Projek Buat Banglo

Design finalized..

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Posted by A y i L

its been more than 2 months since this was last updated.
Alhamdulillah, the design has now been finalized. I never thought the design stage would take this long - 8 months to be exact. The engagement with RAM Architects only started in March, so to be fair, the whole design process took more or less 5 months.

So, next - we need to get the design approved by the authority (MBPJ). But before submitting to MBPJ, it needs to go thru town planning process - this to make sure the design adhered the township requirements etc etc. Apparently, other authorities MBSA, DBKL don't have this sort of requirements. The town planner fee alone is 5K!
And while waiting for that, the loan application can be submitted for conditional approval.
There still chances that the loan might get rejected, and worst case - this Projek Buat Banglo needs to be scrapped off.

But, i always look at things positively. I can still sell off the land.
The land value here has appreciated quite handsomely in the past 2 years. The purchase price was RM50psf back then, and now the asking price is no less than RM90psf - which will give me at least 400K of profit.

So either way - it will still be alrite :)

dari Subang Jaya ke Damansara

Friday, April 23, 2010

Posted by A y i L

For those who used to grew up in Damansara, soon after started working you might want to get an apartment nearby, close to your parents.. Unless your starting salary is 5k or above - be prepared to live somewhere else.

Its been a rarity to get an apartment listings within Damansara vicinity with asking price below 400K. TTDI (Villa Flora, The Plaza), Damansara Perdana (Emerald, Armanee Terrace), Kota Damansara (Casa Indah,, Opal, Cova), Tropicana (Casa Tropicana, Riana Green) to name a few.

Being a Damansara folk is tough. I know coz i married one ;)
My wife feels there is no better place. And i do agree. But to live there is expensive and maybe thats the price to pay for a good neighborhood.

But maybe if she was raised in Puchong, i bet she would also feel the same thing towards Puchong.
I was raised in Subang Jaya. People will complain about the bottleneck at Jalan Kewajipan or other stuff - but because i had been living there for nearly 20 years, everything there feels good. Another pluspoint, you can still get a nice terrace house here for below 400k.

The point is - people who grew up in Damansara needs more money than people in Subang Jaya :)

Finalized Layout - Not!

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Posted by A y i L

I had a meeting with the architect last Friday - my comments on the layout:

need a 2nd staircase at the back - easier for family members to access the kitchen from upstairs. No need to cross over the dining area & avoid the crowd during a function/usrah.
separate toilet for each bedroom
re-positioning of prayer room
expand the dry kitchen.

On Wednesday, they sent me the proposed layout. Not one, not two - but three! Efficient sungguh!!

Option 1

2 staircase with bigger built-up (4460 sf)
Pros - All bedrooms except for master will have more width (3.6m instead of the originally 3.3m). Spacious.

Cons - Bigger built-up = higher cost

Option 2

Only 1 staircase but at the back (4075 sf)
Pros - The house is not that huge, ideally a single staircase should suit us fine. Bedrooms are still 3.6m in width. Upstair family area can overlook the living area downstair. Dining & Living area will be spacious enough to accommodate usrah and solat jemaah.

Cons - Smaller master bathroom (4m width instead of 4.5m). Dining & living area will be too close to each other (might need a divider).

Option 3

2 staircase (4160 sf)
Pros - Looks nice. Not too big, not too small.

Cons - Bedrooms are smaller (w - 3.3m instead of 3.6m).

So, after discussing with wifekins, we both agreed to go with Option 3. At 3pm today, the architect called & i told him to proceed with perspective design for Option 3. At last, we have finalized the layout after nearly 2 months of brainstorming. Yeay!

We usually have a family gathering every Thursday night. So just now, I eagerly showed the layout to my parents. Normally, they would just look at it & say "hmm ok la.. ni ape ni? oOo hmm ok la". But not this time. hehe

Bapak "Kenapa nak ada 2 tangga?"
Me "Sbb senang nanti kalo ade usrah or kenduri, orang atas boleh turun naik tangga belakang & vice versa"
Bapak "Nak senang buat 1 tangga je kat belakang.. umah bapak ni kalo boleh, bapak nak tangga terus ke belakang.. tangga ni utk family naik turun je.. kalo kat depan makan space jee"

betul jugak haha
i've actually thought abt that.. but doesn't it seem weird to have the main staircase at the back? Then, i started belek2 my old magazine 'ID', 'live', 'Impiana'..
And yes - most of the terrace & semi-d houses have staircase sandwiched between the dining and the living area. But for bungalow - there isn't a standard design. Each is unique. You can have more than 2 staircase if you really want. Or none. Do you know the cost for a 2-level personal lift is roughly about RM150k? ;)

So, tomorrow i need to call the architect.. again.. for another re-adjustment hehe
the fun part is - back to the drawing board!

Houz Depot (Part 2)

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Posted by A y i L

My previous post only covers the ground floor. On the lower ground, you can find furniture sets (dining, sofa etc) & the first floor covers mostly accessories (bath accessories, wc, door, wood frames, ceiling panel, wall deco & so much more).

Ground Floor

Black PVC Rattan
1 glass top table + 2 chairs
Color: Orange/Green
RM675 (usual RM1688)

PVC Rattan Day Bed
RM2699

PVC Rattan Love Boat
RM1598 (Usual RM2288)

* bess ni, bole taruk kat master bedroom.. posisi 69 haha!

Cream Fabric Sofa Set
RM1999

* thinking of putting this on the 1st floor family area

PVC Rattan Outdoor Set
RM8818 (Usual RM12958)

* wow i really this one..

PVC Rattan Square
RM5988

* the base beneath can actually be combined into a coffee table

Purple Fabric Sofa Set
RM3099 (Usual RM8099)

* purple!!

Small Square Table Set
RM599

* Small enough for our kitchen :)

Dining Table (Brown wood)
RM1099 - Table
RM268 - Armchair
RM239 - Armless chair

* Nice kan?

High Dining Table with High Chair (with Glass top)
RM1959

1st Floor

This floor alone took me like 2 hours to cover. If you're thinking of doing renovation & not sure where to start - or you simple feel that your house needs a bit of something & u're not sure what that something is - then this is THE place.

Doors

Grandoor Solid Timber Main Door (Double door with glass)
Size: 6 7"ft (W) x 8 3"ft (H)
Species: Nyatoh
RM2270

*org tua mesti suka!

Preferdoor Full Panel Door
Size: 3 ft(W) x 7ft (H)
Door material: Solid Timber infill (Meranti)
Door leaf: PET deco film
RM700

Preferdoor Full Panel Door
Size: 3 ft(W) x 7ft (H)
RM528

Invisible Grille

RM16 psf
More info can be found in invisiblegrille.com

* Suitable for high-rise building. not sure how secure it is though..

Mosquito Net

RM13.80 psf

* no more mosquito bites! no more Shieldtox!

Wooden Panel

Wood gives a luxurious look on your home, be it on the floor or on the ceiling.

Wooden deck is sooo expensive! A 100sf area will cost you RM3800!

Wood Col. 100mm = RM40.39 psf
Wood Col. 200mm = RM34.45 psf (how can this be cheaper??)

Wall Deco

So, if you want to do a makeover, don't hire an ID. Buy few of these & be creative ;)

Bath Accessories

Show

er Set
RM1328 per set

RM136

Brand: Grohe (Germany made)
Shower set ala2 mandi air hujan
RM339

Jacuzzi for Two
RM5400 (Usual RM7000)

Jacuzzi (for two?)
RM5500 (Usual RM7000)

Jacuzzi (Standard)
RM3800

Artistic Basin
RM299

The standard WC

Johnson Suisse
RM759

The ultimate WC!

VV-Smartor
RM4999!! (Usual RM8999)

Macam washing machine je..

i guess one tube for water & the other for soap - WoW!
tak payah pakai tangan dah - sit, relax and let goooo hehe

Houz Depot @ Kota Damansara

Posted by A y i L

The place is definitely worth going. It claims to be the 'Largest Home Improvement Wholesale Hyperstore' and rightly so. Situated along the Persiaran Surian near the Pelangi Apartment, I never quite notice the place, even though i drive there nearly every day hehe

Actually i got to know the place from Rumet, i saw his post on laminated flooring DIY & was told that he got those from Houz Depot for only rm2.99 psf - wow murahnye! and of coz, it doesn't include installation, which can double the cost. Maybe I can get him to install those for my house later. haha sure jimat! alerr harga kawan2 hehe

ok jgn buang masa, check it out!

Garden Deco

Size: 15cm x 15cm
Price: RM24.90

Size: 30cm x 30cm
Price: RM59.90

Size: 40cm x 60cm
Price: RM193.90

And the rest of the design..

Wooden Deck
Size: 60cm x 60cm
Price: RM63.00

Wooden Deck
Size: 30cm x 90cm
Price: RM48.00

Synthetic Turf Grass
RM58.00 per foot run

* i think this artificial grass only suits for apartments' balconies. i had one in Shang Villa condo, but a bit thinner. thick grass tends to shed more..

Water Feature
RM1660.00

For garden deco, we can actually get it cheaper with more varieties if we survey the flower nurseries along Jalan Sg Buloh. But at least the specs & price above can be used for comparison ;)

Tiles

SIXNY (60cm x 60cm)
For Living