Reuse Reuse Reuse

Moving into a new flat involves high expenditures. While it may be desirable to build a dream home with everything new and nice, the financial burden will be an issue which will haunt flat owners.

Despite all the wishlist built up over time, I am going to split them between essentials and good-to-haves. It is also in my plan, to reuse existing household appliances, and progressively change them over the following year. This will allow my expenditures to be spread over a longer period, and will also extend the sense of novelty in the new flat. Let’s see what are the essential expenditures (this list includes items which I already splurged on previously):

1. Flooring – at least $10k for porcelain tiles for 4 bedrooms and 1 living room
2. Metal gate – to have a cat-proof gate instead of standard one. Cost is around $1200, according to earlier post
3. Window grilles – BTOs doesn’t come with window grilles, hence need to build
4. Kitchen cabinets – cost?
5. Kitchen stove and basin – cost?
6. Partition for study-room and kitchen – around $2.2k (haven’t include hacking and rebuilding)
7. Living room fan – already purchased
8. Living room sofa – budget < $1k
9. Living room TV console – budget < $1k, but my original selection from Ikea is no longer in stock, so need to look around
10. Prayer altar – bought one, to self-fix, at $300 from Shopee
11. Ceiling lights – already purchased a few Xiaomi LED ceiling lights at $49 each (via Lazada)
12. Air-conditioning + installation – expect at least $6k
13. Toilet doors – $350 each
14. Room doors? – $380 each
15. Water filters – already purchased from Novita, yet to open
16. Water heaters -already purchased
17. Basins and taps – taps already purchased, left 3 basins
18. Toilet shelves – already purchased and fixed, cost $29 each (via Lazada)
19. Study room table – already purchased
20. Wardrobes – 1 big one (at least 7 feet) for 1st masterbedroom, and 1 smaller one for kids. Estimated to cost total $1400
21. Paint – will do the painting myself though, paint will cost about $1200
22. Cat gym and shelves – already purchased
23. Mirrors – simple stick on types from Ikea will do
24. Store-room shelving – can get those $79 shelves from IKEA, 3 will do

Good-to-haves (if I want to splurge):

1. Bath tub for Master bedroom 1
2. Blinds/curtains
3. Dishwasher (in future)
4. Xiaomi robot vacuum/mop (in future)
5. Marble-top dining table (in future)

To reuse:

1. Dining table
2. Beds
3. Refrigerator
4. Washing machine
5. Fans
6. Robot vacuum/mop
7. TVs
8. Study tables and chairs
9. Existing sofas where reusable
10. Shelves

So the ‘in future’ and ‘to reuse’ items, will be stuff which I keep a lookout for, over the next months, for any special sales.

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