Hi to all. Im a new house owner. My house is 20x65 2.5sty in puchong. Well, i will get my house keys soon around 3 months time (i think) now my worries are, is it advisable to buy items as below before getting the keys? a bit scared in view of price gain and financial (dont want to fork out a big lump later)

items which will be needed;

a) celling fans ( 8 unit)
b) fridge
c) washing machine
d) down lights (not sure how many unit) - can buy this later once the hired the plaster celling contractor
e) sofa
f) bed and matteress
g) kitchen items - hood, hob, sink n other fittings (well found LYN forumer Zheilwane, most probable will look for him on this items)
h) kitchen cabinet - noted can be booked earlier with out getting house keys


Planned renovation - kitchen extension (abt 5x20), concrete table, plaster celling in hall, divide wall in car pouch (not sure about the size),grille, wiring and adding electrical points (estimated 30k for all this)


Can i book the items listed above now n start to pay for the items in installment so i wont fork out a big sum later. so confused .

I hope some of the new house owners who just done with renovation could giv some advise on this matters

is up to your convinient

The first step is to determine your budget. Nobody can advise you without knowing your total budget (unless the Rm30k stated is total and not only for renovation budget). I would say that RM30k including renovation and all other new items stated will not be enough. Do note also that the actual will be much higher than the budget. 30% is a good place to start. Mine was 70% over a then considered reasonable and realistic budget.

You need to determine what is essential (must have on Day 1) vs important but can wait vs nice to have. Fans, fridge and washing machines are essential. Sofa can be essential but also can wait if there are cheap temporary option available but that depends on individual. Hood may be can wait but that depends on your wet kitchen location (e.g facing window, etc.). Appliances should be bought as late as possible unless there is a good sale.

the renovation doesn't sound 30k to me.

Do not touch anything until you are ease with the house quality.

Piece of advise. Otherwise, everything just get voided! Just like car.

way >30k

10q for the sugestions, looks like have to find alternative financial aid.

Extension of ur kitchen easily can chop u ~20k...30k for those ur expectation jobs done, 99.99% cant make it

this not helping me.

Then dont do the extension lor. It is better not to do it than adding your debt level just for renovation. What's the point of having a nice house when the Ah Long are chasing you for money?

BTW, you should have planned for a moving in cost when you bought a house. Of course you can aways build a tent inside your house if no budget was allocated.

Just a little advise...when i moved in to my aparment..i didn't do any reno (kitchen) at first as movign in itself needs $$$...I bought the necessary stuff. After moving in for 2 years..then only i did my kitchen..when I had the $$$ again..so..sometimes..even though it's ideal to do everything at one go..but our financial situation plays an important role too.

In fact, I'm doing my apartment..bit by bit..the next project would be my built in closet..

You don't need to keep up with the Joneses

This post has been edited by phythia79: Jun 14 2011, 04:33 PM

Dont buy electrical appliances as the warranty might start running months before you start moving in and using them for the first time .

Same here. I run my renovation like a project. There is Phase 1, Phase 2 and beyond. That said, there is always a temptation to let scope creeps. My Phase 1 was supposed to be back of house extension for kitchen and a new gym room. But that turn out to also include changing all the switches, aircond, doors, windows, painting for the entire house!

Just my own experience.... I have renovated my house back in Year 2008... The budget was RM70k+... And the Final Figure come too almost RM150k....

Just some hint for renovation works planning and budgeting...

a) Keep those messy works (concrete, brickworks and etc) to proceed first

b) Only then follow by ID Works (e.g Wallpaper, Fittings and etc)

Always put your necessity as priority during renovation..

Agreed with SL2007.

Get your WET / knoking task all done first included electric / aircorn piping / water pipling...

Don't worry, you for sure will over use the $$$ if you don;t keep on your design and add here and there.

just from my experience..... do everything that involves hacking first..... at least then you would have a piece of mind when you wanna do phase 2 onwards..... cabinets and all can come in later..... appliances should buy only at the very last minute as trend and interest will change after time.... you may buy something u like now..... but right before moving in.... you see something better..... DO NOT buy electrical appliances so early... especially TV....

Well, sometime i will suggest dont do anything when u havent get your key, there is some reason.

1. Key may delay on some reason, that make the thing u have bought is not able to use, IF u really unlucky, key may delay for many month, who know when the time u move in, all the thing u buy is already out dated or even cheaper (specially electrical item like TV)

2. Space for actual and floor plan are diff, that may spoil your planing. Example, when u see floor plan, there is 10ft to put sofa, but when u got your key, u only find out, there is some (new wall or column, example lah) to block away, then your sofa cant use already.

3. the thing u buy is not suitable to use. example, you buy a ceiling light for your room, however, your developer give you wall light, so that light is not able to use already, if u can change still ok, just wasting time, if cant, then that is your extra cost already. compare to you scare about price increase, this kind of expenses may more then the price increase.

This post has been edited by Eleganz Concept: Jun 15 2011, 01:10 AM

Agree. Don't do ANYTHING except for budgeting planning. Once got key, spend all ur money

a very reasonable advise, not just scare the newbies like the others.

Friend, you shouldn't say scared by newbies.. Everyone here just to help and give you some opinion...

Well, is your decision whether to proceed with whatever renovation you intended..

Actually, there's also a good reason for buying all the stuffs earlier.

1) Budget.. sometimes, u indeed need the item and got budget for it. And it happen there's a sale which usually lasts for a short time.. By buying earlier, you get sales prices instead of normal price.

2) If you got your stuff ready... the contractor can do better judgement of how to renovate your house, considering the size of the the stuff that you are planning to put at certain locations. Eg : you're doing table top and want to have space for Fridge next to it. If you got the fridge ready, the contractor can estimate how long the table top should be.. Same thing with hood & hob.. The item must exist first before they can make a hole to fit your hob..

3) You can bring it your lamp/fan, and try putting it at your favourite location. You can see whether it looks beautiful at that location or not. That way, you can advise the wiremen on how and where to do the wiring.. If you buy the stuff once the renovation complete, you walk in into lighting house and saw a nice light and attracted to it but since you've never imagine about such thing before, there's no power point to fix your light.. If you buy it, you need to call the wiremen to hack your house again. So, it's also good to do some shopping first while renovation in progress, so, there won't be unexpected extra stuff that buy after that..


All above are true from my own experience, not from my own theory

This post has been edited by zeese: Jun 15 2011, 12:27 PM

1) Budget, yes, u are right, but sometime, offer item some are going to discontinue item, or some are continue offer item in future, so is depent.

2) Space planing can be done by only look at cataloge, coz most of them are have detail measurement on the cataloge, and for those fridge, build-in oven, hood and hob are about the same measurement, not very hard to plan. Just point the model you interested on the cataloge to your contractor, they will know how to do already.

3) Those loose item like you say floor lamp, table lamp and all the decorative item, there is no problem to buy it 1st, but just like i siad, B4 GET THE KEY, u not even know is the place got switch or not, so u can buy those thing once you got your key, but not at when the renovation is done.

Aaarr.. I see.. Sorry..I misunderstood the situation. TS are talking about, "BEFORE GETTING THE KEY". What have I been thinking!

Well, in that case... it's a risk because lot's buyer end up canceling their purchase, or never get their keys for years due to reasons - among others
- lawyers are too slow
- cannot get permission from land office to transfer land title
- caveat
- prblm with banks
- seller change their mind.. don't want to sell
- etc..

as for me..i tried to plan and started buy things month by month..
sales....price bargain time then go and buy furnitures..

Hi, I just bought my first unit as well, and I do advise you to GET your keys first before buying or even bookng all your listed items. And trust me, there are a lot more moving costs to be considered other than furnitures and appliances.
sales/promotions/etc will always be there. When i moved in, i just bought my stuffs little by little as I'm on a very tight budget as well.
Once I kumpul enough money, i'll buy 1 item. Give me more excuse to go shopping even more...lol... Just buy whatever necessary first if you don't have a lot of budget, then slow slow shop for the rest.

good luck!

below contractor can meet, see their offer

http://lifestylereno.blogspot.com/

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Added on June 25, 2011, 12:06 amsee below link contractor info

http://lifestylereno.blogspot.com/

This post has been edited by vatiore: Jun 25 2011, 12:06 AM