Blogging on a weekend

Thanks to my HP netbook! Heh....It's Saturday afternoon, hubby's gone out, Kasyif is having a nap, the girls are chatting among themselves.... thus i can have some time for myself. A bit tired from browsing the web for colour schemes....
Yep! I finally appointed a contractor for my plaster ceiling and porch area. My original plan was to purchase sofa and dining sets around 7k. Add 'replace main door and sliding door' would come out to 10k. There was no plan for renovation at first. Then, decided to provide some budget for small renovation  to complete the makeover around 3k. So called in the contractor and tell them what i plan to do to the house.

One contractor qouted me 15k. You wonder why the figure changed drastically from 3k to 15k? Let me outline the add ons and why....

1. Decided to re do the ceiling as we need more lighting for the living room. Normal plaster ceiling is around 2.5k. But normal plaster ceiling will make the ceiling looks so low and makes the room looks smaller. Thus another 1.8k to have a L box and beamed ceiling.

2. I've always hated the position of the main door resulting a dead area behind the door when it's opened. It's an eyesore to me. What if that corner is still an eyesore if i didn't do anything about it during the makeover? I would regret for not including it in my plan, don't you think? So add 'relocate main door and window' apart from replacing so that's another 2k.

3. I have long plain walls which i think i need to break it up and give it different depth to make it more lively. What i decided to do is build a wall for our future plasma TV (still a wishlist, not being crystallized yet). Idea comes from this picture:

My shelving unit is floating exactly like that but a cheaper version, IKEA LACK shelf placed horizontal hung on the wall. Tha new wall costs 1.2k

4. Now the porch. I elevate about 3x20 ft the outside floor of the entrance because i think you really need to climb up to get into my house. It's obvious when you see elderly would need to hold the door frame and press their upper thigh to get in. Then i want pebbled wash border to the tiling, a customade shoerack, timber trellis and small polycarbonate with timber trusses to cover a 5x6 area. A mere tiling job costs about 2.5k including materials but this one costs about 4.2k.

5. Next, another eyesore. The gigantic built in garbage compartment on the front pillar... It is just too big.... I like the fact that the access is on top, not beneath that you will have to bend down to put the rubbish in. BUT IT'S JUST TOO BIG! I did quite a lot of thinking here. Modify? Make the pillar and compartment smaller and access from the side? Remove the compartment all together? Convert to a storage area and place rubbish bin outside the compound?

With budget constraint as the main factor, i decided to remove it all together and place a garden tap there. And to add a bit of interest decided to have a slab underneath the tap like in this picture. So this idea and other requirements costs me about 1.6k.

Lifestyle change: need to take out the rubbish outside the main gate.

 

My common dilemma has always been whether  it's worthwhile for the budget set. The final outcome weighing that thought is the renovation figure has climbed up to RM17.3k!!!! I know it sounds expensive but given the things i want to do and the satisfaction being able to revamp the house (am i trying to justify myself???), i hope it will be an investment.Wish me luck! Wish me luck!(crossing my left hand fingers and biting my right hand nails)  I'm a bit nervous now....

 

The project starts on Monday and will last about a month. Bismillah.........