5 Brilliant Ideas to Maximise your Kitchen Storage Space

You would have seen my small little kitchen in my previous post, and being the hoarder I am, I am desperate for more storage.

Check out this short video for 5 cool ways you can make your kitchen space more organised and accessible!

Presenting Our Humble Heartland HDB Flat!

Have been on hiatus for a long while because I was buried with work.

Am I done with work yet? - img courtesy of hypnotension.com

These two months have been hectic; I was juggling among work, renovations, wedding preparations, and personal life.

But things now are getting better and so, I AM BACK!

img courtesy of giphy

I haven't been updating the progress of our BTO flat for a while, but in reality, I am actually really excited about the new house! Much progress has been made since we have received the keys to the flat, and fast forward three months, the house is almost done!

We started by going to roadshows and asking for recommendations from family and friends. After we have short-listed some potential Interior Designers and Renovation Contractors, we sieved out some of them by reading up forum reviews and checking out their portfolio on Facebook and their corporate websites.

We are most concerned with two factors: reliability, and cost.

There are just too many articles and reviews about errant renovation companies or companies folding after collecting payment; so many reports that it becomes a cause for concern. We also do not believe in taking up renovation loans just so that we can have a nest that is showflat-worthy. Even though we are pretty cash-strapped because of all the major milestones we are hitting, we want to spend within our means and keep to our budget. Say hello to Mr and Mrs (to-be) Scrooge!

img courtesy of busyconf.com

Most of the packages provided by firms and contractors are rather basic; you have to do up your own list and compare it with the packages to have a gauge of how much you will need to top up to obtain your dream home. For example, packages typically do not include installing or shifting of lighting points, adding new electrical points, carpentry for wardrobes... etc.

Do give much thoughts to what you want to do for the house before you invite the IDs and contractors over for an on-site quotation. This helps in ensuring that you are conscious of the budget and you do not miss out much when discussing with each company.

Because we aren't in a hurry to move in, we worked out our list only after we received the keys and gotten a good idea of what we want to do with the house.

Here are some photos of our house:

The living room (the place looks dim and small) -

The kitchen (yikes irregular shaped!) -

Walkway to rooms -



One of the rooms -

One of the toilets -

I will start updating our progress across the next few posts, so do keep a lookout for them!

Vintage/ Antique Shopping at the New Rod Fai Market Ratchada, Bangkok

After procrastinating for the longest time ever, I have decided to start posting about our trip to Bangkok. The main purpose of this particular trip was to stuff myself silly with Mango Sticky Rice to source for home/ wedding decor and necessities, so we planned an itinerary based on vintage/ decor/ wedding.

First stop was the New Rod Fai Market Ratchada. The New Rod Fai Market is also known as Talad Rod Fai II, Rod Fai II, or simply Train Market Ratchada. This venue is relatively new and smaller compared to the original Rod Fai Market Srinakarin, but the location is definitely a huge pull factor for shoppers on budget and staying in a central location.

Rot Fai II is conveniently located near the Thailand Cultural Centre MRT station and like most night markets in Bangkok, you can find a wide array of street food, clothes and accessories available. What makes them special is the row of shops selling antiques and inspired vintage items, and the row of volkswagen vans-transformed bars and stalls.

After alighting at Thailand Cultural Centre station, take exit 3 to get to The Esplanade. Turn into the Esplanade and walk straight out and you will reach the entrance of Rod Fai II.



It is very difficult to resist the urge to take a seat and grab a bite when the first stalls you walk past are beckoning you with the aroma and sound of sizzling hot grilled seafood.



Anyway, we ventured deeper into the bazaar area and guess what? We found more food! *sigh* Bangkok is not a good place for my waistline.



We got ourselves some chicken wings, a supersized Thai Iced Tea, some squid eggs, and some skewers along the way.















After the incessant munching and drinking, we got down to business and started checking out the shops and stores. The bazaar area was crowded with local youngsters, while the bar area was crowded with working adults. Interestingly, the main shops selling antiques and vintage items are relatively quiet.

The Bar area was bustling with activities, and if you would like to soak up the atmosphere, simply get yourself a drink and you are in.

We didn't manage to get any vintage items in the end, as they were not what we had in mind. It was a rather interesting experience though. If you are keen to visit one of the most popular (new) night markets in Bangkok, and you love to shop for antiques/ preloved/ inspired vintage items, try out Talad Rod Fai I or II today! Even if you didn't manage to find an antique to bring home, i'm sure you will at least leave with a satisfied tummy and a stockful of pretty photos!

Do share your experience at Talad Rod Fai I and/or II with us today!

How to: 6 Simple Steps for an easy HDB BTO Key Collection Experience!

As a couple who has just officially become first-time HDB tenants homeowners, we can imagine how excited you are when you receive the official HDB letter for key collection... After all, this is the last hurdle between you and your very own new home!

For us, we had a very smooth collection process because of the help we received from others, and we hope that everyone can have the same pleasant experience as well. Hence, we have compiled this guide for HDB Key Collection:

1. Ensure that you bring ALL the necessary documents... Better be kiasu than be sorry!

Follow the list indicated in your official HDB letter, or follow HDB's online guide. 

Typically, it will consist of both applicants' original NRIC, marriage cert*, latest CPF statements**, and GIRO form***. If you have applied under priority schemes such as 'Married Child Priority Scheme', or 'Parenthood Priority Scheme', please note the additional verification documents you would have to produce as well.

* Do note that the submission of marriage cert on or before key collection is a must if you have applied for the Additional CPF Housing Grant (AHG) or Special CPF Housing Grant (SHG). If not, you can submit your cert before the estimated Delivery Possession Date of the flat (BTO) or within three months after you have taken possession of the new flat (resale/ completed flats as at application), whichever is later. You will have to submit a copy to your HDB branch before the stipulated deadline.

** If you have submitted your CPF statements previously and have authorised HDB to access your CPF details, you do not need to bring your latest CPF statements again.

*** This is only necessary for applicants who intend to pay your HDB monthly loan instalment by cash (partial or full).

2. Purchase HDB Fire Insurance right before your key collection appointment

It is compulsory to produce Etiqa's Certificate of Insurance when you are collecting your keys. The premium (less than SGD10 as at 1 Aug 2015) covers your house for five years and it covers damages caused by fire to the internal building structure, fixtures and fittings provided by HDB and its approved developer.

It is important to note that the compulsory fire insurance covers only the house itself and not the content. You will need to separately purchase fire insurance that covers other content such as renovated items, household contents, burglary, etc. You can choose to purchase directly from Etiqa at any point of time (SGD80 per annum as at 1 Aug 2015), or source for your own insurance provider.

i. Enter HDB Office from Biz 3 Lift lobby 1, and locate the escalator right behind the lifts.Go up to level 2.

Biz 3 Lift Lobby 1

ii. Look for the Etiqa Counter (see arrow in grey), and take a queue number. Produce your NRIC and HDB Appointment letter for processing. Payment can be made in cash or by NETS.

Etiqa Counter at HDB Hub

iii. You will receive two copies of Certificate of Insurance and you can then proceed for your key collection.

3. The moment you have been waiting for... KEY COLLECTION!

i. From Lift Lobby 1 again, take the lift to level 8 directly.

Floor Guide at HDB Hub

ii. Take a queue number from the orange self-help kiosk on the left. 

Reception and Self-Help Kiosk

iii. Wait for your number! It was pretty fast for us because there were 30 counters available. Got to applaud HDB's customer service for this.

iv. Now here's the exciting moment. The officer will ask for the necessary documents and tally them against the thick file they have created for your application. You will then have to sign various documents, such as declaration form for CPF Home Protection Scheme, home deed and legal documents. 

This is also the time where you confirm the HDB monthly instalment amount to be paid. If you are unsure of the amount you should be paying every month to pay off within a certain number of years, check out the cool HDB Instalment Calculator! We have used this before the appointment to estimate the number of years required for us to pay off the full amount through CPF.

4. Payment of Service & Conservancy Charges like a real homeowner!

After everything is confirmed and signed, you have to head down to level 3 to pay your very first Service & Conservancy Charges (S&CC).

Signage from the Lift Lobby

Make your first S&CC Payment here

5. Collect your KEYS

You can now go back to level 8 and collect the signed documents and keys from the officer. Confirm that the keys issued to you are in full sets before leaving.


6. Activating Electricity and Water supply in your unit

You would have to open an account with SP Services for electricity and water supply. Note that you do not need to do this on the same day, but we decided to do so because we were heading down to the house on the same day. The counter is located on level 2.

Activation is immediate; you will be able to switch it on on the same day. Also, utilisation of electricity and water is free on the day of activation.

SP Services at HDB Hub

You can open an account online as well, but we heard from our neighbours that they encountered some issues with the activation. Queuing at the counter directly with your HDB appointment letter is one of the easiest and fastest method in my honest opinion.

And ta-dah! You are now the proud owner of your new house! The whole process took us less than two hours, and we had sufficient time left for a celebratory late lunch before heading over to the new house.

We do hope that the guide is useful to all new homeowners, as much as it helped us previously. Do share with us what are some of the issues you have faced for key collection, or share this guide with anyone who may need it!