It's already the middle of 6th week since the renovation started. Quite some progress since my last updates but I haven't got time to actually sit down and do the write up.
Ok, let's take a look at what has been done lately.

Wetworks:

Bathroom in master bedroom has been pushed out to the balcony.




There will be a long stretch of top hung windows in the bathroom. It is purposely made to be narrow to avoid intruders...



The new extended main entrance is up. I'm placing a casement window there to bring in lights for a brighter entrance foyer. In between the window and existing beam will be a fixed glass panel. The glass to be installed there so that people couldn't hide themselves out of sight there to break my main door. Btw, I'm gonna install a 5' x 7' security door in white colour.




The front facade has another slight changes where I've taken out the existing door and made the window bigger measuring 12' x 5'H. After the discussion with the vendor, i will most probably going for a sliding window instead of 6 x normal casement windows. Reason being I know myself very well that I'm a super lazy bug who hate the daily tasks of opening all the window panels one by one. Sliding type will definitely makes my life much easier...



grills and awning at rear of the house have been taken down and to be proceed with the rear extension.


Grounding for beam and manhole relocation.


This post has been edited by maxxon: Oct 14 2013, 11:53 AM

Wiring:-

Initial phase of wiring points has been done till further works later on lighting and switches installation. As this house is for own occupation, I've added a good number of extra power sockets too... so that I won't be regretting in future.


We checked that the wiring contractor is generally giving cables with sirim endorsement instead of those cheapo china made..


The old ceiling lights have been moved to the wall temporary to allow works on plaster ceiling.


This post has been edited by maxxon: Oct 13 2013, 08:35 PM

Plaster ceilings for ground floor and first floor are up except for kitchen, pending for the extension works. Down light holes will be cut later by wiring contractor.

Termites prevention:-

After some calls for quotation, I decided to hire Stopest for the termites prevention. My house and my near neighbours' are not infected with termites (9 years old houses), but I decided to do the perimeter drilling as a prevention though...

Just some simple info on the quotation i got for perimeter drilling prevention:

Ridpest - RM2500, 5 years warranty, using chemical from Sumitomo
Rentokil- RM3500, 5 years warranty. Did not bother to ask what brand of chemical used after knowing the cost.
Stopest - RM2500 bargained down to RM2300, 5 years warranty with annual inspection within warranty period, using chemical from Bayer's Agenda. Given 1 year's free general pest control (6 visits/year)

It was just some simple arrangements that I've dealed with Stopest:
- Rang them for a quote over the phone.
- Received their official quote thru email.
- Rang them again, negotiating down to RM2300, and made an appointment.
- Their 2 workers came on time for the work - drilling holes around the built-up perimeter (each hole at a foot distance), injecting chemical into the holes, and plastering the holes at my living room as I'm going to remain the marble flooring.
- Paid cash to the guy after the work was done and received a warranty certificate straight away with my address pre-printed on it.
- Have to call them in again after all reno works to do the general pest control on rats, cockroaches, ants, etc.




Drilling holes at the built-up perimeter.


Drilling is best before new flooring.


drilling on marble flooring.



The chemical solution was prepared in a big drum and it was pumped and injected into each holes (5 liters of solution per hole). They splashed some remaining solution to the soil at my front yard as well.



Covering up the holes for marble flooring. I find the marks are somehow acceptable as my marble is kinda light in colours and hope it will be even less visible after the polishing. For my store room's floor, they are covering the holes with brown colours plaster to match my existing brown colour tiles.


This post has been edited by maxxon: Nov 12 2013, 12:06 PM

Hopefully can finish by end Nov...

Yup..things seem to be sped up a little..hope no major hiccup along the progress..

Thanks for reminder..
- Network cable Cat5e to Study cums TV room in first floor was done. So as for Astro cable.


- Armoured cable for auto gate, aircond, heater and alarm system were done too..

- Haven't been thinking of the speaker's wire though... thanks for your reminder really...
- As of the Unifi fiber optic cable, I've yet to get a contractor who can do that...perhaps anyone here can recommend to me?
One more problem with Unifi connection, the TM sales guy told me that my area's port is already full so I can't be connected to Unifi unless TM opens up extra ports but not sure when they gonna do it... gosshh...how am I gonna live without Unifi!?

The room is at the upper floor.....btw, is that the common way to do?

This post has been edited by maxxon: Oct 14 2013, 12:09 PM

agree... I have those cables at the living room and in the tv room at upper floor too..

Thanks...
The progress was pretty slow the first few weeks with just 2 workers and only can touch the interior...can't go too extensive until the reno permit is out..

Renovation inside the house no need wait for approval...coz no facade and structural change externally..
But if they wanna cari kopi duit, they have all sorts of reason to kacau also lar...

My contractor kaotim-ed the submission including blueprint endorsement..
We started with some plaster ceilings, flooring and tiles demolition at the beginning then the exterior work as soon as the approval was out..

Err... Mayb they wanna save cable length?
Not sure this will cause any bad impact? If not, i got no choice but just let it be then...

This post has been edited by maxxon: Oct 15 2013, 02:03 AM

Kochin,
From my calculation, it will be around 200k for renovation inclusive of:
Demolishing, wetwork, tiling, laminate flooring for upper flr, painting, plumbing, WC & bathroom accessories, plaster ceiling, M&E, windows and sliding/folding doors, 1 x security door, 2 x bedroom wooden doors, termite prevention, alarm system, new gate & autogate syst, kitchen cabinet, window grills & a set of collapsible scissors gill.

Saton 666,
You are right, those things definitely burn holes in pocket....My tiling cost is around 28k, plumbing 5k+.

This post has been edited by maxxon: Oct 15 2013, 09:58 PM

I checked already, only the study/tv room has this kind of connection... Luckily this wall is the sharing wall with neighbour next door, so there wont be any chances that I will hack this wall in future....
Hmmm...at least me and other forumer here learn somethings from this...

I have been kinda careful on the budget...so that we don't overrun it much as we also need to spend quite a good sum to buy all new furnitures and electrical appliances..That's why I'm sourcing the vendors for some other items myself.. such as windows & doors, grills, gate, alarm, carpenter,etc.

However, I still let the main con to handle main job like painting, plaster ceiling, M&E, plumbing, tiling, etc. So that he can plan the job schedule and sequence better. I think no contractor would be keen on my job if it's too 'small'. Knowing that the main con will sure tops up a little profit on the cost, but I chose to let them 'earn abit', as long as he delivers quality job with quality materials... Hence, the contractor that i choose was not the cheapest among the few quotes that I got...but the review from my neighbor whom I get his contact from is quite ok..

As of the Niro tiles, I'm actually cutting the cost down by mixing it with other brand. I just use it in the bathroom floor as the surface is not as big as the walls...
Moreover, Niro is good for flooring compared other tiles as it is less slippery.

Talk about GH, i find their sales guy (in old Klang Rd branch) is somehow abit passive and not so keen to serve. There is only one bangladeshi guy who has worked there many years is very hardworking and had served us really good. He helped us to take the tiles up and down, in and out, with no unwilling-face at all. He told me his target is 100k a month. I've already helped him up a 18k (bought some bathroom accessories too), so he was so happy and keep saying thank you...

This post has been edited by maxxon: Oct 23 2013, 01:34 AM

Yup, the same guy..

I'm getting the Paradox SP6000 alarm system from one of the guy who has been mentioned by many forumers here, Winson (012-2060138)

Before I approach Winson, I went to the Paradox exhibitor in homedec. In general, many of us think that the fair exhibitor must be the main/sole distributor hence should be offering the best price in town, especially in a fair. We soon realize that's not true at all.
For eg., ref to attached quotation, this exhibitor quoted me total of RM2630 for SP6000 with 2 nos PIR motion detectors and upgraded 1 nos LCD keypad. Before I commit the deal, I decided to ring Winson for a benchmarking, and I'm glad that I did so, coz I have another few hundred bucks savings in the pocket!

This is the quotation I got earlier from the homedec exhibitor.




Besides that, I'm also getting the autogate system from Winson, DC Moto 925W at RM1400.

I set an appointment with him last Wednesday for the alarm wiring. I texted him my add and thought of handing him the money/deposit on the day he comes to do wiring. I didn't receive any call from him on Wed so I thought he didn't turn up...but to my surprise on the next day when I visited the site, all alarm wiring already done! He did the wiring without taking deposit... This guy really trust me huh!? Hahaha!





This post has been edited by maxxon: Oct 23 2013, 01:40 AM

Doubled post removed.

This post has been edited by maxxon: Oct 18 2013, 06:04 PM

For a renovation, we went to many exhibition fairs, visited various vendors and of coz paid lots of deposits..
So, how do u guys manage all your reno-related docs, such as invoices, quotation, etc?
I put them in a plastic file case like u see in the pic below. It is easier for me to bring along when i go out and it can keep all papers in place nice and neat.
For the receipts, I keep them in a smaller zipper bag which I can put it inside the plastic case as well.



This post has been edited by maxxon: Oct 19 2013, 03:48 AM