Slow Progress

We're still working on the house, but things are not moving as fast as I would like due to the other items on my plate.

The last pieces of furniture are coming soon and half the picture frames have been hung. I also have guests arriving in less than two weeks so time to start cracking!

Leaky Bathroom

See the light brown water marks on the ceiling? This is right below the upstairs bathroom. Yup, it's leaking probably due to the holes in the floor grout.

Fortunately, I called Maricel of Rabacon (contractor who installed everything in said bathroom), and she sent a couple of workers over to seal the gaps. Though, I was also thinking that maybe the holes are due to the bathroom tiles or the toilet not being installed properly? This assumption is based on the backyard roof which also had leaks while a similar, but older, roof made by Avida over the front door never had a problem. And speaking of front doors, the red front door they installed warped and cracked after a couple of years.

So, I was a little wary of calling them to fix things since they didn't do a good job to begin with. But Maricel mentioned that I should have called her to repair the roof and the door which they would have done for free. Considering all of our expenses thus far, I was thinking, maybe it’s worth a shot.

Also, the previous village manager, Engr. Froilan, once mentioned that things inside a house will start cracking due to the heat especially if the house is closed and hot air has nowhere to escape. So that might be another possible explanation, though not even the workers who came over know for sure. Well, let’s see if this will work.

Supplier Ratings: CADI Showrooms

Linden Writing Desk - Php 14,500

Mariela Wing Chair - Php 16,500 (fabric not included)

Supplier: CADI Showrooms
Price Tag: Php 68,800
Rating: Php 8/10 (10 being the highest)

Pros:
I love the furniture!!! As far as I can tell, all the pieces look sturdy and really well made.

L - Unno Chair #1 - Php 5,100 each (without cushion seat)

R - Petite Wing Chair - Php 14,900 (fabric not included)

Cons:
They can only do what's in their catalogue - custom made items are only for bulk orders (think hotels, restaurants, etc.), and having changes made to their design proved to be problematic.

For example, their dining chair (Unno Chair #1) originally had an upholstered seat, and when we asked to switch to solid wood instead, the sales agent in their SM Megamall branch said it wasn't a problem. After paying in full (which is a requirement prior to delivery), I was informed that changing the chair design would cost us more. They also told us that the seat height was lower than normal as the workers received the wrong instructions. Take note at this point, two months had already passed since they informed us that all the items were ready to be delivered. We had asked them to postpone the delivery as the renovation took longer than anticipated.

As you can probably guess, I wasn't a very happy camper. I pointed out that it was unfair of them to change the price right before delivery. Why should we be paying for the mistakes made by the company? In the end, they conceded my point and kept things as is. The delivery though was further delayed as they had to redo the chair height.

Oh, and their delivery fee is rather steep. If they deliver to Alabang, the fee is Php 400. Our house is just an additional 20 minutes away and they're charging Php 3000 because it's located in Cavite, though I was able to negotiate it down to Php 2500.