Hi Tomjason Sifu,

I have been following your thread and noted you are very experienced in renovation stuffs. Appreciate it if you can please help to advice on below. Thank you.

My house is only 18 x 65 sq.ft. (I think) double story terrace with 10 feet land beside.

1) 1st photo - if I extend the back, how do I deal with the manhole (not sure what to call it? Sewage coverage?)? If contractor cover it up or cement it, will there be any problem later like maybe Indah Water want to access it to drain 'shits' from it?

2) 2nd photo - if I extend the back to double-story and side single-story (just the back), may I know roughly how much if I buy all the materials (I don't know the measurements)?

3) 2nd photo - if I deepen the drains (to have a better drainage) and use stone cover to cover them up, will it be very costly?

4) 2nd photo - the fence, I think is only 5 feet (standard allowed?), can I add maybe wooden planks on top of it to make it higher? Is that even allowed?





This post has been edited by RickOoi: Aug 4 2012, 02:53 PM

Hi Tomjason,

Thank you very much for your answers.

I have some more questions:

1) I wish to clarify, you mentioned that extension 18x5 ft, cost complete all (normal tile) about RM11K. Is the cost for single storey or double storey? I want to extend the back to double storey 18 x 5 ft plus additional single story at the side 10 x 5 ft.

2) Referring to photo below, may I know roughly how much to demolish existing staircase and build a concrete staircase with a storeroom underneath following the flow of existing staircase?



This post has been edited by RickOoi: Aug 7 2012, 02:53 PM

Thanks again Tomjason.

How about the staircase, roughly how much re-doing the whole thing with storeroom underneath it?

In terms of cost, which is cheaper? To build a straight staircase, or this kind of 2-way staircase?

This post has been edited by RickOoi: Aug 7 2012, 05:06 PM

Thank you so much!

After reading what you guys posted above, I am tempted to use Indon workers to save costs, but worried there is too much micro managing them and their workmanship. I was quoted RM42k by next door Indon worker for extension of the back (double-story) only, and I ignored him though he called me several times.

Honestly I don't mind paying a bit more to engage a main contractor to settle everything, but if he marks up and charge me 25-30% more for everything that he then sub-con to others, and worst still delivers poor workmanship, then I really don't know which is a better option?

My question is, to ask Indon workers to do extension, do you think it is safe, I mean structurally? I don't know, I don't mind cheap materials for tiles, etc but I feel that structural things like slab, beams, walls, roofs should use strong and safe materials because ultimately it is my family members that will be staying there. On the other hand, there is no guarantee that the local contractor will do a good job is there? Who is going to take responsibility should the roof collapsed or something like that happened?

Personally, my view is if the local contractor can not deliver any value added services, eventually they will loose out to the Indon workers.

Agreed with you on the monitoring part, no matter what still have to follow-up closely. I guess there is no way around this.

Another important part is communications. A lot of time mistakes and misunderstanding come from miscommunications. But can we really insist that the contractor list every single things in black and white especially for someone like me who is not well versed with renovation and technical stuffs (that's why I keep reading this forum), there are things that may not been stated clearly, unforeseen, etc and what if the contractor charged me for that? Is that fair? Or must I agree with the contractor in advance how much to charge for those unforeseen stuffs?

Headaches when I think of all these things...

Guys, Tomjason is no longer giving out the formula, so please stop asking.

Just want to thank Tomjason for his advices on the quotes that I got. Helped me alot in avoiding those 'over priced' quotes. Thanks again!

Hi Tomjason,

Could you please help to advice whether my contractor is doing it right? Or anything wrong? I don't mean to doubt him but it is better to be safe than sorry since it is going to be a double storey back extension.

The extension area is 18 x 8 feet. He said the steels are 12mm thick, and the depth of the 3 beams are 4 feet each (has to be slightly deeper than the lower back lane).

He said that the floor steels (not sure the proper phrase) will be laid and hooked on to the delibrately exposed beams of the house. Is that correct?

Thank you.

Congrat on the new baby! Upgraded to fatherhood

Thank you so much for the valuable advice.

Thanks again Tomjason. Unfortunately, the contractor already pour cement on them; anyway, he assures me they are stable and won't collapse. I told him if the roof collapse and crushed me to death, I will become a ghost and sit on his shoulder like the Thai movie Shutter..LOL (evil laugh).

Hi Tomjason, I have pm you with some questions, hope you can help to advice.

What troubling me is the progressive payments to contractor. So far I have paid him 60% but the works done (from my point of view) is not near 50%.

My colleague told me I should NOT pay the contractor in 'advance' after the initial advance deposit of 30%, instead I should only pay the contractor AFTER the agreed completed works. But if I don't pay my contractor in 'advance' for works to be done, he threatens not to start work, and every week he will call me and chase for payment like Ah Long.

The contractor is doing his work, but just that the progress (from my point of view) is slow in comparison to the amount of $$ that I have been giving him, and it is only 1 and 1/2 months since the work started.

Can anyone please advice?

Thank you so much Tomjason. Renovating house is really very stressful, $$ keeps going out and still worry every day whether the contractor will suddenly 'disappear'. Sigh...