Finished Product of My ID

Shifted into my new house (still new to me) back in Dec 2009. Although we moved in in Dec 2009, we still went back to the previous home (a condo) a number of times to move many many more stuff to this new house.

How did we stuff so many things into a condo? I really wonder. Anyhow, my Interior Designer did a good job and a professional photographer from a local ID magazine came to take a few shots to be published in the magazine.

If you require any ID consultation, please do contact Ms. Ng Phuay Ching of Be In Design Solutions Sdn Bhd @ 012-3341678.

At first I was quite hesistant to contact an ID with the myth of "expensive". You can actually do your renovation with an ID according to your budget. It all depends on the type of quality and materials that you would use.

I even got my ID to custom make the living hall's sofa (which was made according to my size) and the dining hall's dining table.

My ID helped us with the placing of the respective lightings with all things done on drawings (designer format of course) first before we embark on the hacking.

I have my own faint idea of how my house should look like and with the ID's design concept, the following pictures defined it all:-

Tags: House Renovation, ID, Interior Designer, Be In Design Solutions Sdn Bhd

Useful Electrical Gadgets for House

Some of you may know about such electrical gadgets but some may not know.

The Selcon sensor (3 Ampere) produced by Kaga Inc. in Japan could sense day or night is useful if it's attached to an external light.

Come night time, the sensor will sense lesser light and it will automatically switch on that particular light. It will switch off once enough day time light is detected in the morning.

It comes in pairs and I got two, one for the porch light and one for a backlane light. Going at RM40 per pair.

Besides that, I got three units of Hager timer, made in France. Going at RM85 per unit.

This timer could be set to make certain lightings or electrical equipment (e.g. radio) to be switched on at or off after certain hours. That's like assuming someone's at home. It works like the Selcon sensor as you need to attach it to a particular light switch or power point.

Where did I buy such gadgets? It was from G&H Electrical Trading Sdn Bhd at Lorong Yap Hin, just a road behind RHB Bank Berhad, Jalan Pasar Branch.

The boss was known to my electrician. You need contacts to get stuff at a lower pricing.




The dry kitchen has taken its shape with the slim concrete table.















The neighbour at the back may have gotten a renovation contractor that is quite busy.

The Indonesian workers knocked the last piece of wall down but didn't build the brickwall fast enough to protect the house. The workers dug up a bit of the ground and laid some cement and disappeared for at least two days.

Such construction method may not be good to build a good wall / extension foundation.
Tags: Selcon, Kaga Inc, Japan, Hager, France, G&H Electrical Trading Sdn Bhd, Electrical Gadget

Weird DBKL Ruling

Got the key to my new house and had thought of extending the 1st floor (back portion of the house). Just found out that according to the DBKL local council plans, the 1st floor wall cannot be less than 10 feet from the middle point of the back lane (as shown in the pic below).
Asked a friend of mine on the rationale of it and he said it's due to fire safety. But I told him that I could still do the full extension provided I submit my application with an architect's drawings. So, what's the fire safety issue all about? If I follow DBKL's plan I cannot extend but submit architect's plan, I can extend ??!?!?!?!?!?! Weird, isn't it?

When I told the DBKL officer that that my new house's backlane is about 10 feet to 12 feet wide, the officer said that in order for me to extend the 1st floor and still meet DBKL's ruling, my backlane has to be at least 20 feet wide. Where in the world that you can find a backlane that's 20 feet wide nowadays. It's already a bonus to find a backlane of 10 feet wide.

Do you know what? Many of those houses at my area have extended just what I have intended fully .......... without getting DBKL's approval. Now, will DBKL pay them an annual visit to penalise them or ask for 'something' in order to close an eye or ask the houseowners to tear down those illegal extension or submit architect's plans and pay penalty for breaching the rules?

There goes my planning. Have to abandon the idea of 1st floor back extension due to time constraint. Reason is because I have to source for an architect, get new drawings done, expensive fees, submission of plans to DBKL, approval which may take a minimum of 3 months (if lucky and they don't try to be funny with us) ..... just too much to handle.

I checked with a professional structural engineer and he confirmed that many of DBKL, MPSJ and MPPJ's extension plans / guidelines are different from the standard national Uniform By-Law 1984 . He said that each local council has their own rules / guidelines, each department within the local council has their own stuff again and when it comes to the last line of officers, they have their own individual understanding or interpretation ................. what nonsense! When will we progress as a nation like that?

When you check DBKL's website, the plan for the 1st floor extension therein is different from the pre-approved plan that you can obtain from DBKL counter. Tell me about consistency.

I have just gotten the DBKL approval for my backyard extension (ground floor) and front main door extension. Just can't wait to get back to KL to finalise the renovation ideas with the renovation contractor and negotiate on the costs of doing so. Will be hiring an Interior Designer ("ID") at the same time. This ID lady will be my project manager and could monitor / co-ordinate my renovation / interior design works when I'm travelling overseas.

Target to move in by end of the year.
Tags: House Renovation, Backyard Extension, DBKL, MPSJ, MPPJ

Ways To Impress in Renovation

I did a rough estimation on my renovation costs my new house which is expected to be released with the key and certificate of fitness altogether by next month. Looks like it's going to explode way beyond what I had expected.

Certainly need to delay and hold certain brilliant ideas of mine and forego certain items I have dreamt of having.

Thought of getting a professional Interior Designer but to my dismay, their quotes (approached three so far) right upfront put me off ............ RM8,000, RM10,000 and RM10,000.

Have gotten quotes from Rowenta Kitchen (based in Cheras) and Artset Design Sdn Bhd (based in Dataran Sunway) for my wardrobes, kitchen and various carpentry works which don't they come cheap at all. Am waiting for a family-owned business, Snaider Furniture (M) Sdn Bhd (based in TTDI), to provide me with the same quotes.

Awaiting three other contractors who would only provide me with the quotes when I get my house key.

When I saw the pictures below, I couldn't stop laughing. Some people do go great length just to give a good first hand imporession and it gave me a great ideas ........................ haha
Tags: Interior Designer, House Renovation

Plenty to Think About for Renovation

New house should be ready by Dec '08 or Jan '09. By then the housing developer will deliver the vacant possession letter to allow me to occupy the house. Give and take, hopefully one to two months to rectify whatever defects not done properly in constructing the house. That will be end Feb '09 or early Mar '09.

Need to apply to the City Hall Council for the need to obtain a permit before the commencement of the renovation. That may take two weeks (I heard and if everything is smooth).

I'm already cracking my head on how to decorate up the house, where to put the respective furnitures, how to light up the house, what sort of cabinets be it for the rooms or kitchen and the most important is the matching of colours throughout the whole house.

Yesterday was on leave and settled some documents with my financier and hopped on to my new house with a contractor, husband and wife team (the wife seems to be very good with her interior ideas). Told / explained on how I wanted to renovate ...... don't know whether they are going to have a good laugh after we went our separate ways ...... haha. Did I make sense to them?

How did I paint my dream house to them? It's all hard works by reading many magazines in the last few months.

The problem now is after reading soooooooo many of these magazines, I'm still quite confused. Reason is - each time you flip through a magazine, you'll be fascinated with a particular design or setting and you'll tell your brain to scan that and keep it in memory.

Few days later, you see another good design and thought it would be good to have this and now my brain has two designs for the same spot .......... it went on and on. Headache! Headache! Headache!

Those are the tags which I have placed on relevant pages which have captured my brain. Now, how am I going to put all of this into only one house.

Now you can imagine what I have told the contractor. I gave many options with money as the main factor. Told them not to build something fit for a king when the finance comes from a servant.

With the world financial market crumbling one by one, would it be safer to spend it and get a nice place to live in. How much to spend for a house renovation? What should be done now and which one that can be deferred? Headache! Headache! Headache!

There was once I gathered a number of recommendations for interior designers or contractors from friends. Haven't called any of them but will do so any time now. Get all of them to meet at the new house and tell once and for all????

The thought of getting so many quotes will also put me in a quandary. How to tell them "Thanks for your quotation but I think I'm getting another person to do it".

Waaaaaah, initially you pressed for the best price and then opt for someone else ............. this is the business world and the best shall win ...... not necessary the one with the lowest pricing.

With this list (plus four more at hand), I should be getting at least ten quotations. Good enough or too many?

Now, whom to choose and based on what? Headache! Headache! Headache!

Did drop by at Goodrich at Sri Hartamas which has lots of wallpaper selections. Confused as well.

Anyone of you used their materials before? Recommended?

A big piece of wallpaper measuring 9' by 9' will cost you RM2,000 plus. I was shocked indeed but it was a nice piece ......... should I? Headache! Headache! Headache!

Just when you thought buying a new house is so easy. Buy, settle loan, house ready then move in with current furnishings. My my my .......
Tags: House Renovation, Interior Designer, Renovation Contractor, Wallpaper, Wallcovering, City Hall Council of Kuala Lumpur, DBKL

Smell of a New House

Over the weekend paid a visit to my new house project site. Satisfied over its work progress and the major works are concentrated within the interior and porch area. Mainly the toilets, laying of tiles, internal wall paint, installation of power points / lighting points / doors / windows. The developer is still targetting handover by Jan '09.
The back portion of my row of houses are already plastered and awaiting the erection of the brickwall as its divider.

Related post - New House Near Completion
Tags: House Renovation, New House

MPAJ Rules for House Renovation

I saw this in a forum, where it stated that Majlis Perbandaran Ampang Jaya ("MPAJ") has new rulings for house owners.

House owners are to apply for renovation permits which cost up to RM300. Besides that, you may have to pay for RM50 for putting up a board in front of the house and RM200 for a rubbish crate to be put outside your house and some deposits (could run into hundreds too).

You must apply for the renovation permit if you intend to do the following:-
* installation of grill (door or window);
* installation of wardrobe;
* installation of kitchen cabinet;
* installation of awning; and
* laying of new tiles onto existing tiles ... (crazy or what?)
* changing of old wall / floor tiles to new tiles
* anything to do with the roof, porch or fencing

To apply for the above permits, you have to pay RM5 for the application form ......... hehehehe.

If you are not happy with the high cost involved, bring it up Ong Tee Keat, the Member of Parliament ("MP") of the area. Might be the future president of the Malaysian Chinese Association. Why did I bring up his name? Firstly, he's the MP. Secondly, he has these bold words in his personal blog "Rela Berkorban Dan Berjuang Untuk Anda!" (Ready to Sacrifice and Fight For You). That's a strong statement, so go and see him .......... if he can't help you to reduce cost, ask him to re-consider the bold statement.
Tags: MPAJ, Majlis Perbandaran Ampang Jaya, House Renovation, Ong Tee Keat