Appliances: Abenson & PowerAire

Overall, Fair N Square was cheaper, but only by Php 1500. With toll fees and gas, that difference would be even less as I'd have to go to Binondo to pay for everything.

Recently, I went back to Abenson and Anson's to revisit their prices, and Abenson still came out lower especially when it came to installation fees. Here are a few examples:

• Samsung fee for wall mount installation:
Anson's - Php 2500 per unit without bracket (unless you're buying the bigger models, then installation is free)
Abenson - Php 998 per unit without bracket or Php 1498 with bracket

• Kolin installation fee for 2.5 HP split type air conditioner:
Anson's - Php 7500 for the first ten feet
Abenson - Php 6000 for the first ten feet

So even if Abenson costs Php 705 more for the 2.5 HP air conditioning unit, we still get to save Php 800.

Another point in Abenson's favor is that not only do they have a branch five minutes away from where we currently live, they also sell mattresses. I could potentially save even more on delivery fees!

So how did PowerAire get into the picture? After a bit of browsing, I came across a blog post that made a case for Daikin and non-inverter air conditioners. And after shopping around, I've found that a 2.5 HP Kolin will cost us around Php 46,200 including installation fees, while a 2.5 HP Daikin is roughly Php 42,000 inclusive of installation fees.

PowerAire is the nearest authorized retailer of Daikin as neither Anson's nor Abenson sells the brand.

Window Shopping: Appliances

To simplify matters, we're thinking of buying almost everything from just one shop.  That way, there will also just be one company to deal with and we save on delivery fees.  After looking around, it seems only three stores offer the most products under one roof.

Please note that the prices below were quoted during the last week of January. Rates have since changed, but I'm posting them anyway to give an idea of how the three compare.

 

ITEM	Category	Anson’s	Abenson	Fair N Square
Panasonic NR-BX468XSPH	Refrigerator	40,049	36,999	35,750
La Germania TU65122DX	Cooking Range	36,900	36,500	35,800
La Germania N3601SS	Range Hood	5,800	5,800	5,960
Whirlpool IFW 1020 10kg	Washing Machine	39,998	38,698	38,850
Whirlpool AWD 70A 7kg	Dryer	20,498	19,798	20,500
Whirlpool MWX 303ES	Microwave Oven	5,698	5,698	5,800
Kolin KAG 60 DME 0.5 HP	Air Conditioner	8,130	8,500	8,000
Samsung UA-32J4303	Television	13,799	14,997	14,000
Delivery Fee to Avida		950	350	800
TOTAL		171,822	167,340	165,460

 

Renovation Update 15

Based on the original timeline given by our contractor, Reach Out & Build, the construction of the fence and carport would be finished by April 21. Due to various delays, they only started on May 2 and said that they'll be done before the month ends. Here's a look at their progress as of this week:

Two of the four workers were absent as they went home to the province to attend their local fiestas. Do you think they'll be able to make their own deadline? Considering the many other things that need to be done inside the house, our goal of moving in by June is unlikely.

Cleaners: Rainbow Cleaners

As much as I would love for the house to be sanitized and smell of eucalyptus, I've decided that I'd rather save the extra Php 6920. I can buy a ton of Clorox Wipes and an air freshener I actually like and still have a little cash left over. Here's hoping though they'll do a better job than Dirty Business, Inc.

I. Scope of Work: General Cleaning for 84 sqm
II. Estimated duration of work: 8 hours
III. Manpower: 5 staff with supervisor
IV. Term of payment: Upon project completion
V. Service invoice and Official Receipt to be issued upon payment of service.
VI. Above price is VAT inclusive.

Total: Php 10,780 (all-inclusive)

Window Shopping: Cleaners

The house hasn't been cleaned since 2015, so can you just imagine how dirty the place is? The toilet alone makes me shudder (eww...). I wasn't too happy with the last cleaning company we hired, Dirty Business, Inc. They charged Php 10,000 for one day, but I felt the quality of work wasn't great. For example, they cleaned the middle and bottom part of the bedroom cabinets, but neglected the ones right above. I had to really check what they were doing and even then I was thinking that I could have done a better job had I done it myself.

Another company we hired to clean a 20 sqm bedroom with an attached bathroom was PRO Cleaning Services. They charged Php 4500 for 1.5 hours inclusive of steam cleaning one queen-sized mattress. I wasn't around at the time, but my mom said that while they were very thorough, she thought that they were too expensive.

Now that we're about to move-in, I want the house cleaned from top to bottom, in particular the ceiling, walls, window screens, and window sills. Five years worth of dust and bird droppings are not something I wish for any of us to breathe in.

I had difficulty searching for companies who were willing to clean a two storey house both inside and outside, so I decided to go with what's familiar and one that I discovered online.

PRO Cleaning Services
Rate: 17,700*

Estimated duration of work: 5.90 hours
Manpower: 4 staff

*Final bill will be based on actual time consumed.

Rainbow Cleaners
Rate: Php 10,780

Estimated duration of work: 8 hours
Manpower: 5 staff with supervisor

The main difference between the two, aside from the price, is that PRO Cleaning includes the following:

- Dry Steam Cleaning (175 degrees C high temperature cleaning and sanitizing) of tiled floor, kitchen countertops, toilet & bathroom fixtures
- Indoor Air Washing and Aromatizing with Eucalyptus (to get rid of stale indoor air, floating construction dust and other allergens and odors in the air)

The question is whether those last two features are worth the extra Php 6920.