House Project : Last payment to developer & Kids Outdoor Photography

We recieved a copy of invoice last week. I called the developer again today and they confirmed it - it is the last payment for the house before we get the key.

Yaye and not so yaye.

Yaye because at last we can start something with the house.

Not so yaye because it means full payment of the house will start this very December. That is so so so not yaye. It will be the starting of - no more holidays, no more over spending. Not that I like over spending but naturally we as human "over spent", on food and on anything elselah. Tak berniat tapi selagi namanya duit senang jer lah habis.

And I am worried about the landlord. Should we just be honest with her? Or should we just buy time?

Grrr! Anyway, this is Allah's test to us. For years and years the landlord has never thought about increasing the rental and 2 months before getting the key Allah gave her the thoughts. So the decision to buy the house and move maybe Allah's great decision to us as well. Dia sahaja yang tahu kenapa kita beli rumah ni... rupa2nya, kena bayar rental sampai RM800.. Baiklah bayar untuk rumah sendiri, Freehold asset lagi kan...


Kids Outdoor Photography

Remember that I am aspired to do this frame picture somewhere in the house. I think I will do this project at the family/audio area rather than dining area. Dining area I dah confirm nak letak KUFI arts.

So the plan for the photography was last sunday. Memang a bit kucar kacir hidup I hari jumaat tu sebab dah tahu house dah dapat CF (kena banyak menda nak urus kan!) so walaupun appointment dengan photographer (aka my niece yang sangat berminat jadik professional photographer) dari last week tapi location tak visit lagi, props tak beli dan itinerary tak buat. Huhu! Pressure!

 

Part of our preparation is to do "homework" of what kind of style the kids should "pose". Since I want a black & white, maka kenalah carik yang sesuai juga kan.. macam kat bawah ni....

 

 

Yang macam ni.... Tapi tak mampu la nak pakai seragam cam ni kan... ada tu ada tapi sebab kelam kabut dan hari asyik hujan, baju2 tu tak kering so it adds up to pressure! So my decision is... It will not be perfect but it is the memories that counts! ok tak? ekekkekeek!

 

We wanted the bubble take as well. So bubble maker yang ada battery kitorang beli murah tu hilang plakk... mana sempat nak carik sbb banyakkkk lagi nak kena buat.. akhirnya kena beli yang manual (ni ada citer gelihati masa shooting day ekekeke)

On Friday, I am supposed to have discussion on concept with the photographer..tapi turn out penat sangat kehulu hilir dan bergayut kat phone tanya itu dan ini, terlupaaa nak singgah rumah my sister. Pukul 8pm my sis sms, tapi i dapat checked my sms esok paginya sebab tertidur.. bolehhh???

So esoknya in between jadi supir hantar anak I ke taekwondo and kelas tahfiz part time mereka di Putrajaya, I singgah rumah my sister dan we managed to discuss our concept.

Habis short discussion sambil google2...Teruslah lepas tu aku buat onsite visit to the location on the way to pick up my children. Ada 3 tempat yang aku ada in mind, Pusat Marine ker Maritime near PICC, Wetland dan Taman Putra Perdana. Bila aku singgah ke Taman Putra Perdana (hujan ok.. sangat gigih carik location dengan mengusung anak 4 orang.. my hubby kena buat kerja sebab ada submission client di Singapore) owhhh perfect tempat tu. Near to toilet (u know shooting with kids there is always accident happen), ada vending machine (air kena cukup), and ada playground yang besar dan cantik.. and the greenery is sungguh superb!!!!!! So I settle with Taman Putra Perdana.

Lepas buat onsite visit, singgah ke Giant Taman Equine beli all the props... Tak jumpa props, singgah di Carre Four Puchong Utama pulak... Mak penat nyah! Dapat pun the candies yang I nak and the rest of the props lah!

The shooting day? Hehehehe I will have to write about the experience in another entry. It is good to record it down for memories sake. Nasib baik ada pengalaman shooting iklan years back with the kids (minus the baby) so we know what to expect when doing shooting with kids. Due to lack of adults, and time, I was a bit inorganized. It could be betterlah.....

 

 

My mind was with the house. So today I need to focus on which school my kids should be going next year??? SJKC Mantin for DS?

 

SRK Mantin for DD? My hubby thought the name of SK Batang Benar is too much for him to handle. He can't accept it I guess ekekekeke!

House Project : The house has got the CF!

I brave myself to call the developer today. Sebenarnya malas dan malas sangat nak appeal, memohon, rayuan dsb. (mode avoiding confrontation)..

They said they just got CF and by next week they will start to notify homeowners to collect the keys. I think that is a great news.

(bestnya kalau dapat letak jam ni kat depan rumah as wall decorator tapi kalau kena curi camner lak ek?)

(This is the inspiration for the dining room buffet table..... the mirror tu i berkenan... lagi satu mirror is for the wall.)

 (ha macam ni kan...ruang belakang letak buffet table senang kan nak makan2... banyak tempat, tak gaduh....)

Our deadline for this house project is 31 December 2012. Later than that the kids will have to start school at their old school or worst, they will have no school to go to.

And another reason to add on the stress is the rental. We need to tell the current landlord we are going to move so please do not raise the rent before we move.  I do  not have any strategy yet. Should we tell her the truth? or should we just tell the truth that the house do not fit the RM800?

Anyway, another good news.I am able to cut down some budget to only 32k short. This shortage means, no new fridge (This one a bit sedeh because we need it but it does not mean we can't get it forever... just not at this moment), no 3D TV (I mean who needs TV, the kids should not be watching TV anyway... my intention to get 3D TV so they can have movie night with their friends at home and we can karaoke as a family at home - but that is solely dunia. Things happens for a good reason :)..)

So to cut down some more, I have to find cheap solution for:
a)  the building up of the wall at the back and at the front.  what is my plan? As plants fences are equally expensive... If I buy baby plants it will take years..Not sure on this one yet.
b) Cemented floor for the back and the side may not going to happen as plan.
c) Tinted and langsir - This one I have to find solution very very fast. Otherwise we will have problem.
d) Gazebo - this is a wish list not a functional features. So it is nice to have but it won't kill us if we don't get this one.

I can't cut down on the kitchen and laundry or wardrobe as they are the current problems and I need to resolve it.I can't wait to start another project with the kids.

Reading, spelling, routine practice etc.

 Looks simple but cost thousands of dollar...

 This is the first grill I ever like so far. Damn cute kan? If the rest go white and the color stays that way, it will be super cute.

 Nice and cosy but it doesn't cost me Rm500. If it does I buy 2. huhu....

Even the frames are not cheap. Everything costs money... My house in SG has a very clean wall. We did not put up anything. And I love it that way. Now I have aged and my taste is different. It became a burden when you have such an expensive taste but do not have money to support it :P

House Project: Quotation & Putting up boxes

Dah lama tak ada progress on rumah baru.

Simply because the developer still have no news on the CF. Landlord pun dah tak sabar2 nak naikkan rental.... tapi I masih cool lagi. Walau dalam hati bergolak dah.

So yesterday (Maal Hijrah holiday) we went to Chan Kitchen for another quotation request. I like Signature but for kitchen alone is 21k (with discount of 10% about 18k - comes with free Ariston dryer)... Quotation does not include racks or pull rack etc. only blum drawer and corian solid top is inclusive.The laundry room and dining - 6k. so total is 27k. Not inclusive wardrobe for 6 bedrooms.


Yesterday, I requested below and next to it is the price:

1. Kitchen - with handles, softclose, blum drawer, 270 swivel rack, pull rack, bottle rack, stainless steel infront of the cooker hob and up to ceiling. = 15k

The down side they do not have corian, I will be so lazy to order it myself. Too much coordination. Tapi tengoklah nanti. Bila desperate we all can do wonders kan? The above price is using LG solid top with heat resistance. Funny when I said "corian" the uncle was pretty confident I meant "korean" brand......Korean brand - they have a lot :P

2. Laundry room - as per my request with Signature kitchen. Solid wood white. Plus handles. The round classic knob that I want. = 3k

3. The dining room - inclusive 9' x 4' mirror and 9' bottom cabinet + soft close + stainless steel rack for pinggan mangkuk... = 5.5k

4. Wardrobe -
    a) 1 x 6' sliding door with mirror - RM2670
    b) 2 x 4' swing door - RM2000
    c) 2 x 6" swing door - RM2940
    d) 1 x 4' sliding door - RM1600
Total for wardrobe saja dah = RM9210

So total is about 33k. Cheaper than Signature, but we still need to slash the price further to be able to meet my overall project budget.

All inclusive of undermount sink work and plumbing work. Alamak, baru teringat, dia lupa include lighting for the cabinet. Tapi should not be that expensive sebab 2 feet jer. Yang lain2 cuma bottom.

Meanwhile, enjoy my other inspiration for a side wall in my dining room...(one side only) What do you think of black? I plan to paint it black, and put Kufi decor (colorful one or black and white - to be determined later)

 This one they paint with chalk board. Not bad but my concept is simple, modern and glamourous.

Something like this (of the wall) - 1 side black, another side will be grey and the chair and table will be white.

 Ok something like this. but only 1 side with black.

 Not so bad kan.. It can work.

 Another example.

 Kufi decor is something like this, but this is not what I have in mind. Ada contoh dia di facebook but I do not have a copy of the picture here.. So you have to wait for me to put it up nampaknya. :P

Oh so loving this. except that I do not like pattern on the table. I bet the price is about RM1k. It will neutralize my living room. But again, I am confusing myself with my concept and what I like. Macam tak kena dengan my modern, simple and glamorous concept.

 This one maybe kena.....

 

This one will be PERFECT. Modern plus what I like. Wood.

Update on packing.

I continue (nampak..I ya.. bukan we...hehehehe sebab I tak suka orang lain kemas sama-sama nanti terbuang apa2 yang tak patut di buang...) packing yesterday as well.

Dapat kotak cuma 6, masing2 tak nak kasi kotak kat I... nak beli pun tak nak kasi... So selebihnya I beli storage box di Giant.

I like the one that come with roller, sesuai untuk buku2 dan magazine, tak payah angkat boleh sorong tapi mahal.. RM30 plus... The other type yang tengah offer with the size I like, about RM14. I bought 6 storage box so far in total. So I will get more of the cheaper one later...

Living room pretty ok. Total of 10 garbage bags dah kena buang...
The kitchen half way. I think I can manage.
The master bedroom - ada lagi baju2 my hubby and my drawer sebab hubby tak kasi sentuh dulu...
The other 2 bedrooms I think I need 2 days to clear and it will be done.

Now to arrange for the lorry, school transfer and... plumber/electrician for the new house.

Excited but worried. This project is quite big yeah!

House Project : Getting the fund

1. I suka dengan blog mama-aalia (her blog address at the right hand side)  sebab saya boleh mengambil contoh dia. Dia penuhkan rumah sedikit demi sedikit. Bulan ni beli langsir untuk bilik itu, bulan depan beli langsir untuk bilik sini.. gitu.


2. I suka blog husna (address pun kat sebelah kanan) sebab ada contact number of the contractor. very useful. I might be using the contact for the tinted glass. I sudah called ah-so tu and sounded like her voice is very perky and very promising. Lagi2 bila mention - semi-d. huhuhuh.... more money for her I guess.


3. I am still worried on the 40K over budget for this project. But I am sure it will end well. No problem can't be solved. I am sure I can live with whatever I can afford.


Kan? InsyaAllah....

House Projects: Budget

Entry2 sebelum ni berkisar pada, wish list, dream house etc. The inspirations are nice and to die for! kan?

The reality check is when you have the budget laid infront of you.

Pernah tengok TV programs on decorations,  etc. ? Selalunya they have to deliver such a high quality project with minimum budget and within short time. The recent one on TV are "The clean house season 7" and "The apartment". I did enjoy the programs because it works on small budget but the results are awesome.

Usually budget derang ni kurang dari 10k kan? I mean in US dollar also lah.. hehe...

My new house is considered ok, small touch up will do.. actually lah kannnnnn..................With allllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll the inspirations in place, dengan nak oven 10 multifunction bagai kannnnnn, boleh come up sampai 90k?????????????????????????

So I am about 40k overbudget.

Let's apply "Project Management"success factor here....Dear......." IT IS INSANE!"  I will never succeed.

So today, I am listing, cancelling, discounting etc so I can reduce this MYR40k. It is 40K! not 4k! The problem is I am the user and I am the project manager. So I am a bit bias. I am not going to back down on my kitchen cabinet. NO WAY. It is the most critical project.


So far........................ I have managed to low down about MYR7500 :(.... I have already taken out the outdoor kitchen project.

House Project : Outdoor kitchen

1 of many projects that I want to do with the house is outdoor kitchen.

Pernah tengok Keeping up with the Kardashian? Do you realize that the children house followed some influence from the parents' house in some ways? Maybe we grow up in certain ways we tend to have their influence in our life. Macamlah pasal outdoor kitchen ni.


Masa hari raya my father suka buat dapur kat luar utk memasak ketupat, goreng ketam, rebus telur etc. Masa muda i dont appreciate it. but now im missing it.


turned out, my sis also is planning to have an outdoor kitchen. kan? She is planning to have industrial hob for the outdoor kitchen, im not sure what will be my style. After looking at some ideas, I think I want a neat one. I will have to include another laundry section to go with it but I want it to be a place to lounge as well. The space is not big. and i have to be careful not to turn the backyard into junkyard like most of house owners here. It would be difficult. I hope I will not sucked in.

House Project : Landscape

Lama tak cerita pasal project rumah.

reason being? CF tak dapat lagi so kunci pun tak dapat lagi.


anyway, today we went to Bukit Beruntung side, batang kali to be exact for my husband's colleague wedding.

My husband has only worked for this company 6 mths but we have attended 3 weddings so far. While me, about 2 years of working, dapat lebih kurang 5 jemputan tapi satu pun tak pergi. I only bought hadiah for them. So rajin my husband tu kan.... I pun kena jadi wife mithali ikut sajalah.....


Of the 3, i actually felt this one is the most honest, original, simple, humble and so happy for the family for it. The other 2 buat di heart of KL, di dewan. Satu pengantin tu actually wear western wedding costume. Satu lagi ada live band and all the yang terkini wedding style...and ada booth for dessert....cendol etc.


This one, bapa dia sudah tiada, yang ramai aku nampak kawan2 sekolah/kerja... kata org, jemputannya ramai orang muda. masa kenduri pengantin aku di Singapore dulu, my hubby wasnt popular kot, so org gelar kenduri kami, kenduri orang-orang perempuan...sbb ramai kawan mak mertua aku.

Makanannya simple, goodiesnya sangat simple, yang paling aku suka homemade kerepek ubi. Meja pengantin tak ada expensive silverware, so i really feel at home... it is nice sometimes to keep it simple and humble like that. yang penting dah sah kan?


On the way to the wedding, i saw a nursery so I asked my husband to stop by during our journey back. Turn out that was a good decision. It's my first visit to nursery actually. And I suka my first visit wasnt turn bad.


Tapi maafkan saya, I forgotten the name but it was on the left side of the main road if you come from KL. and it was quite big in my opinion.


The landscaper was nice. Muka dia macam cina but they way he described macam indonesian. He said he is not. I would love to have him design my garden because he got my idea and he understand all the plants that I described to him... taulah i ni, tak kosa nak ingat nama tumbuhan... nama ubat anak pun tak semua ingat camner kan...i suka bila dia explain details and address my concerns. macam, to my question do they have warranty for the plants I bought, he said, they only sell plants that are stable and mature. bukan baru tanam so chances to survive is high. and to my question on the tree with layers, which he terus jawab, bucida trees, (oh ok so that is the name) , i said why some go upward while some nicely layered... he said, it is actually an effort to make it upward...if it is planted side by side it will make a very good design... ohhh ok... i never appreciate it before.


The owner is a malay lady. she is not as 'explanatory' as the landscaper but she did show me some pictures. I was telling her my budget is only 1k. The picture she showed me was with a budget of 150k..... The cheapest is 15k.


However, i like it when she didn't shot me down with the budget. That encourages me further to ask her. Love it that they could offer design foc if i buy plants with them. they wd recommend where to plant rather than me trying to be the landscaper huhu... So I have to get her visit my site, come back and she would recommend plants that I need.

Lagi satu, i love it that she offers maintenance. but with a fees. MYR180 per worker per day....but to Pajam, much more expensive.



Plants that i love to buy there are:
a. for my backyard - lemon tree (they have planted it for 2 years...surviving well under direct sun wd be nice to have it in the backyard.), i love the jambu air, ciku siam ( but i might not go for it. tak berapa suka makan ciku), the rest i think i can get foc from my dad, so kiv dulu..
b. for the 2 big vase that i plan to put at my main door, aiseh, i forgotten what it is called, but the whole family including hubby agrees to it. so it become clear now what concept we are going to have for the front yard.... i love bourgainvilla, but i might put in as a planter box now..i still want it in the front balcony
c. i am going to stick with bucida as at now. will plant this near the alternative gate. ahh wd be nice. they said 10 ft space is ok. just trim it. they have many customers with 10 ft side space planted with bucida...


1 bucida yang matured berharga MYR800...so i will have to buy babies lucida then to keep my budget low.


I am not going to spend 5k for this. so lets just have the necessities first.

 see the trim ones, the leaves are pointed up...

credit to the internet pictures and the-malaysia-project blog.