71 renovation progress week 3 !

This week (7-13 May) in particular, we focus on Windows, Doors, Bathrooms and Kitchen specifics. Contractors came back to work on Tuesday. Joshua passed the drawings to them. It specifies which window to remove, which to make shorter, and the areas of big windows, how big etc. We aim to bring in the window guy on Saturday and so they have to get the window holes ready by then.

We're only changing all the front windows where all the extensions take place. Also, most of the old windows were build at the corner of the building, making it hard to hang curtains. I have no idea why the developer design it this way. So we rectify both the windows in front. There're another 2 at the back in kitchen and the back room that has this problem, but we're going to leave it that way. We have land at the back so in future we might extend to have a bedroom at the back, for my mum when she come stay with us and dislike the stairs. :) So the back windows will just stay for now.

I went home during lunch hour on Thursday. Anne the sweet lady helped me buy lunch and waited for my arrival. Here, they were half way preparing the window holes! :D Anne helped me take these pictures. :)

There're a lot of trash still, I wonder when they're going to clear these...

They ordered a new bin from another company, RM150 for bin of this size. Our first bin was from MPSJ and it's not just smaller than this one, it costed us RM270, what a rip off!

The guy in yellow is our concrete, piping and plaster ceiling contractor, Ah Hoong. A perfectionist, detailed but quite snobbish. The price he quote is not cheap... but my cousin said his work is good. He made noise about the toilet bowl measurements. I had to call the lady in HanLim who sold me the toilet bowls, and pass the phone to him to confirm on the size of the respective toilet bowls. He refused that I give him the measurements over sms... :S

He also insisted that I draw out plans for windows, bathrooms and kitchen for him, best if I can include measurement, talk about being a perfectionist.. hahaha.. but I think this is the right way of doing things.. at least he's very interested about what WE want. :) I like it that he stick up my drawings in the wall in living room.

They took in more bricks into the house, waiting to complete the window holes. Back to windows. Ah Hoong pointed out that if he follow my drawings, both windows upstairs and downstairs will not be aligned. :( I have different plans for the space upstairs and downstairs.... but he had a point, the different size windows will make the house look awkward from outside. So we brainstormed about it again.. on Friday Joshua discussed with him and we all decided to make the window upstairs smaller but more towards the centre of the bigger window downstairs. You'll know what I mean when the windows are installed. :D

We also talked about our kitchen table top. He already made a frame.

The wooden frames were for hob and sink. He used pencil to draw on the wood to make sure that the holes for hob and sink are at the right places.

We took the sink over to measure again, our sink is very big and there are not enough space for our sink tap, so we either have to put it at the side or on the wall. Ah Hoong explained the disadvantage of installing it on the wall. According to him, after 2 to 3 years the humidity will cause the wall to have yellow or brown spots. I don't like that... so after discussion with Joshua again at night.. we decided to go with the 1st option - tap on the right side. :)

Upstairs. Our balcony extended area. We made the window square. :)

Here's more windows. The middle one will be used as our emergency exit.

Masterbathroom. We were discussing on space.. looks like our current design is not very good.. need to rethink... is not realistic, it is too narrow and in my drawing I did not follow the dimension, thus look more spacious. 

Holes ready for piping. 1st one is a sewag pipe that goes all the way down. Middle one is hole for toilet bowl. The one on the right is drainage hole.

Friday night, Joshua and I went to 71 after dinner to discuss about what to do with our masterbedroom and also to check on the window holes. It's so tiring because we rushed there after work... but it's 71 our baby! :)

Amazing that Ah Hoong have these metal boxes that can be locked. It's easy for anyone to enter our house to take aything they want now without the windows.

Joshua checked on some piping that they've done while I wait for him to go upstairs for master bathroom discussion.

Came up to masterbedroom, balcony window. I'm planning to place shelves at that right corner that's why I need the wall space of at least 1.5 feet depth. :)

Discussed about masterbedroom and came up with a new plan. It's "drawn" with the pipes now. :) The square at the corner will be the shower cubicle. Right hand side will be basin and the oher pipe closer to the door signifies where the toilet bowl will end. We have yet to explore further on the shower cubicle door, it'll be narrow either side..... :( 

On Saturday morning, I made appointment with carpenter and window guy respectively while Joshua was busy with a wedding video shoot. The kitchen concrete top has been set. :)

Piping at the back toilet also was also ready.

They started on the back of the house. They're bringing the floor level higher by about 1 to 2 bricks. :D

Piping for washing machine and a small basin are also ready. :)

Here're more pipes in the living room. It's awesome to know they're working hard on the piping.

Met carpenter at 10am plus. Discussed about width and height of main entrance and finally decided it will be 42 inches wide and about 7.5 feet high. Either going with oak or nyato wood. Still waiting for carpenter to provide quotation. :)
Anne drove me to SS2 at about 11.30am to buy stop cocks. Ah Hoong insisted that I buy those that day... so we went even though we have to attend church leaders training in the afternoon. Finally reach home by 12pm, just as I thought I could take a break.... window guys already arrived. :S

Window guys measure total 7 windows and we talked about materials and colour of glass etc.. and they left at 12.45pm. I dropped Anne at church for her lunch appointment and went home to rest. Back to churh at 2.30pm for the leaders training... right after that was a wedding dinner in Klang. Long and tiring day!

Sunday, after church, we took a nap at home and did some laundry.. then came to 71 at 6pm. Aim to discuss and decide on electrical points as electrician will be coming in soon.

We went to the back of house first. :) That's 73, they removed the wired fence for now because they're working on the flooring. :) 71 will be much higher than 73 in no time. :D

According to Joshua, this is the sewage hole. They lifted it higher because our floor will be higher. I didn't know our shit will be flushed out through this giant hole at the back of the house. :P

That's me, I was writing down and drawing out the location of washing machine and basin at this area. There're worries that our washing machine might get stolen if we place it at the back, but we really don't have space indoor. We took a walk along the row of houses, and noticed only one house place washing machine outside. Either that or they have extended their house until the back..

Masterbathroom looks like this now!! They've covered the piping under the cement.. scary isn't it? No more changes unlesssssss they don't mind hacking again. Or hacking again will cost more... pray that no more changes...

We only ended discussing at 9pm. Went through all corners in the house and decided location for lights, fans and socket points......:)

Ah Hoong and crew rested again on Monday. They'll be back tomorrow! And tomorrow we will be having electrician and pest control coming in as well.. it'll be so crowded! :D