My First Home Episode 2: Couple spends $100,000 on 5-room HDB renovation to create perfect home for child with special needs

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Episode 2: Part 1

Episode 2: Part 2

Episode 2: Making Room For Us

K: Back then, our flat in Choa Chu Kang was actually a smaller unit. If it’s two of us plus Janice and Hashbrown, it’s alright because it’s just the four of us. But when our relatives and friend who came over to see us and Janice, then that was when we find that… this is not working out.

May: Eventually, we’re both satisfied with what we chose. Definitely, it’s more than enough space for us compared to where we were previously.

Previous BTO in Choa Chu Kang

K: This house isn’t our first flat. It’s actually our second flat, it’s a resale flat. Our first flat was in Choa Chu Kang, it was a BTO (Build-To-Order flat). Back then in the Choa Chu Kang flat right, it was really about two of us staying to have a very cosy environment. So a lot of things were good for two. We erected a full-height shoe cabinet in front of the door so that our neighbour couldn’t see us when we opened the door.
But if you think of it, it actually ate into the living room’s space or the dining space.

The second (thing) in the Choa Chu Kang flat, we had a narrow walkway. We covered the whole right-hand side of the wall.It looked nice! It looked nice. But because it’s already a narrow walkway, so it made it even more narrow, actually.

Dog named Hashbrown

We have a dog, his name is Hashbrown. So there was a service yard in the Choa Chu Kang flat. So we kind of designed him a living area in the service yard. Eventually when the +1 came in then, it got kind of squeezy. Not enough space, yes. We took over some toys from our friends and relatives, we also bought some toys for her. Then we found that we had no space to keep them. So we put them in the living room but if my parents were here, they’d sit at the sofa, I’d have nowhere in the living room to sit down. It was awkward.

3-Year-old Daughter, Janice

I think it’s almost five years then before Janice came in. Then we decided to get a bigger flat. So she’s Janice. She’s three-years old, our daughter.

[Janice greets]

Because Janice is a special needs child, so what happened was when we first (got that) news,
it wasn’t well-received.

Child with special needs

May: We actually got to know of her condition about the fifth month (of pregnancy) because we did further checks. Before that it was, like, the doctor said there’s a high percentage (of Janice being a special needs child) and then, they just asked if we wanted to do a confirmation. Because the doctor actually asked us, “You have to make a decision on whether you want to keep or not want to keep her.” Even though we actually know of her condition already, we were actually still very excited to wait for her to arrive.

Preschool in Jurong Point

For her morning classes, she actually attends early intervention classes and also a typical preschool, as well. During the selling process (of flats), we actually somehow gotten a place whereby the (preschool) location is at Jurong Point. We were actually looking for schools and then, it’s at Jurong Point and the new place is going to be here. So we were quite lucky. And then, that also pushed us to say that maybe we really should just choose this place.

$10,000 HDB Grant

K: When we viewed this unit in Jurong, so it was a very squarish layout that we like. It’s a bigger space. And more importantly, it’s near May’s parents. For staying near May’s parents, we’ve got a $10,000 grant for this resale flat.

Typical day in life

May: For a typical day, I’d actually wake up at about 7:15AM (to) 7:20AM. After waking her up, she’d have her meal (for) her breakfast and then, (she’d) change out and everything, we’d actually go out at about
8AM to 8:15AM depending on what classes we have on that day. The day sometimes are actually quite packed for her because in the morning, we’d actually go for intervention classes and then, we’d get back home to have lunch.

And then, for her to nap. Then after that, I’d have to wake her up for the afternoon preschool. Typically when I drop her off in the afternoon in the preschool, I’d actually come home for a rest about half an hour to 45 minutes. And it’s during this short period I’d actually get to just sit at my favourite couch area because I get to watch TV without any disturbances, without a need to get distracted by her running around, doing dangerous play. So I think this place is sufficient for three plus one dog because we do actually have birthday parties, even friend gatherings, sometimes they will prefer to come over.

Typically, our group currently also have families already, have young children, so… They get to just let their child roam and play.

Bigger home for daughter to play

K: So the adults can enjoy, the children can play by themselves.

The three main factors of us designing this place is - One, we want to have a big space for Janice to enjoy herself. Two is the safety aspect of the house, we don’t want her to get injured and get cut, so all the furniture, all this we actually look specifically at round edges. And lastly, it’s the… for us, right, also a comfortable place for us to enjoy as well. So this side was actually a balcony area so there’s actually a sliding door, but we decided to tear it down and convert it into a play area for Janice. And this is where Janice usually hangs out.

Develop motor skills

We’d be over here at the living room, watching her or watching the TV. We wanted an area of her own so she can have more motor skills development that we emphasize a lot on. She’s got her kitchen, her dressing table, her ice cream cart, farmhouse, so her reading corner and some miscellaneous toys are being kept here. We decided to raise a platform, so that we differentiate the play area from the living room area.

Modern Scandinavian interior design

There isn’t a specific theme that we actually have in mind when we first designed this. We kind of like to say it’s a modern, a bit of Scandinavian design element. This feature wall was recommended by the ID (interior designer). It was actually originally all white, but the ID actually recommended to do some wooden flute panel. We actually knocked down one of the common rooms at the door entrance
in order to give the living room a bigger space.

Entertainment corner with projector

This side is Janice’s entertainment corner, this side is our entertainment corner. So you can see, right, there’s a projector here, that is where we do our movie screening at home. After Janice goes to bed around 9PM, the rest of the night we typically spend our time watching movies, series, shows in the entertainment room corner.

Sliding doors for movie screenings

So the sliding door is for the very purpose to make it more conducive. So I have another aircon inside in this room. Whenever we do our movie screening, we’d close up the sliding doors, we (switch) on the aircon. It’s super cosy, you can easily fall asleep inside. This side is our so-called dining area.

Darts machine at home

We have our dining table here, and of course, we have a darts machine. May and I, back then, we used to do darting when we were young. Our dining table is really just for meals.

Hashbrown dog's area

After work, I can still get back home in time to have dinner with them. Our kitchen is more for Hashbrown because this is where Hashbrown sleeps. As you can see, we don’t cook so our stoves are all repurposed for other things. So we keep the milk powder here, Janice’s milk bottle here. Washing machine is there. So because we can’t hang our clothes outside for various reasons, we installed a drying rack.

Over here, that is where Hashbrown normally sleeps. So his drinking-eating bowl and a small little blanket for him. And our fridge, hardly much things inside but we go there for drinks. It’s just some fruits and drinks that we have. Because we wanted to have a standardisation in terms of colour, so the living room is a place where people normally stay. So it has to be, normally, it’s warm and bright.

Dark kitchen interiors

For the kitchen, it’s a space that we don’t use. So we prefer to have something similar to our master bedroom which is dark-themed. The kitchen should look cleaner.

This is the common toilet. So following the kitchen theme where it’s all black in colour, so everything is also dark-coloured. We have a dark sink, dark cabinet, and also a dark toilet bowl. Even the shower head, all these, are all dark-coloured tiles that we use. Same thing: consistency throughout the house.

Master bedroom

This side is our master bedroom. This is my side of the wardrobe, this is May’s side. So hers is much longer than mine. Then she has her own so-called makeup desk over here. So that she can keep her miscellanous stuff, all those things. So our master bedroom is actually dark-colour themed because we wanted to have a very cosy, dark kind of feeling whenever we enter the master bedroom. So when you go in, everything is dark. You’d just want to sleep.

Over here at this part of the master bedroom, this is where we rest. All the lights here are all orange warm lights so there’s no white lights, so that we can easily fall asleep. So at most at night, we don’t (switch) on any lights. Probably only this particular small, little lamp over here. Even our bedsheets, we also specifically get dark-coloured designs to be in line with the whole master bedroom theme.

Master bedroom toilet

This is our master bedroom toilet. Slightly different from the master bedroom where it’s all dark. For this part of the wall, more lively colours inside the toilet. We also had the ID (interior designer) to do a full vanity area so that we can actually place our toothbrushes, toothpastes. This side is actually Janice’s bedroom. She’s still rolling and turning around when she sleeps. So it’s still not safe for her. So Janice, right now, sleeps on the mattress on the floor.

We decided not to put in a built-in wardrobe because we want to have flexibility. If we want to convert (the room) into something else, it can always be done. So all the furniture are all movable. We don’t get much lighting over here at the house, so we actually opted for these kind of blinds. So we can adjust. If you want it to be completely dark, then we just cover the whole thing. If you want to have some sunlight
seeping in, then we’ll just open it accordingly.

Full day childcare

May: As Janice grows older, she’d be going to a full-day childcare. So I’d be actually looking for a job. Hopefully, something I can work from home so one of the rooms probably can be converted into my work area.

A supportive family

K: Back then, our parents wasn’t very supportive initially when we first broke the news that Janice (has) special needs. But eventually when she was born, yeah, they were very happy to see her and take care of her. Just like the typical grandparents, they will come and visit us, we’ll go and visit them every now and then.

We were happy with what we have. And we’re… We’re definitely happy with our decision (to keep her). We intend to maybe have one more kid. But we let nature take its course. So if it happens, it happens.

So if it doesn’t happen, we’re still happy the way it is. Yeah, so we have room for definitely one more, even two more, actually. Having a home is important because there’s a place that we can look forward to. Even with just someone entering the workforce with a basic income, I can still get a flat within my means. So I’m thankful for that.

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Credits

Supervising Director: Raymond Goh/ SPH Media

Producer: Young Lim/ Home & Decor

Research Consultant: Nonie Chen/ Home & Decor

Research & Storyboard: Justin Foo/ FTTG Media

Video Editing: Ang Elly Sofiah/ FTTG Media

Videographer: Lionel Yu/ FTTG Media

Website Editing: Tan Guan Lin/ Home & Decor

Coordinator: Carmen Wong/ SPH Media

Web Optimisation: Prashanti Mohanan & John Tan/ SPH Media

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