Playroom area

Ideas to deco the playroom came when I start do a blog walking. I think the fever is started and infect me too..hehe. I searched a few blog about decorate the playroom about past 2 years before I get my house key. Although it was along ago but I still remember the look of the wall decoration even though I didn’t remember the website address exactly. After I got a key, I continue searching the blog but I didn’t find it. Maybe the blogger had closed her blog already but luckily I never forget the design I wanted. So with short term memories I’ll try to remember and do a roughly sketching and asking to my husband about the design. My husband as usual never object about my opinion because he knows his wife’s tastes is always better than him..haha.

  

Roller blind with a nice children picture - yellow side

Deco by my own - green side

 

Book shelf - wall stripes

 

I’ll pick the design and also the colour without any doubt because I already know what I wanted. For playroom I choose Marigold Marsh combine with Green Lime. Both of the colour, I use odourless Nippon Paint brand because it’s easy to wash and of course odourless. It saves for children especially for small kids and babies. There are four sides wall; one side Marsh Marigold, one side Green Lime, one side original colour (white bone) and the other side is combine colour with stripes design. At the Green Lime side I added simple flower design to make it fresh and lovely. After finish painting I feel satisfied with the outcome.

 

Toys storage - duck and rack

 

A table and tent

 

Mobile parking

Then after finish everything including washing, it’s time to choose the kid-sized furniture and decoration. It must have all the must-have ingredients to make kids' playrooms all that and more with inspired toys. To make floor look nicer and fanciful, we decide to use play mates with yellow and green colour, almost same as wall stripes. It also can increase the children‘s energy to play and improve their mind. For furniture I choose a simple one white colour, in the inside is green and yellow colour. But the furniture is just for toys storage not for clothes. At the wall stripes side we hanged white rack for books and stationeries. I also buy a small table, fancy duck, tent (from IKEA). My children seem likes so happy with the room and the decoration. I can say that’s the best place in my house compare than anything..hehe. Hope so I have a money to do decoration to the other room because I love doing decoration so much.

Claiming process started

As I said before, the construction progress to our house is very slow. According to the agreement, the project will finish by June 2011. As we saw the progress development at whole Kuantan area, never cross in our mind the project will finish on that date. So we make an assumption based on our naked eye. My husband expectation is about December 2011 but for me the earliest date is June 2012 to finish the project. But our expectation is wrong, the project that should be done by June 2011 is finish on December 2012. One half years extra delay time just for 22 semi-D houses. By that time I had labour already for my second baby. Can you imagine I buy the house 3 years before the finish date? On that time my child is only Harraz 8 months.

Not only that, we have to wait for Certificate of Fitness (CF) for almost 4 months before getting the key. At last we got the key on 1st April 2013. By that time my husband and I have made a calculation to claim of the delay time but we don’t know the process. So we start to see the lawyer to do the claiming progress but nothing happen because on that time there’s only a clerk on the office so we didn’t see the lawyer. So we just wait and wait. We never ask the developer about the claim but I did ask to the developer’s clerk “Did any of my neighbours do a claim to the house?” But the clerk refused to say and she said “no one ask for that”. I don’t know why I trust her so much but we planned to manage out house first then after that will do the claim.

The letter

 So we continue to do defect work, grill assemble, painting and etc. Maybe ALLAH is with us, something happen because the clerk give us the wrong key for the sliding door. One day we are going to the developer office to change the key, there’s our neighbours asking about the claim. My husband and I just hearing what they say, they seem angry to the developer because they did the claim already for a month before but didn’t get the money yet. So I ask one of my neighbours about the process. Then the MGS’s teacher teaches me how to do it. Actually the process is very simple, we just write a letter to the developer and ask how much claim by using simple calculation. After know how to do then we proceed the claim. Mr Ha (developer) ask us not to claim because he said the project are not profitable to them because the contactor cheat on them. But this time I would not trust them anymore.

We give a month to ourselves getting the claim without pushing the developer. After a month later I ask my husband to ask our neighbour either they get the claim already or not. You know they got the claim already and they said we have to push the developer if want the money. So my husband and I rotate call the clerk to give her headache..haha. What a surprise, after a week we get the money but she ask for a discount. Then we give about RM 1500 discount from total claim. So finally we get RM10,136.80 total claim. Finally I feels 3 years waiting is payable..hehe.

So for my opinion if your house is late completion, you are allowed to do a claim because it's your right as a buyer. What we do to the money is SECRET..haha.

Painting

While some of our neighbours are being busy with their house renovation, we have plan and decided to move on from my in law house. But we did it slowly because we don’t want rushing to move. We didn’t do much to our home sweet home. Our major renovation to the house is only focusing on plaster ceiling. Actually we don’t have much money to make a renovation. Plus we didn’t want to make a loan from a bank that can increase the commitment. It okay we will make it slowly but for the time being I don’t think we will do anything to our house. InsyaALLAH if our financial is stable and became strong we will do it and my target is on 2015. Yes I know it was a long journey to go but better late than never right?

So in this post I would like to share about our painting job. To save the money we did it by ourselves. Although exhausted but we satisfied with the end result. I have ask for a few quotations for this job and on average the wage cost is about RM2k++ not include the paint price. That’s why we decide to do it by ourselves because the cost for painting is only RM500++. What a big different right? Because we did it by ourselves so it needs almost 2 months to finish it.

The receipt

feel dizzy - to much colour to choose

Paint mixer machine

 

We buy 6 different colours for six different areas and of course I’m was the one who pick the colour..hehe. For the living hall, dining area and master bedroom we decide to do one side feature wall while the other areas is in white colour. I’ll do some search to find the best paint with the best price and decide to use Nippon paint odourless after consider what will happen to our wall in the next few years and what will Harraz and Adelea do to the wall. Yes I admit the price is quite expensive but after thinking those entire problems we agree to buy it. The price is different depends on colour we choose.

Start your engine (oops sexy picture)

 

On progress

Finish wet kitchen

For the living hall I choose Full Wine 192A about 3 litters to fill 10ft x 10ft wall and the total cost is RM118, dining area and master bedroom I choose Paradise Water 1143D and Perky Plume 7133D respectively, both about 1 litter cost RM35. While for wet kitchen I pick Marsh Marigold 7043D and I buy 5 litters because I want to use it for playroom also and it cost RM125. I use two colours for playroom area, one is Marsh Marigold and 2 litters Green Lime 13A cost RM70. Then for entire space exclude feature wall is white colour Jotun brand and total we cost RM100 (forgot the price) for 32 litters. So gross cost for painting RM 483 + the accessories. Nice haa but tired..haha.

 

Living hall

 

Dining area

 

Entire area exclude feature wall

 

So that’s it until we meet again.

P/S : Not in the picture are master bedroom and playroom area. Will post details in next post.

Grill assemble

After my house completed about December 2012, while the developer wait for a Certificate of Fitness. We found some flyers posted to our house including grill flyers. So we estimate that by two months we will get a key.By that time we have decided to search a quotation for our grill. Firstly we call the grill's contractor from the flyers and it was from Beserah and malay man. After makes a short discussion the contractor gives us roughly RM5k. That was for a simple design with white colour and the material is metal. Actually our interest is in wrought iron but it was so expensive and we know we can't afford it. Just because that was our first quotation, I'm totally shocking with the price.

 

Our grill pattern (metal 10 - 3503)

Price comparison

Actually my estimation is about RM3.5k which is very far. So we decide to look for a new quotation to the other shop. That was nearer to my mother in law house, Kuantan Iron Grill beside the famous satay Zul. Actually this shop is in our list and we ask for the quotation. I have made a BQ for them so that's makes easy to them to fill it. By without haven't come to our home they can estimate it easier just in paper. So after some discussion they give us RM7k for metal and RM12k for wrought iron with the simplest design ever...i don't know why the price is so high. I though maybe of the workmanship that makes the price like that.

Kuantan Iron Work

 Variety colour of wrought iron

Just because we didn't satisfied with the price then we search for the new quotation by using an email. I have made a search from google and found Roshdi Enterprise malay company and the worker are MARA students. By looking in his website and I think the workmanship is ok and I'll try  asked for the quotation but the price is almost the same. Hmm then I think maybe the reason is it was the price at Kuantan because my mother's house at JB is around RM3k for the whole house. So my husband told me to make a desicion either we choose Kuantan Iron Work or find the other one.

 

We take colour no 5 (light gold)

One day after talking with my office mate at the surau and tell them about how expensive the grill price nowday. Suddenly Kak Zam (one of office mate) told me that she make a grill with Elephant. My husband and I decide to go Kak Zam's house by our self to saw the workmanship and we satisfied. Then we go straight away to the company asked for the quotation. After a few days we get back the quotation and the price still same but with added powder coating which is the price is almost RM1.5k, it means cheaper then Kuantan Iron Work. Besides I love the workmanship. Then we made an appointment to make it clear as what we want such as emergency routes and I want my grill is fit to the door and window. After we're clear everything then we made a deposit 30 percent payment and double confirm the size.

  

Pre assemble monitor by my husband

About 3 weeks after, the contractor do the pre assemble grill for sliding and my husband really likes the workmanship. They waited almost 2 months before assemble the grill because we got the key in April 2013. Even though we have a key but we can't start assembling the grill because have to wait until the defect work finish. We don't want our grill broken because of the defect work. But as a human being we can't hardly wait to see our new grill stick with sliding, door and window. Then we made decision and asked them to assemble in early May 2013. For almost two hours my husband and I waiting them to assemble it and we decide to let them alone as we seen they done a great job. Then the day after we decide to proceed the payment but we have been told that there was a problem. Our main door can't close because the handle from the door and grill meet together so we have to wait for some other time for fixing work.

 

The grill coming

 

Sliding door

Window

 

The back door

But now it's over because the grill assembling work is finish already and the most important think my husband and I satisfied with the workmanship with the affordable and reasonable price. You know one thing that makes me happy is the decision we have been made didn't proceed with Kuantan Iron Work for the grill because my neighbour's grill which is done by Kuantan Iron Work is not as good what I though so I have made a conclusion that we did a right decision for our grill.

Wiring done!!

Yippie...I was so happy after we have completing the wiring to our house. You know it's look wonderful seeing our house full of lamp and fan. Even thought we didn't finish our painting job..hehe. It almost one month I think and we didn't finish it yet. I don't know when will we finish that because it almost Ramadhan. Hmmm it's ok we will do it slowly until raya maybe..hehe. Here some of the picture of our lamp.

LED lamp

Black lamp

Downlight

 Fuse box

 The fan

Actually wiring work done by my brother..hehe save my money for other thing. I pay him RM600 only including car oil and meal..haha what a shame right?. Anyway it's ok consider it as helping his own sister. For your information we have added some point to lamp, fan and switch and it cost almost RM2.1k. Just because our house don't have a fence posts so the contractor deduct RM440 for not assemble the ring bell and autogate. Actually what we plan before the house completed is different from what we assemble now. It's change at all and happen when my husband become attracted to the cornice offer that cost almost RM3.7k.

My husband layout

So it makes a lot work to do to wiring. I have told my brother before that there's a lot to do because of a changes. He already told me that he will takes a leave to settle it but when the times comes he changes his mind to settle it on Saturday and Sunday. I refuse either he can manage it or not because I can see many things to do and I don't think so he can manage it. Therefore he told me that he will come by himself to Kuantan. That's doesn't makes sense to me right. So I asked him what should I prepared before he comes here. Guess what he even don't have a time to buy an equipment for the wiring. So I asked him to make a list and I will buy it here so he didn't have to bring it from JB.

After ensure he will come here alone, I have discussed with my husband where should we place him at the night and my husband decide he can stay with us because it just one night to stay only. Even though he already told me he will come alone but my heart whispering that my mother wouldn't let it be. And what I expect is right and that morning around 6.30 am he text me my mother and father will follow him. Yes I know it's will be going happen like this so I urgently told my husband where should I place them but my husband said it just I night and not worth it if we spent a hundred just to sleep. So with my mother in law permission at last we decide they should stay in my mother in law's house.

At 12 pm they reach to Kuantan and they decide to began the wiring directly. But I'm taking them to Taman Gelora to take a break. I know he feel very tired ( almost 6 hours driving non stop) but he want to finish it quickly. Then after reach to home he directly start the work until 6.30 pm and continue it after maghrib until 12.30 am assisted by my husband and my father. My husband is the most happiest person after he done assemble the T5 lamp to the cornice. His dreaming lamp..hehe. So the first day he was successful to assemble all the fan and lamp excluded outdoor lamp, dining lamp and finishing work.

  
Testing...testing..

Ooooh T5

Yellow LED lamp

The next day after Subuh they have breakfast and directly go to our house and finish the work until 1.00 pm. So far my husband satisfied with his brother in law work although there are shortage here and there but overall he gives a big smile. So he will continue the finishing work. As usual the house become mess with the dust from cornice and wire after the work done. You know on Tuesday my husband can't refrain himself seeing mess from the house. So he make a decision by himself to clean it without telling me..hehe. I consider he want to make a surprise to me. After this painting job waiting for us..haha..

The Progress During Construction

 Structure work (March 2011)

 Roofing (May 2011)

This is the picture of the construction progress for our home. As I said before my husband and I buy this house since there is no construction was started. Most of our weekends my husband will ask me to follow him looking for the progress. So if we saw any progress at the site, we will take the picture to remind how long the structure will be constructing at the time. After we started to pay the bank interest, our visit to the site became frequently especially when we get a new charge interest. Basically after end an office hour, we will straight away go to see the progress. We hope so the project will finished right before I delivered our little baby but our dream is just a dream because until the end of my confinement day we still didn’t get any news from the developer about key collection.

Septic tank installation (Jan 2012)

 Painting (March 2012)

 

 Plaster ceiling (March 2012)

 drainage base (Mac 2012)

 Drainage (May 2012)

 Car porch (June 2012)

My husband always asks me for the opinion how long this project will be finished as I am a civil degree holder and have an experience as an engineer at the site even it just for 2 months only..hehe. Actually I can’t give the actual finish work time because in my point of view it will finish about one year but because this is Kuantan so my expectation is about 2 years or to be exact will finish at December 2012. While according to my husband calculation the project will be finished maybe at June 2012. And YES I was right. The project was finished in December 2012 but after that we have to wait for the application of the Certificate of Fitness (CF) almost 5 months. Oooh Allah...what a torture have to wait and wait again for another time.

After my confinement date, we decide to send our baby to the nearer nursery because we think we will move on soon to our new house by looking at the house progress. Actually the house is almost done on October 2012 so we think by December 2012 we can move on from my in law house about less than 2 months. But until now May 2013 we still stay with my husband’s family because there is a lot of work to do before we move on that I have been writing in this blog before this...huhu. Is there any possibility to move on before fasting? It’s almost 2 months from now you know but a lot this we did not yet do. So 3 days from yesterday they did the wiring work but to assemble the fan and lamp have to wait for my brother because we have to pay double for wiring work if we want to hire someone. So for double saving we have to wait and wait again..haha. But by the way not just waiting we will do the painting job after this. Aaaah what a tired months but anyway can’t hardly wait for the last result..haha.

  Subgred layering (August 2012)

2 weeks before delivered

 

Pavement on my confinement (Sept 2012)

The expenses

Huhhh lots of money need to prepare before entered a new home (sigh). Until now my husband and I need to think about the expenses for grill, wiring (no wiring done to the house at Kuantan area - this thing I know when I asked my friend f**k!!), electrical equipment (lamp, fan, etc), curtain, kitchen cabinet, home furniture, painting and so on. From my estimation the expenses will achieve RM 20K and it gives me such a headache. Oooh if anyone could sponsor us, it would be my pleasure..haha.

 

 Money??!!...extremely give me a headache!!

Actually before this we already withdraw about rm5k for cornice and wiring (deposit). Now i realize we should not spend a money for cornice because we don't have enough money for furniture!! huhu. But who's the one should be blame when you see such a beautiful modern cornice. My husband and I already imagined that we will have a modern look living room. Oooh my beautiful dream. Would it become a reality in this almost time?

So let's check this out. Here the list conclusion so far :

First wiring (deposit) : RM 1,000

Second cornice           : RM 3,700

Third grill                   : RM 6, 850

Fourth curtain + rail   : RM 2,000

Shania Twain : Ka Ching

Current total RM 13,550 (ka ching)!! Will follow up after this is electrical equipment and painting (still thinking about this but i want! i want very badly!!). Please....help me!!!

Defect work

A first thing to do exactly after getting a key is checking a defect surround the house. We have received a key on Tuesday 2nd April 2013, then we just go straight away to our house to do some checking defect work. The developer will give you a form to fill up related to defect work. Every person should provide a feedback 14 days after taking a key from them. They will do a defect work according to the report once they get it.

The report

From our visit on that day, I notice so many defect including plaster cracking, unequal wall plastering, minor broken at the front door, no tap near to toilet bowl and some plaster ceiling was missing. Until last week we found that they just did the plastering work only and the others they do not make it yet. I don't mind if they don't want to paint on the plastering work but what my concern is fix the tap near to toilet bowl and the plaster ceiling. that's it..that's enough for me.

 Photo of defects

Next week we will start assemble the grill on Tuesday. Hope so they will finish all the defect work this week or before grill work started.

The journey begin

  

Would it be looks like this? most probably??

Our first house is single semi detached house. We bought this house 2 years before, after looked and searched a few houses at Kuantan. Never crossed in our mind to buy a house until my husband’s friend Huda introduce to us. Huda works with house developer at D’Marina Resort Tanjung Lumpur nearer Yayasan Pahang. We were so excited at that time and started planned buying our first house. She suggests us to buy a single terrace house and the price is affordable around RM 126k. Actually at that time my husband and i never had a dream to buy such a big house (for us) and before this we decide just to buy a single terrace house. Furthermore we didn’t have any experience buying a house. At that time our ages is 27 years old and salary is about RM 1800++ per person with one baby boy. But after going RHB bank for making a loan, the sales officer said our loan was not approved because of our burden is too high. But i think it was a beginning of our journey to find our home sweet home.