Renovation budget that blows your mind

[Windwaver]

On 3/11/2023 at 5:02 PM, Mkl22 said:

I agree with the PR part. PR should be the path to citizenship. Or the benefits of PR must be curtailed further to make a bigger difference vs citizenship. 

Exactly but I do agree that spouses that are PR might be a little tricky and that's up to the brilliant minds in ivory tower to tackle that issue.

[Windwaver]

$82K renovation for this lady, where's the poor? 

https://qanvast.com/sg/interior-design-singapore/free-space-intent-lorong-lew-lian-21311

https://qanvast.com/sg/articles/pastel-3-room-flat-in-serangoon-becomes-spacious-after-layout-revamp-3083

Pastel 3-Room Flat in Serangoon Becomes Spacious After Layout Revamp

It's hard to believe that this home is just 69 sqm in size!

Homes in Singapore are known for their small sizes and cookie-cutter layouts. But take a look at this home in Serangoon, and we guarantee that those are not the words that come to mind.

“This is actually a 3-room corner unit,” says homeowner Daphne. “A lot of my friends get very surprised when they enter the house, because the space looks big for its size. I think it’s because the rectangular layout makes the house look long.”

In addition, Daphne also wanted her home to sport a bright, vibrant colour theme – which, to her, creates a sense of cheer.

About herself and her home

Daphne (D): As this home solely belongs to me, I didn’t see the need to have so many different rooms. That gave me the flexibility to play around with the layout. For instance, I hacked one of the junior bedrooms to open up the living room, and also combined the bathrooms to create a bigger space.

But actually, the unique layout wasn’t the thing that drew me to this house. A lot of the 3-room units in the area were corridor units – and while I honestly didn’t mind one, this rare corner unit just so happened to be put up for sale in the middle of my search.

That, coupled with the fact that it’s on a high floor and just a stone’s throw away from the MRT station, made it clear that this was the perfect choice for a home.

Also, I’m someone who loves pastel colours – to me, it gives me this calm feeling as well as a positive vibe. So, naturally, I wanted my house to be colourful as well.

But at the same time, I knew that having too many colours can be overly-stimulating, which would be counterproductive if the goal was to be able to relax at home. Finding a balance was thus something I worked on together with my designer.

To sum up

😧 Living here has been great! The friends I’ve hosted have said that this house represents me perfectly (laughs). They’ve also mentioned that they feel happy when they’re here, which was exactly what I wanted from the start.

And even though I didn’t envision this house to be popular with kids, my friends’ children love running around the place – they find it fun to run through the bathroom from the kitchen and end up in my living room.

[Benarsenal]

On 3/11/2023 at 9:30 PM, Windwaver said:

I'm talking about salary here, cannot say leh bro 

Haiz.

Unfortunately not many companies pay those kind of rates. Many SG SMES (even the bigger ones) severely underpay. 😢

[Stary]

On 3/11/2023 at 10:01 PM, Windwaver said:

$82K renovation for this lady, where's the poor? 

https://qanvast.com/sg/interior-design-singapore/free-space-intent-lorong-lew-lian-21311

https://qanvast.com/sg/articles/pastel-3-room-flat-in-serangoon-becomes-spacious-after-layout-revamp-3083

Pastel 3-Room Flat in Serangoon Becomes Spacious After Layout Revamp

It's hard to believe that this home is just 69 sqm in size!

Homes in Singapore are known for their small sizes and cookie-cutter layouts. But take a look at this home in Serangoon, and we guarantee that those are not the words that come to mind.

“This is actually a 3-room corner unit,” says homeowner Daphne. “A lot of my friends get very surprised when they enter the house, because the space looks big for its size. I think it’s because the rectangular layout makes the house look long.”

In addition, Daphne also wanted her home to sport a bright, vibrant colour theme – which, to her, creates a sense of cheer.

About herself and her home

Daphne (D): As this home solely belongs to me, I didn’t see the need to have so many different rooms. That gave me the flexibility to play around with the layout. For instance, I hacked one of the junior bedrooms to open up the living room, and also combined the bathrooms to create a bigger space.

But actually, the unique layout wasn’t the thing that drew me to this house. A lot of the 3-room units in the area were corridor units – and while I honestly didn’t mind one, this rare corner unit just so happened to be put up for sale in the middle of my search.

That, coupled with the fact that it’s on a high floor and just a stone’s throw away from the MRT station, made it clear that this was the perfect choice for a home.

Also, I’m someone who loves pastel colours – to me, it gives me this calm feeling as well as a positive vibe. So, naturally, I wanted my house to be colourful as well.

But at the same time, I knew that having too many colours can be overly-stimulating, which would be counterproductive if the goal was to be able to relax at home. Finding a balance was thus something I worked on together with my designer.

To sum up

😧 Living here has been great! The friends I’ve hosted have said that this house represents me perfectly (laughs). They’ve also mentioned that they feel happy when they’re here, which was exactly what I wanted from the start.

And even though I didn’t envision this house to be popular with kids, my friends’ children love running around the place – they find it fun to run through the bathroom from the kitchen and end up in my living room.

Pastel colour is quite in trend for 2023, perhaps a Gen-Z thing.  I feel the pastel colour is like for a kids room.😆

This 3-rm is nice for the owner as long she doesn't plan to sell it.  It will be a headache to sell because she hack away one of the bedrooms when the unit only has 2 bedrooms to begin with.  

Edited March 12, 2023 by Starry

[Windwaver]

On 3/12/2023 at 4:17 PM, Benarsenal said:

Haiz.

Unfortunately not many companies pay those kind of rates. Many SG SMES (even the bigger ones) severely underpay. 😢

While the big boss is thinking which GCB to buy next 

[13177]

On 3/12/2023 at 4:17 PM, Benarsenal said:

Haiz.

Unfortunately not many companies pay those kind of rates. Many SG SMES (even the bigger ones) severely underpay. 😢

Even not SMEs can also be underpay la.

[13177]

On 3/12/2023 at 4:40 PM, Starry said:

Pastel colour is quite in trend for 2023, perhaps a Gen-Z thing.  I feel the pastel colour is like for a kids room.😆

This 3-rm is nice for the owner as long she doesn't plan to sell it.  It will be a headache to sell because she hack away one of the bedrooms when the unit only has 2 bedrooms to begin with.  

Such house which the owner hack away one room or hack away some wall, they need to find buyer which also like their design and reno then can sell off. For me i would not buy such unit, cause not cheap to reinstate back the wall. I like flat in stock condition.

Edited March 12, 2023 by 13177

[13177]

On 3/11/2023 at 1:09 PM, Windwaver said:

The average paperwork backend aka admin, HR, etc at my side earns about $3K to $6K depending on how long they've been on the job. Those early 20s fresh out of Uni comes in at about $3.5K and those late 20s to early 30s will be closer to $6K. There are some over $6K and on average bonus is about 2 to 3 months.

So I don't quite understand why cha siews are complaining about high property prices when BTOs in certain areas are certainly well within their reach. In fact, many can easily pay off within 10 years.

On the other hand, those non degree holders can always start off with a basic 3 room which is almost free for some given the large amount of subsidy which is ZERO during my time.

Nevertheless, those making a big scene on social media may very well be non Singaporeans because they get to benefit the most when they sell their property and go home. That's why I'm also perplexed why isn't there a limit on how long a PR can remind a PR and not convert into a citizen but continue to leech off the system.

Your company pay not bad. Doing paperwork and only in late 20s and early 30s salary already $6k or more. So i guess those in their 40s, salary can be close to 5 figure liao. 😂

[Windwaver]

People are funny, spend all the $$ to make their flat into dumbbell layout and some complain dumbbell no good 

 

[13177]

On 3/16/2023 at 2:38 PM, Windwaver said:

People are funny, spend all the $$ to make their flat into dumbbell layout and some complain dumbbell no good 

 

Actually dumbbell layout also not bad la, in a way more privacy between bedrooms. 😂

[Windwaver]

On 3/16/2023 at 3:51 PM, 13177 said:

Actually dumbbell layout also not bad la, in a way more privacy between bedrooms. 😂

Yeah, no useless corridors too.

The part I find amusing is people always have something to complain about instead of seeing the good in everything .

[13177]

On 3/16/2023 at 6:25 PM, Windwaver said:

Yeah, no useless corridors too.

The part I find amusing is people always have something to complain about instead of seeing the good in everything .

No useless corridor also means bedrooms no privacy and should facing the living room area. So people prefer to have useless corridor. 😂

[Stary]

On 3/16/2023 at 6:25 PM, Windwaver said:

Yeah, no useless corridors too.

The part I find amusing is people always have something to complain about instead of seeing the good in everything .

IMO, dumbell configuration is not really an issue as long it doesn't have too many missing corners. However, most dumbell config I have seen usually have a missing corner or two.  Missing corners is not  ideal in interior Feng Shui, especially if those corners are the more auspicious ones .  Also, any presence of missing corner would render special auspicious energy configuration like sum of 10 invalid.

 

Edited March 16, 2023 by Starry

[Windwaver]

Only 100K, seems low for Duxton 

https://www.asiaone.com/lifestyle/inside-100k-renovated-french-inspired-home-pinnacle-duxton

Inside a $100k renovated French-inspired home at Pinnacle @ Duxton

In this week’s Insider Tour, we visit a 1,001 square feet apartment in the Pinnacle @ Duxton, one of the most unique (and famous) public housing development in Singapore.

The apartment was purchased for $925,000 and underwent a $100,000 renovation to achieve a modern French aesthetic that pays homage to the heritage black and white houses of Singapore.

[13177]

On 3/27/2023 at 1:21 PM, Windwaver said:

Only 100K, seems low for Duxton 

https://www.asiaone.com/lifestyle/inside-100k-renovated-french-inspired-home-pinnacle-duxton

Inside a $100k renovated French-inspired home at Pinnacle @ Duxton

In this week’s Insider Tour, we visit a 1,001 square feet apartment in the Pinnacle @ Duxton, one of the most unique (and famous) public housing development in Singapore.

The apartment was purchased for $925,000 and underwent a $100,000 renovation to achieve a modern French aesthetic that pays homage to the heritage black and white houses of Singapore.

It says ''The apartment was purchased for $925,000 and underwent a $100,000 renovation''. The owner sooo rich. 😅

[Windwaver]

We visit the home of Kai and Joy, where they reside in a beautiful 4-room BTO flat in Punggol Northshore. Spanning 1,033 square feet, the couple spent $110,000 on renovation and the first thing they did was to see how many walls they could hack down. From there, they spent more time playing around with the layout to see how they could reconfigure it better.

 

[Windwaver]

$209,000 and afternoon sun.

https://qanvast.com/sg/articles/post-revamp-ids-bukit-batok-ea-can-comfortably-host-over-20-guests-3100

Post-Revamp, ID's Bukit Batok EA Can Comfortably Host Over 20 Guests

Despite its awkward layout, this ID/homeowner was able to make full use of it to accommodate his friends and family!

As the saying goes, change is constant – and sometimes, even the most resolved homeowners outgrow their houses and yearn for something new. That was exactly what Earth Interior’s Mr Ong and his family felt in their old home, despite it being perfectly functional.

“Our previous home was a smaller, older HDB flat that had never been renovated before,” says Mr Ong. “Even though it was just the three of us, we felt cramped and restricted, because we didn’t have enough space to enjoy it with other people.”

“So, we decided we needed an upgrade, and told ourselves that we were going to make our new home our dream house, no matter what.”

Plagued by COVID-19 restrictions, Mr Ong and his family had to wait for almost 1.5 years while their new executive apartment in Bukit Batok was being renovated.

But with its spacious, sleek look, as well as its unique new features – like a 10-seater dining table, adjacent entertainment room, and king-sized bunk beds – it’s clear that the wait was worth it. Keep scrolling to find out more about this whopping $209,000 makeover!

Mr Ong (MO): I’m both the homeowner as well as the designer of this house, and I share this home with my wife and 12-year-old daughter.

During the pandemic, we found that we really needed a bigger space, so we began looking at nearby maisonettes, executive apartments, and 5-room flats that were up for sale.

We saw so many houses that at one point, I was ready to give up and just remain in our old house. But then, we found this unique executive apartment in Bukit Batok – which was on the top floor and had gorgeous unblocked views. I think we knew from the start that this was the perfect place for us.

For the look, my family and I wanted something sleek and classy. When we go overseas, we love staying in nice hotels — to us, the modern-luxe look has the right balance of cosiness and sophistication. It was only natural for us to replicate the look in our new home.

Overall, it took us almost 1.5 years to renovate this space – if I remember correctly, we got the keys in May 2021 but only moved in around September 2022. Aside from COVID-19 restrictions, we really wanted to make sure that the house would be something that we and other people enjoy spending long amounts of time in, so we definitely didn’t want to rush the job.

In fact, our daughter was the only one that wanted to move in ASAP, mainly because she couldn’t wait to invite her friends over (laughs).

About the foyer and living room

MO: In any hotel, the lobby is what gives you the first impression of the place. So, we wanted to emulate this feeling by creating our own ‘luxury hotel lobby’ — which is this foyer right by the main entrance.

We have seats to put on or take off shoes, a floor-to-ceiling mirror for last-minute outfit checks, and even some storage cabinets with things you may need outside, like umbrellas.

Our living room itself is pretty simple. We chose these large-format 1800 x 900mm tiles for both the floor and the TV feature wall, as we wanted to minimise grout lines and also avoid having too many different tiles cluttering the look.

Also, if you realise, all these tiles have continuous marble veining throughout the communal area. Usually, most tilers use any spare tiles they have to cover the edges, but I said no – I wanted the edges to match as well.

It was definitely more expensive to do so, but I thought it was worth it. To me, if you really want something, you should invest in it, instead of settling for something that may not necessarily be to your liking.

As these were big tiles, we ended up ‘wasting’ quite a few just to do this. My workers also made a lot of noise because of it (laughs). But the end result was good, so I definitely don’t regret it.

About the dining area and entertainment room

MO: There used to be a curved wall in the middle of the house, but I hacked it to create a more square-ish layout.

This allowed us to open up the space and include a large 10-seater dining table connected to our kitchen island. We couldn’t fully hack it, though, as there’s a structural beam above. But because we thought it would look out of place, we decided to lower the entire ceiling above the dining table to hide it.

And because we didn’t want this area to feel cramped, we cladded the lowered ceiling with mirrors to visually heighten the space.

We also have the entertainment room in the middle of the communal area. The reason why it’s situated here is because it allows us to contain the sound within the home. There are no windows for the sound to escape, and because it’s enclosed within the confines of our home, there was no need for us to soundproof the space.

Because it’s enclosed, different people can enjoy the different spaces without being interrupted by one another. During gatherings, the kids usually watch movies together while us adults can sit at the dining table and talk amongst ourselves.

At the same time, we’re still able to keep an eye on them through the foldable glass door. It works well for everybody.

About his daughter’s and guest bedroom

MO: Our daughter also likes to host, like us. She’s at that age where she wants to go out with her friends more often, but because the house has a conducive environment for everyone, they end up just hanging out here instead.

One of her requests during the renovation was to have multiple bunk beds in her room. She often invites her friends over for sleepovers, so we renovated her bedroom in a way that allows her to accommodate all her friends comfortably. It’s not like the usual bedroom with a bed, wardrobe, and study table.

One of the other junior bedrooms was turned into a guest room, as we sometimes have our relatives from Malaysia staying over.

Usually, you’d only see bunk beds with single-sized beds – like the one in my daughter’s room. But as we wanted to create as much bed space as possible, we decided to do a king-sized bunk bed instead. If we put another mattress on the floor, I think this room itself can fit up to 10 people.

About the master bedroom and ensuite

MO: As soon as you enter the master bedroom, you’ll see this sleek, backlit walk-in wardrobe. But when you walk further in, you’ll realise that it’s also a sort-of ‘corridor’ leading into the ensuite.

As we wanted a bigger bathroom, we used some of the bedroom space to lengthen it. So, what you get is this long vanity area that has more than enough space for my wife’s skincare and makeup products. We even have the space to include a chair so that she can sit down while getting ready for the day.

The master bedroom has its own balcony, which is quite rare for HDB flats. So, we installed collapsible doors that allow us to open up the bedroom whenever we want – which is usually when we want to have chill chit-chat sessions with our guests.

I also personally love sitting here after a long day at work to watch the sunset – it’s very relaxing. Honestly, I think this is my favourite part of the house.

However, the disadvantage of this type of door is that it tends to allow the air-conditioning to seep out. That’s why we had to include two sets of curtains, one of which is a blackout curtain, to contain the cool air, while also helping to block out wind and sound.

To sum up

MO: Recently, I managed to host my entire extended family for Chinese New Year. About 20+ people came over, and the large dining area made it very easy for hotpot. I was very happy to see that everyone was comfortable and having fun here.

To us, we’re definitely here to share. We want to be able to share a space because now, houses are so small, and it’s rare to have a home that can accommodate so many people. Being able to do so really makes us feel blessed.

At least at home, you can interact with your loved ones without worrying about restrictions like closing times. So, this home lets us spend quality time with all our friends and family — and if they’re happy here, we’re also happy. Overall, I think their happiness is proof that we did a good job.

Edited April 7, 2023 by Windwaver

[Ysc3]

For renovations, has anyone use multiple contractors for for house?

Like flooring one company, then kitchen cabinet another company, then carpentry and masonry another company ?