Couple Abode Pte Ltd - 81 Ubi Ave 4

from the first moment we step foot into couple abode to enquire, we knew that we were gonna sign with Alson. he made us feel really comfortable, trying to work within our budget. Alson was able to listen to us and advise us when some ideas we had were not feasible. for renovation, its really common that the price would increase during discussion. when the budget was going up, he was able to help us prioritise our needs and wants. definitely we had some conversations with other firms who were able to charge cheaper. but im not sure if the job was gonna be done as good. our renovation unfortunately clash with the pandemic. anxiety to move in quickly was really .. there was nothing that can be done until the govt lift the rules. of course during this period, there were frustrations as we needed some answers about the progress. Alson was able to provide us regarding the adjusted timeline. and he was able to assure us that he will prioritise our project. so glad that this partnership evolve into a friendship.

After hearing much negative rumours on choosing the wrong Interior Designer, we did much homework for our very first unit together. Having set up a barrier whenever we meet a ID firm to discuss the plans before we collect our keys, and to be honest, Couple Abode was a new establishment when we 1st met. We had our reservations, but after much discussions with Alson, and with his assurance, we only decided to sign up with him on our 3rd meeting. In fact, the reason we went with him was because he did not hard sell his ideas or products to us, which gave us the trust in him. As much as our renovation plans were about to run smoothly, covid hits us hard and we had to stop for quite a while. Alson regularly update us on the possibilities of the renovation resuming and what are the possble outcomes. We too knew that he had his difficulties as the Malaysian workers were not allowed into Singapore, but with his continuous assurance, we felt as ease. When renovation was allowed to continue, he and his team was professional as there was no corner cuttings in order to deliver the project, despite being delayed for quite a while. I would say, quality would be at its best. Furthermore, Alson was pretty flexible about changes in ideas in between the renovation works. Definitely I would say the barrier of ID and client were broken and the main take away from this renovation was that, a friendship was forged.

Summary: If you like Couple Abode (CA)’s portfolio and are willing to spend some time to work with the CA team, I highly recommend then. The CA team (our home done by Alson) co-created our vision for our home and successfully executed it! When we met Alson, he struck us as someone who was willing to listen to us while gently telling us when some crazy ideas wouldn’t work. He also suggested new ideas or improved on ours based on his experience. We appreciated his effort to tell us upfront what ideas would not be feasible on our budget and help us prioritise our wants so he could present us a quotation within out budget. Price: the temptation to just spend a bit more to make improvements here and there is incredible! Alson did well to ensure most of what we were interested in was already covered in the initial quote, so there was not a significant change in the quotation once the work started. Design: We’ve lived in our house for 1 year… and we absolutely love the design. It is bright yet cosy, just like we wanted. Delighted with the look, feel and function of the place! Workmanship: carpentry is top-notch in our eyes. Almost everything was up to standard at the first time of asking, and there were very few, very minor rectifications on carpentry. The paintwork was less impressive, but Alson made sure it was rectified. Only issue was that it took a few trips, and the last one was after we had already moved in… so the smell was tough to manage for a while. Project Management: we were supposed to start reno when Circuit Breaker starter and needed to move in by end-Sep. We are really grateful that Alson managed to deliver it in time despite the restrictions on workers, material shortage and safe management measures in place. Having said that, this is the variable we felt that CA can improve the most. There were moments of frustration when we could not get clarity on what the progress of the renovations would be like, when things did not follow the schedule of works (even things not affected by Circuit Breaker), and when we had to request for updates. But things got better when we realized that responses are faster and better through calls rather WhatsApp! The past reviews of CA also proved true, Alson was very accommodating and even hands-on in getting the rectifications done, even going beyond the call of duty to help get everything in our house just as we wanted it. Now even 1 year later, he still willingly came for some minor work. True to their word!! Conclusion On the whole, we are delighted with the outcome of our home, though we felt there is room for improvement in the journey to get us there. However, the last thing I want to add is that Alson showed great personal care for our home as well as great desire and ambition to continue to improve and grow CA. I think this combination will see CA scale great heights going forward. This also means that your experience with CA could be even better than the happy one we had! As I said at the start, if you like their portfolio and are willing to invest some time into your house, I think you would be very happy with engaging CA.

Engaged Alson through a recommendation and we were very impressed with his service throughout the whole renovation process. He was not pushy in any way and was always willing to listen to what we want and needed and would also let us know if he disagreed with any of our choices, giving his reasoning but leaving the final decision in our hands. He also helped work within our budget and helped us cut out items that were unnecessary or not practical and would always be available to help with other queries even after renovation had ended. Overall very pleased and satisfied.

As first-timers owning and renovating a house, the biggest fears we had from the onset alike many were possibilities of being conned, poor workmanship and deliverables. Thankfully, none of those nightmares came true and even better, we walk away with huge smiles, a dream home and a new friend. Knowing that we have high expectations for our renovation journey, we shortlisted 6 highly rated interior designers, discussed our plans with them and finally decided to proceed with Alson from Couple Abode. Some key sharings that we will love to share with fellow homeowners - pick someone who - prioritises how you live and not how many shelves you should get (a listener than salesperson), - someone who speaks the same frequency as you and - someone who can be your go-to person for all things. And that was why we chose Alson, and continue to recommend him to our friends who are renovating too. Alike every home renovation journey, there are bound to be hiccups and we believe that these are moments to test one’s true professionalism. Once again, Alson never disappoint. Often just a call away, he is a problem solver, doesn’t ever shirk from his responsibilities and often goes the extra mile to resolve issues asap with his contractors. So once again, thank you Alson. For being our new found friend and for making our dream home a reality. Also super grateful to you in making us feel prioritised whenever needed, enabling us to settle in quickly and live our best lives in the new found home. Cheers!

Like every other first-time house owner, we went to look for many other ID’s, and carpentry companies to compare prices and we came across Couple Abode (CA)’s portfolio on Qanvast and Instagram. When we first met Alvin from Couple Abode, we were drawn to his friendly and approachable attitude. He is willing to listen to our requests and gave lots of time explaining things we do not understand/know unlike other ID’s we’ve met. He also drew out what we wanted on Autocad to help us envision our dream house at the very first meeting. During the whole process of meeting up and discussing, Alvin suggested new ideas and improved the design based on his experiences. He is not pushy about his ideas and is willing to listen. He also went out with us to look for lightings and bathroom accessories. He allows us to think through before actually making a purchase. Also, he helps us to keep the whole reno within our budget (not including electricity, furniture, plumbing etc.) During the whole renovation process, there were some minor issues with the carpentry and the paintwork, and Alvin quickly rectified them with his team. Everything was arranged and we do not have to worry. He also kept us updated with pictures of the outcome of the house each time something was completed. After it was handed over to us, Alvin even specially came to our house to paint the wall on his own, added cement on the light point to cover up the hole etc. The after service from couple abode is top-notch. Normally, you will hear people advising you not to make the last payment too quickly, but we trusted Alvin and indeed he did not disappoint us. We’ve lived in our house for a month now and we absolutely love the design. It is simple yet Instagram-able, making our home a nice place for photo taking and gathering. Overall, we are delighted with the outcome of our home. The experience with Alvin at Couple Abode is one we will never forget.

We were delighted to have engaged CoupleAbode’s services for our first renovation. We were also very glad to have Hazel as our ID to see through our project and helping to build our comfortable and beautiful home. We immediately felt that she understood our family’s needs as well as our situation when we first met for a quotation. She could understand what our aesthetic vision was, even when we could not describe it in words or find many pictures encapsulating it. She also balanced that with our practical concerns of building a space for our growing family. She was never pushy but always gave guidance with her experience. Very importantly, she respected our budget, which was a priority of ours, as opposed to other IDs that tried to push the limit. She also answered all our enquiries, and helped see our project through when we were unable to go down to the site because of our newborn child. We recommend her services very much. Thank you Hazel!

Posting a long overdue review for the ID firm that we engaged in 2020 We approached a couple of ID firms prior to the first circuit breaker in Mar20. After meeting with the various IDs from the different firms, we decided to engage Alvin from Couple Abode for our renovation. We felt that Alvin was not pushy, extremely warm and friendly, very transparent with his quotations, perfectly understood what our requirements and wants are, and most importantly could clique with us. The long series of circuit breakers kicked in subsequently but Alvin diligently sent us 3D designs based on the mood boards and colour schemes that we sent to him. Due to the delays caused by Covid-19, we collected our house keys only in Apr21/May21. Despite the increased labour and material costs due to the Covid-19 outbreak, Couple Abode honored the contract we signed in 2020 and did not increase the costs for our renovation. Alvin kickstarted the project shortly after the defect check and rectification and completed the project by our proposed deadline in Aug22. Throughout the entire renovation, Alvin displayed all the ideal traits of an ID (see below): 1) Merticulous: Alvin went through all the measurements of the carpentry with us to ensure that the carpentry were built to our exact requirements. 2) Patient: As with every first homeowner, we had no idea what we want and our ideal design kept changing, even after the renovation started. However, Alvin was extremely patient with us and worked with us to design a house that catered to our needs and wants. 3) Professional: Although having more carpentry works would equate to a larger profit margin, Alvin never once suggested for build-in carpentry for this purpose. If he felt that we did not need build-in carpetnry, he would suggest that we get furniture off the shelf instead. 4) Experienced: Alvin was very experienced and provided valuable suggestions throughout our renovation journey, for which we really appreciate. For example, he told us that having long tiles may result in flooring that is slightly uneven. He also advised against shifting from the sink from the original water point as it may result in a higher chance of clogging. 5) Eye for design: Alvin is artistic and has an eye for design. We requested for him to choose our wall and door colours and were pleasantly surprised with the outcome. As we wanted to incorporate curves into our house, Alvin introduced subtle curves in the carpentry and also used partitions to create beautiful arcs. 6) Responsive: Alvin replies to our messages very promptly. Even after the renovation, he still responds quickly to any follow up questions or help that we require. 7) Has homeowner's best interest at heart: I cannot emphasize how he always has the homeowner's best interest at heart. Some examples: - He proposed for us to get off the shelf furniture instead of build-in carpentry for certain areas as he does not see the need for us to incur extra costs - He thought about our lifestyle and designed a house that was well suited for cooking - He understood what we wanted for our house design and created a house that was bright and open. - He instructed the contractors to never smoke in our house during the renovation as we did not like the smell of smoke. Overall, we are very glad and blessed that we engaged Alvin as our ID. If we were to have another house in the future, I would not hesitate to engage his services again.