I've been following this forum since many months ago and I really find this forum so interesting and informative with all sorts of useful topics and sharing on renovation matters. Now, here I am to share my renovation journey as well with as much details as I could. I also appreciate your inputs and suggestions along the journey as I'm kinda noob in some reno matters and lacking of experiences.

Bought an intermediate dsl in PJ, a gated and guarded community, 24x75 with original build up 2350sqft. Got the key quite some months ago but it was not having much progress earlier mainly delays especially from the drawing, permit application and sourcing process. It was also delayed for 3 weeks as I decided to wait till the lunar 7th month is over before the reno starts.



It is not a major make over where it won't have obvious change on the front facade. The structural change is only the push-out of kitchen extention, push-out of master bed room's balcony to make space for bigger bathroom and knocking down the side pathway wall to rebuild it like an entrance to the living room, hence the main door will be shifted over to the extention of the side pathway...



Note: The drawing was actually done before decision to some changes on the actual reno. The actual kitchen layout has been slightly changed where the location of hood/hob and the sink has been reversed. Furthermore, the main entrance to the front foyer has also been extended.



Will also knock some walls to open up extra windows at first floor to the indoor courtyard.
This was the earlier plan to have a separation partition for wardrobe but I've changed my mind now to have only one simple row wardrobe in order not to jeopardise the overall spacious master bedroom.



Will move the main door to the corner to make use the pathway as entrance hall.


Gonna knock this wall down to make entrace to the living room, will rebuid part of the wall with sand block and vent block to give a raw and rustic touch.


This post has been edited by maxxon: Mar 19 2014, 03:07 PM

Gonna take away this balcony at master bedroom to make space for bigger bathroom.


Will knock down the wall panels at the staircase so that the living room will look bigger and to have a brighter staircase.


This post has been edited by maxxon: Sep 20 2013, 05:20 AM

Work started last 2 days and this is what it looks likes now.






Will knock the kitchen wall later when approval from mbpj comes out. However I will only extent the kitchen but not the entire back yard coz I do not want the ground flr room to be wasted as most places that I've seen with the extention will have very dark room. I will reserve the room for the elders if they happen to live with us in future. So, they can still enjoy very nice green view from their window.
Moreoevr, I will like to reserve the back yard for cloth-drying and also might plant some herbs there..


There is a very nice big park at the back of my hse. Hence I will very much want to make a nice place here to yum cha while enjoying the green view and breeze.


This post has been edited by maxxon: Sep 20 2013, 05:27 AM

From my calculation, it will be around 260k-300k hard cash to reno and simple furnishing...

Things and services are so expensive now... perhaps RM couldn't get us much... I need to hold very tight on the budget so that it won't overrun...
I hope i can print moolah!!

Waiting for your hse completion?

Ic... It will be a very major construction then...good thing is u have more space and potential to play around with the architectural part... U need much much more moolah then... Haha..

Haha... Sime darby's product it is.. Yes weikee, it's in Ara Damansara nearer to Ara Green..

It was selling at 920-950k for a basic unit when I bought mine. That was before they fence up the perimeter.. The bank's valuer told me it gonna straight away appreciated to 1mil when the g&g is up..

The g&g was up just a while after i get my key.. Still no transaction for a basic unit like mine, but those with simple reno done quite some years ago (most of them still with parquet floor and dated bathroom tiles) already gone up from (1.0-1.1mil) to a nice (1.15-1.25mil)...

The reno has just started..i can't tell at this stage, right?

Hey bro, u bought yours years ago mar... Most important is you have already make some handsome gains from your property...I was buying when the price has pretty gone up... and i'm actually buying the most basic and cheapest unit in the area...no budget to do major facade and structural change like your sanctuary..

Thanks for the wishes.. Really have to keep my fingers crossed for smooth smooth progress...

This post has been edited by maxxon: Sep 9 2013, 07:06 PM

Thanks bro..hopefully...but not sure if I'm a good project manager like u..
So far, I've been visiting the site once every day (it is around 15-20 min drive fr my current place), to make sure there is 'some' progress daily..

I've actually changed my mind too...but i just leaving it as it is on the drawing...i'm too, feeling kinda 'uncomfortable' for the bed to face the wall corner...hence decided to make the wardrobe a simple one row so that i can re-position the bed to the other wall panel (legs facing bathroom).
Gonna get the contractor to do the cement-looks plastering on the wall which the bed-headboard against.

This post has been edited by maxxon: Sep 9 2013, 07:39 PM

Today's progress:
All bricks at the front porch has been taken out except those under the bin.
All bathrooms' tiles and WC has been dismantled.
Most broken tiles and parquets at site has been cleared up and trashed into the bin.





This post has been edited by maxxon: Sep 20 2013, 05:30 AM

Bought this quartz top table and bench last month, but did not take their matching cushion chairs. Will be matching it with some knock-off kennedy chairs instead..
The bench and table base are made of solid songkai wood and I love it so much. Love the clean line and light natural colour. I'm getting this bench as I feel it very comfortable if i would like to sit on it to do some works...i like to lift my legs up and cross sitting at home sometimes...
Besides that, few kiddos could be squeezed into one bench when we have dinner with frens with kids.


This post has been edited by maxxon: Sep 9 2013, 10:36 PM

Yup...that's just based on my estimation...on basic furnishing and fittings..

Haven't got one with top view unfortunately but i borrowed one from google search.

I've actually chosen some of my basic furniture like books cabinet, beds and sofa...just normal range, nothing premium on those...

Those cost under my main con is around 120k including demolishing and wet works (inclusive brc base for kitchen ext and front porch), tiling workmanship, plaster ceiling, electric works, plumbing, painting with material, and mbpj submission.

I sourced the others like windows/doors, (including sliding and folding doors), laminate flooring, alarm, grills, main gate, tiles, lights, switches& sockets, pest, kitchen cab, wardrobe, etc.
Btw, i do not have much build-in cabinet coz i do not want to make it a typical 'ID' hse with all fancy carpentry...not my liking..i like to mix and match..

This post has been edited by maxxon: Sep 16 2013, 04:15 AM

I've changed my planning on the master bedroom position before i post this topic actually... It is a poison arrow in the original drawing as the bed in master bedroom is too close and facing direct to that wall.
Where as for bedroom 2 it will be avoided when I put a wardrobe there. It is a guest room btw.
For bedroom 3, the impact is not so much as it is a distance from the sofa and i can put a plant there to fade out the 'sha-chi'. It will be our study/working cums upstairs tv room.
Im not utilizing the room downstairs at the moment. However, it can be avoided with just changes on bed positioning.

This post has been edited by maxxon: Sep 10 2013, 12:13 AM

In feng shui, it is not good for feet to face directly to the doors...

This post has been edited by maxxon: Sep 10 2013, 12:12 AM