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Let the demolition begin....

Jared: Stand like this, mom? Like this? Am I blocking the light?
I am a virgin as far as having a house renovated so, when the ID guy called and said, "Miss ah, we gonna start working on your house this week ah", I was over the moon. My heart rate went up anticipating some brilliant transformation at the end of the day. It's sort of like having someone tell you, "Your spaceship is going to be ready to travel around the galaxy this week, do you want to come in and take a look?"
Anyway, this overexcited momma grabbed the kids, grabbed the camera and headed off to take a couple of pictures of the new place before they started work....I kinda wanted to have the 'before' and 'after' thing done as well, you see. 
When we got there, I was surprised by 'sparing' they are with their language in terms of giving instructions to the workers. I was expecting something along the lines of a detailed drawing and then careful instructions like, "Gently tap on this part of the wall according to drawing".
But what I saw was this....
"Pecah sampai jumpa beam" - Explode (???) until you see the beam....what if they don't see the beam and knock past the beam? Then what? Ack! Can't they, like....give very specific measurements or something...like 'demolish 3.754ft of this wall from this point on'?
And then on the floor, they have this....
"Tembak semua file" - Shoot all files ??? Shoot? Not extricate? Not remove? Not peel? Not lift?
I think it's got to do with the 'weapons of destructions' that they use. In the case of the flooring, I think they're using some sort of GUN? Those in the renovation industry, please enlighten me. Anyway, can't wait for some miraculous transformation to the place....the rooms are so damn kow small, to call it 'store room' is being nice liao, so, I want to see the kids' room much, much, much, MUCH larger than the sardine can that they are now. 
And for crissakes, we don't need half the apartment for the kitchen. As it is, the dry kitchen is already bigger than the master bedroom, the wet kitchen is even bigger. So, the dry and wet kitchen is already 5/8th of the place, right?
Anyway, can't wait. 
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Comments

Jamie said…
waaahahahaha...dun worry la cuz. the renovation guys should do allright la...PROVIDED they understand what you want.

1) Pecah sampai jumpa beam? what you want to put there? are they attaching anything onto the beam? is it a load bearing structure of the building/apartment/house ( I dunno what u are moving into )?. Just make sure that they are not attaching anything to the so called beam ( if its a load bearing structure ) or it might compensate the integrity of the beam later on.

2) tembak semua file should be read as TILE. I gather you must be doing some retiling on top of the original tiles right? If not they won't tembak all the tiles to roughen up the surface for improved adhesion.

Most of the local contractors are like that wan la...dun expect any detailed shop drawings or as built la...instructions are always via verbal most of the time ( that is one of the main reason arguments arise between the main con, sub cons and owner ).

Would seriously suggest that you drop by every 2-3 days to see the actual work at site and reconfirm that they are dong a correct and proper job as in accordance to your wants.

BTW, did you talk payment with this assholes yet? what type of payment schedule are they asking for?

Be very careful with this people cuz....u dun want them fucking off halfway thru the job only to find out that you have overpaid them ( happens to 60% of the people I know....poor sohais ). Always try to do some rough BQ on your own...its not complicated nor is it easy. No doubt the contractor will feel pissed with you. Better to let them be pissed than your hard earned moolah be spent on things that are not up to your expectations.

To summarize:
1) Always visit the site
2) Agree on a payment schedule beneficial to both parties
3) U have to be 110% sure the contractor knows what you want
4) PLEASE, NO attachments on ANY LOAD BEARING beams OR columns

Neways cuz, feel free to give me a call should the need arise. FYI, I will be out of the country from 6th - 10th of this month ( still accessible via mobile )

AND

Congrats on your new "Palace"...I am still staying in my chicken coop...sigh!!! how nice to be rich laaaa
August 4, 2008 at 11:44 AM
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