I just bought a new terrace house in Kemuning Utama. Just wanna share my experience here, and also need some suggestion. I seldom visit lowyat forum, but now i have learned alot from here. Especially the Home Defect Rectification Checklist by aaronpang.

Hope u all understand wat i m trying to say here since i m chinese educated.



okay, after i get the key, when i visit my house, there r alot of contractors starting to promote their services. Alot of namecard, flyers u can get from your post box. During the time i get the key, the developer also pass me few forms to signup, some checklists, loose fitting materials, defect forms. On start, i donno what are these, i dont get why they pass 2 me those loose fitting things. Well, i hav learned alot from this forum.

At the first time i visit my house,
i didnt see anything wrong with it. everything seems okay, just the floor r dirty. Thanks to the "Home Defect Rectification Checklist" by aaronpang. For new buyers, please don't skip the Recification steps! unless you are rich and willing to find contractors to fix it all for u. Luckily i didnt skip it n directly ask them to install loose fitting things. else i will regret~

After follow what aaronpang said, i found alot of crack lines, very small lines....very poor paint job and somemore, watermark on the plaster ceiling. The last defects i found is the crack wood of the main door. One of my neighbours teach me that after you setup the loose fittings, try to flood your toilet on 1st floor for 1 day, then you check for water sinking. Else it will be very troublesome after you install your plaster ceiling.

Currently, i m still at the stage of rectification. Next will be install the loose fitting things. during that time, you have to pass out the loose fitting that you keep. The developer asked me to keep it (i don't get why not they keep for you?). Last week, i m doing a survey on everything. Renovation is new to me. So today just wanna share out what m i have in my mind now, and just wanna know what you ppl think about my idea.

Now, i already get a basic quotation from one of the cheap contractors i found. Got another 1 is the most cheap contractors, but it's from indo ppl. Many contractors asked me not to take them, else you will very regret 4 it. They can give you the lowest price, but they also will give u the lowest quality job. Some of them just take money n run. You won't able to find them anymore. So, i just picked one of the chinese contractors who give me the lowest price.


For the basic thing i wanna do, they quoted me as the following.
My house size 22x70 ft, about 2100 sqft (ground & 1st floor)

Wiring
- Light Point - RM70 / pcs
- Plug Point - RM90 / pcs
- Air Con point - RM180 / pcs

- Gate RM4000 - Stainless Steel (Empty Inside) <<-second expensive ( +RM1500 if wan Auto Gate motor)
- Car porch (include tiles, with skirting) - in RM4000, (+ RM550 if wanna extend to near road area)
They said the used tiles is very solid, lori cross over won't break 1... T_T not sure how to check it.

- Security frame for all windows (powder coating) <<expensive thing - RM3200
- Build a 5ft simen fence on the backyard - RM2400
- Backyard with tiles n skirting - RM1200
- Plaster Ceiling, L box (for the living area - 2 square roof), RM2800, +RM800 if wanna add a drop Lbox in middle

- Close one toilet's door (with tiles) - RM850

- Break the front sliding door 9ft x 8 ft, build 4 new fixed dark tinted windows - RM1800


- Main Door and backyard door - RM4000 (wood + steel)
- Build a wall + extention to coverup the staircase = RM3000
- Break a wall - RM450 (2 x RM450 = RM900)


Total = RM28,150 (without additional thing, without the wiring, without lights)

Since that i haven't calculate the light points n plug points yet, i reserve RM2000 for the wiring 1st.
Then, for the aircon, since i havent found any aircon supplier yet. Assume that i gonna have 4 aircon, i heard that some ppl can get RM650 for a branded aircon 1 horsepower (not sure is york or what), n for installation for each is about RM250) But until now i cannot get below RM1k for the aircon. So, i reserve RM4500 for aircon.

For the light, I gonna use about 40 downlights, and about 20 T-Lights

1 stylish downlights, with 2 philip bulbs, the price i can get is RM45 per each.
so is RM45 x 40 = RM1800

T-lights is used for the plaster ceiling, i assume that i gonna use 16x 4ft T-Lights (not sure m i correct or not), the price is Rm25/each
so is RM25x16 = RM400

n I dont think 16 is enough; let's reserve RM800 for it.

Additional Lights
For a nice front gate lights, 2X RM150, RM300
4 wall lights, 4X RM100, RM400
Dinning Lights, RM200

RM2600 + RM900 = RM3500

+ The TOTAL above = RM31,650

OMG~! it's without the kitchen yet~! without the interior design yet~!!~ is their price reasonable?


okay, the following is the kitchen i wanna do.

The cabinet is with 3G glass, granite surface, with soft close.

RM20k ( i m trying to get this price from a cheapest designer) Not sure that i can get it or not, waiting their quotation.
But i found 1 kitchen contrator can do that in RM18k, but he is from rawang.

+ TOTAL RM51,650

Now is the interior design thing,
Here is my own sketched design for the living area, I dont think it is hard to do it with very low budget. It is already very simple for me.
I designed it to save my cost. but it's still over my budget.


I still getting the quotation for doing that thing. Alot of contractors told me that if i m using stones for that wall, it will cost me more than 10k. If using woods, it's so ugly

Okay, forget it, i just only reserve 10k only for that thing. It's already over my budget.

All the things above, still without the Furniture, Electronics thing~~
n i am also looking for lorenzo link sofa, L shape, and others elegant design furniture...

Any professional can help me here?

This post has been edited by WKWebsite: Jul 18 2010, 02:57 AM

OMG..
Hi WKWebsite..
I'm also one of renovation contractor based at shah alam..
TOTAL RM51,650>>>so too high
now i'm doing renovation at PV12 Condo at Setapak..for interior including kitchen cabinet, grille, plaster ceiling, mini bar, electrical, airconditioning and etc about 27k..seriously i beat other 4 chinese contractor at the same area around 38k-48k their quotation..
if u need i'm do ur quotation..i can

Hi AzimAdhwa,

to constructing corner house fencing (boundary) wall basic design how much is per sf?

Thanks

hi sheakhu..
can u give ur area dimension..?ft x ?ft or ?m x ?m

36X65

if basic design (brickwall) for fencing around (corner house) about 9k

So roughly about RM100 PSF ?

owh sorry..i think in meter..about 4k-5k..dats mean RM8/sqft

OK, But the boundary wall can't be in sqft, may be its in long feet ? thats mean can't be RM8 for a foot, which is starting from bottom (land) untill let say 4 feet tall.;

yeah its in foot but for easy calculation quot, i take standard 5 feet height x total feet around house...

OK, PM me your details, Will contact with you by end of this month, need to so some renovation bro, see what will be your quo,
location will be Bandar Sri Damansara,

anyhow thanks for the info,
Cheers

already PM

i do my best

can i ask how much you bought the place? looks nice.

is it really too high? but please pm a quotation to me for each item, if can pls list out the materials 4 me also. Thanks!!!

for me as also contractor..
i'll trying to list out ur pricelist above..
get comparison from dat..
welcome

about Rm370k, middle unit, now is already over 400k. For phase 1, early bird can get Rm310k for middle units. For corner units, about Rm450k+, Now is already up to Rm720k++

now everything already up..especially petrol..huh

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Added on July 17, 2010, 1:22 amcheck ur pm

This post has been edited by AzimAdhwa: Jul 17 2010, 01:22 AM

From my past experience in renovating my current house and I am also renovating my new house. RM80k for reno like what you have quoted is consider quite reasonable. For your aircond you also need to calculate how much the cost for installation of piping. If the aircond is far from the compressor the price could go up to thousand. You need to be prepare for that.

Costs likely to be in line with quality and brand
I budgeted RM 60k for construction and RM 30k for cabinet n fitting,
now the costs exceeded RM 150k

If u want to save some money,

1. you need to compromise by excepting less branded item eg.
buy sofa from co like Zolano than Lorenzo

http://www.zolano.com/awards.html

2. Buy during stock clearance. My old Lorenzo L shape only costs RM 2.5k
as it was one of the last two sets then.

3. Purchase your own material especially tile as contractor may
source for u a spec which is expensive (quality or timing) as he may
not have the time to look for every shops.

4. Look for the right shop eg go Top Ten Puchong for lighting, don't go
Signature Kitchen for Cabinet unless u r super rich etc. I'm not saying
there quality is not good but u r paying $$$ for slightly better quality.

I think your contractor's price r reasonable. Do consider other item which better to complete b4 u move in as it is troublesome to do in future.

1. Alarm/ CCTV as security frame is not that secured
2. External Water Filter
3. 5 feet back yard may compromise security. Not much usage also as the neighbour cooking will cause the area oily.
4. Paint the house as developer would not give u good quality paint.

U may want to consider following:-

1. Install mirror (min 6" x 6") in dinning since u r going to have nice kitchen
2. Install a nice shower screen.
3. Change some of the lock set.
4. Carry out basic termite treatment if developer did not provide it.
5. Choose inverter air-cond if the house wiring is not 3 phrase.

Your house is indah residence, right? I almost buy one in November last year, they were selling RM380K at the time.