Below is the list of 10 Random but Important things we learnt along our Reno journey.
- Mounting the TV.
Lesson learnt: If possible, DO NOT mount the TV. The advantages of having a free standing TV include: (a) Flexibility to relocate your TV. (b) No dangling wires. All wires can be hidden behind the TV stand, whereas once you mount the TV, you need to plan on how to conceal/route the wires from the TV to the cable box etc. (c) Easier to plug/unplug wires to the terminals behind the screen. More importantly due to the very small distance between the mounted TV and the wall, many cables will get squashed and some cables with large connector heads cannot fit in.
If you really have to mount the TV, note the following:
DISTANCE: There are a lot of articles online about the recommended distance (see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optimum_HDTV_viewing_distance)
HEIGHT: This detail is frequently neglected. Some leave it to the wall mounting guys, however to avoid stiff necks, we recommend the following:
(A) Sit on the sofa that you will be watching the TV from.
(B) Sit in your regular body position (if you know you will slouch then slouch).
(C) For the correct mounting height: Your EYE LEVEL should be at the top 1/3 of the screen.
This height will also vary due to individual preferences. A good gauge is this – when choosing cinema seats, where do you like to sit: (i) At DEAD CENTER row (mount TV with eye level close to slightly above the center of screen) or (ii) at TOP row (mount TV with eye level close to top 1/3 of screen) In general, when in doubt, mount the screen slightly lower, unless you watch it lying down.
- Buying things on Taobao – See dedicated Post.
- Going to EXPO and Furniture Fairs vs Online Shopping
In general there are only so many EXPO Fairs you can go before you start going crazy (a good indicator would be if all the road show presenters know you by name…). It is true that there is indeed some savings to be had from Road Shows, this is especially true compared to normal walk-ins. However you need to also consider the time/effort spent, transport costs as well as meal expenses when going on such hunting trips.
There are indeed a lot of bargains online and time spent online might be more productive than moving around. At a minimum, always do your basic research online first and you would realise that a lot of your answers can be found and recommendations given by people who have been there and done that. Many people are also selling brand new items at bargain prices (many unwanted gifts). For example we spent a few weeks wondering around Singapore trying to find those toilet bowls with a tap on the cistern, only to realise later that some BTO owners are selling their brand new unwanted ones at $50 a piece -.-.
- The Importance of measuring everything and recording it down before going out to shop.
Make sure your measurements are accurate, taking into consideration door opening/closing allowance, power sockets positions, aircon trunking etc. Bring along a measuring tape where ever you go. You can be cheapskate by keeping two of those IKEA 1m paper measuring tape handy.
- Install ceiling fan if ceiling height allows.
Standing fans and wall fans are no match for the ceiling fan. Ceiling fans circulates wind around the room much more efficiently than standing fans and do not take up valuable floor space. They are also easier to clean. Get 3-blade ones – greater efficiency and easier to clean. We have a ceiling fan in our living rooms as well as all the bed rooms. Our utility rooms and dining area is cover by wall fans. As you can see, we don’t like to sweat.
Master Bedroom Fan – Panasonic
Common Room Fan – Relite
Living Room Fan – Relite
- Money Saving Tip – Get paint contractors to paint the door.
Check your renovation contract. If it includes the painting of doors, you can get your painters to paint the door instead of the door guys, this will save you about $30-$70 per door.
White Frame painted by Painter and White Door painted by Door Guys. -.- could have saved a few hundred dollars here.
- We Love Citygas!
We love Citygas for its Efficiency & Cost effectiveness. Citygas powers our Hob (no need for gas cylinders, freeing up valuable cabinet space), Heater (no need storage tank for rain-shower) & Dryer (best appliance to have for rainy monsoon seasons).
- A Happy ID is critical to a happy renovation process!
Some IDs are quite flexible in the sense that they allow their customers to engage outside contractors for some of the work. However we do recommend that you keep the following core contractors under your ID: Painters, Plumbers, Tilers, Electrician and Carpenter. This is because these works require the greatest amount of coordination. In fact they usually are required to come back multiple trips in different sequence (sometimes together) to get the things done. Also we need to be fair to our ID as the project needs to be monetarily worthwhile to them.
- Air-con Trunking
Aircon position and trunking requires great care and planning because (a) insulation trunking is the biggest one you need to deal with (b) water pipe routing is important. An efficient route minimise risks of leakage. In general, Aircon Insulation Trunking should run by the top of the wall so as not to disrupt the placement of furnitures (we had to re-run our trunking at extra cost). The water pipes can be run separately at the bottom of the wall for better waste water flow. For new BTOs, you may want to consider having a separate compressor to power the hall coil unit.
- Craft Stone Wall – Thick vs Thin Grouting
Not all Craft Stone Walls are created equal. We spend a large part of our time and effort choosing the colour, but many of us neglect the most important aspect: the grouting size we want. Different grouting size gives different feel. Decide on the one you like and TELL your ID/Tiler. See below for examples
Thin Grouting Thick Grouting
Jumbo Bnb 