-structural hairline cracks", which may be caused by the shrinkage and expansion of building materials, or movement, such as renovation vibrations.
She added that the cracks do not affect the structural integrity of the block.
According to an industry standard for quality assessment, HDB flats scored above the national average last year. This, however, is cold comfort for residents like housewife Wong Lai Kuan, 40, who moved in in March and found one crack in her living room and another in her daughter's bedroom. "It's a new flat - why should it crack in the first place?"
Building services centres are set up at newly completed public housing projects for home owners to report defects. They have a one-year period after collecting their keys to have defects rectified by the building contractor.
"It's tedious to keep having to plaster and repaint the walls," said security officer Mohamad Rizan Mazlan, 39, who found at least eight cracks in his flat since collecting his keys in February.

My Thoughts

When we collected the keys to our flats back in 2007, we spotted quite a few cracks too. Most of them came back even after the patches and we forked out from our own pockets to rectify them. At least the residents get free rectifications within a year.

Why does these cracks appear?

This is due to the shrinkage and expansion of the concrete walls exacerbated by the $@#!&* insane weather; in short there is nothing we can do about them! To be fair, I noted that such cracks also appear in older HDB developments too. Some can be even classified as "fault lines" since they are pretty deep and long!

Simple guide to find out what's your home furnishing costs

2015-05-24T08:38:00.002-07:00

Simple guide to find out what's your home furnishing costs

Here is a simple info-graphic from RenoNation for 1st time homeowners. :)

What you must know if you are using CPF to buy a property!!

2015-05-24T08:34:00.000-07:00

What you must know if you are using CPF to buy a property!!

These 2 useful infographics Illustrates clearly what you should take note of when buying a property with your CPF.

Couple's sewage disaster in new Punggol BTO flat

2015-05-22T19:08:00.000-07:00

PUBLISHED ON MAY 12, 2015 6:23 PM

BY JOANNA SEOW & JALELAH ABU BAKER

Extracted from Straits Times

SINGAPORE- Just a week before a young family was due to move into their new home in Punggol, they were shocked to hear from the Housing Board on Monday that there had been flooding in their unit.

When they arrived, they found it was not just water that covered the floor of the flat, but faeces as well.

Cement had choked the common sewage pipe shared by their seventh floor unit and those above it in Block 313C Sumang Link, causing a backflow into their home.

The owner, who gave her name as Ms Fadilah, 31, said she and her husband are "upset, stressed and angry".

"The dream house we have long waited to move into, which was complete with new furniture, was damaged just like that," she said. The renovations had been completed just a few months ago.

Photographs circulating online show faeces and murky water covering the floor of a toilet, hallway and living room.

It had even seeped into the children's bedroom and out of the front door. This was how a neighbour noticed something was amiss and called HDB last Friday, said another neighbour, Ms Fadhilah, 29.

A Pasir Ris-Punggol Town Council spokesman said it was alerted by HDB on Monday morning. Town council and HDB staff went to the flat to help the family to clean up.

Confirming it was renovation debris that had caused the choke, he said: "We will be working with the HDB to find the culprit."

Ms Fadilah told evening daily Shin Min that when her husband turned up at their flat in Sumang Link, he was confronted with what she described as a "giant toilet bowl".

"My husband was so shocked that he just stood at the doorway crying. He couldn't believe what he was seeing," she said.

The family had spent some $50,000 on renovations alone, and intends to redo the whole house, including all the flooring which had stains between the tiles. A stench still lingered.

...............

joseow@sph.com.sg

- See more at: http://www.straitstimes.com/news/singapore/more-singapore-stories/story/couples-sewage-disaster-new-punggol-bto-flat-explodes-on#sthash.cFRbEwGZ.dpuf

There is a saying...."When shit hits the fan...". Well, perhaps new homeowners should be very scared of what happens "when shit floods their home!"

Well, I have blogged about the issue of clogged pipes way back in my 2008 HDB defect checking post. Let me repost the paragraph again..

* ATTENTION* It was just brought to my attention that aside from the defect lists I have compiled, you should also unscrew the metal covers of all the pipes in the kitchen and bathrooms. This is because some have complained of finding used food containers and waste construction materials underneath these covers! Some workers have even poured cement into these pipes. So, remember to dig them out before it clogs your pipes later on and also, lodge a complaint to HDB about it. :(

Lessons Learnt?

There are a couple of lessons learnt from this shitty incident...first of all, check everything! Nonetheless, I understand that there are pipes or areas which are hard to reach or impossible to check. However, I believe after this smelly incident, you can seek help from the HDB technical officer in checking these pipes! The same goes for the Condo owners la...this might happen to you also. Why? All pipes are the same, construction workers might commit the same mistake. I heard rumors that they throw rubbish etc on the floor before pouring on the cement during the construction of the floors, it saves time and effort to dispose the waste. But I stress that this is a rumor...but it makes perfect sense.

Finally, the last lesson learnt? Buy home insurance and keep all the receipts of your purchase! Ok, I need to find out whether if the home insurance covers such shitty disaster...but one thing is for sure, if you have NO receipts, it is very hard to seek compensation and claims. Yes, you have to SCAN all the receipts since some of the damn receipts fade away with time. Do you have any ideas what we can do to prevent this from happening again? Do share! :)

Couple renovates 4-room Punggol HDB flat to look like interior of LKY’s 38 Oxley Road home property

2015-04-09T20:21:00.000-07:00

I stumbled upon this post and this really amaze me....

One thing to note; seems like this picture is photoshopped; superimposed a couple onto the original photograph of LKY's living room.

Nonetheless, I wonder if our founding father is still alive....what would he say?

A Singaporean couple have renovated the interior of of their four-room HDB flat in Punggol to look exactly like Lee Kuan Yew’s 38 Oxley Road home, complete with 1940s wooden furniture, tiled flooring and a clay urn that holds water to be used for bathing with a plastic scoop. The couple said this is the ultimate tribute they can pay to Lee Kuan Yew in honour of his legacy. To further pay their respects to the first prime minister of Singapore, they declared their intention to raise their one-year-old son to be the next prime minister of the country to follow in Lee Kuan Yew’s footsteps: “We feel that most Singaporeans are not going far enough with their words and deeds for Lee Kuan Yew.” “To show that we are not like that, we even named our son Lee Zhong Li in honour of our founding father. We are going to put him through the paces with multiple language classes and make sure he goes to Cambridge to study law.” Interior designers and home renovators said there have been no shortage of such queries these past few weeks to customise Singapore homes with Lee Kuan Yew’s favourite spartan look. One interior designer, Pai Mah Pi, said: “In our current climate, there is no such thing as going too far to show your respect and gratitude to Lee Kuan Yew.”

Resource: newnation.sg