Our Home Renovation Journey - Rectification Works by HDB

There are external companies that help you to do the defects checking these days (everything is possible now). So basically these companies offer a package that consists of 3 inspection trips to your home, which typically costs around $400. 

1st Inspection: Identify defective works required and submit the report 
2nd Inspection: Joint inspection appointment 
3rd Inspection: Conduct the final inspection on the rectification works carried out

We felt that it wasnt necessary and decided to carry out the inspection and follow-up by ourselves. I trust my eagle eyes and nitpickiness. I read online that some couples have a long list of items to bring to their new home during defects checking such as ladder, pail, torchlights, broom and what not. We simply downloaded and printed a sample BTO defects checklist shown below and brought along together with a few pens and post-it pads. That's all.. 😂

I think we took around 45 min to an hour to check through the whole house on 17 November 2018. Since we got the unit through the Sales of Balance Flat exercise and did not have a choice in terms of the flooring etc, we were going to hack away the kitchen and service yard tiles and overlay the tiles in both toilets. With that, there really wasnt much things left for us to check. 😂 We still managed to find some defects, which we left a post-it pad pointing to and stating the problem to make it clearer. Some defects include:

1. Small scratches on some door handles and the peep hole 
2. Paint chipping off on window handles (most of them actually) 
3. Rusty door handle of the bomb shelter 
4. Uneven laminate on the master bedroom door 
5. Laminate of the master bathroom door already came off
6. Chipped off laminate on the DB box door 

Once done, we headed to the temporary Building Services Center (BSC) located a few blocks away. It was easy to locate the BSC as there were many signs along the void deck to lead us to the office. 

We had to fill in the Rectification Request Form that came in the Welcome Kit given to us during the key collection. The officer went through the form with us part by part. We were told that our list was considered short and that the officer experienced couples who reported more than 100 defects in their home. 😳

A joint inspection was scehduled the following week on 19 November 2018, 9:30 am. I met the officer back at BSC and head down to our unit together to go through the list and physically check to ensure that the problem can be rectified. I was told to put a padlock on the gate and inform them the passcode. Once the inspection was completed, the officer and I went back to BSC to let me sign a form stating that the joint inspection was completed and I was informed that they will take up to 14 working days to correct the defects😱, during which we are not allowed to start the renovation.

Thankfully, I received a call from the BSC on 23 November 2018 saying that the defects in our home has been rectified. I scheduled for the closing inspection the next day (24 November). 

Basically, all the door handles with scratches and peep hole was changed. The DB box door was changed as well. I think they touched up the paint on the window handles only. Not sure how they fixed the laminate issues, whether they just glued it back or changed the door. 

So the retification works by HDB is done.. and the house is ready for RENO! 🔨🔨🔨