home appliances

It kinda sucks that Malaysia (and a lot of asian countries) don't have review sites on appliances like cookers, stoves, washing machines, and the like. Searching google is like the needle-in-a-haystack thing, since models sold in the West tend to be different than the ones exported to or made locally here.

Anyway, it's great that the salesman from the local ESH in SS2 gave us a very comprehensive run-down on the appliances. Here's a quick summary:

Washing Machines:
Electrolux remains a good brand for washing machine, and hence commands higher prices. Recently over the past few years, the LG brand has become a strong alternative for affordable and feature-rich washing machines. These go for about RM1.6k and above... depending on the load size (which is about 5.5kg to 7kg). To wash bedsheets and table cloths, you probably need something like a 6kg or 7kg load washer. And front-load washers tend to be a bit more delicate on clothes compared to top-loading ones.

Dryers:
Get an electrolux. The ones with more features are more expensive, but they may be worth it. Prices start from RM1.6k.

Fridges:
Japanese brands have been generally known to be offer the most reliable and feature-rich refridgerators for years. I used to own a Hitachi that lasted us eons. It seems now that Toshibas have become a popular choice, and they've got some plasma technology thingy that gets rid of odors and kills germs. My mother-in-law says that's just a gimmick. The recommended size for a couple starting out in a typical apartment unit is about 400litres, which goes for about slightly less than RM2k.

Dishwashers:
Up until that point, I was pretty much set on getting an Electrolux dishwasher. The man told me that Fagor actually offers better features and quality at a lower price. There's only one stand-alone model, and it's made and fully imported from Spain, and sells for RM2.4k.

This means that I have to save a lot of money. Ugh.

drilling holes therapy

I don't know why, but I never liked the idea of drilling too many holes into a wall. I'm always afraid that I'm drilling at the wrong place, or that I won't be able to patch it up the same ever again, or that there's some kind of stigma that I'll somehow degrade the structural integrity of the wall.

Plus, it's my mom's house. My room, but I'm living with my parents now, so... I don't fancy drilling holes into other people's walls.

Is there a way to prepare me for my new apartment, where I may eventually have to drill a hole into a wall to put some shelves, cables, lighting, what have you?

Maybe I should just throw away the stuff I don't need first. My room is becoming too cluttered.