I would like to tear down the walls in red, and build the new blue walls.

Changing structure required professional input, you need to hire civil eng/consultant with PE and able to calculate and sign in order to proceed with your request unless anyone in Lowyat able to guaranty your structure stability once you modify it. They will consider all the cantilevers of the support, where is the piling and pile caps where is safe are how thick is the beam, concrete grade, soil settlement for that extension. (soil test to check soil quality only developers know normally they won't share to outsiders) RC wall is more expansive to cast compared to a brick wall, there are there for a reason you can compromise the safety factor by asking your own contractor to hack them.

Remember you and your family or someone's family is staying inside your building and you are responsible for their safety.

Anyway at this stage, you can ask the subcon of the developer if they can help you pile some point at the extension area by paying them some side earn then after they handover the developer you filly take over then you can expose the piles and make new pile caps then connect to existing beam to ensure the beam will settle with the whole building and will prevent crack.

This post has been edited by ianlti: Jun 30 2021, 12:17 PM

Thanks! Definitely will go thru proper flow (architect + council etc etc) but just want to know early on based on other people's experience with houses built with similar approach - is such renovation possible?

As long as you got the money and the developer allows without void your warranty then is fine and no complaint by your neighbor.

strata title is not possible.

I'm more curious about the structural integrity part first. In normal houses (RC beams and columns with brick walls) - ideally those walls marked red can be torn down without any issue.

I have no idea when it comes to houses built using prefab concrete panels.

If it cannot be done without seriously affecting the structural integrity - requiring me to effectively build new beams + columns to support existing floor as I tear down the walls (basically more complications than normal), then I might not go for it and just set aside the money for something else.

There are videos in the net showing how prefab are constructed. View those videos and you will know whether your plan is workable.

Looking at your plan, I dont think is possible.

From the plan n construction technique it may not be possible to delete the rc wall as it appear to be structural wall ie load bearing for the slab itself. And due to RC it doesnt stick like glue, if want to modify need to add supporting wall on the below ie new walls and u need to pour new slab for the whole back room again because concrete doesnt stick to old one.

Not all precast building is built the same way using standard components and assembly.

Unless original structural plan or as built plan is available to outsiders, only the consultants involved in the design and construction of the original building can advise if and where you can hack without adding beam.

Anybody else will take that safe approach to replace the hacked walls in red, with beam. One can't really tell from looking at limited photos and S&P plan.

Thanks everyone!

Yeah I'm thinking there will definitely be complications. I guess I'll have to wait for the handover and consult the developer.

That being said - care to share existing projects of landed houses built from prefab concrete?

Maybe I can explore around and see to what extent those owners have managed to renovate their houses (although yes, it's not guaranteed to be applicable in my case).

If not mistaken, check on houses in Serenia City.

Checked. Seems like the latest one - Ariya, which is still under construction - will have some RC walls. The older ones don't seem to indicate RC walls on their brochures though.

Looking for existing, completed landed housing project examples (non-strata, of course).

Come to think of it, prefab concrete / RC walls would be awesome for strata housing in that case, since you're not supposed to extend anything. Hahaha.

Is good to see how the construction b4 completion and after to have some knowledge. But do it after fmco.

Those houses next to the elite highway would have completed. Those have rc wall but not sure what phase.

Ah scouring around I found this.

https://www.iproperty.com.my/guides/what-is...you-buy-it-faq/

Gonna look up LBS Alam Perdana

Hahaha it is a strata-titled development (not meant for extensive reno). Went on Google Maps and the only extensions I see are simply single storey extension with roof awnings to the back (definitely no two storey extension, no extended floor slab on upper floor). Pfft.

This post has been edited by boyan: Jun 30 2021, 07:30 PM

Approach your developer and enquire if your intended renovation can be done or if can give you plan indicating which areas can hack. They should check with their specialists then revert back to you. As purchaser you have the right to know. Better than asking and checking elsewhere, which ultimately is best guess only. You are the first hand buyer, and have this privilege, unlike sub sales case.

Also, their sales office may have videos on how the precast construction is carried out. Many big developers had setup their own IBS plants in the race to stay ahead of others so they should have something to show.

You should also consider DLP can be void if any hacking is done.

All good points!

Thanks! I'm slowly (but reluctantly) accepting the fact that I might not be able to demolish any of the walls (urghhhhhhhh!). I guess it's a good reminder to anyone to carefully check the walls specification especially if one has lofty ideas of renovating further.

As your walls are ALL RC, to drill wall plug holes, recommended to use a rotary hammer as impact drills meant for brickwalls will suffer like a kancil pulling a container (TEU)

So apparently some of the prefab walls can be taken down based on the developer's renovation guidance - but the walls should be cut instead of hacked.

Has anybody engaged a contractor with experience cutting non-load bearing RC walls / prefab walls?

write in to your developer,request for a set of structure and mne drawing inform them you wish to begin renovations,and usually their civil engineering engineer would have informed the developer which walls are hackable

Cutting and hacking non load bearing walls are fine,the issues are the wire and pipe run,get your contractor to scotch tape the wires and pipes running between the walls as location mark for future reference

Ideally get an digital ifc file for future references and changes and easy to store