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Folks, My home aircon is >10 years old and it is noisy and also consuming a lot of electricity. Will like to seek some advice here on what is the best option for me. Currently I have a 5 split aircon, one blower in each bedroom and since my living room is big, it has 2 blowers. After doing some searching, it seems like 5 split aircons are not sold anymore. Went to some shops and was told that more powerful/bigger blowers are available today so there is no need to install 2 blowers in my living room anymore. So now I am seriously considering to replace my aircon with a 3 split since I hardly turn on the aircon in the living room. My place is usually quite cooling and a fan in the living room suffice. So the 2 extra blowers in my living room need to be removed totally.... Questions 1) My bedroom has custom made wardrobes. So the pipings cannot be replaced as it will damage the wardrobe. Any issue using existing pipings? 2) Currently, my aircon consumes 10~11KWh of power daily with 2 blowers turned on at night for 8 hours. The sales guys told me new inverter aircons can easily consume half of that. True? 3) One sales guy told me the most energy efficient aircon now is Toshiba 3 split. Energy saver labels shows 0.65 KWh (part load) so it translates into 5.2 KWh for 8 hours of usage. This is about 1/2 of my current aircon's consumption. So part load for a 3-split aircon means 2 blowers are turned? Am considering either to go with Toshiba or Mitsubishi. There are many brands to choose from...very different from 10+ years ago when I only have 2~3 choices for the 5-split. Any other better recommendations please let me know. My top priority is low energy consumption and reliability. thanks

How I cope with WFH (Working from home) So this is how I am coping with working from home. I am not the most diligent worker you have seen. But my motto is work smart don't work hard. So my job scope is smth like a dialysis machine. . . My boss will have something that needs to improve or need to work on, then I will be the one working on it, making sure that the end products are relatable to the dealers/consumers. And of cuz, MyCarForum is my baby. So everyone here always sees me commenting, laughing, goofing around here. So you can say I am a papa-san in MCF. @RadX & @BabyBlade is still the discipline master and mistress. So, in the morning I wake up in my usual timing, I will pack my bed, do some mediation and light exercise before I wash up myself. Once, I have wash-up, I make myself a cup of oat milk. And because now my office is just like 13 steps away, I just take a slowwww walk back to my "office". I usually start my day with MCF, checking all the past replies and try to find interesting news to share inside MCF. And once I have done it, I will check on my email. replying to all the necessary correspondent. I also try to make my room as bright as possible, so that I am in the zone of working. Usually, my room is like a bat cave. I do not take naps and after a few tasks and replying on MCF, time flies. And it is time for lunch! I took my bicycle and cycle to kopitiam and dabao-ed duck rice. And I will eat at my dining table instead of my room. Just to change the environment abit. While eating, I did watch a bit of the Porsche documentary that @Mockngbrd recommend. Quite a nice documentary. TBH. I haven't finished yet thou. Then after my lunch, I rest a bit, went down and walk my dog and bring her go pee pee. Then when I am back home, I went to shower to freshen myself. Once I am done with the shower, I am back to work! Same old, same old. making sure some of my tasks is done, talking to my colleagues in teams. And usually, during the afternoon my concentration wasn't at my prime. I will "wander" off to read on some other stuff. Mainly is tech/car. (checking how to mod my car or what new stuff xiaomi come out.) Walk to the kitchen and make myself a cup of green tea, and munched on some biscuit. Chatted with my HR abit, as she is making sure we are all working at home. Then go back to work. . . My co-worker have different live thou. 😕 She just NAPPPPPPPP alll the wayyyyy! What do I think of working from home? It is definitely a good initiative at this time, as you minimise on public transport and socializing. However, the person who is working from home, must have some vigilant/discipline, if not end of the day you will be simpson-ing all the way. Here's are some of the things that I find it helpful for myself when I am working from home. Have a designated work area. (Tell yourself, when you are there, you are working.) No working at your bed. I play music while I am working so depends on your style. Separate your dining away from your work area. On aircon/shower if needed. (I tried not to on aircon during the morning, but I BTH. Once I have showered, I on air-con and work) Have a very realistic to-do list (try to strike out as many as possible, can add more list along the way too) Walk around or make urself a coffee if you are not in the zone. (same when you are in the office) So here are some of my takes for working at home. I think is doable, but the end day is still the trust between you and your employer lah. They must trust you, and you must not abuse it also. 🙂 Okay! back to work!

Hi guys. Our home handyman adventures are sorta scattered all round the place in different threads. Maybe can lump here under something like makan thread. Don't think this belongs to plumber thread. So I start this off. My 555 ss water container. The lid handle fell off. Would an epoxy work? Any recommended brands? Funny thing is if it's epoxyed on originally. How come got that 3 contact points?

Tech that detects falls to be offered to all HDB households after pilot at Queenstown Health District It is just one of many tools and systems being tested at the district, before deciding which can be implemented or installed in housing estates islandwide to improve residents’ quality of life. SINGAPORE: Technology that detects when a person has fallen at home and notify their family members will soon be offered to all Housing and Development Board (HDB) households. The pilot for the project was conducted for two months in Queenstown, the site of Singapore’s first Health District co-developed with the National University Health System (NUHS). It is just one of many tools and systems being tested at the district for potential use in housing estates to improve residents’ quality of life. HOW THE TECH WORKS Sensors are able to detect a resident's fall. If the resident does not get up within one minute, an alarm will sound to alert others nearby. Another, more advanced device uses Lidar, which scans for movements with light detection and ranging, and can sense and record the moment a person standing upright suddenly falls onto the ground. Those living alone can pre-set the device to send instant notifications to caregivers via a mobile app, along with the recording, when such incidents are detected. The systems were tested in the Health District from November 2022 to February 2023, and HDB aims to offer such technology to all its households across the nation later this year. “Through residents’ feedback, tech providers were able to refine the solutions … We are now stabilising the system and if all goes well, we will see how to progressively introduce this,” Dr Johnny Wong, Deputy CEO (Building) at HDB, told CNA’s Singapore Tonight on Tuesday (Feb 13). SAFETY MODIFICATIONS FOR SENIORS Apart from detection, HDB is also fine-tuning efforts to prevent falls. In Queenstown, close to 5,000 households have been modified to become safer, especially for seniors. This includes installing grab bars, non-slip tiles and ramps. Such built-in facilities will also be a staple at the district's upcoming assisted living apartments. The model could then be applied elsewhere across Singapore. In common areas, fitness and community amenities are also set to be installed so that residents can socialise and stay active. “We are piloting a social and wellness hub, which houses an active ageing centre. And we are piloting the very first ActiveSG gym within housing development, in collaboration with SportSG,” said Dr Chong Fook Loong, HDB’s group director of research and planning. “Along the way, we want to test every intervention – on what works, what doesn't work, and what we need to improve further, as part and parcel of this journey to create a healthy town.” SELECTING INTERVENTIONS Researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) source for, test, develop and evaluate such interventions for households in Queenstown. Professor Dean Ho, head of the biomedical engineering department at the NUS College of Design and Engineering, said that over 200 technologies were rigorously tested and evaluated before being narrowed down to the essentials. “We want to make sure we help understand what the residents are going through and deploy the best interventions that can help them,” he said. “We have to ensure that it's the right technology, it's cutting edge, it’s accessible and it’s validated. And ultimately, it can be truly adopted at scale.” One such tool, for example, helps a user to unscrew a bottle using one hand. It is designed to help those who have lost muscle strength, such as stroke survivors. Physiotherapy through gaming is another ongoing project, including a button-pressing console that tests a user’s reaction. It aims to provide light exercise for those with stiff shoulders. Other technologies that help residents monitor their health, such as vital signs and chronic conditions, are also being tested. “We have residents whose mobility is a challenge. We want to have digitally enabled solutions which perhaps can be done right from a mobile phone, that can monitor stress, respiratory rate. Then we can start to pinpoint residents that perhaps need some extra attention,” said Prof Ho. Such technologies will be trialled in the district in the coming months. SHARED CARE CONCEPT The district is also piloting a shared care team concept with social services agencies such as Lions Befrienders to provide social care for seniors. Volunteers visit residents with a listening ear and check on their well-being and needs. For one such resident, 82-year-old Yin Chee Keong, such visits are precious moments. “I feel lucky and I'm very touched. Because I do feel lonely at times. At night when I'm about to sleep, when I don't have someone to talk to,” he told CNA. Mr Yin gets weekly checkups on his vital signs and overall physical health at a Lions Befrienders community health post located right at his block. Such sites, helmed by NUHS healthcare teams, are typically set up in active ageing centres in neighbourhoods so that residents do not have to travel too far. Healthcare professionals visit once a week, while social workers based at the centres follow up with residents. Nurses and volunteers share updates on each resident’s physical, mental and social well-being as part of a personalised care plan to help them stay healthy. “Shared care is our way of working more closely with social partners to ensure that we consider a more holistic picture of their health needs,” said Ms Antoinette Goh, a nurse clinician at the NUHS Regional Health System. “For example, the care team decides that it will be good for a resident to start measuring blood pressure, but the resident doesn't know how to do it, or needs a bit more nudging. The social team can then remind them or provide some guidance on the ground.” Healthcare professionals and social workers said preventive care is the best way to ensure the seniors’ well-being. “When we do preventive work upfront … the going to hospitals, nursing costs, medical costs are going to be reduced once we go upstream and ensure that people stay as healthy as possible,” said Ms Karen Wee, executive director of Lions Befrienders. QUEENSTOWN HEALTH DISTRICT The Health District @ Queenstown is the nation’s first that supports residents’ well-being across their life stages through tools such as better design and community programmes. The initiative by HDB, NUHS, NUS and their partners aims to build a living environment that supports residents’ physical, social, and mental well-being, and help them lead more active and fulfilling lives. “We have four key objectives. One, we want to provide healthy living for all ages through good urban designs and use of technology. Second, to provide productive longevity, where people can continue to work, volunteer, co-create, and lifelong learning,” said Dr Wong. “Third, we want to promote intergenerational bonding. With good community support, one can live longer and have a better mental state. Lastly, we want all our residents to be able to live independently and age in place for as long as they can, in HDB towns.” https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/queenstown-health-district-tech-seniors-detects-falls-health-hdb-4126056 getting ready for an ageing population.

A lot of illegal home breeders, just be careful https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/couple-spent-over-60k-on-vet-bills-but-dog-died-anyway-and-they-had-to-sell-flat-to-settle-debt SINGAPORE – French bulldog Wangcai started life with a slew of chronic health issues. First-time dog owners Jackie See and Judyvein Cheng bought the male dog as a four-month-old puppy in 2018 for $4,800 from a local backyard breeder. Soon the married couple discovered Wangcai had mites, stomach issues, a yeast infection and rashes. “As first-time pet owners, we felt anxious and helpless. We kept going to the vet to find out what was wrong and constantly switched from premium kibbles to a hypoallergenic diet from the clinic. We spent between $2,000 and $3,000 (on the vet visits and food), but his condition did not improve,” Ms Cheng, an event organiser, told The Straits Times. Wangcai was also given cytopoint, an antibody used to treat atopic dermatitis, a chronic condition he was diagnosed with which causes dry, itchy and inflamed skin, but his condition worsened. “He was scratching more and that led to some open sores and bleeding every day. He also developed hives, redness in his groin, ‘armpit’ area and between his toes, rashes on his belly, fur loss and scabs and dandruff-like flakes,” Ms Cheng said. “We realised we were treating the symptoms, not going to the root of the skin issue. The medication was affecting his immune system, and realising what we had put our baby through, I cried,” she added. After the vet said that Wangcai had to go back once every two weeks for the cytopoint injection, which cost around $400 each, and would be on antihistamine for the next six months, she and her event emcee husband felt that Wangcai had had enough medication. They looked into changing his diet instead. After six months of trial and error, the couple settled on a diet that seemed to suit him. When Wangcai was around two years old, his health turned around – he stopped scratching incessantly and “became a normal dog”. And the couple was $10,000 poorer. “We went through 1½ years of craziness. It was a steep learning curve providing care to Wangcai. That was when we started researching and learning as much as we could about pet health, lifestyles, supplementation, nutrition and many other factors that would impact our pets’ quality of life,” Ms Cheng said, adding that it was also why the couple went on to open a holistic pet store. When Wangcai grew older, other health issues surfaced – he was found to have an enlarged prostate and joint issues. Animals like Wangcai that are sold by backyard breeders may cost less, but they often have birth or genetic defects and infectious diseases, according to experts. Animal welfare groups and the authorities have warned against buying pets from these breeders, as pet ownership here hit an all-time high and more illegal breeders are selling animals through online platforms such as Facebook groups and Telegram. According to a Euromonitor International report, the pet dog population in Singapore was around 114,000 in 2023, up by almost 3 per cent from 2019. The pet cat population hovers around 94,000 in 2024, a jump of almost 10 per cent from 2019. To deal with Wangcai’s enlarged prostate, Mr See and Ms Cheng tried herbal remedies instead of neutering him. Four to six months later, the prostate did not shrink, but it was not giving Wangcai any urinary problems, either. “To understand his joint issues, we sent him for an X-ray but the issues did not show up on the film. That was when we turned to chiropractic and swimming sessions for his joint problems. They provided relief but did not fix the problem,” Ms Cheng said. By then, Singapore was in the throes of the Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdown affected the entertainment industry. The couple were struggling financially but Wangcai’s health issues did not dissipate. “We had just started our holistic pet store... and were trying to make ends meet. (So) we held back on dealing with Wangcai’s health head-on. Till this day, I regret the decision,” Ms Cheng said, her voice breaking. “We could not keep doing MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) to monitor his joints. Each MRI cost $5,000 and we were strapped for cash,” she said. A young, active dog, Wangcai loved to jump, dash and lunge. One day, the behaviour led to a tear in his cranial cruciate ligament (CCL), a common cause of hind limb lameness and pain. The CCL tear spiralled into intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) – a common source of back pain in dogs. The condition is more common in French bulldogs and can cause excruciating pain, incontinence and paralysis in serious cases. “It happened overnight. He was walking funnily when we woke up in the morning. Jackie suspected it was IVDD and the only thing that could correct it was surgery,” Ms Cheng said. At the veterinary hospital they were referred to, Ms Cheng was told that the CT scan would cost $9,000 and the surgery alone $25,000. “My mind went blank. I took Wangcai home and started calling other animal hospitals to see if their charges were lower, much lower,” Ms Cheng said. That same night in December 2022, Wangcai’s pain became unbearable and he was thrashing about and went into seizures, making the situation worse. Ms Cheng took him to another hospital. Unfortunately, the surgeon’s schedule was full. “I practically begged him before he agreed to free up his appointments to help. Then came the financial crisis. There was not enough credit on my cards to pay for the surgery and the surgeon would not start unless a deposit had been made. Fortunately, a friend had accompanied me there and she forked out the difference,” she said. Wangcai was discharged from the animal hospital after the surgery, relieved of pain but paralysed. Four days later, things went south and Wangcai was rushed back to the hospital. “The team managed to stabilise him, but I noticed he was having difficulty breathing. In front of me, he suffered a seizure, and I was immediately pushed out of the room before the nurses called ‘code blue’ (which means a patient has gone into cardiac or respiratory arrest). The vet and nurses tried to resuscitate him for two to three minutes but Wangcai died,” Ms Cheng recalled. “Did we kill him by wanting the best for him? He went through so much pain in his short four years of life,” Ms Cheng said, sobbing from the memory. For all the treatments, the couple emptied their savings. Not only that, they also sold their Housing Board flat in August 2023 to clear the credit card loans they took for Wangcai’s medical bills. Not wanting to give up on Wangcai’s memory, they used some of the proceeds from the sale of the flat to continue their holistic pet food business “as part of Wangcai’s legacy and hopefully to help the pet community using alternative solutions”. The tragic experience did not stop the couple from loving another dog. After a year of grieving, they adopted another French bulldog on Christmas 2023 – Bean Bean, a former breeding dog from animal welfare group Voices for Animals. “Having been through the experience with Wangcai, we believe we will be able to care for Bean Bean better,” Ms Cheng said.

planning to do some minor renovation to my ageing flat, with the kitchen being one of the top priorities. anyone able to provide tips or experiences? i'm staying in an executive hdb in pasir ris so there's abit of kitchen space. what fittings did you guys used for your kitchen? blum / hafele? thanks!

On concerns that flexi-work would result in more jobs offshoring, the Minister of State for Manpower said it was more important to make sure Singapore's workers stay globally competitive in skills and productivity. SINGAPORE: Employers with workers on flexible work arrangements have no basis to cut their pay if their productivity is not affected, Minister of State for Manpower Gan Siow Huang said on Tuesday (May 7). She was responding to a question by Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP) Raj Thomas on how the tripartite guidelines on flexible work arrangement requests would interact with the progressive wage model. The new guidelines, which come into effect on Dec 1, require all employers to have a process for their employees to request flexible work arrangements. Employers must give fair consideration to the requests and respond within two months. They can reject a request on "reasonable business grounds", and must give the employee the reason in writing. The progressive wage model provides a structure for wages to rise along with training and productivity improvements. It covers lower-wage local workers in certain sectors, like cleaning and security. Mr Thomas asked whether an employer would have to reject a worker's request for flexible work arrangements if it meant the worker would work fewer days, bringing his or her gross wage below the prescribed floor of the model. Ms Gan questioned the assumption that pay would be reduced in the first place, saying that employers have to pay competitively to attract and retain good workers. "For workers who are on flexible work arrangements, if their work output, productivity is not affected, actually there is no basis for employers to reduce their pay," she said. Manpower Minister Tan See Leng said that "the spirit of the PWM (progressive wage model) should really lead the entire thinking" behind the implementation of any guidelines. He said the guidelines on flexible work arrangements were based on tripartism and collaboration, and represented a "very nuanced approach". "I think we are moving into newer waters, and I would seek an appeal to the understanding, the support and also the patience of all of us together as one united society, to come together to make this work for the betterment of all of our future generations of workers." Dr Wan Rizal (PAP-Jalan Besar) raised concerns from workers who may want flexible work arrangements but fear if their personal issues, like mental health, are aired in the process, that this could hurt their career progression. Ms Gan reiterated that employers must assess employees' performance and pay them fairly based on work done, and not discriminate based on health conditions that do not affect their performance. After the guidelines were announced, some employers told CNA that as managing remote teams becomes more common, they may rethink hiring local staff and look overseas for recruitment, particularly given the difference in costs. Members of the tripartite working group that drafted the guidelines, co-chaired by Ms Gan, have said that ensuring the local workforce stays competitive will be key as Singapore normalises flexible work arrangements. On Tuesday, Ms Gan reiterated that remote work and outsourcing are already global trends regardless of Singapore's guidelines. "Even if foreigners are not working in Singapore ... they will still be competing with us when working in companies overseas," she said. It was more important for local workers to continually upskill and stay productive to compete for jobs not just in Singapore, but globally, she added. MP Cheryl Chan (PAP-East Coast) then asked whether Singapore would see more offshoring of jobs as a result of the flexible work arrangement guidelines. She also asked whether middle-aged professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) would be disadvantaged by the guidelines and by the redesign of job roles to accommodate flexible work arrangements. Ms Gan replied that flexible work arrangements were not limited to flexi-place arrangements (like working from home), and did not mean workers will be less productive. She added that businesses were driven by their own bottom lines in assessing talent and costs. "I think we should not pretend that without flexible work arrangements, there'll be less offshoring," she said. "I would also point out that elsewhere, in the US, for example, we are also seeing some tech companies putting out statements that remote work does not work for them. "There seems to be some suggestion that actually, for certain sectors and for certain types of work, physical on-site presence, teamwork, all these are still very key." She said that some companies in Singapore have shared similar feedback, adding: "For those, I think offshoring may not be a natural choice, and certainly would not be affected by these guidelines." Ms Gan said that the focus for middle-aged PMETs is on making sure they have the right skills and on their "career health" to make sure they stay employable. Addressing MPs' questions, she also reiterated that the guidelines do not mandate flexible work arrangements or set hard targets. "For flexible work arrangements to be successful, it must make businesses sustainable for the employers," she said. "It does not make sense to require businesses to offer flexible work arrangements, even when it negatively impacts business and affects employment prospects for Singaporeans."

Need to change some lighting stuffs for the house. Any good electrician to recommend?

Covid has lasted a long time and many of us have not traveled. I hope to get my wife and maybe myself a treat, but we don't really want to go out, so I hope to get recommendations for good massages services that visit you, if they can provide some kind of spa or even hair treatment, please send them over? And no james, not 'that' kind ok? Nice and pleasant, even visually handicapped ones are ok, but I'm not sure if they do takeouts.. I did my own google, but I really have no experience with them and would like to hear from others who have tried their services: https://dailyvanity.sg/beauty-reviews/home-massage-services-singapore Will prefer a standard oil massage, head to toe. Thanks! PS: I considered a massage chair, but I don't really have the space and it's not something we do often enough to justify the Andy Lau chair...

Dear All, Looking at adding a home air purifier and also a tap water purifier to my home. For the home purifier, was looking at Sharp Plasmacluster models and also Osim ILife while the tap water purifier I am looking at the Osim uPure. Anyone has reviews or other recommendations? For the tap water purifier, I prefer to have those like the Osim uPure which connect directly to the tap as I do not want to have a seperate unit as I have limited space in kitchen. Looking forward to all the recommendations!

So we have checklists for buying a new car, and why not one for a new home? I've consolidated what I have previously written here, so everyone can benefit and also contribute and some of the info comes from other bros. Before we even go into the list, there are some basic things to do: - make sure everyone in the family agrees to this purchase, and whether it's for investment or as a home - check your financials well and get a large enough budget to buy and for renovations or other costs - do your homework! Check the online property forums, buy and sell places and see what your money can buy and which regions suit your needs best So, now onto the buying process Is it going to be landed, a flat or a condo? Some of the general principles which apply to all three types: Is the home paid for or is the seller still in debt and not bankrupt How many owners are there, and any divorce in process. Who is the legal owner or executer of the property if the owner is deceased? Is it tenanted and when does the lease run out Can you break the lease How old is the place. As a general rule, most places under 10 years can do without major renovations and you can use the piping, aircons and wiring. Most places above 20 years old will need more extension renovations - freehold, 999 years or Leasehold (how many years left) - location - is it within 1km to a primary school and how many places are there - sun direction - North South is the ideal - developer matters too - some are cheap and use poor quality materials - neighbours - good ones to whom you can entrust your keys, psycho ones, and nosy ones - visit the location at different times - if you go over a weekend it's usually quiet and the traffic is light, so see at at peak hours and see if there's any choke points and if the streets around it become very noisy or is there a school or some place that attracts a lot of noise - amenities eg market, food places, 24 grocery, petrol station, postbox - near work - near a clinic or GP - MRT, bus or good roads etc to work, school etc - wind : how well ventilated it the place - how high is the place - the interior of the place, can you salvage the parquet floor for example - TV reception - is there a fibre / home line (will cost $288 to run a new fibre line for example) - where is the mains and the PUB meter located - do you have the plans for the electricals Items specific to an apartment: - the shape of the unit, any odd unusable corners, how square is it - how many units are there? Is it going to be too crowded over the weekends to swim? - what are the amenities? Sometimes too many water features, landscaping or pools will mean higher costs to maintain - pools: regular shape? Good for swimming laps or merely for wading? Any lifeguards? - maintenance fees - sinking funds - more units will mean more people to share costs. Small developments will need larger contributions to fix items like lifts, repainting costs etc - number of lifts, is it private - ratio of parking lots to units and the number of visitor lots - number of entry and exits, side gates - how much power is there? As a rule, you need a minimum of 45A and up - any provision shops? - who runs the place? which security company do they employ? - get a copy of the house rules - eg no moving in hours and are there a lot of AirBnB listings? Items specific to houses: - plot ratio and GFA - zoning and potential developments of the area - who was the designer or builder and are they still around - cul de sac - land size, is it square or narrow, can you expand the built up area? (remember to account for set back if you do more than A&A) - soil analysis - is it reclaimed land - fengshui : water, wind and mountains etc - at a junction - noise level in the neighbourhood - any new developments - renovations or reconstruction can continue for years around the place - is there going to be enbloc or a new road running through the area - if the homes near you are going to be replaced by flats, the roads can be much busier - parking - flooding / ponding - any religious building around you or a popular eatery that attracts a lot of visitors eg illegal parking during peak periods and noise levels - any piped in gas... so you don't need to use gas tanks - any retaining wall, and is it near a 24 hour gas station - noise and fumes - is the place close to electrical plant or substation - how much power is there? Single Phase or Triple Phase (most modern terrace houses will have a triple phase 63A main DB, which can support the needs of most homes, even those with a swimming pool) Don’t forget to check for termites and mossies. How windy and well ventilated the place is. How wide is your lane and even the type of roof and tiles used. Bring a builder along to give you an idea of renovation costs.. But before you even look around, do the financials first. Make sure you have a loan approved in principle and also enough cash for the renovations with a 20 percent buffer. Then bring the check book for every viewing. A basic renovation for a landed place can go from 2-300k, and for a A&A you might be looking at twice that. Adding a new roof 50k, and a new floor around 150k. A tear down? It can be 600k and up and these costs don't include furniture or fittings. Time is the other factor you have to budget in. Add 20% to any schedule, especially if you are doing it around Chinese New Year or Christmas. Be detailed in your planning, for example: If you are doing a rebuild, make sure you work with your builder and neighbours. A small road - like the Countryside one, yes that 'wide' road, may not be able to take a full truck or a cement mixer coming in. And with such a long road, you need to coordinate with the entire road of owners, so they clear the road such that the truck can come in. Trust me, it's not a given nor an easy task. If a car gets scratched... be prepared for an ugly scene. So also check that your contractor is registered and has insurance. One of your neighbours might own a limited Maclaren that your builder just happens to nick whilst transporting your tiles into your plot... Are there any other persons building in the same area, maybe you two can work together and save cost on building materials or if the other person started first, they can share some of their experiences Is there space for your builders to park? Is there good road outs of your estate or are you reliant on a single exit which can get very clogged up during peak hours? Here's a BCA owner's checklist guide Finally, I would like to start that I'm not an agent. I'm just trying to share since others have helped me before and I'm giving a little back so everyone can benefit. But YOU and you alone need to get that info you need. No one will spoon feed you and there's no charity. You find those good deals, with the aid of a good agent. Look at as many areas as you can, and take your time. But timing is everything and sometimes, that dream home just pops up and you have to be ready. You snooze and you lose... Good luck! BCA Homeowners Guide.pdf

Plan to give my house a fresh coat of paint. Any house painting service lobang to recommend?

Hi, any recommendation? Looking to do for rooms, platform with storage kind. thanks

For those who knows the band Weezer, enjoy. https://www.facebook.com/reel/840679441040117

Hi guys looking to service my home aircon however, i am quite worried to engage the wrong guy as i do not know any. anyone had engage one which you highly recommend? Thanks

3 weeks ago, I decided to let my maid go for her first 'off' day after 8 months working with me. Before this off day, it was mutually agreed that we compensate her for not taking off. This time round, I encouraged her to go 'see' the world by allowing off days. Was supposed to be back at 6 pm. It was 9 pm and no sign of her. I kind of thought she may have lost her way, so I troed calling her mobile but it was off. Then it struck me that she might have ran away. But.... all her belongings were not taken. Was told to wait 24 hours before lodging a Police report. Informed the agency and no advice given at all. Was speaking to some of my BFFs and they suggested me calling H.O.M.E. Didnt really know what it was so I gave it a try and called. Lo and behold, my maid had conveniently 'checked-in' herself! With that check-in, our friend had also drawn up a list of incredulous accusations! The lady at HOME sarcasticly said that SHE IS SAFE HERE. SHE HAVE THE RIGHT TO STAY HERE INDEFINTELY! I farked her up and asked them why did they not contact me as the employer upon check in as we were worried she got raped or killed somewhere etc. She gave some nonchalant reply as if she cant be bothered. I did some research and realised this is the same outfit run by some folk called Jolovan Wham that prevents injured foreign workers to be repatriated. I didn't know that they do maids too! What statutory right do they have to keep maids? Why was I not informed as the employer? Who funds them? What if, these maids, are 'chao geng'? Does that mean, they get a free holiday in a chalet doing nothing for an indefinite period of time? Is there a limit in the time they can stay there? MOM has contacted me regarding the accusations and I will be there on Friday to counter them. Anyone else has any of such experience? Can we repatriate the darn bitch after closure with MOM or MOM has the right to decide? Any input will be helpful. p.s. I do not need any flame wars. So keep the sarcasm and accusations to yourself. Thanks.

Friends I was looking at home and fire insurance for my place and I found out some things: the fire insurance that the bank makes you take when you have a loan will pay the bank first so if there’s no money left you come out empty Second is there anyone in their MCST? What does the condo insurance cover? Say there’s a fire in your home which damages the walls or some infrastructure, does the policy cover it? I've been diving into this recently - lets use an example say a homeowner is cooking and the cooker catches fire: (A) Burns only his own unit - walls are charred, tiles need to be replaced but no structural issues) (B) Burns only his own unit - fire burns through structural beam and needs looking into and repair (C) Burns his own unit, and burns through to the upstairs unit including structural issues Are all these issues covered under MCST insurance? Looking specifically at the building replacement, not renovation or contents insurance

A good option for patients who wish to pass away at home. Kudos to Dr. Tan and the medical team at NTFGH. If the option was presented to us during the last days of my late dad, we would have opt for it. Leaving ICU to die at home, surrounded by family and familiar comforts Mr Hong Kaw was never comfortable whenever he was in hospital and would hanker to go home. “Although my father was weak, he was still lucid. But on Nov 4, he could not be woken up from his nap and was rushed by ambulance to the hospital. We rushed down when we were told that his heart had stopped, but they managed to resuscitate him by using CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation),” said his daughter Hong Poh Ngor, 46. Wanting to give her father a fighting chance and “fulfil whatever his wishes were in the time he had left”, she and her two siblings decided to have him treated at the intensive care unit (ICU). When the family realised that the miracle they were hoping for – that he would regain consciousness – was not coming, they decided to fulfil his wish to die in his favourite recliner chair at home. “After two days and with still no response from my father, we decided to have him brought home,” said Ms Hong, a treasury executive. Mr Hong became the first critically ill patient from the ICU at Ng Teng Fong General Hospital (NTFGH) allowed to fulfil his wish to die at home. Within 1½ hours of reaching home, he died in his recliner chair, surrounded by family. He was 83. Called IAmGoingHome, the project was started in October 2022 by medical teams from both the ICU and Supportive Care and Palliative Medicine at the hospital. Six other patients have since taken the same route as Mr Hong, and the hospital wants to make this a norm in the future. NTFGH is the first and currently only hospital to offer a structured initiative for adults. “Letting go of such aggressive treatment is sometimes the best choice,” said Dr Tan Chee Keat, a senior consultant at the Department of Intensive Care Medicine at NTFGH. “Even before (the) Covid-19 (pandemic), some of our patients expressed the desire to go home. They don’t want the loneliness of dying in ICU with all the machines around, but the logistics is tough because these people are on life support. We need to ensure their transfer back home is a smooth one,” she said. She mooted the idea after a young patient who wanted to go home could not and died in the ICU in 2021. Recalling the incident with tears, Dr Tan said: “This young man suffered late-stage eye cancer. He was in great pain and wanted to spend time at home before he died. “His parents also wanted that for him but, at that point in time, we didn’t really know how to make the arrangements. The logistics floored us, and we could not help fulfil his wish.” Initial challenges for the team included the question of whether life support should be terminated, as the patient may die “quite quickly” when intensive care treatment is stepped down for the journey home. “Here, it has become more of palliative care, where some of the tubes have been removed and the patient is given oxygen to help with the breathing and medication to manage the pain – everything in small doses,” Dr Tan said. In the last four to five years, NTFGH had an average of 150 ICU deaths annually.

This news will move many dog lovers to tears, and put many "topo king" to shame. No joke but during my NS days, my platoon mate actually get lost during topo at Gembas area (if my memory don't fail me), despite putting markers on some of the trees and plants along the way. Source: https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/dogged-determination-golden-retriever-walks-64km-for-27-days-for-one-last-look-at-old-home A golden retriever walked over 64km for 27 days – through forests, fields and county roads – just to see once more the small village in Northern Ireland where his life began. Cooper, the dog, bolted out of the car of his new owner, who had just picked him up from a kennel in Dungannon, in County Tyrone, on April 1. He then set off on a long journey back to Tobermore in County Londonderry, 64km away, more than the entire length of Singapore from east to west. It was a miracle that he did not wander aimlessly across Northern Ireland, but was instead guided by his cold, dark, damp nose to somewhere that felt familiar and where he was eventually rescued on April 27. Mr Nigel Fleming, a photographer, adopted Cooper from a dog pound in Dungannon so his own golden retriever, Molly, would have a companion. “I was just about to get the dogs out of the car on their leads for their first walk together when Cooper bolted. He literally jumped over Molly, prised the car door open enough to get past me and ran for it,” he recalled. “It was a disaster,” he said. “The poor boy had no idea where he was, and he was in the wind. I tried to chase after him, but he was gone in an instant. So then, the search was on.” Cooper probably moved mostly at night to evade organised searches, and scavenged for food and water to survive, according to a search-and-rescue team at Facebook group Lost Paws NI. He avoided traffic and human contact, and darted into secret safety holes to bed down. He was even able to sneak past sheep farmers watching over newborn lambs at the height of their busiest season, as he flanked farmlands around County Tyrone. There were sightings of Cooper in the towns of Magherafelt and Cookstown. Ms Laurent Hughes, from Magherafelt, said in a Facebook post she saw Cooper running on a road. “Tried to stop it twice, but it was very scared and kept running. By the time we got turned around again, it had disappeared. We continued to search for a further 20 minutes, but couldn’t find it,” she said. Lost Paws NI also received a tip that Cooper had been spotted in Lisnanane Lane in Cookstown making his way through fields. Finally, on April 27, someone called the pet rescue group’s hotline to report that he had spotted Cooper running towards his old neighbourhood. Lost Paws NI then received a photo that showed Cooper dishevelled but still alive, and quickly came to pick him up. A spokesman for the group said: “Cooper is a clever boy. Instinct took him back to a place he was familiar with. How he did it, I’ll never know, but he managed it. No food, no shelter, no help, just dogged determination and that incredible nose.” “It seems incredible that he was able to do this,” she said, “but dogs are incredible.” Cooper was eventually reunited with Mr Fleming, and the golden retriever with the golden nose has since decided to stay put. “I’m sitting here looking at him and I cannot believe he’s home,” said Mr Fleming. “In the end, all we had to do was follow a dog’s nose home to familiar surroundings,” he said. “If only we’d known, we could have saved big Cooper all that anxiety.”

hi MCF, Anyone has recommendations for home tutors or tuition agency (for home tutors) at West SG ? This is for a P3 kid. thank you mice

Currently using the router provided by SH. Coverage is not very good and unable to receive any signal in MBR. Planning to get an android TV in MBR so gonna do something about the router. Router is in the living rm so any recommendation for router that is able to cover MBR? Saw quite a few Asus in Challenger. I'm not really keen on wifi extender though.

Anyone of you set up a home power back up? Can share what UPS you are using and/or what other power back up you using. Comments and feed backs on the pro and cons will be good. I am looking to set up something to back up power for my computer systems, including all the wireless system, so that can still operate for a while when there is a power failure or trip. Also looking to get a 600w to 1200w power bank for standby power. Any recommendations?

come back to office or else f off ....

Been meaning to post this for over a month, even though it might only interest some. Home visit doctors can be quite expensive but my missus found this group to come and check on her mother who at the time was not well and it's difficult to get her to the Polyclinic which has a long wait in cold aircon. Anyway https://www.rescu.sg/a-b-o-u-t came along to look at my mil. They stayed about one hour did quite a few tests and took my mil medical history. The whole team of three came along and they were very caring to my mil. They suggested after some tests etc that my mil be sent to A & E because of low Blood oxygen and the possibility of a chest infection. They even wrote a letter for the A & E doctor explaining their tests results etc.. My mil was admitted and the doctors at the hospital confirmed it was the correct thing to bring my mil to A & E. Their one hour visit was billed at S$ 68. I've no relationship to this team in any way but I wholeheartedly recommend them. They were great.