Lowyat.NET: Latest topics by v1n0d

[WTA] Remortgaging to Rebuild

v1n0d — Tue, 14 Mar 2023 11:11:41 +0800

I have an existing landed intermediate single story terrace that is fully paid up. Due to the age and condition of the house (over 60 years, evidence of termite infestation) and the need for more space, I am planning on demolishing the existing structure to rebuild as a double story unit.

Some questions that I have:
1. What would be a reasonable budget for this exercise? The land size is 20" x 70". Surveying around my area, the average pricing I see is between RM200-300k excluding interior design. However, my architect has advised that this may be on the low end due to the need to demolish the existing structure.
2. Termites have been eating through the rubber casing of wires in the house. My initial plan was to demolish and rebuild from scratch, but my architect is advising me not to knock down everything as some of the structural elements can be retained to save cost. Should I be concerned about termites here, or are these elements generally safe from them? I'm assuming this is the case as they're usually concrete with no wood in them.
3. I have been advised by my banker that I can remortgage the property to fund the rebuild. He has however mentioned that banks usually don't give out 90% margin for remortgages - is this true?
4. After discussing with some contacts who have built a house from ground up before, I have been advised to consider splitting the work by stages (foundation, structural, brickwork, etc.) to avoid lock-in with a single contractor and ensure quality of deliverables at each stage. This seems like a lot of work - are there significant risks with going with a single party for the entire build?

Apologies in advance if this isn't the right subforum to post in.

‘97 BMW E36 1.8

v1n0d — Sat, 15 May 2021 13:58:51 +0800

Hi, would like to seek some advice from the sifus here.

Anyone have experience owning a E36 318i? I’m looking to get an estimate on maintenance costs, as well as some one-off repairs as the car I’m looking at hasn’t been driven in 3 years. Any advice/knowledge that you can share is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[WTA] Car Repainting

v1n0d — Sun, 18 Oct 2020 09:46:22 +0800

I'm planning on redoing the ceramic coating on my 5-year old car. Before that I'd like to touch up the existing paint as there are a couple of panels where I've had minor knocks, one of which there's a visible rust mark (about as big as a ball point pen tip only). There are also some scuff marks along the bumpers and side skirtings, but apart from the issues noted here the car looks brand new.

Some questions I have (and hopefully the sifus here can help):
1. Should I consider repainting the entire car, or just the affected panels? I'm unsure if there'll be a visible difference in the color tone as my car is white. Is only touching up the scratches an option?
2. How do people ascertain the extent of repair required? Just go to a paint shop and ask what to do?
3. I've read that there's painting the outside and painting the whole shell. Given that most of the damage is cosmetic (apart from that small rust spot), will painting the outside suffice?

Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer.

Switching House Loans

v1n0d — Fri, 05 Jun 2020 13:56:57 +0800

I have an existing house loan which is past its lock in period. Currently in the process of completing the MOT. Is it possible to refinance with another bank before the MOT is completed? Will the MOT have to be done again if I switch banks?

Would also appreciate some advice on how to go about getting my loan moved over to another bank.

Microsoft Surface Pro 5

v1n0d — Sun, 10 Feb 2019 18:09:40 +0800

Item(s): Microsoft Surface Pro 5

Specifications:
Processor: i5 7300U
Storage: 256GB
RAM: 8GB
OS: Windows 10 Pro

Package includes:
Surface Pro tablet
Surface Pen 2017
Surface Alcantara Keyboard

Price: RM3,500

Warranty: None. Test upon collection.

Dealing method: COD only.

Location: Wangsa Maju, Kuala Lumpur.

Contact method/details: PM

Item(s) conditions: Used. Excellent condition.

Picture: https://imgur.com/a/nsN0vEe

Reason for sale: Barely used.

Aiyo

v1n0d — Fri, 18 Aug 2017 10:59:13 +0800

Meeting a friend in town today, decided to take the train from Setapak since the waifu pinched my car for the day. A bunch of uni students got on at Wangsa Maju, nicely eating waffles right under the "No Food & Drink" sign. Haih. At the next stop, a woman with a baby gets on. These kids just make dunno, so gave up my seat for her. No hint of remorse on their faces at all. Sibeh dulan see people like this. Nak marah, but scared I'll appear as some crazy unker on some FB viral video.

[WTS] Gundam, Code Geass, Linebarrels of Iron

v1n0d — Sat, 15 Jul 2017 12:19:26 +0800

Item(s):
~~1 x 1/35 Code Geass Guren Type-02~~ SOLD
1 x Gundam Action Base 2 (Sparkling Green) [RM26]
~~1 x FG Gundam Raisel (Dengeki Hobby Ver.)~~ SOLD
~~1 x 1/144 HG Gundam Exia (Expo Color Ver.)~~ SOLD
1 x 1/100 Gundam Astray Red Frame (Clear Ver.)
~~1 x 1/144 Linebarrel mode-B~~ SOLD
1 x 1/100 Gundam 00 Raiser [RM220]
~~1 x 1/144 HG Gundam Seravee & Seraphim (Expo Clear Ver.)~~ SOLD

Price:
Prices as given above. All kits are mint-in-box.

Warranty:
None. Inspect upon COD.

Dealing method:
COD only, within KL.

Location of seller:
Setapak, KL.

Contact method/details:
PM.

Item(s) conditions:
Mint-in-box.

Picture:

-deleted-

v1n0d — Fri, 10 Mar 2017 17:20:50 +0800

-deleted-

Using OEM Office Keys

v1n0d — Thu, 05 Jan 2017 18:02:37 +0800

Is it legal to use an OEM/MSDN key for Microsoft Office in a business environment? The keys (RM60) are a lot cheaper than the retail version (RM750), and they activate successfully. Worried that there may be repercussions if the authorities do an audit.

Hard Times

v1n0d — Wed, 14 Dec 2016 16:55:23 +0800

Meeting with senior management earlier today. They've decided to freeze this year's bonus as well as next year's increment and bonus as part of their cost rationalization effort. Bonus freeze for this year is acceptable, but I really think it was a silly decision to declare the freeze on next year. Even as I was leaving the room after, I could hear staff talking about applying elsewhere.

I'm trying my best to stay positive about this and avoid just jumping ship like everyone else. I want to be part of the solution, and not just complain like everyone else. Management proposed a restructuring of our KPIs, and I've asked for a meeting with them so I can give my 2 cents prior to the restructuring exercise. I feel that it's my duty to provide feedback on what I see are inefficiencies in the current system, and let management decide what to do with that info. I keep telling myself that it's safer to stay here given this economy. However, it's hard fighting against the urge to leave as I have provided feedback before, and all I got in return were empty promises.

If you were in my position, what would you do?

[WTA] Thin Client Systems

v1n0d — Sun, 11 Dec 2016 09:41:51 +0800

As per the title above, I'm setting up a small business and considering implementing a thin client system. So far I've been looking at solutions provided by Dell as well as Lenovo. Based on what I've read, I'd just like some clarification on whether or not what I'm going for is overkill.

Basically looking at:
10 desktops (considering thin clients for these)
10 laptops (this need to be full-fledged laptops, not thin clients)
A local server to store documents and host our company website

Any thoughts on whether the thin client setup is worth the effort, or I should just get regular PCs?

Excel sifus please come in

v1n0d — Wed, 16 Nov 2016 21:49:23 +0800

Suppose I have column A with the following entries:
A1 nasi lemak antarabangsa
A2 nasi lemak madam kwan
A3 nasi ayam dara
A4 nasi ayam penyet

How can I cross check values in column A with a list of general food types I specify (say nasi ayam and nasi lemak) and assign the corresponding type to column B so that I get:
B1 nasi lemak
B2 nasi lemak
B3 nasi ayam
B4 nasi ayam

Any help is much appreciated.

Kids these days...

v1n0d — Thu, 10 Nov 2016 15:41:10 +0800

I got an email from a student calling me unprofessional because I didn't give him tips for the exam despite him paying the school fees. Wtfff...

Dear /k,

I humbly ask that if you ever have children, please teach them to value an education and not just the grade. Too many of these "I don't want to learn, I just want to pass," characters recently.

What's there to do in Kuala Terengganu?

v1n0d — Tue, 27 Sep 2016 20:12:15 +0800

Here on business, bored as hell. Any /ktards from KT can help recommend what to do?

P. S. Sorry no motivasyun drillz, sked MCMC make noise.

[WTS] Toshiba Qosmio F60

v1n0d — Tue, 16 Aug 2016 12:19:21 +0800

Item(s): Toshiba Qosmio F60. Specs as in my signature.

Package includes: Notebook + Charger

Price: Offer me.

Warranty: None. Test until you're satisfied before handover.

Dealing method: COD only.

Location of seller: Setapak.

Contact method/details: PM me your number and I'll WhatsApp you.

Age of item: Approximately 5-6 years.

---

Item(s) conditions: Excellent apart from a faulty battery.

Picture: Upon request, via WhatsApp.

Reason for sale: No longer in use.

[WTA] Name Transfer

v1n0d — Thu, 19 May 2016 14:18:58 +0800

Opened this thread in Property Q&A but no responses so trying my luck here.

Anyone familiar with the process of transferring a property to a Malaysian PR holder? I was told by a friend that I need an authorization letter from JPN before I can proceed to the land office to execute the name transfer. Currently a little bewildered as I've not heard of such a requirement before.

[WTA] Name Transfer

v1n0d — Thu, 19 May 2016 09:31:24 +0800

Anyone familiar with the process of transferring a property to a Malaysian PR holder? I was told by a friend that I need an authorization letter from JPN before I can proceed to the land office to execute the name transfer. Currently a little bewildered as I've not heard of such a requirement before.

GC + Monitor Recommendation

v1n0d — Wed, 11 May 2016 22:34:51 +0800

I have an old PC lying around the house that's gathering dust since I bought a new one with the recommendations from sifus in my last thread in this section.

These are the specs of my older PC:
4th-gen i5 (not sure of the exact model number, but I know it's not a K model)
4GB RAM
Intel built-in video

I'm planning on upgrading the RAM, throwing in an SSD, and getting a video card. Basically, what I'd like to know is:
1. What's the lowest end graphics card + monitor combo that I can get that supports 1080p DotA 2 with settings maxed out at 144Hz?
2. Assuming I get the graphics card, would the CPU be a bottleneck?
3. Can I manage to play the game smoothly without having to upgrade the RAM?

Thanks in advance.

[WTS] Original Honda HR-V Side Skirting

v1n0d — Tue, 10 May 2016 20:07:27 +0800

Item(s): Original Honda HR-V side skirting

Package includes: Side skirting (left & right)

Price: RM150

Warranty: None. Inspect upon collection.

Dealing method: COD at KL.

Location of seller: Setapak, Kuala Lumpur.

Contact method/details: PM.

Just Need To Rant

v1n0d — Fri, 19 Feb 2016 09:31:34 +0800

Okay, just need to rant here so please bear with me. My apologies for the wall of text.

First, a little backstory:
I work in a field where the working hours are published as fixed, but in actuality as long as we get our work done the higher ups don't monitor our attendance. To be more specific, staff office hours are purely at the discretion of the department heads. My department head has been kind enough to implement a verbal policy where as long as we've got our job done and we're available to contact during office hours, he's cool with us not physically being in the office. I'm generally quite quick with my paperwork, so I usually sort out a week's worth of work in a couple of days and go missing for the next few unless there are meetings etc.

Okay, now on to the problem at hand:
X has been with the company for longer than me. We both work in the same position, but due to him being at the company longer, he's treated with a bit more seniority (which is fine by all means). What annoys me though is X's need to compete with everyone around him. It's not the competitive nature that irks me, but more of how he chooses to go about to show that he's better. He has a habit of pointing out the flaws in others to the superiors just so he can get a leg up on others.

Things started becoming a bit cumbersome for me as I and a couple of other colleagues received a sizable salary adjustment after completing our postgraduate studies. X, being the ever so competitive individual that he is, began complaining to the senior staff about how we should be denied an annual performance increment on the grounds that we've already received a salary adjustment. Eventually some of the senior staff agreed with him and spoke to the bosses about it. Thankfully the bosses clarified that the increment is performance based and is separate from the adjustment we received, and one should not affect the other. Needless to say, despite having the issue resolved, X's actions really angered me and my other colleagues who were affected.

X reports to a different department head, one which is very particular about working hours. X's chief has a similar attitude to X, and as such they don't really get along well. Like me, X gets his work done quickly and prefers to spend time away from the office if possible, but due to his boss he's forced to stay on for the duration of the day. Now you can probably see where this is going - in order to justify his time away from the office, X started complaining to the other bosses (including mine) that I'm frequently missing from the office while he's subject to such strict hours. As a result, my head sent me an email yesterday asking me to just drop by from time to time so that it doesn't put him in an awkward position. It's not too big of a deal, but it does affect the overall flexibility of my working hours as I can no longer schedule full-day consultations away from the office.

Why is it that there are people in this world who so easily jelly and feel the need to kacau other people's rice bowl? Aargh!

P. S. Here's a potato for taking the time to read through my post: