Where to Start?

I had to admit that we were rather ill-prepared when it comes to renovation. I mean we really have no big ideas. We visited some showrooms upon invitation. We had seen pple hack the kitchen walls to make a counter bar top; another hack the common room wall and make a glass wall, etc. I guess for both of us, we simply want smthing simple and functional and that is good enough for us.

We had wanted to get individual contractors separately, with the intention to save some money. We had seen a friend did it and it doesn't seem to be very difficult. Unfortunately, coordinating all these separate components had proven too much for us to handle. And since we really have no idea, we finally decided to hand the job over to the experts - a main contractor and/or an interior designer (ID).

I started to talk to some IDs, to hear what they have to offer. We got some quotations to compare. We learnt some things but at the same time, I also realised why people say contractors are unreliable and it's very important to get someone you trust. I find some contractors just made me feel uneasy and I doubt the things they say, no matter how convincing they try to say it. It's a blessing to have experienced pple like our parents who can help us judge and give us opinions. I think I am very lucky that my parents are very willing and happy to be involved in my renovation.

In the end, we decided to go ahead with this old friend of my dad who is in this industry for more than a decade. At least I do not have to worry that he will try to smoke me or con me. He managed to impress me a couple of times when we met up at my new place to discuss about designs and quotations. I am glad that I can use his expertise. Not to mention that he is really giving us some really good rates. (It's really quite good that I dare not say out loud as I dunno can say or not.)

And what I gather at the end of the day?
Renovation and furniture are one of the many things in life that you can use “一分錢，一分貨” to describe. Of course, we are not talking about unique designs here. As far as materials and workmanship are concerned, the pricing is more or less the same for the same standard of quality.