Finally, we collected house keys in Mid July. We want to share our journey from key collection, defect checks and renovation to turn this house into our home. Since this is our first home, we would like to get ideas and tips from experienced home owners.


Summary of Unit:
Alam Impian with build up of 19xx sqft and extra land about 1,400 sqft
Defect check completed: Second week of August 2021
Defect repair: Still going on (as of first week of September)
Reno starts: SOON. Short-listed a few contractors. Will finalise soon.




Defect Inspection:
We hired Top Haus Home Inspection since they were the only ones available right after FMCO. Other companies were not available at that time. Quite happy with their work. They sent the ‘inspection assessment report’ in 4 days from the day of inspection. Report was 92 pages with defects description, photos of the defects and suggested corrective action. Overall, we are happy with their service. For a more detailed review + price list please visit Our Blog: KLKNviews.com . We have included pictures of the report as well.





This post has been edited by KLKN_Views: Oct 13 2021, 11:38 AM

May I know how much for the unit ?

I don't quite get it. you mean the house price or defect inspection price?

House price

sharing ur house video here. you're welcome.

Our Home Buying Journey + Home Defect Inspection | Alam Impian

Your house opposite orchestra unit?

will PM you


haha thank you. for some reason, im unable to share Youtube videos here.

yes, clarino project. are you the orchestra resident?

Updates:

Contractor
Finally, decided on contractor. price is more less the same with few other contractors. but this company is a bit more professional - everything is in black and white, unlike some contractors with verbal promises (they refuse to do it in black and white. worried they might change story later ). So, we'd rather have black and white, good for both parties. so far so good, fingers crossed lets see how it goes with these guys...


MBSA Permit
Mids of preparing architect drawing for MBSA approval. going with contractors contact. the price is more less the same with another architect firm, however contractor's architect able to deliver drawing faster than the other firm.

Archite drawing + MBSA permit + Submission + CCC
= myr5300

price excluding deposit for MBSA which can claim after reno.

Renovation Idea
Here our ideas for the renovation. we had TWO ideas for the extension. we shared in our blog klknviews.com/OurHome with some inspirations for the interior style.

Working on 3D drawing ourselves, will share the video soon.



This post has been edited by KLKN_Views: Sep 27 2021, 12:00 PM

u manage to gt mbsa permit?

Go check out YouTube Design Seed, you will get lots of inpirations from there.
I personally love the idea of houses with center courtyard with double height ceiling with a canopy walkpath to each rooms upstairs.

Watch this particular episode: Malaysia's Extraordinary Terrace House Transformation｜NJ House｜Architecture｜House Tour

Hi, can share your architect contact coz I also looking for contractors and architect on my new house extension.

Hi...Good day! if you don't mind please share contractor contact/fb page or website..We also looking for reliable contractor for our new home.

ATIA Arkitek (from shah alam)
+6019 2300 320

Fuad Architect
+6012 383 2080

most of the contractors have their own contact for architects, however most of them charge ridiculously high. suggest you to get quotation for comparison sake...


hi, we just started to work with this contractor; too early to recommend. but, if you just want any contacts thn i can share

This post has been edited by KLKN_Views: Oct 4 2021, 10:40 AM

yes been following the channel. oh yes, the double height ceiling. they are good in industrial look designs.


but im sure it is very expensive. and we are working on limited budget....

Well, trust me, it will overrun your budget.
Last time I also have this mentality of setting a budget for renovation, end up it doubles my budget.
How I get the other half the budget? don't ask....

now that sounds scary. but still wonder what happened to the other half of your budget

Let just say it's now set stone on the house

now it make sense... hehe

Updates:

Finally submitted for MBSA permit last week. Have to wait for 21 days before collecting the approved permit from MBSA. not sure why it takes so long for them , but it is what it is.

meanwhile, I shared the whole process of architectural drawing and MBSA submission and how much it cost us in a recent blog post:

Don’t Overlook the MBSA Permit Expenses

I think RM 5300 is reasonable for architect plan, RC plan, processing fee, tong sampah, letak bahan permit, CCC with submission. even plan setara with 2 section tambahan and ubahsuai is more RM2100 so balance RM3200 for submission service + Architect drawing + Engineer RC drawing + CCC still acceptable.

This post has been edited by utellme: Oct 8 2021, 02:49 PM

It is RM6,900 together with permit and processing fee. RM5300 only for arc drawing+CCC and submission.

I see. Normally the paper work + consultant cost is 7-8% of the renovation extension cost right?

Hi,

I'm owner of AI Fleita and saw your post about your renovation

May i know which Architect Firm did you approached for the Renovation drawings and MBSA submission??

Thanks

This post has been edited by kengseng: Oct 9 2021, 01:53 PM

Hey, congrats on your house!

i engaged contractor's architect. I think you need to hire contractor in order to use the architect service. if you are looking architect service only, you can try these firms:

ATIA Arkitek (from shah alam) very friendly and reasonable price.
+6019 2300 320

Fuad Architect (price on higher side)
+6012 383 2080

hope this helps.

Thanks for the contact

Mind sharing which contractor you appointed??

By the way, did you do any piling work for your home extension? There is this 1 contractor telling us the AI ground is too hard to do piling.


Update:

ATIA Arkitek (from shah alam) very friendly and reasonable price.
+6019 2300 320

Yes she is really friendly got a quote from her within an hour..

This post has been edited by kengseng: Oct 11 2021, 03:39 PM

PM you

Finally complete with DIY 3D model...easier to discuss with vendors showing 3d render.

its not a perfect 3d, tried my best with zero knowledge. feel free to comment sifuss...

#NeedAdvice

sifus, planning to do wood decking for patio area. but not sure if I should go with natural wood or composite wood.

i personally like natural wood's look & feel. however I heard maintenance can be tricky for long term. my concern is look vs price vs maintenance

kindly share inputs.

Depend on the wood materials you are using. And Natural wood require higher maintenance compared to composite wood if not wrong.
For look wise, think composite wood nowaday looks quite like real unless you are particular with the details such as the wood pattern in each need to be different to feel more aesthetic.
Texture wise, it can tell the difference, just that composite wood is not that slippery when wet.

Between,saw you are doing side extension for corner, can ask how much is the cost and do you do any piling? Was trying to do some side extension as well since cannot bear the grass growing crazily at the side.

indeed, both have equal pros and cons. kinda difficult to make up mind on this. i personally like the look of natural wood, but worried about the maintenance part.

" just that composite wood is not that slippery when wet" - this is a new info. I thought composite wood will be more slippery compare to natural wood. will take note on that.

regarding the cost - will share all the quotes i received from few contractors on my blog soon. it will be helpful for those need ideas for renovation. will share it here once i publish the article.

thanks for the info sifu.

That is what I am being told by the seller. Maintenance part for natural wood, I guess it will come to the wood material used. But heard that it will require us to do annual coating to enhance its lifespan, not sure how true is that.
For composite wood, another downside is, it is rather hot when it is hot sun. With the hot weather in here, I am unsure whether will it affect its lifespan as well.
I am under dilemma whether to choose from these three materials: tiles with wood pattern, composite wood or real wood, and all got its down and up side as well.

Hi Bro,

How is your defect repair been going?? Submitted mine but no news from the main contractor..

they finished 80% of repair works last month itself, the balance 20% was tile works, which I had to really push them, they are mid of repairing it (I think they will complete it in a day or two).

once you submit defect report, they will have 30 days to complete it. if the main con doesn't respond, you just call Setia customer care and scold them. That's what I did.

Do you engage any ID firms for your design and renovation?

no bro. I did approach ID at first, but its beyond my budget. so Im just doing the planning and 3d design myself.

Congrats on your new home. I am also trying to do my DIY id to save some mollah. What program you use for your 3d render? Looks good.

Thanks bro. True, you can DIY if you have the time and dont mind dealing with all these suppliers.

For 3D, Im using Homestyler bro. I wrote an article, you can check it out:

DIY 3D Rendering with Homestyler


hope this helps.

Updates:

After a month finally got MBSA approval last week. (Submitted first week of Oct, approved on 2 Nov 21). Renovation works just started. Those who are planning to do renovation, suggest to apply for MBSA permit asap - esp those who submit with drawings. Will share videos/pictures soon.

Carpentry works:
Finally decided on vendors for carpentry works. Got quotations from:
- Signature Kitchen - looks very class but extremely expensive compared to other vendors. price almost double. eventhough they have promotions, the price after discount is still expensive
- MKA Kitchen - design looks modern. sales team is really good. price is reasonable for the quality.
- Homa Kitchen - design looks alight. sales team is not friendly, not getting proper answer for questions. they have packaged price with lots of freebies. however, the add-ons to their standard package, is very expensive.
- Avenue Kitchen, Kelana Jaya - designs look very old school. price is average.

I will share the quotations on my blog soon.

You are doing the side extension on your end lot house right ? Do you need to pay 20x processing fee Saman.

i got permit from MBSA for the renovation. thats why it took so long to start the reno.

hmm, sorry but i dont understand about the 20x processing fee saman?

I though mbsa side extension must have minimum 20 ft setback between new build wall to boundary. Perhaps you have very spacious side area therefore you meet the requirements.
.

ya i have about 30ft side land. extending 20 feet now and 10ft of clearance as per MBSA's requirement.

kinda waste land - have to think what to do on that land, maybe garden or something.

what tools you use for DIY 3D render?

hi bro, you can check out my post on DIY 3D rendering on my blog. check it out here bro >>> DIY 3D Rendering

hv u started ur reno?

Nice!
I bought a corner lot unit as well (undercon) and planning to do the same exact patio but instead of having a gym room like yours, I will make it as a dining area (extended from the terrace).

Thanks bro. congrats on your new house bro.

which project did you get (pandura/viola). Dining area at the extended part? wow that'll look nice.

#updates

never get the time to update on site progress. construction works started since first week of Nov, foundation work is going on [as i checked last].





*not latest pictures, havent visit the site yet. will upload latest progress pictures soon.

Parking

do u have the design of your kitchen cabinet?

mid of finalising the design with carpentry ppl. will shre it once its done

This is major extension renovation. More than 400sf extension?

Wow, I love that 3d model project on the video you shared, man! I hope you’ll realize the interior design idea you found. I just started renovating the whole house and currently, I’m on the stage when I need to buy some Practical Designer Radiators so that they'll fit the interior design as a whole. I already decided from where to order now I just need to decide what color.

This post has been edited by DennisMay: Nov 30 2021, 05:49 AM

Thanks bro. Hopefully can achieve the design.

yes bro major renovation. extending 20 feet on side land.

[/I]#updates



here the quotations from contractors i got before the renovation start. just had the time to share.

and quotations from carpentry works.

hi, thanks for sharing, may i know who are the contractor you engage in wet works?

hi will Pm you.

Good Day Guys. Been reading your blogs & posts here. First of all, need to thank you for your effort in sharing your journey. It's definitely a tedious job

We share a few similarities, I purchased an End-lot unit at Elmina, with 21ft of extra land. The land is shaped like a triangle (front big, back small).
With the limited space at the back, we decided to extend the side and back ( for Wet Kitchen & Laundry) , maximize it (approx 24ft H & 16ft W).

And, when it comes to MBSA, got shocked to know that even though ours is an individual-titled freehold landed property, was told that we need to 'let go' about 6ft (not sure the exact length, sorry! ) from the perimeter fencing to get approval. Reading your posts here says 10ft

Since its my first landed property, I have no idea all these ruling existed, as I thought to get approvals, we only need neighbors' consent, and some letters/drawings...

I haven't approached Mbsa personally, as we are still in 'defect-rectification' stage ( DLP ). Would you mind sharing the basic limit, we, the End-lots owners have?

A big Sigh.....

Side note : Some say rather settle saman than going through their procedures.....

Hi, please pm me too which contractor you use and what’s your opinion so far? Thank you so much!

Hi, thanks for your appreciation.

totally understand your situation. I was in that situation few months back, if to get MBSA permit or should I go without that. But my issue was, i wanted to get CCC for the extended area. In order to get CCC you need to get MBSA approval and follow their terms. Plus, i didnt want to take chance of proceeding without approval. (i think they calculate saman based on per sqft. for my build up it might cost me 5digits. )

initially I wanted to have 5ft space from fencing. but the architect said must have 10ft according to MBSA's rules (i double confirmed with few more architects to make sure if it is right, and everyone said the same thing). so i had to leave 10ft boundary from fencing . but some of the houses around there renovating up fencing - without MBSA permit. kinda unfair but it is what it is.

for extension, you dont need neighbours' consent, unless you want to build fencing.

hope this helps. feel free to ask if you need more info.

if u want to look at inspired design can go to sime darby concept home 2030 and also vote for them. so many good design and new technology is introduce

thnks, this one vry useful for othrs. u gving evtng 2 the same contractors 2 do?

How about mpk rule on corner lot also same?

Thank you for sharing your reno journey. I have done my reno and my feeling about it is the way I feel about marriage, you only wanna do it once. hihi.

My comment on your wet kitchen, i feel that if the sink is facing the window would be much nicer, plus if you break out the back to make the wet kitchen more spacious would be worth it, but only if you think you would be cooking alot.

Good job and good luck

if not mistaken, MPK rule is 5ft clearance is enough. this i heard from people only, check on MPK website to confirm.

Hi KLKN_Views, nice sharing!
I'm stepping into a similar journey now as me and I and my family just got ourselves the keys to the end lot house with land (21ft).
Boy the discussion with multiple contractors and designers are just super tiring...

Anyhow, mind sharing how much you budget for the kitchen carpentry, island and worktops (quartz)? And who did you choose in the end, was reading your blog and can't wait for your updates!

Hi @Newgen

Thank you, appreciate it. Simply sharing my experience, so that it can be useful/helpful for new home owners.

as for the carpentry works, im mid of writing the blog with price breakdowns. Will publish is in few days.

will share the link here.

Hi @KLKN_Views can you please PM me your wet work contractor contact? A currently looking for one. Thanks

can pm me the contractor as well? will start to find contractors soon, I just bought a corner lot as weel with 23 ft land.

Would you be so kind to please pm me your contractor details as well? Currently looking for a good reliable one to begin planning.. Thanks

im back. after a stressful weeks, finally have some time to blog.

published new blog post on additional costs (expected and unexpected) during renovations. pls be aware of this when you allocate budget for renovations...

Additional costs during house renovations



sorry for those PM me, i haven't got the time to check, will check soon.

hi, u complted ur reno?

Hi, thanks for sharing your house renovation journey with us. It is really interesting reading your blog. Hope you don’t mind, could you share with me which contractor you engage with?

hi, yes major works done. just a bit of touch up works need to be done.

Hi, thanks for sharing the journey even during this hectic time.
I had the same route as you to first approach the ID and realising it will double up the budget. Results to design and plan on myself.
I’m in the middle of looking for a reliable contractor. The sharing on quotations really helps a lot while giving an idea of what’s a good details quotation be like.
By the way, how is the workmanship so far on your contractor? Would you recommend it based on your experience?

may i know why engaging ID will double up the budget?

hi, no problem at all. thought it'll be helpful to others since i was clueless when i started this renovation.

yes, initially i wanted to engage ID, but after discussing with few IDs, I realised I don't have that type of budget (almost double than the actual budget).

after completing the project, i dont dare recommend this contractor, that is why i dont really pass their contact to anyone. in terms of communication they are okay but it terms of workmanship, im not really satisfied.

Do you recommend the Architect that you engage? Thanks in advance

I have ask this question to Majlis Sepang and it’s ok for corner unit to extend all the way to fencing. Maybe MBSA is different

you can try this, i never engage her this time - but her price and shes quite friendly as well

Tengku Ida - 019-230 0320

I actually I’ve no idea too. But so far that’s what I got from all the IDs. Some of them are friendly that they told me the budget I had it’s only doable go for contractor choice.

Yea, I do understand the the consideration on contractor here. Currently also in the dilemma of should I choose the contractor that have fast respond (The quotation is done with details in 4 days) but less number of review (based on their social media account) or go for another that have quite a good review from their previous customer, but slower respond to me (still yet to receive quotation after 2 weeks time). Maybe my project it’s just too small for them.

So hard to decide…

Small project usually will cost a little more. So base on price, can have a feel if the work can be trusted

Recently bought a house and now undergoing defects, but the management office called and asked to check if the tiles we are okay with it. The problem is this happens to other owners as well. And, the management threaten if I don't agree with the tiles, then I have no choice but to wait. And the management said other owners at first doesn't agree to it but as they wait, they have no choice but to agree to it. Want to know if this is legal?

The Homeowner shall lodge a written notice/complaint to the Developer and/or Management Office and the Developer shall rectify the defects within thirty (30) days from the date of receiving the said written notice.



If the defects were not properly rectified by the Developer, the Homeowner shall be entitled to carry out the works to repair and make good such defect himself/herself by appointing his/her contractor and requesting for a quotation on the cost of the repairs. The Homeowner shall then notify the Developer of the costs of repairing before the commencement of the works and shall give the Developer an opportunity to carry out the works within thirty (30) days from the date the Homeowner has notified the Developer of his / her intention to carry out and commence the works after the Developer’s failure to carry out the works within the said thirty (30) days.



At the same time, the Homeowner shall inform the stakeholder solicitor to retain the stakeholder sum by way of email or written notice. In such an event, the stakeholder solicitor shall release such costs to the Homeowner within thirty (30) days after the receipt of the Homeowner’s written demand specifying the amount of such costs.



Link to this excerpt:
https://hhq.com.my/publications/know-your-r...y%20workmanship.

Thank you so much!!! Really appreciate this information.

very informative! thanks for sharing it here, it will be very useful for new homeowners.