5 things I did not regret about my BTO renovation

After 5 - 6 years of getting our BTO flat, I'm finally blogging about it. After living in for a few years, we have some renovation that we regretted, and some that were lifesavers.

The 5 things that we did not regret choosing:

1. The rain shower set in the master bedroom toilet

We pondered for very long before deciding on getting a Grohe set. In the end, our comfort won over the practical side of us.

It serves us well, especially since we have to use it almost every day.

I want to rave about their service as well. As you may be aware, Grohe offers a 5 year warranty on their shower sets. When our mixer was a bit tight, we contacted them and they scheduled an appointment with us to fix and change to a new one within 3 days. I was so wowed by their service.

2. Not doing the shower screen in the common bedroom toilet

We were contemplating if we should segregate the wet and dry area in the common toilet as I have a pet peeve of stepping on wet ground.

In the end, we decided not to in order to save some money. It is a good decision because cleaning the glass shower door sucks. I swear it's one of the most painful chores in the flat.

3. Spanish tiles chosen from Soon Bee Huat

We went to Soon Bee Huat at least 5 times before deciding on the floor tiles.

I wanted a wood like style without the hassle of maintenance and rounded edges so that there is no possibility of cutting any one should the workmanship be lower than expected.

How it looks like after the tiles are laid

It's really pretty and easy to maintain. I love the slightly rough surface as it means that there is no chance of slipping. The irony is that the bathroom tiles are more slippery than my living room and bedroom tiles.

4. Switches at the side of the bed

The switches were a lifesaver when I fractured my foot and had to be bedridden for a couple of months.

Being the lazy us, it also meant that we saved a lot of walking (even though our home was already super small)

5. Granite Kitchen Countertop

To be very honest, granite wasn't my first choice for the countertop. I was looking at Silestone, but it was not fated to be, as we were told that the waiting time was 6 months. Hence, we went the conventional route and got the black galaxy granite.

We have no complaints about it and it is very easy to maintain. I also do quite a fair bit of cooking and there is no issue about burnt marks when I put the hot pans on it.

Summary

After staying in the flat for about 6 years, I realised that the renovation must facilitate your routine instead of the other way round.

Doing homework is the best way to mitigate the regrets that we may have later. We went to survey at least 50 homes before we decided on what we want for our home and I think it paid off.

Hopefully, our experience is helpful for making an informed choice.

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