Due to budget limit, without sacrificing quality & design, I started DIY reno project on my 2 rooms condo. It's a tiring project. Im sharing my experience with u guys who r interested.

These r what i did myself:
1. Wiring, add new wall socket, bring out new electrical point from DB box for kitchen hob & oven, etc. Chase wall to conseal wires. (DIY is not advisable). I did have one previous experience DIY wiring after observing how it is done. Need a lot of googling & consult friend
2. Plumbing (PEX pipe and brass fitting source from Taobao because > 2 times cheaper than local price) DIY is not advisable also without proper research on google. My first setup, water was still leaking at the Teflon tape sealed thread joint. Problem solved after replacing thread sealant with Teflon dope from Ace hardware. I removed the existing wall tile with chisel. I chased the wall with angle grinder & hammer drill. It is dusty n dangerous job to handle angle grinder.
3. Install fixture, all lights, fan, storage water heater, rain shower, shower mixture, curtain rail, TV bracket,
4. Tint windows. I bought tint film from taobao but item partially damaged by other heavy items.
5. Smart home: Amazon Echo dot, Broadlink RM Pro, RF switch, Xiaomi smart home, Raspberry pi HA Hassio, motorized curtain rail
6. Install tempered glass shower screen (sliding door type). Sourced from taobao. My sliding door dont have soft close, otherwise it looks good.
7. Touch up & painting job
8. Relocate kitchen wall water outlet & drain
9. Add on wall switches & socket at kitchen, kitchen cabinet & the wall beside toilet basin. Add lighting point behind toilet mirror
10. Install kitchen Fotile hood, Electrolux induction hob (bought from TBM @ OKR), Rubine build in oven (lazada), LED strip under wall cabinet (motion on/off switch from taobao).
12. Install under sink water filter, two way water tap. Sourced from taobao. One water tap can deliver both drinking water & pipe water.

My items mainly sourced from Taobao & brought in via 3rd party sea freight, (not official lazada taobao sea freight).
Some of the huge & heavy items that i brought in is not practical & unworthy to do so. It is just my own problem, like to challenge myself & my luck bringing in fragile/bigger items, after 2-3 years taobao experience & addiction.

Tools: Bosch battery powered drill, Cheap brand electric hammer drill, Bosch Angle grinder (Dangerous tool, can google about it), cheap taobao oscillating multitool (safer tool, but not useful. I use it to cut wood & tile grout. Angle grinder cannot use to saw wood or u will kill yourself)

Hire contractor to do:
1. Plaster ceiling & painting
2. Put back wall tiles (Too tired to put back the tiles that i removed)
3. Kitchen glass backsplash
4. Windows & door grille
5. Kitchen cabinet (the One kitchen studio) RM 13k exclude wiring, plumbing, backsplash





Living room
1. Sony bravia 55 x7000e rm2800, Senheng promotion time
2. Ikea wall shelves , LACK, 190cm, RM 99
3. Ikea photo shelves, MOSSLANDA, 55cm, RM 19.90
4. Ikea 2 seaters couch (Klippan) RM 649
5. Cheap tv cabinet from local furniture shop, RM299
6. Ceiling fan, Rubine, Ampio pine color RM800. Should be cheaper than this price if u can get it from Puchong electrical shop. Not a good fan because there is no last remote on/off memory. Every time the wall switch is turn off & on again, fan will be switched on.
7. Ikea canvas
8. Ikea photo frame
9. Cheap posters from taobao
10. Philips spotlight 6W link
11. Curtain link
12. Network cabinet link














Kitchen
1. Dinning table solid wood, 200cm x 80cm table top size, bench & 3 eames chairs, Taobao item, RM2840 (3 eames chairs are from different taobao seller)
link
link
2. Dinning LED pendant light, 115cm length, Taobao item, RM 302 (deformed, mayb factory rejected item) link
3. Nano water filter, under counter set, QinYuan, taobao item, RM 380, taobao search for 沁园净水器
4. Fotile EH-13 recirculating hood, bought from Zheilwane, RM 1550
5. Rubine oven AVATA2-70SS/S from Lazada RM 1.5k
6. Electrolux induction hob EHC726BA from TBM old klang road RM 2120
7. Toshiba 480L white tempered glass fridge, GR-TG48MDZ(ZW), local electrical shop, RM 2050
8. Below cabinet LED lamp link





1st bed room:
1. Bedframe, queen size, pvc material, bought from the Court, RM 1000 include delivery (Bad decision, it is too expensive & quality is so-so.) Goodnite I-PLUSH 11" double posture spring, Lazada, Kitchen Z, RM 770 (Loving it)
2. Ikea Bedside table, TRYSIL, RM 139 x 2 = RM 278
3. Ikea open clothes storage, customized myself (Cant remember the price, around rm 1500)
4. Bedside glass pendent lights, galaxy grey color, 小龙眼, size 20cm x 20cm, free 2 Edison light bulb, RM 87, wired with CHUGUAN 433Hz RF remote switch X 2 units, RM 115, (I use battery powered remote switch pad to avoid chasing the shear wall)
link
link





2nd room
1. Ikea single bed
2. Ikea mattress Halfso
3. Ikea. Basket, two glass container hanger
4. 7 x 8 feet ready made wardrobe RM 1999, furniture shop during Homedec.
5. Wooden venetian blind, size 160 x 168cm, 5cm broad, taobao, RM 245, link
6. Track lightslink









Toilet:
1. Toilet mirror, with LED strip & anti-fog heater behind the mirror, BOLEN brand, taobao item, size 700x900mm, RM 168, link
2. Rain shower set come together with shower mixture, HSK brand, taobao item, ~ RM 1.4k link
3. Toilet tempered glass sliding door whole set, height 200cm, area 1m x 1.2m, taobao item, RM 1480. It doesn't have soft close. I felt that it is quite dangerous if ppl accidentally slam it. link

Other items

1. Windows tint, 10m x 1.5m for sliding door & 2 big windows, Taobao item, comes with installation tools, RM 163, link
2. Curtain, 2.9m x 2.8m x 2, 2.97m x 4m. Total 3 pieces, linen material, 麻布, RM 348 link
3. Motorized curtain rail 2 meters & 3.3 meters with 433Hz RF Remote controls, DOOYA sunflower KT82TN motors 3 units include rail, source taobao, RM710 link
4. Amazon Echo dot, shipped from US online store, RM 240 include shipping fees. bought long time ago, not sure the total cost is still the same https://www.bhphotovideo.com/

My occupation is not related to reno, ID or construction work. It is purely passion to renovate n design my own house by myself. For people who does not do well in following manual, like assambling ikea furniture or handling tools, better dont DIY reno & take this as reading for fun. Cheers






This post has been edited by luvox: Jun 13 2018, 10:34 AM

Woah awesome. That’s quite extensive.

Did you hook up the hood alone by yourself? Did mine alone, had to struggle a little mounting it on the wall.

How much total do U spend ?

Good reference!! unfortunately i can't read chinese...can't buy from Taobao.

Whoa, you do all the bathroom work yourself?

Yup, i installed the bracket. i put it up with another person help, too heavy to carry alone. If u do proper marking as reference, not so worry to let go hand. 😂

Lost count. Mayb around 60k include smart home device, furniture, deco, curtains, tv, fridge, kitchen appliances, 3 aircons, mattress & bedframe....... Exclude coffee stuff, PC & bike.

Yup, from remove tiles, chase the wall, piping, put up storage heater. Toilet is the most challenging part & took the longest time. I gave up put back the tile myself & let the contractor to put back wall tiles. Nowadays pex pipe is easy to assemble & easily DIY

Clap clap clap!

I like your table, thanks for sharing the link! How heavy was the table? do you need to install the table tops?
Also for the shower tempered glass, it is worth it to buy from taobao? how was the packaging? any damages?
can you also share a bit on how you create your network cabinets? I read from China lots of people do that but very hard to find post about that here

Thanks!

Nice sharing TS! I'm doing my DIY Renovation too..

I bought lighting, ceiling speaker, prayer altar and other misc from taobao too. Btw, what power tools you used to hack the concrete for wire path?

Last few day, I accidentally drilled on one of the wire pathway, now I need to hack the concrete to repair the damaged wire.

very nice stuff you got there bro.

and thanks for sharing the links too.

my house will be done in this year end and im still looking for those stuffs you shared. Same as you and will be DIY too on the reno,except those heavy ones.

Good job! kudos.

MM+Oscar

TS must be a renovation contractor huh.

Love the shower...

Wow! Impressive! Thank you for the sharing.

Nice dining table set you bought, kudos!

Wow, very nice place you got there. Very skillful TS!

Very heavy items. Mine if not mistake 8cm thick solid wood. Two ppl will also struggle to move the table. Need to assemble yourself. It is so heavy that i feel worry if kids go under it, playing there. It is better dont buy the white framed table, it is power coated paint but i still think it may rust or get dirty easily

There were no damage on packages. The package is very heavy n require 5 ppl to move the tempered glass shower screen, 4 ppl to move the table. If u hv limited budget & not risk taker, better dont buy tempered glass shower screen from taobao. U may need to count in the cost possibility need to hire ppl to help u to move ur package. Mayb can consider cheaper one just one panel without door. U need to text the seller custom made size.

This network cabinet have a big opening beneath it, mayb for wires to pass out. I think it is not those type to hang high near the ceiling. If u need good wifi signal, should not put router inside this cabinet.
I drill the wall n use wall plug & screw to fix the cabinet onto wall. I dint chase the wall to conceal the wire coz i hide the wire behind sofa. Actually i thought wana use the cabinet as sofa side coffee table but dint realize above it has a cooling fan. It is noisy fan & i dint turn it on & inside is cool enuf coz quite empty & not much heat

Wow. U r pro. U did plaster ceiling by yourself?
Do u have previous experience do plaster ceiling?

Also need to becareful, dont drill the ceiling water pipe if u r renovate condo. My previous DIY wiring, i dont know there is water pipe up there n lucky dint hit it. Haha.

My hammer drill is china brand one, cant remember. Any hammer drill can hack the wall d. If u want nice cutting, chase the wall, need angle grinder, dangerous tool. Look for youtube what kina accident will happen when using angle grinder, b4 using it. Haha. Dangerous n dusty job