Anyway, we decided to do some preparation while waiting for the 1st appointment.
1. Brought a Fengshui Master to see the place for peace of mind.
There are somethings that cannot be changed like the location of the kitchen, structural column and walls and general apartment shape.
For the things we have control over, the fengshui input will helps us lock a few important variables. So the ID has a basis to proceed on. According to my fengshui master, important things subject to your birthday are
a. Location of sofa in Living room
b. Direction and Location of Bed in Master bedroom
c. Direction facing of the Refrigerator
d. Direction of the stove
e. Layout of the Kitchen should avoid clashes between fire and water.
Don't think I am qualified to explain too much in detail. That's why we hired an expert. Anyway, if you are interested, we did some brief research here so we knew a few basic questions to ask.
2. Brought several contractors/ ID to view the flat.
This will give the contractor a fair chance to price the project correctly. This step will reduce the chances of contractors underpricing and subsequently cutting corners. Things they will look out for are whether the flat is on the lift floor and demolition works required, conditions of windows and door. Remember that you will probably get a fair market price if you have at least 3 independent quotations.
The other advantage is that you will get to tap the contractors' experience on how the renovation can be done. collect all the best ideas and fit them into the feng shui determined variables. Saves a lot of time and brain cells!
3. Do some research work on the theme you and your partner would like.
It can be retro, classic, cottage, Bali resort etc. We picked a Classic European style. One of our favourite design we liked very much was a similar long living room shaped apartment. It helped us conceptualize the colour tone and details that make our home look classic European.
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| Researched Long Living Room design |
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| A white kitchen design |
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| Spacious Hotel Concept Toilet |
4. Start getting quotations early from at least 3 contractors/ ID.
If it does not work out, you can still get someone else to quote. For us, the first contractor was very "high end" (aka super expensive and no bargaining allowed). There are also a few "celebrity" contractors we researched form the forums. However we did not engage them as they were very difficult to book.
Like to share some photos of the place before the renovation.
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| The kitchen (before renovation) |
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| Long Living Room |
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Read about Demolition preparation
Read about Shopping for lights
I am very happy to read such a wonderful blog which gives the helpful information. thanks for sharing.
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