Wish to share the build-up to it till its completion...
I was reluctant to build initially; as I know there will a lot of hassle in it; considering my unpredictable timing to be in Bertam, as well as anticipated interuption by my mom...haha.
Nevertheless I took up the effort to find a suitable contractor with reasonable pricing after constant "nagging" by my mom.
Found this guy on FB. Actually I contacted him, thinking it was the guy from Kulim who renovated a house near by my place. Turned out to be it was some other apek. He was quite desperate (from the way he showed "eagerness" to get this contract) Due to indecisiveness on my mom's part, I decided to give this guy the job.
and he promised to get the job done in ONE WEEK! U can guess it was a big lie :)
And the work started : 1 st week of November 2015.
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| "menembak" dinding |
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| Mengukur - guna "laser" |
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| tembok terawal |
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| beberapa tembok |
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| "table-top" sudah naik |
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| mosaic sedang naik |
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| defects - kena panggil balik suroh dia betulkan |
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| defect lagi |
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| lagi defect |
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| this is "the best" - how your basin will look like if washed using mixture of HCL acid!!! |
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THINGS I LEARNED FROM THIS EXPERIENCE.
AT THE AGE OF 33...THIS IS MY FIRST KITCHEN CABINET ;)
1. Pre-plan your cabinet design
- have your design illustrated on a piece of paper.Best is to get your contractor to do it & adjust according to what you have in your mind. Make sure both of you understand what has been drawn on paper :)
**Never ever just imagine!!!
- make up you mind : either you want it on the floor only, or you want a hanging cabinet too, or you want a tall cabinet. Decide before your contractor starts his work.
2. Materials
- wash basin : talk to your contractor & tell him straight that you want to choose your own basin. Or else he would buy a cheap one and there goes your money. Go do some surveys and decide on basin of what quality you want. Tell him the price. If he declines, TELL HIM OFF! (of course be reasonable...a standard basin as mine, would cost somewhere around RM250 - 350)
- mosaic price & type : Again, do your survey & decide what type you want and whether your contractor agrees to the price of the mosaic.
- table top : same advice
- door & drawer material : What I understand, there are 2 types, one is chipboard wth melamine wrap externally. The other is "dunno" what wood wth "lamica" layer externally. ("lamica" is the type that appears shiny ... not sure if I spelled it correctly..:) This "lamica" is a bit more pricey as compared to melamine wrap. I chose melamine as the contractor did not offer any other option and I was too lazy to go around to look for other types.
- Get a quotation : calculate your cabinet as per square foot (includes mosaic, table top, door, drawer). Mine was about RM270/square foot. Hanging cabinet is pricier. DO NEGOTIATE KAWKAW on pricing!!
3. Contractor
- It is good to get a few quotations before you decide. BUT please do not be indecisive. Make your choice based on people's recommendation (if the contractor has been tested before by your neighbours / friends), pricing and materials he/she gonna use.
- Give the job to "single contractor". Make sure your contractor has the means to get the job done. Unlike mine; he did the cabinet and got his friend to do the doors & drawer. The worst part is that, he is not bothered to get his friend to do the job quickly. resulting in waiting for 3 weeks only for the doors & drawers done!
- Tell him from the beginning, to work at proper hours (i.e. 9am - 3pm) not to come as he likes.
HOW MUCH I SPENT
Total : RM6,300
- 27 square feet
- basin cost me RM280 (included in the price)
**actual payment agreed initially was RM6,500. But due to the apek's unimaginable delay, I told him I'm gonna deduct a mere RM200, for which he agreed
- paid in 3 installments ; though initially he said pay before and upon completion of work only.
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