Work has started

Work started on 16th Dec 2010.  Piling has started!  62 feet ! That would require 3 piles per point !

What I have bought

I thought it would be nice if I share some of my ideas on detail work on the house.  In fact I have purchased some of these items.

1. Air Bricks - these are cast iron ventilation grills as I have a 3 feet gap between the ground and floor.  I imported these from UK.  The site is www.castironairbricks.co.uk  The design is English Rose 
2. Solar powered gable mounted ventilation fans - my attic has 2 ventilation fans to continuously extract the hot air and create moving air inside the house.  The fan is solar powered and has a flexible grill to close the vent when it is not working. The site is http://www.airvent.com/homeowner/products/powerVents-solarGable.shtml
3. Stained Glass Lampshades for dining and kitchen. I got them from ebay.  Note that China makes a lot of them now.  I also commissioned a stained glass panel for the living room.  You must differentiate them from SGO or Stained Glass Overlay which are in fact fake stained glass through usage of plastic sheets and stick on lead strips.  Kuching has a SGO designer in Pending.  They can be nice too I guess for panels.
4. Clothes Drier Vent - Due to occasional wet weather, a drier has been very useful to us.  However the hot air from the drier hasnt been pleasant circulating in the house. So for this new house I am putting in a vent through the laundry wall to the exterior.  I found this vent with a cap that will close if there is not air coming through (useful to keep insects out) in ACE Hardware in Midvalley Megamall in KL (3rd level).  The shop even have the accompanying ducts and accessories to connect to the drier. Note the cap to prevent rain entering and the flap inside. 
5. Bathroom fittings - I got some complete set fittings for all the bathrooms from Houz Depot. This KL DIY shop is very interesting. They have 2 branches, a new one in Jln Tunku Abdul Rahman (opposite Pertama Complex) and the older one near The Curve.  The set includes mixer, shower, hose and external hand held shower unit.

Thanks all for the time being.

Latest Update

Yep the last time I posted this was in May.  Now its Oct.  Last week I thought I had my contractor but at the last minute I found out through a misunderstanding that he did not include piling.  I was very annoyed at the misunderstanding as this would mean the quote would escalate again!  I have decided that I would get another quote from a small time sub contractor to see if there is sufficient variance.  For your information the previous quote was RM 400,000. Thats does not include piling, flooring (& joists), fittings, windows and doors (although it includes labour for installing) and electrical.  I thought it was a bit high. The dimensions was 3,000 sq ft inside but I have a large deck and a large garage.

Initial Quotes

Its been a slow month.  My 2 targeted contractors could not take my job.  Someone recommended to me another contractor and he quoted me RM 500,000 ! And this is for 3,000 walled in sq ft without tiles, fittings, flooring, kitchen !  I nearly fainted.  Needless to say I am getting other quotes. Lets see if we can get a better quote this weekend.  The rule of thumb is between RM 110 - 150 per sq ftt depending on your finishing.  Mine should be on the lower side as I have opted for floor joists with no concrete slab.

Ceiling

As I have indicated the flooring is wood.  This creates a new problem as to the base under the wood floor particularly for the 1st floor.  From the ground floor, the ceiling would be exposed and the joists could be seen. For some people its nice and rustic to see the joists etc but this poses other problems such exposed wiring and noise and the people upstairs move around.  Hence for the dining and lounge, we are considering a ceiling.  Initially plaster has been proposed.  While it can be nice I have some reservations.  Anyway we have seen some very nice wood used for ceilings.  Agapis is one of them.  It is a local wood creamy with some grain and knots much like pine.  UD Siburan Jaya curio shop on Jalan Main Bazaar is using this on their ceiling if you want to see the effect.  They also sell great Belian and Selangan Batu furniture.  I bought a dining table from them.  Another one is Rengas which I am quite fond of.  Its deep red with dark grains.  Brilliant for doors and ceilings ! However the wet wood and sap has toxic properties which is extremely irritating to some.  Doesnt affect me and my friend John Tucker in Ontario who has made a few clocks from this !  I attach a pic of a clock made by him as well as the wood itself.  Note that the second piece is not mature hence the yellow strip.  I have a shipment now from Lee Ling and I am holding on to it until I have the detailed specs of the requirements.

More Flooring Options

There are other flooring options that are popular with some businesses. One of them is Kempas. It is quite colourful but it comes only in 3 ft lengths which would mean laying on a concrete base with slats 1.5 ft apart. Not part of my plan. Attached is a pic



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Approved !

The plans have been approved by DBKU ! It took a while, like 7 weeks !
Now to get the engineering plans completed before I start negotiations with a contractor.

View of the property

Here are some views of the property.

The first is a North East view.  Our property is on the right.

The next is the frontal or West view. Our property is behind this pic.

The 3rd pic is that of our property itself, looking South.  Note our immediate neighbour.

The last pic is also of our property  South East view.

Recommendation of Contractors

Zain has asked me to recommend a contractor.  Apart from my suggestion that he separate the contractor from the architect work, I would hesitate to recommend any contractor.  Choosing a contractor is highly personal.  You need to think whether you have leverage over him.  For that reason, a relative or a good friend is not really a good idea.  If he makes a mistake or cheats on you, how would you be able to get redress from a relative?  Also have you had any experience with him? What was the quality of his work?  There is no free lunch.  A contractor that produces high quality work is expensive.  Have you seen his work? Inspect the houses he has done and look at the detailed work and finishing.  Sloppy work is a bad sign.  Is he flexible?  Would he allow you to appoint sub contractors for specialised work.  For example the kitchen or stairs?  Would he allow you to select or buy some of the materials?  For example the tiles, paint or wood flooring?  Does he have too many contracts currently?  If he does, you may have a problem getting your house done in time.  Finally you have to determine if you need a site supervisor.  If you dont, you would have to do it yourself and that would be difficult if you are working.  So can you trust the contractor?  For that reason, you have to make a choice yourself.  I can suggest some names but I cannot guarantee a good experience.

Land & Survey approved

Land & Survey approved the house plans today.  Now waiting for DBKU.
Looks like after Chinese New Year we will be looking for a contractor

Confirmation of Flooring

I have now found a source for the flooring and also made a choice of Selangan Batu.  The company is run by a Mr Ngu at RealLong Timber in Sejingkat.  A good source of information on this wood is this website.  I include some introduction text.

The Standard Malaysian Name for the heavy, yellow to brown timbers of the genusShorea (Dipterocarpaceae). Vernacular names applied include balau (Peninsular Malaysia) with various epithets, selangan batu No. 1 (Sabah), selangan batu (Sabah and Sarawak) and other localised names too numerous to be listed here. Major species include S. atrinervosa, S. foxworthyi, S. glauca, S. laevis, S. materialis, S. maxwelliana, S. submontana and S. sumatrana. The sapwood is lighter in colour and is sharply defined from the heartwood, which is yellow or grey-brown and darkens to deep brown on exposure.

Also known as Selangan batu (Brunnei); Phchok (Cambodia); Sal (India); Anggelam, Balau, Bangkirai and Dammar laut  (Indonesia); Mai chik khok (Laos); Thitya (Myanmar); Gisok, Malayakal and Yakal (Philippines); and Aek, Ak, Balao, Takhian-samphon, Teng and Rang (Thailand).

The main merit of Selangan Batu is that it will resist the termite attack.  However the grade A selangan is difficult to find.  The more common selengan has tiny pinholes more suitable for the deck.

I enclose a pic of the wood.

Plans Resubmitted

Today resubmitted to DBKU.  They will forward it to Land & Survey for initial comments.  Apparently L&S are very efficient (they have a client charter) and will comment within 2 to 3 days.  DBKU wanted more specs particularly on the dimensions of the planking for the wooden floor.  Lets hope that this time all will be approved.