The Renovation Work Is On Track

We didn't need the services of an interior designer. It's a small new flat. I'll sort it out just fine with a contractor. Our renovation permit arrived in record time, and the contractor began work at a speed that surpassed even my expectations. I thought I work fast, he works even faster. He's organized enough, and he's able to communicate very well with us, over phone calls and via text messages. He met us to patiently walk us through the necessary purchases- lights, fans, toilet fixtures, et cetera. He's pretty adaptable to all our last-minute (reasonable) requests too.

Hiring this contractor is a total leap of faith, and very uncharacteristic of me. I knew nothing about him beyond his name, phone number, and the fact that he fulfilled the renovation projects of a number of good friends over the past three years. The friends gave glowing recommendations of his work, and I've seen for myself what he has done with and for the friends' homes. I knew I wanted him as a contractor the moment I finalized the purchase of the new flat. In fact, I chope-d his services months ago before the estate obtained its Temporary Occupation Permit (TOP), and without even asking for quotes. I didn't even know how he looked like! When I finally met him, I instantly knew I made the right decision.

When the man and I took a stroll around the new estate, we were a little stunned by how some units stuck post-its (as an indication of defect/blemish) all over their premises. Our post-its weren't this extreme. We went through our new unit every day for two weeks at different timings and weather, just to spot all possible defects.

We declined offers of getting a 'professional' defects check company to look over our unit. I'm not a noob at this. I drew up our checklist and I was very clear about what I would be willing to overlook and which crucial defects would be unacceptable. I generally obsess over colors and lines and alignment. I'm schooled in basic plumbing science and the logistics of electrical wiring. Also, I'm the one who fixes leaks and things around the kitchen and the toilets. I got this.

Thankfully, by God's grace, our unit seems fine. Either we lucked out completely or the humans assigned to do up our unit are meticulous enough. Either way, we're immensely grateful and relieved. The leaks, cracks, dents, and all have been spotted; not many, really. The odd June rains were complementary to testing the windows and balcony doors. No flooding. All good. Our logged defects barely filled up an A4 page, and the estate team was quick to attend to our concerns. Now that the estate team has rectified all logged defects, it's full steam ahead for renovations.

Don't judge my temporary door mat.