2016 — my first HDB
I got the keys to my first home, an HDB flat, in 2016. One of the early jobs was simple: add a shower ledge in the bathroom so I had somewhere to put bathing stuff.
I was quoted $600 for it. I engaged a contractor back then, and after some negotiation I was told to liaise with the tiler directly because I could not accept the $600 price point. The tiler quoted me $250 instead.
In my head I was thinking: the guy who bends down, sweating and doing all the work, gets paid $250 — but the guy who just passes my words to the tiler and adds a line item on the invoice earns 2 times more. It didn't sit well with me. I clearly remember this up till today, ten years later.
Back then, though, I didn't know much about web development. So the frustration stayed as a memory.
2026 — remodeling again in my new place
Recently I was remodeling my house again, and the same issue surfaced. Quotations for the same work varied wildly from vendor to vendor. A glass door through vendor A was priced at $2,400, vendor B at $1,200, vendor C at $600.
It stings. It feels like a rip-off.
So I built this
Since 2016 — I had picked up skills in web development and with the rise of AI, it is also making web development much easier — I finally decided to put out a site.
Also, through a few conversations with my friends, it feels like the default route for most people are going through an ID or Contractor. I wanted to share a different route that may suit people who do not mind the coordination work and are more hands on. I want to document my recent home remodel, and share the contacts I would actually use again.
I'm especially keen to write about the carpentry portion, because of the huge savings in that area. The quality they use are great and also formaldehyde free. The service is probably unmatched as well. Only concern might be language barrier.