Window Shopping: Fence, Gate & Carport

Due to how much it's going to cost us to move in, Earl was questioning whether it was necessary to build the fence and carport now. I pointed out that it will be much more difficult to have a construction crew over once we've settled in - the dust, noise, inconvenience, etc. I also told him to picture himself on his way to work during the monsoon season. Enough said.

WORK ITEMS

• CHB Perimeter Fence - Cement Plaster Finish with Paint
- 13.00mts x 6’ ht per side x 3 sides (right side, left side & back fence)
- 6” concrete hollow blocks
- 10mm re-enforcement bars for post, tie-beams & dowels
- Smooth plain cement plaster finish on both sides
- 2 coats of latex paint finish (per owner’s color choice)

• Steel Fence - Picket Fence Design - Paint Finish
- Picket fence design
- 13.00mts x 6’ ht (front steel fence)
- Carport gate – 5.00mts x 6’ ht
- Pedestrian gate – 1.00mt x 6’ ht
- One layer of concrete hollow blocks before steel fence – paint finish
- Includes electrical provisions for post lamps
- Primer and 2 coats enamel paint finish (per owner’s color choice)

• Carport Roof
- No specifications except that it should match the rest of the house

CONTRACTORS

• AQM Interior Services

Telephone Number: 0920 948 0177
Email: proj.aqm@gmail.com

General Requirements - Php 99,000
CHB Perimeter Fence - Php 284,968.75
Carport Roof - Php 258,921.67
Steel Gate & Fence - Php 34,800
Total: Php 677,690.42

• Gilladoga Construction Inc.

Telephone Number: 556 8991
Email: gilladoga@gmail.com

General Requirements - Php 97,579.73
CHB Perimeter Fence - Php 550,373.17
Carport Roof - Php 176,059.63
Steel Gate & Fence - Php 81,269.18
Total: Php 905,281.71

• Reach Out and Build Inc.

Telephone Number: 372 4659
Email: sales@reachoutbuild.com

General Requirements - Php 95,800
CHB Perimeter Fence - Php 299,726
Carport Roof - Php 202,584
Steel Gate & Fence - Php 78,400
Total: Php 676,510

Plot Twist

Long story short, we're now back in Manila and starting the process of moving into our house - seven years after it was turned over to us.

First up, we've hired a different contractor. Our front door was done by Rabacon but less than four years later, the paint has faded and peeled off, and the overhead roof that took them a year and a half to finish shows signs of water damage. Coupled with the fact that they kept getting delayed, Earl just didn't want to deal with them anymore.

We're currently waiting for all the permits to be approved before the fence and carport construction can start. In the meantime, we're window shopping for appliances and furniture. That I'm excited is the understatement of the decade.

Extended

Happy New Year everyone!

Still alive but not quite kicking. The long and short of it is that we've decided to extend our current lease until 2017.

Why? First, I discovered that I didn't want our baby to be in a separate room. So I didn't see the point in having a third bedroom.

Second, our landlord lowered our rent by SGD 200 per month if we renewed for another two years.

And lastly, while the Waterfront Key apartment looked great, its location was not convenient especially with a new baby.

Do we regret it? A bit. It has been really helpful to be within walking distance to a mall and a five minute ride from both the pediatrician and Earl's office, but we now wish we had more room for a helper and Hannah's things.

Well, one more year to go and we'll soon be apartment hunting again. Ah, the thrill of the search!